Marriage by Law

Against my better judgment, I stepped inside and locking the door behind me. "Fine," I muttered as we walked toward the front door. Maybe some alcohol in me would make me tell the truth. I was about to open the front door when I heard someone from behind us clear his throat. Adrian was standing in the middle of the staircase with one of my teddy bears and I felt my face heat up. Where on earth did he find that?

"Excuse me, I believe you both have a curfew. Where are you going?"

"Out," was the only thing Darius said.

"You're going to the bar, aren't you," he said, pulling at my teddy bear's ear. Don't hurt Mr. Snow. It was a special gift from - actually, burn it.

"What if we are?"

"I want to come, too." Adrian sauntered over to us.

We looked at him as if he lost his mind. "Don't you think you had enough to drink?" It was Darius, eyeing Adrian wearily. Adrian threw one arm around my shoulder and one around Darius.

"Nope."

Darius gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Fine," he grumbled, then threw Adrian’s arm off his shoulder and walked ahead of us.

With Adrian on my shoulder, I turned around to lock the door.

"You weigh like a pig," I told Adrian, his weight practically crushing me as I walked down the street trying to catch up to Darius.

"It's all these muscles," Adrian explained, and I saw him wink in the dark. What an egotistical man. He continued, saying, "You know, you should have married me instead. I am hotter than Darius and I have more muscles." He even poked me in the cheek.

I swatted his hand away, ignoring the glare I earned from Darius. I felt like asking him, what on earth did I do?

"Is that a yes?" called Adrian loudly as we neared the pub. The line from the pub ended on the street!

"Darius, the end of the line is here," I told him, confused why he was walking to the front.

"You silly girl." It was Adrian, who, for a change, walked without my assistance and even pulled me to hurry up.

"What?"

At the door stood a huge man. And by massive, I really meant massive: bulging muscles everywhere, even his ears I reckon, with long hair that was tied at the back with a pony tail. That one tattoo on his arm would have scared everyone.

I tried not to move as his scrutinizing gaze met mine and his dark eyes held it there. His eyes went from me to Adrian, and then to Darius, whom he obviously recognised. He muttered something to Darius and then opened the door, from where I could barely see the inside.

"We don't wait like them?" I was referring to the people who were waiting for their turn to get inside. They watched us, clearly annoyed that we cut the line. Adrian raised an eyebrow, giving me this look and marching inside with me hot on his heels. He stopped so suddenly that my nose collided with his back.

The smell of alcohol and sweat hit my nose, making my stomach feel weird. Obviously, Ivory, you're in a damn pub.

I squealed in protest when Adrian dragged me to the crowded dance floor.

"DANCE WITH ME!" He yelled to get himself heard, but he was near me it made my ears hurt. He grabbed my waist and my arm, turning me around this way that had me colliding with people, then spinning me the other way that had me crashing against more people.

"Adrian!" I squealed when he did an over-exaggerated movement of making me lean on my back that I almost touched the floor. Even with the loud music, I heard my back crack. And then he pulled me back up and everything was spinning. I hadn't even had anything to drink yet.

He leaned close and whispered to my ear. "You know when I saw James, I didn't recognise him at first. Then I heard your name."

I almost died.

Adrian kept dancing, or more like throwing me back and forth like a teddy bear. I accidentally stepped on someone’s foot and I looked over my shoulder, meeting a pair of annoyed eyes.

"I'm so so-oh shit." I rammed into Adrian's chest. My nose was bound to break tonight. I could actually feel it start to swell.

"And then he began talking about how you both were a couple. He recognised me. He also is a bad drunk, did you know that. He is more emotional than a woman on her period. Trust me, I know."

I sent him a glare upon hearing the last part of what he said. He smirked. "Are you on your period?"

I felt my face reddening in embarrassment. "Adrian," I growled, narrowing my eyes. I was doubting whether he was drunk or not. One minute he was drunk, then the next he was serious.

I froze when he said, "Then he was talking about some teddy bear he gave you."

"So I had to check. There could be a million other Ivory out there, you know?" he continued, oblivious to what I was going through. I felt my heart beat pick up, and it wasn't due to the number of bodies crashing against another or the heat in here.

Adrian looked at me closely. "So tell me, dear sister-in-law, did you and James have a fling?"

I was afraid that I might say the wrong thing, or he might misunderstand whatever I was going to say. When I didn't say anything, he continued. "Because he seems heartbroken, what with his one love getting married."

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