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

I shrugged, "I like them."

"Rory," Hayley called, wrapping her arm around me. "How's it going," she asked.

"Great," I said with a fake smile that she saw right through. 

OK, so the thing is, no one other than our dads, me, Ryland and Hayley know about the contract. Everyone else is completely in the dark - outside the lawyers, of course. And to keep it that way was a part of the contract. If anyone - other than Hayley who I already blabbed to - found out, it'd be considered a breech.

Within a few minutes, a lady that was in her mid or late thirties with brown hair stepped through the door, "So, who is the blushing bride?"

"That'd be me," I said, raising my hand.

"Great! My name is Samantha and I am going to be helping you today. Is there any styles you would like to s-"

"Full princess ball gown," Ryland interjected, not pausing to look up from his phone.

"Uh...yes sir," she said looking at me. I rolled my eyes and followed her to the back. "OK, now what do you want," she asked with a smile.

A smirk lit my face, "The exact opposite."

She was quick to match my expression, "I have just the thing." She led me into a dressing room, then disappeared, coming back a few minutes later with two dresses, "I figure we should give him what he wants, first, and then you smack sense into him."

I smiled at her and let her help me pull on the style dress Ryland wanted. I have to admit, when I got it on, it was beautiful. With the intricate beadingbon the top and the puffed out Cinderella bottom, it would be any girls dream. But I wasn't me. I knew that, but I walked out anyway.

"Oh, honey, you look beautiful! Ryland sweetheart,  just look at her," Lanah said, but his eyes never moved from the phone.

"Yeah, yeah. Bag it up."

I scowled at him and started to say something until Samantha beat me to the punch. "We have one more."

She led me back to the room again and helped me out of the Cinderella dress, and into a more simple one. But as I looked in the mirror, tears almost came to my eyes. The dress was perfect. It fit to my body all the way down to the floor and had a beautiful train. It was a long sleeved dress, with the sleeves and top being a floral pattered lace. It had a pinging V neckline which showed the perfect amount of cleavage without bring trashy. I knew in that moment, weather this marriage was out of love or contract, this would be the only dress I would be walking down the isle in.

"Miss Aurora, if I do say so myself, in this dress, you are living up to you name, sweetheart," she said as she looked at me. 

"Thank you," I said with a soft smile. "Well, let's go show 'em." We walked down the hall and when we stepped into the room...silence. Not a word uttered from anyone. "Well?"

Still, no one said anything. At the silence, Ryland glanced up, and his eyes locked on me. The normal gray of his eyes darkened as they swept over me. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but nothing came out.

"Rory...you look..." Hayley started, standing up staring at me.

"Breathtaking," Lanah and Roxy said together and laughed.

"I think this is it," I said quietly.

"Indeed, I believe it is, darling," Lanah said with a smile, hugging me.

"We'll take it," Ryland said, finally speaking up.

-

"Girl, did you see his face? He looked like he was about to tear that dress off and fuck you good...in front of his mom and sister too," Hsylay laughed as we walked towards the salon.

"Uh huh." Ryland had driven me back to the apartment to pick up my car about an hour ago, all the while telling me how he would like my hair - long, straight and down - for the wedding. He had had his assistant set up an appointment for me to get my hair done. I had argued and said that I refused unless he took me to get my car and I could take Hayley with me. Needless to say, I won that argument. 

As we walked inside, I signed in and in no time, they called me. Hayley said she would go get her nails done while she waited. I nodded, and waved her goodbye.

"So, how do you want it," the lady asked, running a brush through my hair.

As I looked in the mirror, I thought back to what Ryland said; Long, straight and down. A smirk made its way onto my face as I looked in the mirror, "Chop it off."

She smirked, "Boyfriend?"

"You could say that," I said with a crooked smile.

She matched my smirk and pucked up her scissors, "I've got you. Trust me."

"There you go," the girl, Lauren, said. She spun me around i n the chair to show me the finished product of my hair.

I took a sharp intake of breath as I saw myself. It was different. Very different. And I loved it! My natural beach waves looked more like loose curls now, and stopped aboved my shoulders. "Its perfect," I said with a smile, standing up from my chair. "Here. For doing such a great job." I handed the girl a fifty and walked out of the salon.

I wandered around the mall for a while, until I stumbled up on Hayley in a line at the food court, supporting three bags in one hand, two in the other and purse. I was quiet as I walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around, and almost immediatly, her eyes widened and a huge smile lit her face.

"What do you think," I asked with a smile, flipping my now short, bouncy hair around.

"I love it! Oh my gosh, Ryland is totally going to freak! Didn't you say that he liked long, straight hair," she asked with a devious look on her face.

"Yep," said matching her facial expression, "That is exactly why it is perfect. Plus, even though I am totally opposed to the whole idea of marrying him, I still think with the dress that I picked, the short hair is going to complement it," I said as she grabbed her ordered food and started leading me off to a table.

"I think you're right," she said sitting down.

We didn't waist much time eating and within fifteen minutes, we were in our cars, going our separate ways. As I pulled up to my building - that's going to take a while getting used to - I unintentionally hesitated in my car. All of the possible scenarios of Ryland's reaction ran through my head, and before I could stop myself, I worried if he would actually like it or not.

"No," I snapped, out loud to myself. "Pull it together. You don't give a flying fuck what he thinks," I said and jumped out of my car. Locking the doors behind me, I strutted confidently into the building with my head held high.

As I walked through the lobby, I noticed the same blonde guy - Taylor? - that helped me find Ryland's apartment yesterday. He glanced up at me, and let his eyes roll over my body, "You look nice, Miss. Aurora," he drawled and I smiled, until what he said hit me.

"Thank you, but hold on. How do you know my name? I don't remember telling you," I said suspiciously, as I walked a little closer to the front desk.

"Oh," he said a little caught off guard, "Mr. Steel came down a little earlier and added you to the lease."

I stared at him in shock. "Oh."

He chuckled at me, "Yeah. And the fact that you and Mr. Steel's names are plastered all over every gossip magazine on the rack."

"WHAT?" I ran over to the magazine rack that sat to the left of the desk and took a look myself. Sure enough, there I was, getting out of the car with Ryland this morning, going into the Bridal store. The titles read things like "Wedding Bells for Steel?" and "Sleeping Beauty and The Ice King: Has She Thawed His Heart?" Damn, they work fast. These pictures couldn't been taken but a little over two maybe three hours ago. 

I sighed and put the magazines back on the rack, "This is just great," I grumbled to myself as I grudgingly walked towards the elevators that may or may not have been examined thoroughly last month. I pressed the button, and within seconds, the doors dinged, and opened. Before I could so much as move out of the way, a man wielding ear-buds and runners all but trampled me.

"Whoa! I'm so sorry," he appoligized, in a thick, deep Australian accent, pulling his earbuds out and looking over me as I did the same to him. He was attractive. Very attractive - although still not on Ryland's level. What? Let's be honest here, I may not like him, but i'm not blind! He had dark blonde hair that fell to the bottom of his neck with screaming blue eyes. He was tall, well over six feet and was built beautifully. 

"It's fine. Not like my day could get any worse, anyway, " I grumbled the last part quietly.

"Well, maybe you should let me buy you a coffee to make up for your bad day," he said flirtatiously. "Will," he said, sticking his hand out.

I laughed a little, but took his hand, "Aurora. But you can just call me Rory," I said. "And I might just take you up on that."

"I'm going to hold you to that," he said, letting his eyes roll over me once more, before taking out his phone, "How about you give me your number, and I'll call you?"

I smiled at him and nodded, "Alright," I said and took in phone, putting my name and number inside, along with a cheesy picture I snapped of myself, "There, so you won't forget me," I said with a smirk, handing him his phone back.

"Oh trust me, I couldn't forget a face like yours. Until later, Miss Aurora," he all but purred, lightly kissing my hand. He backed away from me, and with one last crooked smile, he replaced his ear buds and made his way out the front of the building.

I smirked to myself as I walked, uneasily, into the elevator. In no time, the doors opened easily and I stepped out, releasing a breath I didn't know that I was holding. I shook out my now short hair and made my way down the hall to the flat. 

Before I could open the door, I heard a couple of keys on the baby grand being pressed, and before I knew it, the slow introduction to This is Gospel began, and then he started singing...

"This is gospel for the fallen ones, locked away in permanent slumber. Assembling their philosophies, from pieces of broken memories..."

My eyes widened, in complete shock at the beautiful, masculine sound of his voice as it crept through the closed door and to my ears. 

Before I could stop myself, I inched the front door