The Marriage Contract [Completed]

twenty

Hey my lovely readers! I'm so sorry I took ages to upload this new chapter. I was busy with my projects and examinations recently. I'm extremely grateful to the readers who waited patiently for this chapter and I hope that you'll like it<3

Ethan

I walked over to the couple and pulled drunken Xael who was wrapped in the stranger's arms into my own. Anger boiled through me as I remembered the stranger kissing my fiancee.

"F**k," the stranger cursed as my knuckle swung towards his nose, causing blood to trickle from it. "Stay away from her," I warned before picking Xael up bridal style and carrying her to the bedroom.

There was an audience forming around us then, but I paid no attention to them.

Xael stirred in her sleep as I tucked her into bed. Just as I was about to leave, I felt a hand grab onto my own. "Don't...go back to Ariel," Xael said softly and I took a seat beside her. "Who?" I asked curiously, not a clue as to who she was referring to.

"The red head," she answered, eyes opening slightly. "Why?" I questioned but she did not reply me and turned her head the other way.

"Are you jealous?" I asked, and saw the slight nod of her head. Is it really true that the drunk mind speaks the sober heart?

Upon her confirmation, I placed my lips on hers. It moved against mine for awhile and stopped. When I pulled back, Xael's eyelids were closed.

Shaking my head, I lifted the comforters over her, wondering if she will remember what happened when she wakes up tomorrow.

Xael

I woke up to a parched throat and a throbbing headache. Groaning, I lifted myself up from the bed and went to the bathroom to wash up. Its your fault for drinking so much. My brain scolded and I let out a huge sigh.

I could not even remember how I got to the bed last night. All I could remember was dancing with some stranger.

Spitting out the mouthwash, I splashed water over my face and dried it with the towel beside me, feeling a little better than before.

"Hey, take some aspirin," Ethan's voice sounded at the door and I looked to see him holding painkillers in one hand, and a glass of water in the other.

"Thanks," I took the pills from him and swallowed it with a mouthful of water. I really shouldn't drink so much next time. Having a hangover sucks.

"What happened last night?" I asked Ethan as we both walked to the kitchen. In reply, he scratched the back of his neck, shrugging. "It felt like a lot of things happened, but I can't remember any of them," I admitted trying to recall what happened the night before.

"A lot happened alright," I heard Ethan mumble under his breath as he placed two slices of bread in the toaster. "What did?" I questioned curiously and Ethan shook his head, reluctant to answer me.

After the toaster made its signature 'ding', Ethan removed the slices of bread and placed them on the plate before inserting two new slices of bread in the toaster. "Does peanut butter and jelly sound good?" He asked, looking through the refrigerator and I nodded, "anything will do, I'm hungry."

After we were done with our breakfast, we made our way to the sofa and switched on the television, putting Netflix on.

"Hey, do you want to play 21 questions?" Ethan suddenly suggested, removing my attention from the tv. I quirked my brows, "sure." "Ladies first," he told me and I thought hard.

"Why are you suddenly nice to me?" I asked. "I guess I don't dislike you anymore," he replied, before asking, "how about you? Do you still dislike me?" I shook my head, "nope."

"What do you like to eat?" I questioned and Ethan answered, "chicken chop," reminding me of the dream I had. That's weird. Is it a coincidence? Wasn't I preparing chicken chop in the dream? Or had he told me that he liked chicken chop?

"Earth to Xael," Ethan sing sang, waving his hand in front of me. "Huh?" I snapped out of my thoughts, blushing as I realized what I had been thinking about.

"Are you blushing?" Ethan asked and I elbowed him in the stomach. "No, my turn to question you." "Hey, that's not fair," he protested and I laughed, poking my tongue out at him as I asked him what is the most embarrassing thing that happened to him.

A few questions later, Ethan asked me, "when was your first kiss?" I blinked a few times. First kiss? "Yesterday," I replied, remembering drunken me kissing the stranger from last night, whose name was... What was his name again? I could see Ethan tense up upon hearing my answer. "You gave your first kiss to that stranger?" Ethan asked, his voice without a hint of emotion.

"I was drunk, and I can't remember what exactly happened. But he said he wanted to te...test something out?" I voiced, more to myself.

"Test what?" Ethan prompted and flashes of yesterday's incident played in my head. "Something about testing his hypothesis..." My memory was coming back. Ok come on brain, you can do this.

"About what?" Ethan asked again. "Oh!" I exclaimed when I remembered why Damien kissed me last night. "Nothing," I gave a curt reply. "My turn, when was your last kiss?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation away from me.

"Last night," he answered. "With the red head?" I questioned, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible in case he could sense my...jealousy?

"Its my turn," Ethan said, causing me to  let out a huff, "fine, shoot." "Is there someone you like currently?" He asked, catching me off guard. "Not sure, you?" "Yeah I do," he answered, without hesitation. "You do?" I asked again, eyes widening and he nodded. The player has someone he likes?

"Oh wow," I commented, not knowing what to say. "Aren't you curious who she is?" He asked and I nodded. "I wonder who has the ability to make you fall for her," I mused despite an uncomfortable feeling settling at the pit of my stomach. 

"I don't mind telling you, you know?" He asked and I placed my hands over my ears. "No, not now. I don't wanna know," I said before standing up. "I'm kinda sleepy, I'll go take a short nap. Bye," I rushed my sentence out before brisk walking into the bedroom and locking the door shut.

Once I was inside, I sank to the floor. An ache in my heart as I began putting two plus two together.

Could it be? No...