The Marriage Contract by Marlee Kimbrell (the snowy day read aloud txt) 📕

the front. As the car came to a stop, the doors the the house swung open. I immediately recognized the man from a couple of weeks ago that I nearly ran over in my haste to get to the track.

 

My dad got out of the car and I followed his lead, standing beside him as he embraced his friend. "Everett! Nice to see you again, and you must be the lovely Aurora! I'm Ryan Steel, my son Ryland is just inside," he said, gesturing towards the door.

 

"Shall we," my dad asked, offering me his arm. I glared at him and stomped ahead following Mr. Steel.

 

When we walked through the doors, I glanced around the large room in awe. The ceilings were high and seemed to go up forever, the walls were a light cream and the furniture was warm browns and earth tones. It was a perfect mix of homey and classy, a mix many attempted but couldn't quite pull off, so the fact that they did, made me smile.

 

Mr. Steel led us down a corridor to the left of what I assumed to be the family room, and to a large set of wooden doors. He opened them and ushered us inside with a wave of his hand. As I walked inside - whatI'mgoingtoassumeis- the den, my attention is immediately drawn to two separate things: the Foosball table and the tall, imposing figure that stood with his back to me.

 

"-well tell him that I am in a meeting," he yells, causing Mr. Steel to clear his throat, loudly. The man turned around and glanced at me. "This won't take long." He hung the phone up immediately and I scowled.

 

"Aurora, this is my son Ryland. Ryland, this is Aurora Burke."

 

Ryland didn't make a move, just let his eyes roll over me; appraisingme. Finally, he took a step forward and paused, he reached into his pocket and then held his hand out to me. I opened it and he dropped a large diamond ring into my palm.

 

My mouth dropped open and I could see from the corner of my eye, Ryan Steel and my dads happy smirks at my reaction. Well, hatetoburstyourbubble...

 

"Hell fucking no!" I threw the ring back at Ryland.

 

"No," he asked, half shocked and half pissed.

 

"So now you speak."

 

"What the fuck do you mean, No?" Well aren't you just a sexy ball of sunshine.

 

Before I could respond, my dad jumps in between us. "You have no choice. You're marrying him, Rory and that's final."

 

"You can fucking make me, dad!"

 

"Yes I can. You read the contract, Aurora. This conversation is done," he said, picking the ring up off of the floor. "Now you're going to wear this mans ring. You are going to be living at his home as well, so this is goodbye."

 

My eyes widened, "Dad, you can't be serious! What about all of my things?"

 

"They were delivered earlier," Ryland interjected, looking at me coldly.

 

I shot daggers at him, narrowing my eyes. "Fuck you."

 

"No thanks, sweetheart," he said arrogantly, glaring right back at me.

 

"Well, we'll leave you kids to it," Mr. Steel said and he walked out.

 

"I love you, honey. You'll thank me one day," my dad said and tried to hug me.

 

I shoved him away, my eyes like ice, "Don't touch me."

 

Hurt flashed in his eyes, but he walked away, leaving me in the room alone with Ryland. I looked over at him, and he was staring down at his phone. After a minute or two, he looked up at me with cold, indifferent gray eyes, "Let's go. My driver is here," he said and walked out the door. I followed after him back to the front where a black SUV sat next to my white Audi.

 

"Your father had it brought for you, Miss Aurora," I older woman said, handing me my keys.

 

"Thank you," I said and started walking to my car.

 

"Where do you think you're going," Ryland demanded.

 

"Away from you, asshole," I snapped and drove away.

 

~

 

"Wait, wait, wait! So you mean to tell me, that your dad basically sold you off to RylandSteelto make a damned point," Hayley said, trying to wrap her head around what just happened.

 

I nodded. "Yes. With a contract and all."

 

"And Ryland gave you a ring?"

 

"Yes. And I threw it right back at his dumb ass," I said still fuming about earlier.

 

After I left, I pulled my hair into a loose ponytail and drove around the city for a while, then stopped at Hayley's house. I changed out of that damned dress and into a pair of leather jeans I had in the back of my car for some reason, a loose gray crop top and Vans, then told Hayley the entire story.

 

I pulled the ring out of my pocket and handed it to her. She looked down at it and her big blue eyes widened. She picked up the ring and turned it around in her fingers, in awe. It irritated me how she was looking at it, but its not like I could blame her.

 

The ring was beautiful, I have to admit. The band was a shining platinum and in the center, a large square cut diamond. It was surrounded in a frame of smaller diamonds and on either side, there were two medium sized squared cut diamonds, then multiple small ones on the sides of the band. Engraved on the inside was my name, Aurora, carved intricately. In any other situation, I would adore the ring, but coming from him, it would have to be a cold day in hell.

 

After appraising the ring, Hayley set the ring down on the table, then her eyes met mine. "Might I just say in the most loving, best friend way that I can, that you are the dumbest bitch I have ever came into contact with."

 

My eyes widened and I gaped at her, "Hayley!"

 

She sat back in her seat and crossed her arms, "Rory. What did he even do to you?"

 

"He was a total dick to me" I almost shrieked, angry. "You're supposed to be on my side!"

 

"Rory. He only reacted to you. You wounded his ego. So, outside of doing what any person with a penis would do, what did he do to you?"

 

Her question caught me off guard. And when I thought about it, he really hadn'tdone anything. And that fact pissed me off even more.

 

"I've got to go," I said, got up from the couch and walked out to my car.

 

I jumped in the drivers seat and turned the radio up as far as it would go, blasting my favorite songs from my phone.

 

Youputasourlittleflavorinmymouthnow. Youmoveincircleshopingnoonesgonnafindout. Butwe'resolucky. Kisstheringandlet 'embowdown. Lookingforthetimeofyourlife...

 

I sang along angrily to Miss Jackson by Panic! At The Disco as I drove to my dads house - speeding the whole way. When I pulled up to the gate, I rolled my window down to show the guard who I was.

 

"Hey boys, its just me," I said.

 

A guilty looked crossed our head of security, Martin's face. He scratched the back of his neck and looked down at me. "I'm sorry, Miss Rory, but I can't let you in. Your fathers orders. He said you would be staying with your fiancé."

 

I glared and very nearly growled at the poor man. I rolled my window up and sped out of the drive. I picked up my phone and dialed my dads number.

 

"Hello?"

 

"What the hell, dad," I screamed through the phone.

 

He sighed. "Go home, Rory."

 

"I'm trying to, but Martin won't let me through the damned gate," I ground out through gritted teeth.

 

"Go to Ryland's apartment. I already sent the address," he said calmly.

 

"Dad!"

 

"Goodbye, Rory," he said and hung up the phone.

 

"Dammit," I yelled, banging on the steering wheel. I checked my phone for the address in defeat, and started on my way there.

 

Within ten minutes, I was parked beside Ryland's building. I got out  looking up at the almost imposing building. Itwasatleast 40 storieshigh. 

 

I locked my car doors and walked inside the building.  I walked up to the receptionist desk and was met by a guy around my age. He had cool blue eyes and dirty blond hair. His eyes rolled over me and he smirked. "Can I help you ma'am," he asked with a hint of a southern accent.

 

I smiled at him and looked down at his name tag, "Yes you can, Taylor. What floor is Mr. Ryland Steel's apartment?"

 

His smile dropped a bit, but he nodded and turned to his computer. "Forty-second floor, Penthouse 4," he said.

 

"Thank you," I said and walked towards the elevator uneasily. I never liked elevators. They made me nervous. Damnhim forlivingonthetopfloor!

 

When the elevator finally dinged and the doors opened, I quickly ran out and down the hall to Penthouse 4. I stood there for a second, then finally knocked on the door. In no time it swung open and a fuming Ryland stood there.

 

"Uh, hi..?" He didn't bother responding, just grabbed me by the arm and jerked me inside. "Hey, get your fucking hands off of me!"

 

"You could have made me late, having to sit around and wait on you! My meeting is at four," he snapped and I looked down at my phone.

 

My nose scrunched in confusion. "Dude, your office is five blocks away. Chill out," I said.

 

If looks could kill, I'd be dead by now. I gave him the same look in return, until finally, he sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose and looked down. "I don't have time for this. There's food in the refrigerator, your stuff is set up in the spare room." He said nothing else, just turned and walked out the door.

 

This is going to be the longest year of my life.  

 

3. I Bet You Watch Paint Dry for Fun

I stared at the door for a couple of seconds after Ryland left, then slowly started to explore his apartment. Even though I hate to admit it, the living room was beautiful. A sleek black, baby grand piano sat in the back corner, adjacent a curving crème colored couch that faced the large high definition television that was mounted on the wall. To the back, a balcony that looked over the breathtaking Chicago skyline.

 

The only thing that was slightly off putting was that it was spotless...like literally. It looked like he had cut it out of a magazine - which in all honesty, he probably did - and smacked it right in his living room. I shrugged it off and continued looking around.

 

I went into the kitchen, and as I expected, it was modernized with all the appliances being either black or chrome. I left the kitchen and wondered down the hall, the first door I came to was a bathroom, but the second, was what I assumed to be his bedroom.

 

"Oh come on!" Just like the living room, it was spotless. The only thing that might be out of place was the pair of shoes and tie that was laid out across a brief case, and even those looked like they were placed with perfect precision. The walls were a plane off white and his bedding was black. Simple. Sufficient. Boring...yet still attractive. Yep. Basically sums him up. I shook my head then continued down the hall.

 

When I opened the next door, I was shocked at the beauty of the room