The Contract That Married Me

Thirty-seven

three from people I hadn't spoken to in two years and one from a college friend who opened

at

ed th

took up hal

: Who Is Aria Hale and Wh

ted my chin and softened my mouth by a fraction. We looked, objectively, convincing. We looked like t

aphs standing up because sitt

ying out everything they can't find as evidence of something worth finding. No public profile. No social media presence beyond a dor

lose to t

had talked before the car had ev

hone

mot

e second ring. "I was

the news," sh

um

ay she got when she was trying not to frighten me with how frightened she was. "

"I know and I'm sorry. I was go

repeated. "Wh

ard vote. It'

id. "How long have

y eyes. "F

f a woman doing the math and not liking the answe

ain it properly

uld hav

said. "I kno

again. Then, "

e question with her because she'd alway

said. "I

" she said. "After

," I said. "I'

th the phone in my hand and the Thirty-seven notifications and the photograph of me and Callum looking like som

e counter with his phone pressed to his ear and his jaw set in the w

Held up o

coffee an

into the phone. "Not a confirmat

re what they're offe

" I

o want an interview. One is running a second p

ch o

e face down on the counter. "The

said. "I rea

d at me.

oke me up at six," I said. "M

f someone who had calculated a risk and is now recalculating because the

said. "She's my mo

peaks to

t me, not at you. She doesn't even know you exist yet." I set my cup

's no

. "She's twenty minutes away

ed something. "Fine," h

ve a

atching your movements and you arrive

hated that it wa

it down again. "The leak came from Sin

resents inher

said. "This is pressure. He thinks public scrutin

es

aid. "Which means we don't issue a stat

ue," I

. Consistently. Without looking li

rder than

things ar

lt, composed, measured, the unlocked version of last night n

lk about last

well," he said. "

the d

as q

y," I sai

happened,

said. "That's not the same

. All of it measured, all of it a reason to

out loud because if we don't say it out loud it just sits

et in the w

llu

Tuesday and a board member leaking to the press and a Chronicle piece runni

him for a

," I

epeated. Rel

en Tuesday is over

cked up his phone and walked out of the k

m Callum's house, a fact that still felt strange, the geograp

d always had the specific hearing of someo

hen past me at the

in," s

ved slowly these days, not frail, just deliberate, like she'd made a private agreement with her body about pace. I followed her to th

tea witho

said, sitting

second in the study. But the shape of it, the contract, the year, the board vote, the reason. The fact that

lways been a good listener. The kind that didn't p

pped both hands around

d to you,"

Not how could you

his way. He doesn't preten

ot the sa

aid. "But it'

d been studying me for twen

um

ri

plicated,

e said. "With the

e's not, it's not like

e said. "I'm also

an answer that was both honest and safe an

hand over mine. "After Tuesday," she sa

isn't

imply. Like it was weather.

at the ho

. I didn't stop. Went to the east wing. Changed o

one b

wn nu

the last unknown number and what it had

ognized from last night. Lower

cl

get this nu

"Your contact was filed with Callum's paperwork. I

do you

t the vote. About you. About

"About the east division. About the boar

. Short but real.

es

"Then he trusts you m

you want t

e marriage contract. Has he

have the full ver

an said. "There's an amended version. Filed three days be

ed on the phone

cquisition succeeds, the marriage contract transfers. The year of arrangement

was ver

t possible

ne of the acquiring party, Aria. I have

ou telling

se my brother is, whatever he is, but he put a clause in a contract that binds you to him

hun

in my hand and the specific feeling of a f

fini

out. If the vote failed and the acquisition went through and De

hel

too

down th

tside the

ething, jacket off, the grey shirt from this morn

our mother

hat's clause seven

stoppe

oked

re you talking about told me everything I needed t