Arranged •{ONC 2020}•

《 Chapter Five 》

Ashlynn called the bartender over for her fourth shot of tequila. Already, her vision was starting to get hazy, and she had only just begun.

Hana and Cassidy were nowhere to be seen—not that she would have been able to see them clearly anyways. It had definitely been more than an hour since she'd told them to meet her. Ashlynn had sent Arnold home with strict instructions not to tell anyone where she was, although her aunt probably knew regardless.

She was alone with her alcohol, a combination that she knew she'd regret the next morning. At this point, she didn't care.

Alcohol made her feel numb; it took all of her conflicted emotions and buried them deep inside her. Confusion. Anger. Fear. Curiosity. Dread. They were all drowned out by the loud music and strong drinks.

She downed her shot, wincing at the burn and shaking her head so she could see straight again—a horrible idea, really. Moving her head just made the world spin even faster.

"Is this seat taken?"

Ashlynn tilted her head—slowly—towards the man who was standing to her left. He looked familiar, but she couldn't place him. "All yours."

He sat down on the barstool next to her, a wide smile on his face. "I'm not sure if you remember me, but I'm Cassidy's older brother. My name is Dylan."

"Ashlynn. I thought you looked familiar." She took a few seconds to look him over. He and Cassidy had the same forest green eyes and wavy chestnut hair. "Where's Cass?"

"She, uh, was held up by your aunt, so she sent me instead." He chuckled and swept his hand through his hair.

"Wonderful. I can't even drink away my sorrows and complain with my friends," Ashlynn sighed.

"You can tell me."

She arched her eyebrow at him.

"No, really. I won't tell a soul—except Cass, but she's gonna find out eventually, right?"

Had it not been for the alcohol in her system, she would have turned him down. Instead, she offered to buy him a drink—and another shot of tequila for herself.

"So, what sorrows do you need to drink away?" He gave her a boyish grin and took a sip of his beer.

"I have to marry the man who got my brother killed," Ashlynn deadpanned. "Tomorrow."

"Oh." Dylan watched her drink her shot. "That's, uh, that's pretty serious. Can't you get out of it?"

"Nope. It's an arranged marriage. If I want my inheritance, I have to marry someone."

"'Someone?' So, you don't have to marry him specifically, right?"

"All my other options literally walked out the door. He already went through all the paperwork, all that's left is a visit to the courthouse."

Dylan looked at her thoughtfully. "You can get new documentation, can't you?"

"Probably. Why?" She glanced at him skeptically. It clicked a few seconds later. "Are you volunteering?"

"Well," he grinned sheepishly, "a friend of my sister is a friend of mine, and I always try to help out my friends."

"We'd have to be married for six months."

He smiled sincerely and his voice dropped an octave. "That doesn't sound so bad. What do you say?"

She shivered, but not from the cold. "I—" At that moment, the world decided to spin like a merry-go-round, and it was all Ashlynn could do to not fall off her barstool.