The Bonding ceremony's date was set for December fifth.
She had less than a month to enjoy her freedom, as Kari said jokingly, and it was stressing her out.
She realized very early that they'd have to have sex. By law, it was mandated. She'd had boyfriends before but she was a virgin, the furthest she'd gone was making out and some groping. And now she was expected to have sex with someone who didn't like her.
She thought they might've been able to be civil maybe, cordial at beast, certainly not a normal PDA-filled couple like Rae and her boyfriend Ramon. As long as there was respect and trust, everything would work out.
She could at least pretend.
December fifth was a bright, blisteringly-cold Saturday.
Chloe rolled over, stared out her window, before she looked at her digital clock, groggy and in a foul mood from falling asleep at five am.
She was awake now, staring at the ceiling, counting the hours. Two to be exact. Two hours until her hope of a Prince Charming or Mr. Darcy died, her hope for a deep love went poof, and she was Bound to someone who couldn't stand her.
As she lay there, someone knocked on her bedroom door, far too loud and brisk for first thing in the morning. "Chloe? Are you awake? Can we talk?"
Chloe debated on not answering, pretending to be asleep, but before she could do anything, the door opened. Because Lauren had no boundaries or respect for Chloe's space.
"How're you feeling?" Lauren's smile was strained at best, her eyes red-rimmed. She looked more upset than Chloe. Like she was getting Bound.
"Fine." Chloe couldn't force herself to say anything more than that.
"Are you nervous? I know your mom was when she met your dad, but they grew to love each other. Although I don't know how someone like him ended up with someone like her."
Maybe that because they actually put some effort into making it work. Derek would rather cut his hand off then spend any effort to try to make it less awful.
Chloe sat up, scrubbed the sleep out of her eyes and avoided Lauren's gaze.
"I'm gonna go eat breakfast."
The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, brash and loud in the quiet. And before her aunt could say anything, Chloe hopped out of the bed and dashed passed her and down the steps.
Her breakfast was leftovers from last night—salmon and rice and steamed broccoli—and it was eaten on the back porch, her toes numb and skin pebbled with goosebumps. The air was cold, her breath cloudy, but this was better than eating inside and Lauren trying to comfort her.
Once she was done and placed her dishes in the dishwasher, she closed her eyes against the rush of tears. She had an hour and thirty minutes.
Lauren had vanished and Chloe headed into her bathroom. Her complexion was clammy and waxy, her eyes bright and nervous, her lips raw and bitten. She pulled off her sleep T-shirt, stepped out of her panties, and let the water warm while she sat on the toilet lid, picking at the chipping polish on her toes.
She didn't let herself think of big, burly Derek who didn't want her, didn't even tolerate her, and how they'd be sharing a bed far too soon.
Chloe picked out jeans and a sweater, much to Lauren's disapproval.
"It's my soul-mate Bonding ceremony," she'd snapped, unable to help herself when Lauren began to nag about her attire again, "and it's not exactly something he or I want, so I think I can wear whatever is comfortable."
Lauren went silent.
The inside of Bonding courthouse was small and warm, making Chloe regret her sweater despite the chilly temperature was outside. As she fidgeted uncomfortably in the hard, wooden chair, her mind wandered.
To make the ceremony valid, they had to have sex just like all those fake marriage fanfics she'd read with Rae.
Was he a virgin? What if he didn't care about it being good for her? What if she was horrible and he laughed at her? She'd watched porn, masturbated plenty, and knew the basics but nothing had really prepared her. Would it be a ripping pain that left her immobilized and stained sheets red? How badly would it hurt exactly?
Her pulse hammered behind her ears, in her wrists, as she sat there, her dad's arm around her shoulders, his thumb rubbing circles as though he could smell her anxiety.
Chloe lifted her hand to her mouth and wedged her thumbnail against the edge of her bottom teeth before Lauren nudged her sharply, forever disapproving of Chloe's bad nail biting habit. She began to sweat, feeling it cool across the width of her back and along the underside of her bralette, just as the doors swung open with a bang.
Oh, they were here.
Kit was dressed in collared shirt and pristine straight-leg jeans, a step up from his usual jeans-and-T-shirt attire but still very casual compared to Lauren, who'd broken out her nicest pantsuit and black pumps and a face full of makeup.
Simon had wrangled himself into a preppy crewneck, where the white collar of his shirt peeked out, and black skinny jeans. His usual dirty-caked sneakers were a stark contrast to his nice hair and clothes.
Tori, surprisingly, also wore a black long-sleeved V-neck and black yoga pants, opting for ballet flats. Chloe had never seen her wear something so Tori without any studs, chains, or rips; it was different but in a good way.
Chloe's breath caught in her throat when she saw Derek, his hair damp and brushed out of his face, tamed for this day only, revealing adorably slightly oversized ears that flushed pink when Tori began to speak to him, no doubt teasing him. In all the years Chloe had known him, she'd never seen him dress in clothes that fit and now her eyes drank him eagerly. Hungrily. And she wasn't ashamed.
This was her soul-mate after all.
His forest-green button-down hugged his shoulders and biceps, setting off the hue of his eyes and making the red patches of acne on his cheeks seem that much more irritated. His dark-wash jeans clung to the corded muscle of his legs and, in true Derek fashion, he'd worn a pair of ratty Converse for that final "fuck you." It was just so Derek that she couldn't stop herself from smiling.
Her heart was in her throat now as Derek glanced at her, their eyes meeting, and she quickly looked away, feeling under-dressed. Everyone was in nice clothes, or what constituted to them as nice, and here she was, in shabby jeans and an even shabbier sweater. She looked plain like she didn't care.
The justice of the peace began speaking once everyone except Chloe and Derek had settled and sat down. Her soul-mate watched her with narrow eyes, his expression a neutral mask. Chloe could feel her panic rising despite her breathing techniques to stay calm, her hands trembling. Sweat ran down her neck, beaded along her top lip, as she curled her toes, trying hard not to rock on her heels.
Something touched—no, grasped her hands and she couldn't hide how it startled her, a little flinch escaping her. Derek didn't look at her but his hand tightened around hers gingerly, giving it a gentle squeeze, reassuring.
Her breathing evened and as she focused on the Binding vows, she heard the words, "Please press your marks together to complete the Bond."
Her cheeks blazing, she yanked off her sweater, revealing her tank top beneath and the raised hand print of her soul mark, red as a burn and tender, sensitive almost, to the touch. When Derek wrapped his hand around her bicep, squeezing the spot, there was a shimmery, blinding flash.
Time slowed like before. The heat of his skin sank into her bone. Desire flooded her not unlike lightening, making her stomach flip flop, her insides clench. Her knees went weak and buckled unexpectedly, making her fall into his arms, and he held her up easily, grunting a little at the sudden addition of her weight. She trembled, inhaling deeply to calm her thundering heart.
"S-sorry," she apologized quietly once she regained the strength back in her legs. Embarrassment made her avert her gaze as she stood up straight, the harsh line of his full mouth softened, revealing a dimple she'd never noticed before. Maybe because he was always scowling.
"The St. Cloud Court has taken the liberty of booking two nights at the bond Completion hotel," Lauren explained stiffly, reaching for Chloe.
"W-what?" Chloe squeaked, stepping out of her aunt's reach. Her mind was spinning as she looked down at her mark, the gold color shimmering like light glinting off metal. Like staring at a pool of gold that glowed faintly.
"The court requires it of every that completes their Bond. I couldn't stop it. I'm sorry." High color flooded Lauren's face. She looked disgusted about what would happen in that room.
Chloe had to swallow a remark about how she wasn't the one about to have sex with a soul-mate who despised her and instead watched Derek speak to her dad and his dad. As the older men responded to whatever Derek had said, he lifted his head and his eyes pierced hers.
She had to look away.