Husband For Hire

16. Strike 3

16. Strike 3
You can't win someone's love with a bribe.

It was an impossible task to pretend to be in love with Ashar.

We were polar opposites.

I mean how could I, someone who's life began with Versace and ended with foie de gras, possibly be enamored by someone who munched on Domino's Pizza like a starving cow?

Fortunately, Cecily had been forced to make a salad and then take her leave. I checked up on Granny who was sleeping, so I decided against waking her up. Tomorrow, I'd talk to her and maybe inquire she really wanted to be here or not. I did drag her here into a family full of strangers.

Ashar's dorky sister, Aara, eyed me strangely as I ate my food.

"Do princesses not eat pizza?" she inquired.

I raised an eyebrow and swallowed the cherry tomato in my mouth before responding. "I don't trust food not made at home."

"It's not poisoned, trust me." Ashar informed, dramatically placing his hand on top of mine. I rolled my eyes and pulled my hand away. It didn't go unnoticed by Aara.

"I'm still shocked by the marriage," she said talking with her mouth full. God, this girl needed some etiquette. Not to say her other two siblings weren't the same. "You're basically a princess, and we're commoners. Isn't it a crime to marry outside blue blood?"

"This isn't the Middle Ages," Ashar said lightheartedly. "Shouldn't you be focused on your new school? How is it so far?" He altered the subject in a subtle manner.

"Great," Aara replied in the most unenthusiastic tone. "All the girls believe they're royalty and boys think they're Prince Charmings. They flaunt their parents' money as if they've earned it themselves." She huffed. "I think I'm going to stab this one girl at lunch if she doesn't stop talking about designers I don't even know exist."

I kept mum. Aara had to learn to adjust to rich kid society now that her brother had pushed her into this mess himself.

"Hey, just focus on studying and becoming the cardio surgeon you want to be," Ashar said coolly. "Forget all that materialistic drama."

"I know, Ash," Aara said as if she had heard this before. "Money's never been our best friend."

Her words brought a peculiar silence to the table. Aara and Ashar communicated through their eyes, and from what I could translate, Ashar was telling her to not dwell on whatever topic was haunting them. Maybe they'd struggled too much with money, but it seemed more than that from their expressions. Rosie and I had no idea what was going on.

"Can I eat another slice?" Rosie asked in a small voice.

"You already ate four, you monster!" Aara said and ended up laughing.

My widened at "four." How could a seven year old eat four slices of pizza?

"I didn't eat the sides!" Rosie whined.

"Fine, one more, but that's it," Ashar finalized. He himself had eaten a four or five. Not that I counted or anything.

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