Marriage by Law (43 page)

“Well, okay then,” said Lee, breaking the silence. “Continuing on from that.” He walked around the pool table. I walked back over to Darius, leaning against the table as well.

“Your dad said you played, but I didn’t realise you could
play
.”

“Does my dad tell you everything?” I asked. They talked an awful lot about me. Dad probably told him the time I sneezed so loudly that the neighbors came over to see what was happening.

“He adores you.” Darius looked down at me.

I gripped my stick harder. “I know.” I shrugged. I adored him as well, he was my dad.

“And yes, he does,” he confirmed and I groaned. Goodbye secrets.

There was a loud clattering noise and we looked to see Adrian holding a bag which knocked over the row of cue sticks standing there. “At least no one died,” he said and I smiled. Adrian.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

“Miss me?” Adrian stepped over the sticks and walked toward us. I shook my head. Typical Adrian, leaving the sticks there.

His face went from happy to confused as everyone started yelling at him for being late. “Alright, okay, I got it,” he huffed, chucking a box onto the pool table. “I brought doughnuts?” he said. It was his truce offer. They all just stared at him before Matthew lunged at the box.

“Okay, I’ll accept them.”

Kristoff shot Matthew a look as he shook his head while Lee handed Adrian a stick. “You’re on our team.”

“Wow, you guys nearly finished,” Adrian said, looking at the table.

“That’s because she can play,” Matthew nodded toward me, his mouth half full of a doughnut.

“Oh yea?” Adrian looked up at me. “Never knew you were good with balls.”

Darius choked on his drink while Kristoff missed, the white cue falling off the table, and an awkward silence came on us while it sunk in, what Adrian said, and my face was on fire.

“Shit,” Adrian wore as he looked around. “I didn’t mean it like that, you dirty fuckheads.” He grabbed the doughnut out of Matthew’s hands. “Should’ve stayed in bed.”

And that was how you could hear a pin drop for the rest of the game.

I crashed onto the sofa beside the fridge and relaxed after our eighth game of pool, feeling somewhat tired. It was when I stabbed Matthew in the eye that I realised I needed a break.

I knew I was going to poke him in the eye. I had been taking a shot and he was leaning low on the other end, trying to see if I would get it.

“Go, Aluminium. Go, go, go, go!”

“Shut up,” I had gritted my teeth at him. “How do you know- Never mind.” No doubt Darius told them my
nam
e.

“Go Aluminium, go.”

I glared at Matthew and he smiled back at me. He reminded me of Adrian too much, who was beside me muttering, “Miss it, miss it,” and I did. I missed the white ball, my cue stick going right at Matthew who ended up crying like a baby. I mean please, it hit your nose, not broke it.

But of course I panicked, rushing up to him to help him. It didn’t look too bad, just a bit…red?

So here I was on couch duty, voluntary, even after they said it was okay, he will live. I decided this would be a time for the break.

Matthew was beside me holding a cold beer bottle to his nose and I winced. “I’m sorry,” I said for the hundredth time staring at him. His head was back on the couch, mouth slightly open while his eyes were closed.

“It’s okay, chicca. I shouldn’t have been on the pool table in your line of shot.” He shrugged it off, opening his eyes and staring at the roof before he closed them again. I would have thought he was trying to sleep if he didn’t start talking again.

“So you and Darius eh?”

I could feel my stomach flip, and I had no idea why. I shrugged There was nothing there. I changed the topic, or tried to. I mean, it was obvious it was Darius and I, we were damn married. The word still makes me flinch. Married.Wwho would’ve thought I would be married off so young, for a deal. For some stupid agreement by our great great go back five greats, grandfathers. And who would’ve thought our parents would follow that contract?

“Did you go to uni with Darius, all of you?” I asked, looking around where the others were still playing and laughing.

Matthew nodded. “Oh yea, business school.” He laughed. “Man, those were good times, only a year ago, but feeit felt like forever.” He turned the beer bottle over again. “Glad he found someone like you.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

Matthew shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s different, for the better. You’ve changed him.”

I scoffed, unable to believe what he said. I hadn’t changed anyone.

For good measure, Matthew added, “I think marriage is doing him good.” He moved the beer bottle and I caught sight of the lump that was quickly forming into a bruise.

“Maybe you should see a doctor,” I said, moving up for a closer look.

He shook his head. “Doctors suck,” he mumbled like a kid who didn’t want to get their vaccination. Somehow Matthew seemed like that kid who would cause a ruckus just to avoid getting his shots. Him and Adrian.

I shook my head, taking the beer bottle away from him and looking at the bruise. The cue hit the corner of the nose, between the eye and nose and I realised how lucky that was. Any closer to the eye and it could have damaged it.

“What are you doing?”

“Shush, I studied med for a bit,” I said, turning his head here to there. He grimaced at my cold hands. “It’s not too bad. Luckily I didn’t break anything.” I placed the beer bottle back on the lump and let go, letting him hold onto it.

“If you want to get cosy with my wife, mate, at least don’t do it in front of me,” a teasing voice said before a hand slid around my waist. I yelped as I was pulled onto Darius who had decided to sit on the couch with us. How did I not feel the couch dip?

I fell back into him and wriggled, trying to sit up.

“Aw, but where is the fun in that?” Matthew joked. I knew Darius was joking. His eyes were teasing, and there were laugh lines around them, another sight I don’t think I’ve seen too often.

“You know…” I said, trying to sit up. It felt like sitting in a ditch. My legs were everywhere, about to kick Matthew, and I had already injured the poor guy. And the way Darius was holding made it impossible for me to move. Damn it, what was, he iron man? “I can sit,” I continued trying to get up.

“I know.” Darius took out his phone, which I was surprised stayed in his pocket for that long. I looked at the screen to try to figure out which one of his three phones it was. Nope, don’t even know.

“I did not cheat.”

My head turned to see Kristoff and Lee glaring at Adrian.

“My hand
accidentally
hit the ball in. Not cheating if it’s an accident.” He threw the stick down, stomping to us. “I’m hungry. Let’s get lunch.”

Darius looked up from his phone to his whining cousin and raised an eyebrow. “You just ate doughnuts.”

“Well, I’m still hungry.”

Darius shook his head. “I don’t understand how you two can eat so much.”

“Excuse me!” I snapped, sitting up, or trying to. “We have fast metabolism. Sorry if ya’ll are jealous.” Adrian nodded his agreement.

Matthew shot up from beside me, the whole couch shaking. “Let’s get food.”

Adrian took his place on the couch. “Good. You three go get food. We will chill.”

“You’re the one who wanted the food, Adrian,” Matthew reminded and glared at him.

Adrian just shrugged at him. “Well, I decide I’m going to take a nap. Bring me something warm, and oh yes, some ice cream too.”

Matthew opened his mouth to argue but Lee threw an arm around him, dragging him off. “All good, you three mind our stuff. We’ll get food.”

Darius just nodded. He was too busy on his phone which was too normal for me now.

“Ivory, do you want anything special?”

I shook my head. “I’m not whiney.” I heard Darius chuckle behind me. I could feel his chuckle vibrate through my body as the others left.

“What?” I said, turning around.

“Not whiney?” he raised an eyebrow. “No seafood, no popcorn, no-”

“I get it,” I said, cutting him off. I was a
bit
whiney when I came to food.  Just a bit, I had a very delicate palate and a large stomach.

“Hey, there’s no more beer.” Adrian was leaning over the couch as he opened the bar fridge.

“There’s more downstairs,” Darius told him, standing up. I moved so that I was finally sitting on the soft couch. He stretched his hands over his head and Adrian let out a laugh.

“You’re wearing shorts,” he snickered and I joined him.

“I know.”

“What?” Darius asked, annoyed at us both as we laughed.

“I’ll get beer,” Adrian said when he caught his breath while I was still rolling in my seat.

“Can’t I wear shorts?”

Of course you can, but instead of saying it, I shook my head. It was… different. I would never imagine him out of his suits like this. Not that I was complaining. I thought he wore suits way too much.

“Do you want a beer?” Adrian asked me and I shook my  head.

“No, thank you. I don’t like-” I met Darius’s raised eyebrow. Right, another thing I didn’t like. “I don’t
feel
like it,” I corrected myself. Beer was personally too bitter for me.

Adrian nodded and rushed back downstairs while Darius walked up to the pool table and setting up.

“What are you doing?” I asked as I watched him. Was he going to play a game by himself?

“Playing,” he replied as he took off the triangle template that arranged the balls in a perfect triangle.

“By yourself?” I asked as he grabbed a cue.

“Do you want to join?”

I shook my head. I was too comfortable in my seat and I would rather watch. Plus, we already played too many games.

I watched as he moved around the table with the cue. I kicked my feet out onto the couch and lay down watching him. He played swiftly and smoothly.

“Did you play often as a kid?” he asked, breaking the silence. I rolled onto my side rather than turning my neck so I was facing him.

“I played during our breaks at Uni, there was a cheap pool table in the cafeteria.”

We played a lot. Those were the good times, Rose, myself and a few of our other friends who I had no idea what they were doing now.

I lost all contact with most of them when I quit, and of course my mother never let me out of the house to meet my friends. That part of me did want to stay back and join Uni all over again. That was the only time I got to spend time with my friends.

“How did you do that?” I asked. He had hit the white ball at the edge, letting it rebound and hit the other ball, making it go in. Now that was a move I had to learn.

I wasn’t the best, but I was okay. I could get shots in, but it was fluke most of the time. Really good fluke.

He motioned for me to get up and I did, walking to the table. He handed me the cue and walked to the opposite side, setting it up again.