P.O.V Mason
I'm a man who didn't want serious relationships; on the contrary, I loved my solitude until she came along. It only took one look for me to realize she would be my downfall.
Red-haired, slender, with hypnotizing green eyes. I saw her only once and was captivated. I didn't rest until I found out who she was, and all for nothing.
Yes, for nothing. Just when I was finally ready to have something serious with someone, my father comes and tells me I have to get married for three years or we'll lose the entire company. My first reaction was to laugh; I didn't find his joke funny. But after laughing, I realized it wasn't a joke. He was dead serious.
He explains about the agreement he signed when I was a child. I get angry, furious. That very morning, I had invited Peyton to breakfast; I was happy after seeing her. She had given me the opportunity to get to know her, and now it turns out I have to get married. It's predictable that she won't want anything to do with me again.
My father tells me about the agreement, hands me a copy to read, and explains that in a week, they will announce the engagement at a dinner hosted by my fiancée's parents. It sounds unreal, even feels like I'm in a nightmare, but unfortunately, it's not.
That same night, I check into a hotel. I don't want to live under the same roof as my father. My mother was a victim just like me. She got mad at my father but returned home that night. She stayed with me at the hotel, though.
I do some research on my fiancée and future wife. She's very beautiful, but not compared to Peyton. I close my eyes and sigh in frustration over all of this.
I spend that week with Peyton every day. She understands that I can't have anything with her since I told her about the agreement. She helps me make some of the clauses for the other agreement I made. I'm surprised to see that despite having to be married for three years, she doesn't distance herself from me.
"These three years will be for getting to know each other as friends, so when you get divorced, we'll already have our relationship advanced," she says, blushing.
"You're perfect," I tell her, embracing her.
I notice she's tense; it's the first time I've hugged her. I quickly let go; I don't want to ruin what I'm starting with her. I truly feel something for her. She doesn't leave my mind, and my stomach gets butterflies when I think of her or when I'm around her.
"I'm sorry; it was an impulse," I apologize for my actions.
"No problem," she replies, blushing.
Since that day, we've met for dinner, lunch, and breakfast. On the day I know is the engagement dinner, my mother calls to let me know she has a cold and won't be able to attend. My father never attends anything alone, so I deduce that I'll be going alone. My poor mother apologizes a thousand times for leaving me alone on that night.
I'm lost in my thoughts when my phone rings. I pick it up and smile seeing that it's Peyton.
"Hello, I wanted to give you one last piece of advice," she says with a timid voice.
"Hello, I'm all ears," I reply, smiling like an idiot.
"Be her friend. Don't be imposing. You can reach agreements amicably. Show her that you have no bad intentions, and that will make your marriage bearable," she says nervously.
"You're good at giving advice to people. I'll take your advice from today," I say, laughing.
We say goodbye, and she wishes me luck. I make my way to my in-laws' house, the Harper family. I've done some research, and according to what my father told me, my "fiancée" has no clue about what the dinner is about. When I arrive, my "father-in-law" greets me and leads me to the second floor.
"I'm going to break the news to my daughter. She has no idea about this agreement, and I don't think she'll take it well. If you hear any screams or anything that seems wrong, come in," he says with a level of trust he shouldn't have in me.
I watch him enter a room, and then silence follows. Just as I suspected, there are screams. I wait patiently until the people downstairs begin to whisper due to the noise. That prompts me to move forward and enter what I assume is Paige's room.
………………………………………………………………………………………
After that, you already know what happened. I haven't seen Peyton since I'm in the process of getting to know my future wife. I won't say she's unattractive because she is, but she only evokes sibling affection in me.
I have to admit that I quite enjoy getting to know her better. I took her to meet my friends, who are a married couple, at their insistence. The good thing is that nobody knew or met Peyton, which saved me from a lot of explanations.
I'm surprised that my closest friends, especially Ethan, haven't questioned the sudden love I feel for Paige. I told him we had a secret relationship due to the age difference, and he believed me, dropping the subject. I'm sure he'll ask again later. Sarah made a new potential friend; they're quite similar, which is why I feel like I could love her like a sister.
What made me a bit nervous was introducing Paige to my mother, who adores me so much (note the sarcasm) and insists that Paige will be the only girl I ever introduce as my wife because she claims nobody can stand me. With a mother like that, I wonder if I even need enemies.
As for my father, we haven't exchanged a word since he gave me the contract. We never had the best father-son relationship, and after this, there's hardly any affectionate connection left” just a formal and polite one.
My mother, upon seeing Paige, forgets about my existence, something I expected from her, of course. It's not because she's mean, but she has always wanted to meet one of my girlfriends and never had the opportunity. Therefore, she'll seize this chance, and she'll also have the daughter she couldn't have.
Just as I try to get my mother's attention, I notice my father's presence in the room. My mother hugs me and says,
"I know, son," I smile because I did it just to tease Paige.
She's very sincere with her expressions. The truth is, if I hadn't met Peyton before, I would definitely be feeling something for Paige. I look at her and realize that my father made her even more nervous than she already was. Even my mother notices her nervousness, and upon seeing that it's because of my father, she takes my fiancée's arm and introduces him.
"Darling, this man you see here is my husband. Don't pay attention to his serious expression; he wouldn't harm a fly. He just likes to scare people for fun," she says, laughing at my father's expression.
"Love, she is Paige. She's very beautiful," my mother says, smiling at me.
I clear my throat and then approach my fiancée, putting my arm around her waist, and greet my father.
"Good afternoon, father," I say coldly.
"Hello, son. I'm glad to see you," he says, looking at me. "Nice to meet you, Paige. Welcome to this house and the family. I hope you feel comfortable and at ease here," he comments, looking at Paige.
"Thank you, sir," she replies, blushing.
"Call me Benjamin, none of that 'sir' stuff," my father responds.
My future wife nods, and we take our seats. As always, my mother offers her a drink. She's very jovial and enjoys sharing moments with drinks and laughter. Her joyful nature is always appreciated by others.
As expected, she has the photo album by her side, which will be my downfall. She has always taken pictures of everything I did or experienced in my life. I'm sure Paige has enough material to laugh about for a lifetime just with half of what my mom has in there.
"My dear, sit next to me. I have so much to tell you," my mother says, smiling. Paige obeys, and my mother hands her the album. The first photo is from just a few hours after I was born. This will be torture for me. I close my eyes and feel my phone vibrate. I pick it up and see a message from Peyton. I get up, keeping the phone and telling my fiancée,
"I'll be right back, going to the bathroom." She nods, and I leave. In the bathroom, I read the message: "Hi, just wanted to hear from you. Call me whenever you can. Kisses."
I smile like an idiot and reply, "I'm with my parents. I'll call you later. Kisses."
I return to my mother, rolling my eyes as I see them reaching my third birthday when I spent the entire time under the table instead of sitting with everyone else. I didn't want them to sing "Happy Birthday" to me; I hated being the center of attention at that age. It was torture hiding the whole time. I remember my mother telling me that I didn't even want to open the presents, that's how upset I was on that birthday.
I let them laugh and talk, grateful that they quickly move through my childhood years. But that calm stops when they reach my twelfth year. I hit my face with my hand because I already know what's coming. The first girl I had a crush on. The worst part is that I told my mother about it and asked her for advice on how to make the girl notice me. She laughs and can't continue the story. I shake my head because I'll have to be the one to tell everything, which is not a proud moment for me. I clear my throat to get Paige's attention, as she keeps laughing.
"Well, it turns out the girl didn't feel attracted to me. I found out after following my mother's advice, buying her flowers, and writing her a letter. When I gave it to her, she laughed at me. I still remember her words: 'I only see you as a friend.' It was a tough blow to my twelve-year-old ego," I tell her seriously.
"Darling, it's not just that. Tell the story properly," my mother scolds me, laughing.
"Alright, it was my stupid idea to confess my feelings right in the middle of the schoolyard, so everyone witnessed what happened. They didn't stop staring at me and teasing me for a month. It wasn't pleasant," I say, starting to smile.
It was a bad moment, but in my defense, I wanted to be a thoughtful and romantic guy. That obviously went out the window after that. I look at the clock; I'm already anxious to leave. I want to talk to Peyton.
"Mother, we should go now. I have to send some emails for the company, the ones that are waiting. You can continue reminiscing about my past another day, preferably when I'm not around," I say, taking Paige's hand.
Everyone says their goodbyes. My father was only there, he was only for a few minutes and then left to meet up with his friends for a card game. We said our goodbyes and headed back to the hotel. On the way, she playfully teases me, laughing about the things she learned about me.
"Don't get mad, but I seriously adore your mother. I think I love her more than mine," she says, stopping her laughter.
I don't like seeing her like this, so I say, "If you want, I can give you mine," nudging her with my shoulder.
We arrive at the room, and she says goodbye to me. We both enter our respective rooms, and I sit on the bed to call Peyton. I dial her number, and she answers on the third ring.
"Hey," she says with that voice that makes me want to run to her side.
"Hey, beautiful," I reply, smiling.
We start talking, and she listens to everything I tell her. She laughs at my torment, and at the end, she says something that leaves me thinking.
"I wish it had been me," she says, and it makes me smack my forehead at how foolish I am.
How could I have told her all this? Sometimes, I just don't understand how I can be so dumb in some things and the complete opposite in others.