Mrs. Matched | Complete

Chapter Five

The whole car ride to my new home, I was completely unable to pay any attention to where we were going. My eyes kept flicking back to the contract of matrimony in my hands. Each time I read a new part of it, I got more and more confused. I could practically feel my breakfast coming back up, but I couldn't tell if it was the contract, the motion sickness, or the fact that I had passed out not twenty minutes before.

When the car slowed to a stop, it took me a second to realize we had arrived at my new home. I looked out the window and saw a quaint little two story house with a beautiful front garden surrounded by a low metal fence. The flowers and landscaping were breathtaking. This is literally my dream home. I never thought my parents knew me well enough to pick my dream home. A pleasant surprise, I guess.

My eyes slid across the small shutters and flower pots towards the front door surrounded by ornate windows. My eyes were quickly drawn away from the door at the arrival of a young man from around the side of the house. He strolled around the corner of the wrap-around porch and across the wooden deck until he arrived at the top of the steps.

If it wasn't for the situation, I would have called him attractive. He was tall and well-built, though not so large as to have his muscles threaten to escape his clothes. From here his skin looked darker than mine. I wonder if he likes to be outside or if there's just a shadow on the porch.

I looked down at my own outfit and glanced at my hair in the reflective surface of the car's window. After seeing how neat and well-kept he looked, a small part of me regretted not making an effort.

"Are you ready, Miss?" the driver asked me as he opened the door and handed me my small back of personal items that I hadn't wanted to send with the movers.

"Yes, thank you." I smiled at him as I accepted his hand and stepped out of the car.

Flipping my sunglasses down off of my head and onto my eyes, I tried to relax before walking towards the house. I guess it's time to meet my... husband. That's weird coming out of my mouth.

Each step I took sent waves of energy bounding up my body into my ears as though the ground carried electrical charge. The house got closer with each step. Obviously. But I was halfway up the walk when I first locked eyes with my new husband. Well, I think we locked eyes. He can't see me behind my sunglasses.

As he did not have the benefit of sunglasses, I could see the nerves all over his face as he rubbed his palms together and ran a hand through his hair. His shoulders signalled a deep breath and then he made his way down the front steps of the house. Our house.

We finally stood in front of each other when I arrived at the base of the stairs.

"Aubrey?" His smile was tentative and uncertain. "I'm Christopher Scott. It's really nice to meet you."

He genuinely looked like he did think it was nice to meet me. Good thing he didn't know me or all the things I'd said about him since I learned he existed, or he might think differently.

I left my sunglasses on, but smiled as I shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, too, Christopher. I am Aubrey James." I paused for a second before adding. "Or maybe it's Aubrey Scott now. I never finished reading the details of the contract." I tried to keep the sadness out of my voice for his sake, but it leaked out all the same.

"It can be Aubrey James to me, if you'd like. No one will ever have to know." He let go of my hand and gestured towards the front door of the house. "Shall we?"

Thinking about the house brought an honest smile to my face. Looking at him made it seem like he understood how awkward all of it was for me and was trying to be understanding. I still want out of this, but I don't know how to be mean to him when none of this is his fault.

When we reached the top of the stairs, I stopped walking and turned to face him. "Is this as awkward for you as it is for me?"

He laughed slightly and touched the base of his neck with his hand. "Oh, yeah."

"Good." I smiled at him again. "At least we have something in common."

He offered me his hand and I froze just long enough to be noticeable to our neighbour who stuck her head up over the fence. Probably so she could see better. It was clear in that one action that if I wanted to keep up appearances and not get my parents or the authorities involved, I was going to have to be very thorough.

Perhaps noticing my hesitation, Christopher started to move his hand away, so I grabbed it and stepped towards our new front door.

"I waited outside for you," he explained as I opened the door and stepped inside. "I thought this could be something we experience together."

"I like it, though," I said, still holding his hand as I walked through the living room and toward the back of the house. "I want to see the kitchen."

He didn't protest as I dragged him through the house by his hand. When we finally reached the kitchen, I was awestruck. It looked just like something out of a magazine. Everything about the kitchen was exactly how I imagined my kitchen would look in my dreams. The whole 'married off by my parents' thing had precisely one perk at that point: the kitchen.

"Wow," was all that escaped my mouth.

"You like it?" Christopher asked, trying to read my opinion of the house through my dark sunglasses.

"I love it." I smiled and let go of his hand to take my sunglasses off. "It's exactly how I always imagined my dream kitchen would look.

"Wow," he said, though I had no idea what he was referring to.

I waited a minute for him to explain and, when he didn't, decided to change the subject. "Shall we go check out the backyard?" I pointed through the sliding glass door that led to the patio to increase the effect of my words.

He nodded and slid the door open, sweeping his hand across his body to indicate I should go before him. I am immediately drawn to a small planter of lilacs on the edge of the small patio.

"This is nice." Christopher brushed his hand along the glass patio table as he walked toward the large grill station to the left side of the house. "I've always wanted an outdoor space like this."

There were some perks to the situation. Even I had to admit that. At least while I was living with Christopher, I could be happy with the kitchen and amazing outdoor space. I wonder which of us gets to keep the house if this doesn't work out.

"I wonder who designed the house," I pondered aloud. The topic had been on my mind since we pulled up in front of it. "Because they seem to have done a great job blending what we both wanted."

He was quiet for a moment as we both took in the sights in our new backyard. I wonder where he stands on this whole marriage thing. He seems to like the idea, but maybe he's just being nice to me like I am to him.

I wandered away from the patio down a small stone path that led toward the back gate, a vegetable garden, and a tool shed that, presumably, held everything we could possibly need to maintain this backyard.

I was investigating the vegetables beginning to sprout in the garden when Christopher answered my question with the biggest shocker of the day. "I designed it, actually."