Resist

Dinner

I walk down the stairs and into the living room where Hayden is waiting for me on the couch. As he sees me approaching, he stands up and walks towards me. I stiffen at the seemingly harmless movement, and he notices. "Woah there, I was just coming to say you look nice."

"Just because we're suitors doesn't mean we have to like each other. Cut the act, I know you're an ass." I state, knowing perfectly well that I'd rather be on his good side. I just want to see how he'll react to this comment. He sighs, breaking eye contact with me.

"I don't want this any more than you do, but what's done is done, and I thought I may as well try to not hate you, try to build a mutual understanding, since I'm gonna be seeing a lot more of you." I nod, agreeing with his answer.

"Fair." I reply. "What does being suitors even involve? I didn't know this was going to happen until it happened. How much do you know about it?" He presses his lips into a thin line and looks at the floor.

"I know as much as you." I can tell it's a lie, but I'll let it slide for now. He holds out his arm for me to take, in which I decline, instead walking past him and out the front door. As he said, we're just here to build a mutual agreement.

I walk to the car that's waiting outside and rub my hands on my arms, feeling the chill of winter on my skin. The doors unlock, and I turn to see Hayden behind me with the car keys in his hands. "You're driving?" I ask, somewhat shocked. He just nods, throwing the car keys up in the air and catching them before making his way to the other side of the car and opening the door.

"I got my license in Alberta when I was fourteen." I nod at his answer, deciding not to question it further as I hop in the passenger side of the vehicle.

"My father won't let me take the test, not until I'm seventeen." I mumble. He places the keys in the cup holder in between us and presses the start/stop button to start the car, pushing the brake at the same time with his foot. He removes the parking brake and puts the car into drive, turning the wheel to go around the roundabout and out the driveway.

"I'll take you tomorrow." Hayden states out of the blue once we're out on the road.

"What?" I ask, confused.

"Your drivers test, I'll take you tomorrow."

"Hayden, my father won't let me. Didn't you hear a thing I just said?"

"I did. But technically, you're mine now, so I thereby allow you to take it." My eyes widen and I snap my head in his direction.

"I'm yours? What the fuck does that mean? You do know more." He proves my suspicion.

"During the courtship process, now, you're signed over to my family. Any ties with your family can be cut if necessary."

"Why would that be necessary?" I ask, concerned.

"Doesn't matter." He shuts the question down, bringing an end to our conversation. A few minutes pass, and eventually we pull up outside a nice looking restaurant. He hops out and walks to my side and opens the door.

"Thank you." I smile politely, nervous for what is to occur over the course of the evening.

---

A waiter sits us down at a table by the window and hands us a menu each. I look down at all the delicious items, before settling on a Hawaiian pizza. I know it's not exactly gourmet, but I honestly don't care, it's familiar. "What are you getting?" I ask Hayden at an attempt at small talk.

"A chicken liver pâté on rye bread with sweet chilli gravy." He responds, a small smile curving the corners of his lips. He sees my look of bewilderment before rolling his eyes and sighing. "I'm kidding, I've got no clue what I just said. I'm having a Hawaiian pizza." He looks down at the menu and back up at me. "Yeah."

"I was thinking of getting that too, maybe we could just upsize and share?" I ask, looking up to see him nodding in agreement. I look back down at the table, playing with the hem of the white table cloth for a minute before thinking of another question. "Can you please tell me more about this suitor, courtship business? I really am clueless."

"I honestly don't know much myself. I just know that it's set up by... some people... for the children of those people to meet people from the same... group of people." I stare at him blankly. "Before you ask, yes, I do know who these people are, and no, I am not planning on telling you. Ever." 

"But why-"

"I don't know, Hanna!" He snaps, slamming his hands against the table. Some people from the neighbouring tables turn and look in our direction. He takes a deep breath and swallows. "All I know is that it's a program made to keep the families in check, to ensure everything goes according to plan. Nothing unexpected."

"I think I'm more confused now than I was before, but thanks for trying."

"I'm just repeating the words my father told me, I don't really know what the second half means." He runs his fingers through his blonde hair and sighs, leaning his chin on his hand with his elbow resting on the table.

"The keeping the families in check thing?"

"Yep." He pops the p, which really annoys me, but just as I'm about to say something, the waiter comes to take our order. Hayden states what we'd like and the waiter disappears into the flurry of people once again. I look up at him, expecting him to say something, but he doesn't, and I can't think of anything to say either. We're left in silence, but not an awkward one, one that you feel like it would be offensive to say anything at all. He's the one to break it. "How did you end up at the Suitors Gala Ball?"

"What? I thought it was called the Winter Gala Ball." I state, confused.

"No, why would you think that?" He asks with a tone that I don't enjoy. A tone I'm all to familiar with coming from my father.

"That's what our neighbours said it was."

"And why did your neighbours tell you about this dance?" He prods, the uncomfortable hint in his voice becoming more distinct. "What's their family name?"

"I'm not sure, and I think it's Carello?"

"Jude Carello?" I nod at his assumption. "The bastard."

"Why?"

"Do you know what they've gotten you into?!" He shouts, but lowers his voice as soon as he remembers where he is. "Why did they tell you to go to the dance, Hanna?"

"I-I don't really know. It was between my father and them." I lie. I wasn't going to tell him that we saw Jude kill an innocent in front of our house and that they're part of the mafia! I didn't even know that the mafia still existed.

"Don't lie." He growls.

"I'm... not." I stutter. He just looks intimidatingly at me until I give in. "We saw Jude kill an innocent in front of our house, and we found out that he was an associate of the mafia. He said that I had to marry by my seventeenth birthday, or there would be consequences, and so he suggested I attend this dance to meet a suitor."

"How did her father not know about the dance?" He mutters under his breath.

"Sorry?"

"Never mind, it's just... I'm surprised that your father agreed to let you attend this dance."

"Why?"

"You don't need to know." 

For the rest of the evening, we sit in silence, other than when the waiter hands us our meal where I mumble a 'thank you'. After I eat as much as I can, Hayden pays and walks out the restaurant, leaving me to trail behind. He gets in the car, waits for me to sit in the passenger seat, then begins driving down the road.