It's Not Just Business

Chapter Four

I didn't see Aaron the next morning, like usual. But something about it bothered me today. Rita told me he'd left early for work and that he's not coming home for lunch. Could it be that he's avoiding me?

Maybe I do disgust him and he was just pretending to like kissing me. Just to humor me.

God, how can I be so stupid? Here I thought he liked me. Maybe he's preparing himself to be with me for three days and pretend he likes me.

I groaned and walked out of the car when Grant opened the door.

As I walked inside the school I felt myself grow more depressed. Why can't I have a normal marriage? And if he can't love me, why can't we be friends? Even though after that kiss I wont see him as anything less than a man.

"Did he give you any grief?"

"What?" I asked Greg. Seriously, they pop out of nowhere. It scares me sometimes.

"Your hubby. Did he give you any grief?" he asked again as we walked to my locker.

Yes.

"No." I lied.

"Seriously? Not even a little bit?"

"Nope."

"Did you seduce him or something?" Greg asked as I finished dumping useless stuff into my locker and then slammed it shut.

"Greg!"

"What? It's a simple question! We're friends so..."

"I am not talking about my intimate life. And what makes it so hard to believe that he didn't put any buts in coming with us?"

"Haven't you seen how serious he is? I mean you live with him, I met him once and caught onto his don't-mess-with me aura. Aaron doesn't seem like the type to go camping with a bunch of teenagers, much less if there's not going to be all the commodities he seems to be used to."

"He's not like that." I said and then started walking to first period with Greg by my side. "Sure, he's serious and sometimes cold. But when he really cares, he's different. Aaron's not a bad person, Greg."

I stopped outside Ms. Callahan's classroom and looked at my friend in the eyes.

"Do you think I'm stuck up, that I won't be able to survive without the commodities you say Aaron can't live without?"

"Of course not. You're different than him. You didn't have all those things until you married him."

"You've only known me two days Greg. I didn't marry him for his money. I am nearly as rich as Aaron. My family's last name is Bennett, look it up. My dad owns a construction company. Having money doesn't make us bad. I need to go in." I said as the bell rung.

Greg stood there for about three seconds and then made a run for it.

I didn't like the idea of people believing I married Aaron for his money. I had money myself, I don't need his. What my family needed was a stronger company so that we could also grow. There's a very slight difference, but it was there. We weren't broke or anything. The Scarlatti's are known for their arduous work and unbreakable bonds. That's what drew my dad to try and write a contract with Aaron's father. And it was his father who came up with the idea of the marriage to make the bonds stronger. My family had been planning to marry me off to someone else, but they found Aaron to be more suitable as a man. They've always wanted someone strong, responsible and well mannered for me and they found it all in Aaron. That's why it was a win-win for both families. Well except for Aaron and I. Apparently our marriage was going to be one of the few that didn't work.