I do...I guess?

Chapter One

"You can grow to love her" I said. "No I can't!" Mathew bellows. Axel and have been going back and forth for the past HOUR over the topic of marrying Salem. He swears that it's too much of a commitment for him. He doesn't want to be tied down, but he's going to have to suck it up because Father dearest won't accept no for an answer. Our company is depending on this marriage, you see, this marriage is basically like the only way that our company will stay afloat. The girl he is to marry is the daughter of a very powerful man. All she wants is love and in return we get more money, more resources, and a powerful partner. Since I'm Father's golden boy I don't have to worry about being forced into doing anything. I just get to sit back and watch while it all unfolds.

"I don't know why you can't just suck it up and be with the girl Mathew, you're acting like a child!" I'm getting fed up with him at this point. I should have tuned him out forever ago, but it's kind of entertaining going back and forth with him. "I just can't do it Axel please, switch with me" he says "she's not even my type." Not your type?! She literally looks like someone straight out of a book. She's got piercing brown eyes, auburn hair, a slim figure and she's a short little thing. Can't forget to mention the fact that she's got a fat ass and a nice rack. "Why would I switch with you?" I ask, with a taunting tone in my voice. "Because I'm gay Axel!" There was a brief pause "And I'm in love with someone else" he whispered. As soon as he said that I felt all of the color drain from my face, I feel like an asshole. How could I not have known about this, me and him are so close to each-other.  "Why didn't you tell me" I snap. "Because the man that I am in love with, is your best friend" As he blurts that out I see tears start to well in his eyes and he stands up as if to leave. I grab his arm and give him a reassuring look to let him know that it's okay.

I feel so conflicted, the two people who are closest to me are keeping a huge secret from me. More importantly what are we going to do about this marriage. I can't let him go through with this, it would destroy him. "So that's why you want out of this deal so bad? You don't even like women. I feel like an asshole for arguing with you about it all this time." His look saddens "Don't feel that way, you had no idea, I couldn't tell you because of what father would think, and because...well the obvious reason, he's your best friend" His voice trails off and he starts to sit back down. Now that he's relaxed it's time to start talking about a game plan, how are we going to convince our father to let us make the switch.

"Mathew how are we going to get father to let me take the bride in your place?" He finally snaps and looks at me. "Wait," he says "you're actually going to do this for me? You're going to switch?!!" I chuckle at his excitement. "Of course I am, you like it up the ass there's no way you're marrying a woman" That gets a good laugh from the both of us. I'm sure if I go in and talk to father one on one he will agree to put me in Mathew's place so he can be with who he wants. For me? I don't personally care if I marry this woman, for all I know, she could be the love of my life...

Two days later

I walk into father's office, he's sitting at his desk yelling at someone on the phone. It's more than likely his assistant, she's been slacking here recently and is more than likely going to be replaced in the near future. I take a seat in a chair across from him at his desk, feels very official like we're in some kind of meeting. Anyways, 20 minutes have passed and he's finally off the phone. Took you long enough. He looks at me and asks "What do you need son?" I can tell by the way that he asked that he is in a good mood, which is good, I'm glad I didn't catch him when he's enraged because he probably would have cussed me up and down before I even got to ask him the question. "I want to know if I can take Mathews place in marrying Salem." I asked him. He looked at me and narrowed his eyes as if to see if I'm fucking with him or not. I am indeed not, almost wish I was after that. "Sure," a grin forms across his face "you've got a stronger head on your shoulders than he does, and I've got a plan" he snarls. And before I can question him about this 'plan' the phone begins to ring and he's yelling again.

I get back from my talk with dad and I walk into Mathews room to tell him the good news and talk about what just transpired. Only, he's not here. Where the fuck is he at, he knew I was going to have this talk with dad and he KNEW that I would be back right after. So I sit my happy ass on his bed and wait for him. I'm not about to go run around the mansion looking for him. Too many wings and too many places he could possibly be. So I wait..and wait..and wait..until finally the door swings open. I look up expecting to see my brother, but I am instead met with my best friend, Charles. Not only am I immediately thrown off in light of the recent news, but I'm curious as to why he is here as well.

He looks at me, puzzled, I'm sure I've got that same look on my face right now. "Oh, I, uh" he stutters, "You were expecting your lover to be here right?" His jaw drops open and he begins to mutter something under his breath. "Don't worry, your secrets safe with me, I was just coming to find him to inform him that our father has agreed to let me take his place in the marriage." A look of worry and fright runs clean across his face, a look so alarming that I'm experiencing anxiety from it. "What? What's going on Charles spit it out!" I don't mean to yell but he's got me scared now. I don't know what is making him feel this way but it's making me uneasy. "Your brother, he said that if he couldn't get out of this marriage, that he was just going to take his life instead, because he would rather be dead than be betrothed to anyone other than me." His mouth lingers open for a split second after he gives me the news.

I know his mind is all over the place but I need him to focus right now. "Where could he be Charles?!" I snap, I might be scared for my brother but I'm just as equally pissed off that he didn't wait for me to even come back with an answer. "I don't know Mathew, I was on the phone with him, he mumbled something about his mom and then he hung the phone up" I know exactly where he is, for a little context our mom passed away about 2 years ago from a heart attack, she was only 43 years old, and she passed away in Axels room while tucking him into bed. Because even though he was 20 years old, he would never turn down our mother's love. He was the only one out of the two of us who still let her tuck him in every night. He knew how happy it made her. Heart attacks run in our family. Whether you're young or old you're susceptible to them. It skips some family members, those lucky bastards that do get to live, lead a long healthy life with no problems. I wish the same could have been said about my mom.

I get up and nod for Charles to follow me, he gets up to follow me and is right on my heels the whole time. I lead him out to the green house. That was our mom's favorite spot. She would say that it was the best spot to be on the whole property. I never understood why because it was a little run down and the place was damn near ready to fall apart. But that was her safe space. Father wanted to knock it down because it was an eye sore, but after she passed he just couldn't bring himself to do it. It was the only spot that reminded him of her and kept her memory alive. We get to the doors and Charles raises an eyebrow at me "What are we doing here?" He asks. You would think that he'd know about this spot since he's been in cahoots with my brother. And for them to be in love I'm guessing they've been going at it for a while now. "This is where my mother used to spend most of her days, it's the only spot in the house that hasn't been completely renovated because it reminds us of our mom. I'm sure he's here." As I open the door, I see what I would have NEVER expected to see walking in to the greenhouse....