“Yeah, that. We have to. And…they aren’t letting you married girls take pills anymore, so when we communicate the marriage?—”
“Consum—You know what? It doesn’t matter. You arenotputting that thing in me. If that’s the way you all want to play this. See you at the wedding. And enjoy your sexless marriage!” She spins on her heel and goes into the house, slamming the door behind her.
I’m usually chill. A relaxed man…
But darkness overtakes me that she’d be so flippant to ignore orders. From me. From the university… Playing with our ability tonot get expelled.Or worse.
Sexless marriage?
Facing the house, I yell, “Yeah, we’ll see about that, tulip!”
eighteen
Normally,I can tell my mother anything.
Which is why, bright and early Sunday morning, I barrel into my parents’ home. Ready to blurt out what news I found out last night. Not just Rowan Greaves’s suicide. But also, and more importantly, that I’m going to be married in a few days.
A few days!
I refuse to be anxious.
Gritting my teeth, I grasp foronethought out of the chaos that is my brain.
It hurts that last night I rushed up to my room to tell Ellis what just happened… Then I remembered she wasn’t there. Same thing this morning. I even pulled out my phone to text her about it.
I still did. So I could pretend she’d answer me.
Me
E, guess what? Apollo Griffin, yes, THE Delta president, is my appointed. And I’m scheduled to MARRY him in the cathedral this week!
E. What do I wear? I have no idea how to do my makeup. Evie will probably do my face, and I’ll end up looking like some goth kid with black eyeshadow. Help me!
Also? He says we have to produce a BABY. A BABY! With his elephant trunk! I told him NO WAY. Do you think the POT will discipline us if we don’t have sex?
…I wish you were here.
“Hey! Thought you had your soccer game today,” Mom says as soon as I step in the door.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I freeze, wondering if somehow Ellis answered me. But when I pull it out, it’s more shocking.
Apollo
Daisies or lilies? Roses? I don’t know what you like and need to tell them.
I shove my phone back into my pocket as Dad grabs me for a side hug. I linger. Just to feel how strong he is. “Padawan.”
“Hey, Dad.”
“What’s wrong?” he asks perceptively. The glint in his blue eyes makes me shiver. He knows too much.
Mom’s face whips to mine. “What’s going on?”
“No, no. Nothing’s up. I just wanted to grab somerealfood,” I lie, suddenly feeling too vulnerable to say anything.And my heart pounding against my ribs is drowning out any bravery I had mustered up.
If I say it out loud, that makes everything real. Me. Married this Wednesday. To a stranger.
It’s odd. As much as I fear the control my appointed Viscount could have over me, I remember the freedom. The exhilaration of being with Apollo that first night. Something I didn’t think I was capable of feeling.
