Marriage Clause

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Waking up the next morning, I have my back to Juice and he has his arms around me. I am laying there awake just thinking. My dad set up an arranged marriage and Juice volunteered? What were they thinking? What am I thinking? I see the kind of girls that Juice goes after. I look nothing like them. I just have to remember that this is just an arrangement for me to stay protected. "You're thinking too loud." I hear him whisper behind me. I turn to face him and snuggle closer to him. He tilts my chin up and kisses me softly. "You okay?" he asks softly. "Yeah. Just wrapping my head around everything." I tell him. "Do you not want to do this?" he asks, worried. "I do. It's just taking me a minute for all of it to process. Mom and dad didn't say anything about this arrangement to me so it's kind of a shock. But a good one." I tell him and kiss him softly. "Are you sure?" he asks. "Positive. You're making sure I'm safe Juice. You're a good man. I'm lucky. Trust me." I tell him and he kisses me deeply. When we separate, I have to keep repeating in my mind that it's just an arrangement.

We get up and dressed for the day and I say "I need to head home and change before work." I tell him. "Okay. I'll walk you out." he tells me and I nod. We walk outside and to my car and when we get to my car, he says "We'll be by the studio later today." I nod and say "I'll be there. Have to take a few cover shots and do some editing but I'll be there." I tell him. Kissing me softly he says "I'll see you in a little bit babe." I smile softly and say "See you later." before getting into my car and heading home to change.

I walk into work and to my office. I hear a knock on the door and Ima leans in and says "The photographer is here." I nod and say "Be there in a minute." but I don't look up. She closes the door and asks "Are you okay?" I shake my head no and bury my face in my hands and cry. Ima runs over to comfort me and says "Talk to me." I get myself together and say "Mom's gone and now Daddy is gone and Daddy set up an arranged married that when he died the club voted on who I would marry to keep me connected to the SONS." I tell her. "Who are you marrying?" she asks. "Juice." I tell her. "Honey, I'm not seeing the problem. He's a hot one." she tells me and I just shake my head. "He's only doing it because it was voted on by the club. I see the girls he goes after and they are skinny and blonde and everything I'm not." I tell her. "Honey, listen to me. Juice is a good guy but if he didn't want this, he wouldn't have agreed." she tells me. "Maybe." I tell her. I get myself together and we head out to do the cover shots.

A little later, the guys come in and I am in my office doing editing. When Ima sees Juice, she stops him. "She's in her office but she's been a little off. Just thought I'd give you a heads up." she tells him. "Thanks." he says concerned and heads to my office. Knocking on the door, I say "Come in." The door opens and in walks Juice. Sitting on the couch in my office, he says "Come here please." I don't look at him but move over to the couch. "Talk to me." he says. "Nothing to talk about." I tell him. "Then why won't you look at me?" he asks. I look up at him and he looks into my eyes. "Baby, I want this." he tells me and I nod my head. "Talk to me." he says again. "Just...Juice, I know this is just an arrangement. I see the girls you go after and I look nothing like them. But I've been thinking. We can still have the arrangement and you still be free to still hook up with croweaters." I tell him. "Fuck that." he says getting pissed. "You don't want to get married. Then we won't." he says. I slip the engagement ring off my finger and into his hand and he gets up and leaves, slamming the door behind him and I put my head in my hands and sob.

I hear the office door open and Ima walks in. "What happened?" she asks. "Nothing. We're taking a couple of days off from filming so just be back here Monday." I tell her before getting my purse and heading out the door. I get in my car and head home. I pack a few days worth of clothes and head to mom's house that I still have. I walk into mom's house and grab the boxes and start boxing her's and dad's things up. I come across a picture of me, her and daddy and I can't help but start sobbing again. "I'm so sorry I let you down daddy. I'm so sorry." I say. I don't hear the door open and close but hear Gemma's voice. "You didn't let him down honey." I turn to her and she sees my face and walks over and just holds me while I cry.

After I calm down, she asks "What happened?" I wipe my eyes and say "We called off the engagement. I know the club voted and he volunteered but I'll be fine." I tell her. "Baby, that was put into place so that you would have protection. You need to do this." she tells me. I shake my head. "I don't want someone to marry me because of a club vote or stupid by-law that dad came up with. I tried to tell him that this was just an arrangement and that he was still free to hook up with croweaters and he got pissed off at me and we called things off." I tell her. She looks around and sees the boxes. "You packing their things up?" she asks. "Yeah. I don't need to keep renting my house when this one is paid off. I'm putting all of their things in the basement and going to move in here." I tell her. "Makes sense. You know, he came back to the clubhouse, grabbed bottle of Jack and went to his dorm...alone." she tells me. "What he does isn't my business." I tell her. "Bull shit. You've had a thing for him since he was a prospect. Now that you have a chance at something with him, you're throwing it away because you think you're not good enough. Get your ass up and get to the clubhouse and talk to him." she tells me and I shake my head no. "That's what I thought you'd say." she tells me and Jax comes around the corner. "Come on Princess." he says before picking me up over his shoulder and carrying me to Gemma's car. He buckles me in and says "You undo this belt before we get to the clubhouse and I'll tie you to the roof." he tells me and I know he will. He's done it before.

We pull up to the clubhouse and I go to get out of the car and Jax picks me up again and carries me to Juice's dorm. Opening the door, Juice looks up from the bed where he's sitting against the headboard. Dropping me on the bed, he says "I better not see either one of you before you two get your heads out of your asses and hash this shit out." I glare at him and he shuts the door, locking it. I look down at my hands and see out of the corner of my eye, Juice offer me the bottle of Jack. I take the bottle and take a long pull before handing it back to him. "Come here." He tells me and pats the spot beside him. I don't move. "Please." he says softly. I move to sit next to him and he says "I'm sorry." I shake my head and say "You have nothing to be sorry for. You were trying to help me and I was the one that was ungrateful. I appreciate you wanting to help Juice but..." I start and he says "I'm in love with you." I look at him shocked and he finally looks at me. "I love you. That's why I volunteered. That's why I want to marry you. I fucking love you." he tells me as he reaches for my hand. "Are you sure Juice? I'm not like those girls out there. I'm not skinny like them." I say. "You're perfect Lina. And I'm sure. I want to marry you. I want this." he tells me. I lay my head on his shoulder and he says "Please baby?" I look up and he kisses me softly and I say "Okay." We spend the rest of the evening sitting against the headboard, just being together.