The Marriage Contract

by Tara Ahmed

  But I couldn’t. My bare meet curled over the soft strings of the carpet, my hands clenched so tightly, I could feel my dig deep into my flesh.

  “Look at me,” he whispered.

  His voice was choked, as though a frog sat at the center of his chest, croaking out his words.

  I shook my head- then gasped at his surprise touch.

  His index tilted my head gently upwards, pushing my face to side, forcing me to meet his penetrating gaze. The cool touch of his flesh against mine sent a tingling spark down my spine, as I stared wide eyed at him.

  “Say something,” he snapped. “Say anything damnit! But just don’t look at me like that--”

  “Like what?” My voice barely escaped, as I stared up at him, my brows furrowed.

  A smile reached his lips, but only for a second, as he took another step towards me- so close, that I could feel the temperature of his breath against my forehead. The musky scent of lavender surrounded me, like a twisting vine, keeping me caged against his form.

  “Like you feel sorry for me,” he said.

  I stared at the rise and fall of his Adams apple, before blinking up at him, my lips suddenly feeling dry.

  “I don’t feel sorry for you,” I began. “I feel sorry for me—“

  “Oh, come on! Don’t do this, Dory! Stop acting like…like I’m a victim! I’m the one that hurt you—“

  “Well, I broke the rules, didn’t I? If you remember, we both signed rules, and yours was that we shouldn’t fall in love, and mine was that we shouldn’t touch. Funny how I managed to break both. But, what does that matter now? Anyways, I…I just have one question.”

  He stared at me, a hint of disbelief spread over his solemn eyes. His gaze lingered on mine for a moment that felt like forever- though I was sure only ten seconds had passed, as he ran a hand through his thick tresses.

  “What do you want to know?” he asked.

  “Why did you send Richard here?”

  His eyes faltered, as he looked at the ground, then back at me- his expression, that of a surprise. He took two steps back, fear clouding over his eyes, as though worried a big secret was about to be revealed.

  “What’s the matter?” I pressed. “You sent Richard here for a reason, and I want to know why!”

  James walked backwards, till he reached my bed, and sat at the center, staring hopelessly at his knees. For a few moments, he was silent, causing me to think that perhaps I won’t get an answer today.

  I sighed, walking towards the bed, and taking the seat beside him. We were a few inches apart, as I watched him breathe evenly, staring blankly at my plain white wall ahead.

  “I saw the way he looked at you that night we had dinner with my folks.” He spoke slowly, carefully choosing his words. “He’d fallen for you way before I had, and at first, I felt territorial. I didn’t want him to take you away from me. It was ridiculous, but I hated the way he stared at you. Do you realize how I never mentioned him around you? Well, that’s because everything about him was a hell of a lot better than me—“

  I shot up from the bed, my blood beginning to boil, as I stared down at him, feeling horrified.

  “Wait, wait, I don’t understand,” I began. “So…you and Richard were playing some kind of game with me?—“

  “No, no, it’s not like that,” he assured. “Just hear me out before you make your own crazy conclusions. My brother and I were not playing any game with you, alright? I just…I knew he’d fallen for you the day he saw you. There was love written all over his face, and a kind of determination as well. I was going to lose you to him sooner or later, but I just didn’t know when. But you know something, Dory? I felt like…I felt like I wasn’t worthy of you. Every time you tried to get close to me, something just told me that it was wrong, because you deserved a guy like my brother. Someone who’s well rounded and not a total dick. Tell me something. Did you know that he liked you?”

  Suddenly, in the heat of mid-May, I felt cold. An icy gust streamed through my lungs, as I stared down at James, before taking a seat beside him.

  It was like an awful soap opera, and for a moment, I wanted to laugh at how ridiculous the situation was. Here was James, who was convinced that his brother was in love with me, unaware that Richard was only pretending to want me, out of revenge for his deceased ex-girlfriend, who slept with James.

  But, should I have told him the truth then? I was curious about Lorie, but was my curiosity worth James’s pain?

  “What’s wrong?” he asked. “What are you thinking?”

  I shook my head, suppressing another shiver, as I crossed my arms over my chest.

  “I…I was aware that he was…showing his interest towards me.” I chose each word carefully, speaking slowly.

  I stared at the ground, not ready to meet his eyes- for fear that I’d reveal the truth to him. As I exhaled a deep breath, James’s palm curled over mine, before bringing my knuckles towards his lips.

  “Stop that,” I said, whipping my hand out of his. “Anyways…I think…no, I mean…I’ve decided that you should stay for the duration of the carnival.”

  He almost smiled, but then stopped- his eyes growing cold.

  “Oh,” he said. “You want to put up an act in front of your folks. And after I leave, you’ll tell them it’s all over. Am I right?”

  I hesitated. “Yes.”

  He nodded, licking the bottom of his lips.

  “What if I didn’t leave?” he asked.

  What? What kind of question was that?

  I frowned. “You mean…what if you didn’t leave Ohio?—“

  His lips spread into an eager smile, as he leaned his head so close to mine, our mouths were only inches apart.

  “No,” he replied.

  Oh, thank God.

  I breathed a sigh of relief, before tucking a strand of lock behind my ear. I smiled a little to myself, feeling silly about thinking that James, a multimillionaire, would leave his ritzy life, living here in Ohio. It wasn’t exactly the most glamorous state.

  But when his fingers danced along the arch of my neck, slowly tracing downwards- I froze. Sitting still as a stone, I felt his lips meet my flesh, kissing the small area beside my collar bone. The kiss was soft- as his lips tasted my skin, soaking in that small portion of my flesh like it was his favorite piece of chocolate.

  Stop him, Dory. Say something. Speak up, you idiot—

  I moaned.

  His tongue traced up the hill of my neck, his arm slinked over my waist, as he sucked in that specific, extra sensitive spot. My eyes closed, as I turned my body towards him, tilting my neck to give him more room to explore.

  But he wouldn’t budge from that particular spot, and it was beginning to frustrate and excite me at the same time.

  My skin flushed hot and cold, as he wrapped both arms around my waist, pushing me against his chest. I smiled, biting the edge of my lip, before wrapping my arms over his back, pulling him closer.

  James’s lips were cotton soft, as he continued to suck that small portion of my neck. My breath quickened, as his French kiss on my flesh- increased.

  And then he bit me.

  Like a dream, I woke, breathing hard, as my arms detangled out of his waist. Horrified, I pushed him back, standing to my feet.

  Oh, no. What the hell just happened?

  A light smile spread across his face, as he raised a brow, leaning back against my bed, looking terribly pleased with himself.

  My face was a burning mess- so much so- that I feared my cheeks would match the shade of a thousand tomatoes if I didn’t exit out of the room right then and there.

  Screw being brave!

  I needed to run!

  My heart thundered, as I turned towards my closed door, trying to force it open. But as much I twisted and pulled, the knob stayed in place, refusing to budge.

  What the freak was wrong with my stupid door? Open, damnit!

  Humiliation spread over every nook and cranny of my body, as I continued to jiggle the
knob, prepared to break it open if needed. As I glared at the door, I felt his long strides approach- his shadow looming over me.

  My palm froze over the knob- goose bumps trickling over my arms, as James stood a millimeter behind me, his back pressed against mine.

  I inhaled a breath, my throat suddenly feeling dry, as he extended his hand towards the knob, covering my hand with his.

  I could feel his devilish smirk, but refused to turn my head, for fear that I’d end up saying or doing something stupid. I couldn’t understand why I was reacting so strangely, but when his lips met my ears, I exhaled that breath I forgot I was holding.

  “What if I didn’t leave, Dory?” he repeated his question from earlier- his cool breath tingling into my lobe, causing me to shiver.

  “You’ve got to leave,” I whispered. “That’s…well…that’s what you’ve got to do—“

  “No, no, you’re not listening,” he said, his lips touching the edge of my lobe. “What if, no matter where you went, you weren’t with me, but I was with you.”

  “Is that a riddle?” I breathed. “James…you’re confusing me—“

  “It’s quite simple,” he said. “Say, that after this carnival ends, I head back to New York, L.A., or wherever the hell I want to go. But what if, even after I leave, I’m still around you, I’m still beside you?”

  “How’s that possible?” I spoke quietly, as though afraid someone might hear.

  He chuckled lightly, and it sounded almost musical.

  “Take a look in the mirror, Princess,” he said. “I hope you like the bite. I worked especially hard on it.”

  I slapped a hand against my neck, feeling the mark where he’d bitten me, as I thought over all the implications of his statement. He couldn’t possibly mean what I thought he meant…could he?

  James’s warm, thick hand, curled over mine on the knob, twisting it open. I stood there, gaping at him like a fool, as he walked around me, shooting me a sly wink, before turning and heading down the hall.

  My eyes stung in humiliation, as I ran towards my vanity, pushing my locks over my shoulder. Blood rushed hot through my veins, as I leaned towards the mirror, glaring at the bite mark resting at the center of my neck.

  For the past half hour, I did everything I could to make that damn mark disappear. I rubbed with a swab, I placed warm water over it, I placed cold water over it- I even tried to slap it away.

  Nothing worked.

  As I glared into my vanity mirror, my mind pondered on the thought that only James would be a jerk enough to leave the girl he “loved”- a hickey, instead of something normal. Didn’t other guys usually write songs?

  Wait…he did that.

  Well, didn’t other guys also beg for forgiveness, kneeling in front of their lady love, giving her a heartfelt explanation of his wrong doings?

  Crap. He did that too.

  I sighed, feeling defeated, as James’s words travelled through my mind. He had said that he’d stay with me, even when he wasn’t around, making sure I’d always remember him wherever I went.

  Couldn’t he have made that point across without giving me a ridiculous hickey? As I stared into the mirror, inspecting the nickel shaped bite- I noticed that it appeared terribly stark, and incredibly permanent.

  Oh, it was game on. James Bellevue would not be getting away with this.

  **

  The evening sunset rushed through the open windows of the dining room, as everyone sat around the rectangular wooden table, chowing down at Grandma’s signature tuna sandwich, and Aunt Lucy’s left over spaghetti.

  “Man, the carnival is going to be a beauty this year,” said Uncle Jeffrey, taking a big bite of the sandwich.

  “Why, of course it is!” agreed Aunt Molly, who sat across from me. “I’m vice president of the carnival committee, after all—“

  “My, my, James seems to love the spaghetti today,” said Grandpa. “What happened, boy? Finally found your appetite?”

  I turned my head towards James, who sat beside me, grinning at them through a mouthful of spaghetti. His eyes met mine, dropping towards the light green bandana around my neck. My cheeks flushed pink, as I cleared my throat, focusing on my plate. Twirling my fork around the spaghetti, I pretended as though James wasn’t sitting beside me, ogling me like I was a museum attraction.

  “That’s such a pretty bandana!” said Charlene.

  She sat at the farther end of the table, beside Aunt Lucy, who was staring suspiciously at the scarf wrapped over my neck.

  “I want it! Let me wear it!” Charlene’s voice took on a pleading tone, as she twirled a hand over her strawberry blond braid, shooting me a puppy dog stare.

  Think, Dory, think.

  I knew I couldn’t take out the stupid bandana until the hickey leaves. And if I give it to Charlene, everyone will notice, and make unnecessary assumptions.

  Oh, the horror.

  “She can’t give it to you,” said April, who sat to my right.

  Charlene pouted. “Why not?”

  “Because my friend, Mr. Davis, gave it to her. It’s a very special gift—“

  “Well, it’ll only be for a second!” Charlene insisted. “Please? Pretty, pretty, please?—“

  “Charlene, that’s enough,” said Uncle Jeffrey. “Don’t ask for other people’s things, okay? That’s not polite—“

  “Okay fine,” Charlene whined. “But…would Mr. Davis really mind if I wore it just for one, teeny, tiny second?”

  April shrugged. “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask him? He’s sitting right next to me.”

  Aunt Lucy choked out her drink, while Uncle Jeffrey stared at April as though she just got sent out of an institution. My grandparents exchanged a knowing look, which either meant, “poor girl”, or “crazy loon”, I wasn’t exactly sure.

  Knowing that this situation could turn bad, I placed a hand under the table, squeezing April’s small palm. But she merely smiled blankly at me, eating her remainder of the sandwich as though nothing was wrong.

  I cursed myself inwardly, realizing that I had forgotten to tell everyone about April’s mental health, and that they should try to be understanding.

  I was a terrible friend.

  “Charlene, you forgot to tell me your plans for summer vacation,” I said. “And Aunt Lucy, are you and Uncle Jeffrey going to go somewhere nice next month for your anniversary?”

  It was a feeble attempt at a topic change, but when Charlene turned her bright green eyes towards me, I was glad that it worked.

  Everything was going fine, as everyone chatted and ate together, even including April in the conversation. But when April began talking to the invisible man next to her, the room went silent once more, as all eyes turned to her.

  “That’s hilarious!” said April, staring at the empty seat beside her. “So you did eat cottage cheese on the moon? Yeah, I went there once too. I was seven.”

  Her conversation with Mr. Davis continued, as I stared uncomfortably around the table, wondering how to tell everyone about her condition. She was my best friend, and yeah, she was different, but that was what made her special. My heart ached at the judgmental looks being passed around the table, because if they only knew how amazing she was, they’d never see her as “different”, but as unique.

  As I began to rise from the table, James’s hand curled over my arm, keeping me in place. I shot him a wary look, to which he simply nodded his head, as though telling me to trust him.

  My hands clenched under the table, watching as James clinked a fork against his half empty glass of grape soda.

  All eyes turned to him, even mine- waiting anxiously.

  James straightened his back against the chair, before standing, holding the glass of soda in his hand.

  What was he doing?

  Even April stopped her conversation with Mr. Davis, to stare confusedly at him, waiting like the rest of us.

  “I’d like to say something,” he began.

  “Is everything alright, dear?” G
randma asked.

  “Yeah, spit it out, son!” urged Uncle Jeffrey.

  “Gosh, you sure are tall,” said Charlene.

  “What’s the matter, boy?” asked Grandpa.

  James smiled charmingly, raising his glass towards April, who blinked slowly at him.

  “This is a toast,” said James. “A toast to my wife’s best friend. Sure, she may not be conventional, and just a little out of the ordinary, but let me tell you…she’s been there for Dory even more than I have. In fact, she’s always been there. New York can be a scary place, but because April was with her, Dory was always safe. She was never alone, and rarely ever sad. April’s incredible, and there’s nothing wrong with her, except for one fact. She suffers from a rare illness called ‘awesome syndrome’. You see, the side effects of awesome syndrome, is creativity, a wide imagination, and the possibility of seeing a world that us normal people never do. So, here’s a toast to April. The weirdest girl I know. In a good way.”

  There was a brief moment of silence, as we all stared at James, our jaws slightly hanging.

  But that moment, like a winter’s flake, passed quickly by.

  The table was all cheers, including me, as I smiled appreciatively at James, who merely shrugged in response. When I turned towards April, she stared wide-eyed at James, as though not believing what he’d just done.

  Tears threatened to escape from her lids, but I knew she was holding them back. She hated people seeing her cry.

  April stood, taking slow steps towards James, who smiled warmly at her. When she stood before him, we all stopped talking, watching her closely.

  “I’ve always been a freak,” she said. “Middle school was alright, but High School really ruined me. I got kicked out of the school for hospitalizing a guy who tried to take advantage of me, because according to him, I was insane and no one would believe me anyway. I went from school to school, until my parents decided to homeschool me instead. These days, I’m getting better, but I’ll probably never fully be what everyone else considers normal. I know I’m strange, but I’m glad people like you and Dory think that it’s okay for me to be…me. No one’s ever done for me what you did today. Thank you.”