Chapter Six

NAYA'S POV

Looking out the window , inhaling deeply, the sweet smell of cinnamons and jasmine filled my nostrils, I just couldn't help but smile 'its not everyday one gets married, to a total stranger at most '

The room was filling up,  the hair stylist was done with my hair and the wedding planner was scolding the makeup artist for being one minute late and that was because she missed the venue, and for one I'm grateful, that one full minute got me to think if I was doing the right thing, if I shouldn't just make a run out of this jumbo madness, I could just put on a mask and leave this place, after today I will be spending the rest of my life with a man I only know through the info that was given by Aliyah, but I couldn't do it, If I do so my mother will suffer the consequences, and with the situation now I can't take her away.

"It's less than a year, just eight months from now" I muttered to myself

This has been my source of motivation to do this, if I get married I'm not under my father and better, he won't control the money left for me by grandma, I could divorce this jerk, yeah he is a jerk and that's because on our first date he stood me up and on the second we got into an argument, the third none of us came.

I stared at my reflection on the vanity mirror, my face all made up with light make up and my curly red mane has been tamed and put in a chignon style, I was wearing a  luxury white ball gown with hand sewn and crystals and rhinestones all over the bodice and the hemline of the skirt making it glitter, I felt like a princess, the dress was picked out by my mom, Aliyah and the wedding planner last week.

Coincidentally, since when the wedding plans began, my mother has been sober, but I knew it won't be for long before she cracks, I gave a sigh and sank deep into the seat.

'am I doing the right thing'

When my mom came in earlier, she was beaming and had tears in her eyes which means she's so happy, if I do this will she agree to be helped, Dad promised me he would delete the videos, would he also get help for her?, I was deep into my thoughts and worries that I didn't know when the door opened and Aliyah walked in, she was dressed in the lavender mermaid dress with the sweetheart bodice that we got as the maid of honor dress, my other bridesmaid, Penny and Merry Lita's twin daughters, and Grace who is my second cousin, were dressed in same colors but their dresses were knee length instead, 

"Ready to do this?" Aliyah chirped, but I shook my head and my lips trembled when I replied.

"No, No I'm not" looking at the mirror, tears filled my eyes but I held it in, I didn't want to ruin the makeup the artist spent over fifteen minutes on.

"Oh dear, if you don't want to do this, we could leave, I'm sure we could use these curtains to make a rope, we could definitely reach the first floor with little or no harm at all, we were mountaineers" she said looking out the window, I smiled at her, she was really my bestie.

"Yeah, how is that possible wearing a gown that weighs this much?, Certainly dad must have kept over a dozen bodyguards just in case".

She hugged me, and I did too, growing up as an only child I never felt the companionship those who had siblings did, but when I met Aliyah, I got the big sister I never had, the one who got my back and I knew if I agreed to leave this place, she'd make a way out.

A light knock on the door broke us apart, my father stepped in dressed in a black tux and a bow tie with the boutonniere stuck on the side pocket, he gave a glance to Aliyah

"I'd like to speak with my daughter"

 Aliyah nods at him, but squeezed my hands before leaving, she locks the door behind her with a  soft click.

"Any plan of running away ends here, this wedding will go through-"  but I cut him off, I don't want to hear him say the same words of threats to me again, I looked at him straight to his eyes 

"I'm here, am I not?, I will go through with the wedding, but you have to keep to your end of the bargain, the videos must be deleted "

"It will be deleted after the wedding proceedings, but first you will sign this" he assures but brings out a paper and a pen

"What is it?" I asked a bit suspicious, 

"The agreement between the two of us"  I wanted to read it, but he gives the pen, so I quickly scribbled my signature on it.

"There"

He took the paper and smiled then turns to leave but stopped and added

"You look beautiful Naya" then he left, maybe on a normal circumstance where I was getting married to someone I love, I'd have cried and appreciated him for saying such words, but I'm literally been forced and sold off by him, calling me beautiful won't fix it.

When we finally arrived at the chapel, my dad walked me down the Aisle, but with each step I felt like I was a sheep been led to slaughter and on the end of the aisle was the slaughter man ready to end me, the chapel was filled with friends and families, the Carters at the left and ours at the right and everyone was smiling at me like they know half a bit of what's going on.

Finally we reached the end and then the priest asked us to say our vows, which in truth didn't hold any meaning to any of us, we exchanged rings and  then the priest asked him to kiss the bride, I scowled at him, "don't you dare" I muttered, warning him not to do it,my first kiss will be taken away by this jerk, but he smirked and kissed me softly to my dismay, I closed my eyes reveling in it, I liked it, even if it was a soft kiss, when he removed his lips from mine,I felt a tingling sensation, I opened my eyes just to see him licked his lips, I gaped at him as heat crept from my neck to her face and he gave me a smirk , then the audience began clapping and hooting.

*****

The driver who was assigned to take us to his house came right after the reception and I was so tired, I had to smile all through the day like a happy bride and now my chin feels like leaving my face for being stressed, my ankles are killing me, I think I may have sprained it while we walked to cut the cake, I stepped on the on a layer of the dress and tripped, I expected that I'll fall but strong hands gripped me firmly, it was him

, if I had fallen down that would have been so embarrassing both for me and the entire family,

"Thank you" I muttered breathless.

He just nods at me, while he held my hands to keep me steady but what the audience saw was a different story, Grace told me people thought it was romantic and sweet, a husband who can't let go of his wife, I almost gagged at that, but I'm starting to wonder what was the story my father and his grandfather sold to the media about the circumstances of our marriage.

I noticed my mom was drinking much, and I remembered the whole reason for doing this 

'she needs help ', my father was beside her, obviously to make sure she doesn't embarrass him.

My ankle is killing me and the dress weighed a ton as we walked to the car, he helped me fix the dress inside the car, so I muttered my thanks, this is the second time today he's doing this nice things and he must have noticed me giving him a weird look because he just raised a brow at me

"Nothing" I breathed

We rode in silence not saying anything to each other, we were both tired cause immediately the car started moving he fell asleep, I was feeling sleepy too but I needed to know where the driver was taking us, so I played the beta of my new game on my phone instead.

We arrived at a Diamond hotel, it was a five star hotel that was owned by the Lee's, they own one of the largest hotel chains in America, Asia and Europe.

When we got to the penthouse, I thought it was a double room, but to my surprise it was just a single room and only one bed, and a single cushion, firstly, whoever thought of this is a jerk, what do they expect, we have sex like a normal couple, we don't even know each other and we hate each other's guts.

But the bed or sleeping with each other was the least of my problems, I need to get out this dress and my ankles is definitely swollen.

He just stood there staring at the bed, so I decide to go change.

"I'll be going to the bathroom"

Yanking up my dress, I wobbled into the bathroom, I stared at myself on the vanity, my eyes and limbs were heavy, and I tried to reach to the zipper of the dress, but I couldn't reach it and I cried out in frustration.

He rushes into the bathroom

"What's wrong?" He sounded worried.

With my back to him and tears filled eyes, I responded 

"I can't reach the zipper"

From the mirror, I saw him gave a small smile, and boy was that breathtaking.

"Should I help?" I nodded, but when I fully turned my back to him, that I knew what this meant, his hand was skillful as he loosened the zipper

"There, all done" he said with a smile but his breath was fanning my neck and heat crept all over my body as I imagined what his mouth can do to my body, I covered my face with my hands because I looked like a tomato.

He left the bathroom, and I quickly closed locked the door.

Several minutes passed and I came out of the bathroom wearing a robe, I had removed all the hair pins and washed off the sweat on my hair and body, as I walked back to the room I wince from the pain in my left ankle, but then I noticed he has removed his suit and jacket and was only wearing his shirt, but then he walked towards me with a first aid kit, 

"Seat" he ordered, 

I was wide eyed, but I obeyed and sat on the bed, he crouched down and held my leg up, looking at the swollen ankle.

" You've endured this since?" 

I could only nod my answer while staring at him, he touched the swell lightly and I moaned in pain.

He brought out some ointment from the kit and applied on it then he used a bandage to wrap around it.

"This will suffice for now, tomorrow morning you should see a doctor"

"Ok" I managed to croak out.

"You could use the bed, I'll take the cushion" 

I knew he was doing this as a consideration for me, but he was tired too, exhaustion marked his entire body and sleeping on the couch would be so uncomfortable, this is a king size bed, I'm sure we can both fit in here.

"You can sleep on the bed too" I called after him, when he turned to me, 

"Sleep on the bed, we can both fit in without touching each other, we can use the pillows to make a wall for extra measure" I  stated  

 but he just stood watching me talk

"I mean you're exhausted, and sleeping on the couch would be uncomfortable, you should join me on the bed"  

He just smiled at me,

" I would go use the bathroom now"

I used the extra pillows to divide the bed forming a wall, turning off the bed lamp on my side, I settled under the thick covers.

After a few minutes I heard him come out of the bathroom and felt him sunk into the bed.

" This is going to be a long night" I whispered to myself before exhaustion and sleep claimed me.