Chapter 4

Madison’s POV

My heart raced with uncertainty as I entered the dimly lit street, leaving the noisy club behind. Tyler, who had dropped a bombshell on my family, stood beside me, his expression oddly remorseful.

I felt like punching him in the face. I mean, I would have, but his cuteness was his saving grace, he looked like there was nothing wrong with what he did. I mean, my siblings were going to kill me!

“Tyler, you had no right to drop such a bombshell on them,” I hissed, my voice trembling with frustration. “I knew this was a crazy idea, but this… this is beyond insane!”

Running a hand through his chestnut hair, Tyler sighed in exasperation. “Maddy, I honestly didn’t think it would hurt them that much.”

My anger simmered, but his remorse seemed genuine. “You should’ve thought about that before blurting it out like that. And I can’t believe you didn’t even warn me.”

He winced, my anger weighing him down. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you before we came here, but I just wanted to get it over with.”

“Get it over with?” I snapped back, emotions close to the surface. “We just turned our lives upside down with this insanity. We’re in this mess together now, whether we like it or not.”

Tyler reached out and gently cupped my face, his touch surprisingly tender. “Maddy, I promise we’ll make this work. We’re in this together, okay?”

“Fake promises!” I thought in my head before replying to him. “I need some time to think, Tyler. I can’t believe any of this is happening,” I said, my voice softer, reflecting the turmoil within me.

“Maddy, can I just take you home now? It’s late.” He said giving me a warm smile, I was angry and swayed at the same time, his looks are to kill for.

I hesitated, the gravity of our situation weighing heavily on me. “No, I think I need some time to clear my thoughts, Tyler.”

I needed that ride, I wanted to be in that car with him, and just watch him drive, but the anger inside of me had taken the better part of me, what can I do?

He nodded, respecting my choice, and there was a fleeting moment of vulnerability in his eyes. He reached out, and before I could react, his lips met mine. The kiss was a surprise, and I froze for a moment. My lips tingled from the unexpected contact, and it was as if, for that brief moment, everything that had transpired seemed to fade into the background.

I wanted to hold him back and make him kiss me once more, ahh! His lips were so really cold, soft and succulent that I immediately felt my wetness drip. Tyler is sexy as fuck! And that’s on period! I put myself together, waved to the next available taxi and got in even if my pants said otherwise.

*********

My journey back home was a labyrinth of thoughts. My mother’s health was deteriorating, our family’s business was crumbling, and now this hastily forged marriage with Tyler.

I hope this isn’t a mistake!” I spat out loud. 

“Are you okay ma’am?” the driver asked with deep concern.

“I am” I simply replied, I wasn’t in the mood for small talks.

I kept hoping my brother and most especially my blabbermouth of a sister hadn’t spilled to my mum what happened earlier, she might just have a panic attack.

On getting home, I stood by the door for some minutes catching my breath, I needed to! I was about to face what felt like a panel and I hoped to be able to convince them.

As I walked through the door, my brother and sister were sitting in the living room, their faces etched with a mix of anger and confusion.

“What just happened, Maddy?” Gemima demanded, her eyes searching for an explanation.

I took a deep breath and sat down, feeling the weight of their gazes on me as I prepared for an excruciating conversation. “I need you both to understand. It’s complicated, but it’s the only way to save our family.”

“Maddy, you need to start explaining, and it better be good,” Andy blurted out. The anger on his face was very visible, he looked like he would chop off my head any minute. 

I pleaded with them, my voice a delicate balance of uncertainty and determination. “Please, let me tell Mom about this myself. I promise I’ll explain everything when the time is right. Just trust me on this, okay?”

“We can’t keep mute when we don’t know what’s going on. We need to know what we’re agreeing to, else, Mum would have to hear it,” Gemina replied angrily patting her laps with her palms.

“Listen, I know you’re both struggling to understand why I did this,” I began, my voice sounding firm, needing to be able to convince them. They were my younger ones after all. “But there’s a reason behind it, a reason that, I promise, will become clear in time.”

Gemina’s eyes were filled with frustration. “Maddy, it’s not just about understanding. It’s about trust and honesty. We’re your family, and we deserve to know everything going on in each other’s lives.”

Andy, though still angry, softened a bit. “She’s right, Maddy. We’re in this together, and secrets won’t help us now, we are already going through a lot, adding to it won’t help but tear us apart.”

I took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. “I’m asking you to trust me. Just give me some time, please, everything would fall into place and you both would be excited that I did this.”

A heavy silence enveloped us as my siblings exchanged meaningful glances. My phone buzzed, interrupting, and I retrieved it to find a message from Tyler.

“Tomorrow at 5 pm, we’re meeting my family. Be ready. I’ll pick you up myself, and you can’t say no. After all, you’re my wife now *smiles*.”

“That jerk!” I muttered under my breath, a surge of frustration welling up inside me.