-Tori POV-
"How do you feel?" Jade risked asking me as she drove us to the restaurant we were to meet Skate and Derek.
I was grateful for having Jade with me because if I didn't - I'd have been through this all alone. While Skate had his friends - I would have had nobody.
"Honestly..." I exhaled. "I'm so conflicted J, I don't know what I feel at all. When I saw his face - I can't tell if my world was remade or if it fell apart at once."
Jade whistled. "I'm surprised too, but what are you going to do? You're still going through with this?"
"What choice do I have. I should be happy that it's Skate - someone I've met before." I said. "All I've done was kiss him...I don't know the first thing about him."
"You can still get to know him." Jade offered with a hopeful voice.
I sighed. "Within numbered days I can. But naturally, I'd never know what he's really like."
"You're over-thinking this." Jade said turning into an open parking. "I think you should just talk to him for now and work out something."
"Right." I said stubbornly. I didn't want this, I didn't want him either yet I had no choice.
Jade and I walked into the restaurant and spotted Derek and Skate there already. We saw them first, Skate looked nervous and kept biting his fingers. At first glance, my heart fluttered a little.
"Hey guys." Jade smiled.
She was always the conversationalist between the two of us. So once again, I was so grateful. She hugged Derek and Skate but I just smiled at them and sat down. I couldn't look Skate in his eyes.
"Well we're going to head off." Derek said quickly, taking Jade's hand. I didn't think they had something going on but they were close.
"What?" Skate and I blurted out at the same time.
Derek sighed. "Jade and I can't be here the entire time okay? You guys need to talk in private."
"He's right." Jade nodded. "You have to start somewhere...we'll be back in a few hours."
With that, they both hurried out with Skate cursing loudly. "Oh shit I didn't mean to cuss in front of you!" He covered his mouth.
I laughed regardless as another curse came out of his mouth. "Crap." He shook his head.
"Its okay." I reached out and touched his hand without realizing it. Skate looked at my hand then back up at me with a flushed face.
I pulled my hand away. And then the awkwardness set in once again. It was so weird to be sitting with someone you barely knew and soon you'd be marrying that person.
Thankfully, the waiter came to take our orders which filled the weird silence. I had to think of what to say when the waiter left.
"Look Tori..." Skate spoke up. "I don't know what to say right now, this is as big a shock for me."
"Skate." I buried my face in hands, not wanting to cry or for him to see me like that.
"Hey hey hey." He stood up quickly and slid into the seat beside me, his arms going around me.
And I burst into tears. The first time I cried as hard as when my mom dropped the bombshell on me. I sobbed silently as Skate had his arms around me.
"Its okay." He murmured. "Its gonna be alright, I promise you."
I shrugged out of his grip, he held a napkin out for me. "You don't have to promise that, I know how this is gonna work out."
Skate moved a piece of my hair out of my face. "I don't know what's going to happen with us...with this...but we're gonna figure it out."
"You think so?" I cleared my throat, shaken by his sudden comfort and kindness. I hadn't known Skate as a bad guy but still...he was sweet.
Skate nodded. "Lets eat something, we can talk later."
I smiled. "Agreed." I was grateful for him understanding that I did need some time to clear my mind.
So we had dinner and made small talk for the rest of the night.
-Skate POV-
"I've got it." I said handing the waiter my card before Tori could open her purse.
She blushed. "Thanks."
Her small smile made me smile a little too. And I wasn't the kind to smile out of shyness or whatever. Yet she made me feel strange inside.
Together, we walked out of the place and towards my car. "Derek went with Jade so I guess I'm taking you home."
Tori nodded. "We should probably talk about stuff..." She trailed off not sure where to go with that statement.
"Head back to my place?" I said when we reached my car. "I'm sure Derek and Jade are there."
Tori shrugged. "Okay."
So I drove the short distance to my place, which thankfully wasn't with my parents. Tori got out gingerly, I hope she didn't think I wanted to jump her or anything.
"You sure you wanna - "
"I'm not a little girl." She said with a little attitude. "I'm fine."
I smirked to myself. Tori struck me as a strong person, stronger than any woman I'd known anyways. She made a point of letting me know that too.
"Alright."
My place was bigger than an apartment but not as big as a house so I didn't bother cleaning up. The guys were always over anyways. I opened up and let Tori in first.
"Sorry about the mess." I said feeling embarrassed for the first time ever, I wanted to clean this mess up.
Tori chuckled. "Its just me, my room back home wasn't the most neat any ways."
Every time Tori chuckled, my heart gave a sudden jolt. I wasn't going to pretend that she didn't make me feel good inside. She did. But right now this was the most awkward situation and I didn't know where we stood.
"Come on." I led her to my living room which was the only clean place since we rarily hung out.
As Tori sat down, she received a text message. "Derek and Jade should be here in a couple hours."
I nodded and sat down beside her, a bit closer than I should have. I just wanted to connect with her and make this whole deal less weird.
"So..." Tori played with her fingers.
I bit my lip. "I know this is going to be difficult and strange but...we have to start somewhere."
"Where do we start? Skate - "
"I don't know where Tori." I said with a shrug. "I wish I did but for now, let's just move pass this. You and I are arranged to be married."
Tori looked away when I said those words. "I know you don't want to and I don't either...but we're doing this for our parents." I continued.
"I know." Tori mumbled. "I just thought that I could do this but I can't and - "
Her voice jerked so badly that she stopped talking and stared blankly at the floor. She didn't cry though. Not even shred a tear.
"Tori." I said softly and shifted closer to her. For this entire time, I just wanted to protect her and make her feel better.
"I'm fine." She snapped at me a bit angrily.
I raised a brow. "You're not fine, I'm not stupid."
She sighed and closed her eyes, letting her shoulders relax a little. That was my cue I supposed so I pulled her in closer to me.
Somehow now, it was so much easier for me to get to her. When her walls of anger and strength came down at once. I felt like we could be more comfortable with each other.
"You don't have to pretend okay? I'm not some - " I began but cut off when Tori held me back tightly.
I was confused. Tori was so reluctant to even look at me when she got to California. I felt a relief of knowing she was letting me in.
But was I like this? I should have been rude and standoffish with Tori. I didn't want to marry and didn't even want a girlfriend right now.
But something about her. Since that previous vacation. Something about her made me think unclearly. She unraveled me completely and that scared me.
I heard her sigh in relief. So I held her firmer, I wanted her to feel secure with me. Why I did was so beyond me.
When I pulled away, I expected Tori to recoil further but her face was inches from mine. She still wasn't crying so she had a small frown on her face.
And then it all happened too fast for me to do anything. Our lips crashed together in a surge of fire that ran through my body. I didn't know why we were doing this.
My hands knotted into her hair as I pulled her as close to me as I could. I felt her legs on either side of me on the couch. I ran my hands down her waist and pulled her down on me.
"Why - " Tori began in a restrained voice, her lips lingering on mine.
I breathed heavily. "I don't know."
"We shouldn't." Tori bit her lip.
But that didn't even stop either of us from moving to my bedroom. It didn't stop us from undressing each other.
And it surely didn't stop us from taking the next step.