Mrs. Matched | Complete

Chapter Nineteen

Finish the tasks. That's the goal right now. Finish the tasks while pretending to give this marriage a good effort and somehow stop Christopher from getting attached to me. No problem. I can do this.

I knew it was going to be hard to go back to Christopher after the meeting, so I'd delayed it as long as possible by actually going to get a pedicure with Melody. So by the time she dropped me back at home, I had only one thought running through my head. Finish the tasks.

"Hey!" Christopher put his book down on the arm of the couch as soon as I opened the door. "I finished work early and I've been waiting for you to get home to start dinner."

"Hey," I said with a smile. "We could just go out if you want."

He didn't get to answer me before both of our phones chimed. Simultaneous text messages could only mean one thing.

I slid my phone out of my pocket to see the familiar blue message and stood silently reading it in the middle of our living room.

"Oh, no," I let out when I reached the end. Finish the tasks? And then this is the task? I was so livid I could have thrown my phone clear across the street. "I can't believe my parents did this. Sick joke."

It wasn't until Christopher put his hand on my arm and turned me to face him that I realized I'd been pacing.

"You okay?"

"I don't want to see my parents after..."

"After they married you without your knowledge or consent?" His knuckles are white around his phone, but I know the rage is not for me.

"Yes." Something about his rage made me calm. Like he stole my bad emotions and held them tightly in his hands. "After that."

We both stood there staring at each other, his hand shaking a little from the effort of keeping both of our emotions locked up. "But if we want to finish the tasks, we need to see them. And I don't know what happens if we don't finish the tasks, but it isn't good."

I really don't know, but I know it isn't good for me, so hopefully I'm right.

"No," he agreed. "It isn't good. But we don't have to do it right now. We can wait as long as you want. There's no time limit on the tasks. At least I don't think there is. We've already met my family and both of our friends so I'm sure we could wait a few weeks to meet your parents. I mean, most people have a lot more meeting to do so even if there is a time limit..."

He's rambling about how long we have to complete the task.

"Hey, Chris?" My hand on his arm seems to calm him as his shoulder descend from up by his ears. "It's okay."

"It's okay?"

"You don't need to plot this. As much as I never want to talk to my parents again, I think it's best if I just call them and get this out of the way."

Ugh. I can't believe I have just volunteered to call my parents.

My hands shook on the buttons and I almost hung up while it rang. Complete the tasks. That's how you get out of this, Keep your cool. I pressed my palms into my thighs to steady myself.

"Hello?" Thank God, it's my dad.

"Hey, Dad. Do you think I could bring my new husband over tomorrow for lunch? I want him to meet you guys." There doesn't seem like any good way to ask him, so I just cut to the chase. It's not like they aren't expecting it.

And then, despite the fact that they set the stupid rule, Mom had the audacity to say we had to come at 11:30 or it wouldn't work. "Well, we have plans at two, pumpkin, so we won't be able to see you very long. Are you sure you couldn't do another day?" Dad's voice was so hopeful I almost gave in. No! Only two hours is basically my dream day.

"No, tomorrow works great. We'll see you at 11:30. Thanks, Dad!" I tried to keep my emotions positive, because I wasn't sure how much say each of them had in the whole marriage situation. So until I could figure it out, I was determined to hate them both in private and smile at both of them in public.

I'm at least going to try.

* * *

As we stood outside my parents' house the next morning, Christopher reached out for my hand. We are trying to seem married, so it only makes sense. I put my hand in his. I'll have to make choices like this all the time. It shocked me how natural it felt to have my hand in his. I don't want to deal with you right now, feelings.

I probably would have kept freaking myself out if it weren't for the door swinging open in front of me.

Despite my best efforts, I was completely unable to string together a whole sentence, the fragments of my attempts hanging in the air.

Fortunately, Christopher speaks for me. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ma'am. I'm Christopher Scott." He reaches out and shakes my mother's hand, enveloping it in both of his. If you didn't know, and my parents certainly didn't, you would never suspect him to be angry or upset with them.

"Hello, Christopher." Mother smiled as she invited him inside. "I'm Aubrey's mother. You can call me Jen or Mrs. James or Mom. Whatever makes you comfortable." Curse her hospitality skills!

"Thank you, Mrs. James." Christopher made a mount to smile at me and gently squeeze my hand before stepping over the threshold into my parents' house. Christopher met my dad in much the same fashion and, because we were late by design, my mother had no choice but to cut the conversation portion of the day short and lead us directly into the dining room for lunch.

Everyone looks a lot happier than I feel. Are they all good actors or am I the only one who would rather walk through rusty nails than be here right now? I lagged behind as we walked to the table, trying to collect my thoughts. I needed to keep my face happy. Or at least neutral. Maybe the second one was more realistic.

When I finally made it to the dining room, everyone else was seated, so I slid into the empty chair across from Christopher. Mom's attention stayed on Christopher -- she had barely looked at me since we walked through the door. "I do hope you like roast. Aubrey didn't tell us what you liked so we had to guess."

Christopher looked at me for assistance, but I didn't know what to say. Mom was on her usual antics of suggesting everything was my fault, so I just shrugged.

"I like everything, Mrs. James. I'm sure that's why Aubrey didn't feel the need to mention it."

Oh, he's good. He might even give Mom a run for her money. He looked at me again, eyebrows pulled together in thought. 'What's going on?' he mouthed to me. I could only shrug again. I guess I wasn't the only one noticing that my parents were actively avoiding me. Maybe I just shouldn't have come.

As though he could read my mind, he seamlessly brings me back into the conversation. "Aubrey and I have been so busy unpacking and getting to know each other I'm surprised she found time to make these arrangements. That's Aubrey, though, always worried about keeping everything going."

"Yes, with the tasks, there's been a lot going on." Okay, I admit that was trying to sting. The look on my mother's face remained neutral. A large part of me wished she would show some emotion. I just wanted to win. Just once.

"I imagine so," Mom said, uncovering all of the food on the table. "There is a lot to be done.

Like you didn't write it all into the contract. You knew we would be busy because you made it that way.

Both of us were all smiles. Someone had to blink first and I was determined it would not be me.