would explain his deteriorating sense of fashion and this brand-new bout of lunacy.
“No, my brother just got married out of the blue because he got his girl knocked up. Grandpa is all excited about the baby.” He makes a disgusted face. “Like it’s going to be good for anything but drooling and poo.”
At least babies don’t spew annoying nonsense like him. But that’s beyond his understanding. “We can’t get married now,” I say as calmly as I can manage. “I told you, I need a long engage—”
“Forget the engagement! We’re going to get married.”
“No,” I say flatly, nerves jittering in my gut. There’s no way. “Our plan is a long engagement,” I say in a nicer voice, trying to get him to see how unreasonable he is. “Your grandfather might think it’s weird if you just run off and get married right after your brother did.”
“I don’t give a shit!” He smiles evilly. “Don’t even think about contacting you brothers and friends. Remember Plan B.”
I grind my teeth. “You mean you’re going to destroy the only leverage you have over me?”
“Oh, there are other ways I can hurt you.”
Looking at his smug face, my heart grows heavy. Edgar was right about Aaron. This was never going to be a one-time deal. Instead of trying to figure out a way to placate and manipulate him, I should’ve found a way to permanently stop him.
He grips my wrist hard and starts pulling me toward his red Ferrari.
“Ow! Let go, you’re hurting me!”
“I don’t care! We’re going to the courthouse! And don’t even think about calling or texting your brothers…unless you want Plan B!”
“I have to tell my client I can’t see her,” I say as he shoves me into his car.
“Do it later. I don’t trust you. And give me your phone,” he says, hand out.
“No!” My entire life is on it. I’m not giving him anything more he can use to manipulate me. He already has enough.
“I’m just going to keep it with me. And that’s only so you don’t do anything stupid.”
He’s only confident this is going to work if I don’t do anything that deviates from his script. But there’s no way I’m letting him keep my phone.
“Why don’t I turn it off?” I say. “That way, I can’t just call or text somebody.”
He scowls. A textbook look of deep contemplation.
“Look, it’ll take a while to turn it back on. You’re too smart to not notice that.” Laying it on thick. I hold my breath.
He gives me an “it’s all cool because I’m all cool” shrug. “Fine. Do it.”
I turn it off in front of him, show him the phone and put it in my purse.
Aaron starts driving. I look out the passenger-side window. I underestimated him. I should’ve known he was going to be proactive, especially when it came to his inheritance.
What should I do to stop him? Plan B has to be avoided at all costs. I start praying that the courthouses are shut down today. Maybe everyone’s on strike. Or out partying. I don’t care. I just don’t want to marry this idiot.
No such luck, though. The closest courthouse is not only open, but a smiling clerk in her late fifties is happy to take our information to issue us a marriage license. She’s blonde, has a twinkle in her eye and looks like she should be playing the mother in a nineteen-fifties family TV series. For the first time in my life, I wish for a surly, unhelpful clerk who loves to hurl insults at anybody who bothers her.
After Aaron’s finished, the lady looks at me kindly. “We need your data, dear.”
“Yeah. Um…”
He leans closer. “Come on, baby.” He takes off his cap and rearranges his wet-looking hair.
The scent of his cologne mixes with his breath and hair wax. The combination is like raw sewage I smelled once when the old apartment I was in had an unfortunate backup. I start gagging. The breakfast I had churns dangerously, and I can taste acid in the back of my throat and nose.
“We don’t have all day!” he hisses.
The clerk frowns at him, disapproval rearranging her face into tight lines, then turns to me. “You all right, hon? You look a little pale.”
I shake my head. “I think… I think I’m… I’m going t— HyaaAARRGHH.” I turn and projectile-vomit all over Aaron’s shirt. The disgusting mixture drips down to his shorts and Jordans.
“Aggh! What the fuck?” he screeches, jumping back. He starts flapping his arms and stomping