Becoming a Scott

Chapter 31

They sat out on the small balcony at the end of the guest room, with the doors open and the warm breeze trailing the curtains along. A crescent moon was out, casting a dim white light over the landscape and there was the echoing sounds of crickets and frogs in the distance. Christina's loud laughter broke through the night.

"You're lying!" She let out, hitting him on the shoulder.

Ander ducked out of her reach, "I'm not, I'm not. Why would I lie about such a thing?"

"Cause it's embarrassing! And you didn't even stop to think for a second what those black strings were along the-"

He made a tsk sound and gave her a look of warning. "If I hear that you've repeated such a thing to any other living soul I will leave you stranded at the altar!"

"Oh please, I just know you were eager to tell everyone once you got back! Ready to tell them all that Ander Vivaldi had accidentally eaten-"

"What did I say?" He flicked her on the hand. "These are secrets only for my bride to be!"

Christina smothered the rest of her laughter but was still brewing with giggles. "If these are the types of secrets I'm going to keep getting than please keep them to yourself. It'll only ruin the image I have of you in my head. Pass me the wine."

Ander handed her the bottle in his hand and leaned forward in his seat. "The image of me in your head, huh?"

"Yeah," she took a sip of the wine and cringed at the taste of it. "A tall, mysterious man who ruins it by opening his mouth."

He hid his face under his hand with a grin, "How is it possible that I was actually expecting a compliment from you?"

Christina ignored him. "Ander Vivaldi has all the friends in the world, but has very bad sportsman ship. He annoys the living hell out of me but has a knack for swooping in like a hero for no reason at all." She concluded merrily. "You've drank more than one bottle yet why am I the one that seems affected by alcohol?"

"I have a high tolerance for it. It takes a lot to get me to- wait a minute, how do you know that I had been drinking wine before?"

"Out of all the comments I made that was the one that caught your attention?" Christina sighed and fell back into her seat.

"Yes, I'm used to your jabs by now, I think it's time you start getting more tactful with them."

"Thanks for the advice, but I don't know how much of it to take considering you were so starved for shrimp that you-"

Ander threw his arms up in the air. "I can't tell you anything, Christina, I swear!"

"Well, you've been open about your embarrassing little mishap from abroad but you haven't gotten around to telling me why you did it."

"Why I chose to ate the shrimp?"

"No," her tone had shifted to something more solemn. "Why you ran out to me in the yard..." 

Ander looked away, deciding to watch the night sky above them. "I was in need of a stress release and after I saw you pelting the racquets out there I figured you had the right attitude."

"You've never been funny, Ander." She sighed, frustrated by his dismissal.

"I've heard you laugh before, Christina."

The two of them exchange glances before she spoke again. "So that's that then? You're not going to tell me."

"I already told you not to ask me because I don't have an answer for you. Pass me the wine."

Christina thrusted it back into his hand. "You seemed perfectly capable of on when we should get divorced, five years from now."

"Or when your grandmother dies," he added after taking a swig of the wine.

"She won't even be six feet under and you'll have lawyers sending me the divorce papers." Christina smiled sadly. "But here we are, before it all even starts."

He hummed, "Who knows what these next couple of years will be like."

"You know, my mom admitted to me once years ago that she had never intended to marry when she was younger. That she hadn't ever felt romantic love for anyone until she met my father, and then she knew it was the end for her. And it's funny to think that I've found myself in the complete opposite position."

"Maybe not the complete opposite," he offered.

Christina scoffed, "she married for love and I'm marrying for money, what else is there?"

Ander shrugged, "This marriage won't be the end of you... or of me. It's just a little detour, that's all."

Christina sat up, turning her body towards Ander and demanding his attention. "You have to promise me something?"

"I've already promised you enough, haven't I?" He asked teasingly.

She shook her head, ignoring him. "Tomorrow, whatever happens, whatever anyone says, you'll stick by my side."

He furrowed his brows, "You want me to promise you that?"

"Yeah," she added under her breath. "After the fight I had this morning I don't think the will signing will go smoothly."

"My plan wasn't to let you get harassed by your family and it still isn't." Ander spoke calmly. "I should let you rest, we have an interesting day tomorrow." Christina watched him stand up but didn't follow. "You're going to stay out here?" He asked.

"Just for a bit longer."

A small smiled came over his lips, "Don't finish that bottle without me."

"Ander," she called to him before he could walk off. "Thank you, again."

He let out an exaggerated sigh and rolled his eyes. "I'll get tired of those words if you keep saying them. Go to bed."

"I will, I will," she answered loosely while watching him walk out the door and shutting it behind him. 

Christina let out a sigh into the night and stretched her body, realizing that out of all the possible things that could've happened this was probably the best outcome. Ander really was a great guy and the fact that he thought to bring her wine and ease her troubles meant more than words could describe.