Mr and Mrs Sullivan: Standalone Arranged Marriage Romance

by Simone Nicholls

  Emerald's Point of View

  "Europe now?" I said into the phone to Megan. "You know I can't just leave. Not with Dane's games."

  "Victoria’s Secret wants an answer. This is them calling you up and needing you to start production. It's a yes or no. And I need the answer now." Megan was firm on the phone.

  She never backed me into a corner but I knew she must be getting some serious pressure to be making me decide- now.

  I heard Dane come down the stairs. I hadn't seen him since he got back. "I'll call you back in a minute."

  I just had to run the idea off someone that wouldn't be making money off my decision. I walked out of the lounge and into the foyer and I frowned when I saw the packed bags.

  "Hi," I said.

  Dane looked up from his phone. "Hi."

  "Going somewhere?" I looked between him and the bags.

  "Yeah, I need a break."

  "From?"

  "Us. This whole marriage thing and dating."

  My stomach dropped. He needed a break from me?

  Men can't be trusted. How many times I had I told myself that? How many times did I have to see it? Why did I let him get close? I thought everything was going fine. Hell, just a minute ago I was counting on his opinion to help me make the biggest decision of my life.

  But I saw his hardened expression. I might have started to count on him but he wasn't counting on me.

  "Okay." I said. Not really sure what else to say. Was this his way of ending our fake marriage or us dating? This is why I don't date because my heart gets attached and when I start to feel something for someone, I go all in.

  And Dane had been no different.

  Now I was feeling something I didn't want to ever feel. Loss.

  "Do whatever you want. Don't come to games. Don't worry about me for a bit." He said and picked up his bags. "Just focus on you."

  Just focus on me? Did he not know that right now I needed someone! I needed to be able to talk to someone about this deal. I was counting on him and now, what, did he just decide this morning he wanted nothing to do with me?

  But like always in my life, I could only ever count on me

  After weeks of wearing down my walls. After weeks of touching me, making me smile and putting me first. He now all of a sudden regretted it?

  I didn't know who to hate, him or me.

  "Bye Emerald." He turned and left.

  Left me standing here.

  I am so incredibly stupid! Why the hell did I trust him? Angry tears were sliding down my cheeks as I heard his car pull out of the garage and the gate open.

  I sucked my bottom lip through my teeth. I had to make a decision. Did I want Victoria’s Secret? My mind was running through every nice thing Dane had done with me and said to me over the last few weeks and how I’d finally let myself trust a man.

  A man I thought was good. A man I thought wanted me as much as I wanted him. My feelings had grown for him and now, now I was left with this, hollowness.

  How had I only had a taste of him for a few weeks and now I couldn't picture not having him?

  I wiped the tears off my cheek. The only thing holding me back from taking the deal, was time. I couldn't split myself between school, modeling I’d already booked and being a wife.

  But I realised now, Dane had just freed me from one of those prior commitments.

  I didn't know if he was ending us or not. But I decided in that moment I was making the decision.

  I was ending us. I wasn't just going to wait around to get dumped or divorced.

  I dialled Megan back.

  "Get the jet ready. I'll pack and be there by the time it fuels up."

  "So that’s a yes?" Megan said overly happy.

  A dim smile graced my lips. "The one thing that was holding me back, isn't anymore. So yes, it's a hell yes. Let's do this." At the end of the day all I had was my career and I was never going to let someone else get in the way of it again. It came first. I realised I would just have to hire more body guards. "I'll see you soon." I hung up, feeling like I made the right decision but what really hurt me was that I had to make that decision on my own and here I was thinking this morning, I had someone to rely on.

  I needed to pack and get the hell out of here.

  I would not let the likes of Dane Sullivan bring me down.

  Sure, my heart was twisting and the pain I was feeling was like nothing I'd ever felt before. All I wanted to do was curl up in bed and cry because I got a taste of what it was like to have someone. To know that someone cared. And they didn't care because their pay check depended on it. They didn't care because they expected you to be successful.

  I thought he cared because he liked me, even loved me.

  Hell, he didn't even let me down gently. He just dropped me. Like I was nothing.

  Chapter 10

  DANE

  Three weeks, six days. That's how long it had been since I saw Emerald. She called numerous times during the first week. I didn't answer once. I even had miss calls from Megan. Not once did I give in to the need to message to her.

  To see how she was going with school and work.

  More importantly, I just wanted to know how she was. So I had been focusing all my energy into footy. We won all three games. My performance wasn't doubted anymore. I was kicking goal after goal. I had more disposals. Coach was happy. Everyone at the club was happy- but me.

  The second week, I hit the clubs with the boys and Leah. I drank to the point of passing out and boy did I get a lecture from coach about that. But I won the game the following day and he didn't say another word to me about it.

  "It’s on! It’s on!" Jessie Scott's girlfriend came screaming into their lounge room.

  I had been sleeping on their couch for nearly a month.

  "What is she going on about?" I asked Scott who was shaking his head at her.

  "No idea." Scott answered. We were still up celebrating our win.

  Jessie pushed my legs up and sat down on the couch grabbing the remote.

  "Late night television show or something Jessie?" I asked, never seeing her so excited.

  "No! Emerald's big announcement!" Jessie started flicking through the channels. "I've been annoying her all week about it. Since it hit the headlines, she was holding a press conference."

  "Why would she be holding a press conference at one in the morning?" I assumed not everyone will be watching at this time of the morning.

  "Because she’s in Europe." Jessie said to me like I was stupid. "And everyone who is anyone has had this highlighted. It's bigger than the royal wedding!"

  "Since when did she go to Europe?" Why the hell was I just finding out she wasn't even in the country?

  "I think she flew out about the same time you started staying with us." Jessie gave me a pointed look. "So clearly you two aren't talking?"

  I clamped my lips shut. Scott had attempted to get the truth out of me but when it came to Emerald, I wasn't saying anything.

  "Oh look she's on!" Jessie slapped my leg and turned it up. "This is live too. Gosh it looks like really lovely weather over there."

  "I didn't know you and Emerald talked?" I said to Jessie while my eyes were on my wife as she got ready to be interviewed.

  "Of course we do. Isn't like she is talking to Leah at the games and I like her." Jessie threw me a look. "More than I like you."

  "Thanks."

  "Just saying so you know what side I'm on. Now shut up!"

  The reporter started to welcome everyone and then the camera went off the reporter and on to Emerald. She looked even more beautiful than normal. And it was basically a punch to my guts. It made me feel sick because I had that, and I had put it on hold.

  But I hadn't let her go. Man seeing her, made me realize what I had been missing. Why was she in a different country?

  "So Emerald. I think a massive congratulations is in order!" The reporter said. "The new face of Victoria’s Secret. What changed your mind?"

  She took the deal?
She said she didn't want it. She said she didn't have time for it. What changed?

  "Well something that was a priority, ended up not being one anymore." Emerald answered smiling.

  Was she talking about me? I told her we needed a break! I didn't tell we were over! I was forced to take this break. Hell, if I had picked up one of her calls, then maybe I had a fucking idea what she was on about.

  "We are all assuming you are talking about your marriage? After seeing those pictures of Dane with that woman. Is it true you are filing for divorce?"

  "We made it clear that we wouldn't be speaking about Emerald's relationship in this interview." Megan fired at the reporter.

  "It's fine Megan." Emerald gave her agent a real, thankful smile. And turned back to the camera. "I'm young and sometimes I make a decision without thinking it fully through. I guess I'd put my marriage down as one of those things I didn't think through. But my rose-coloured glasses are off and the only thing that is on my mind is my direction with Victoria Secret."

  "So you won't deny or confirm that your marriage is still going or over?"

  "I think everyone already knows the answer. So, there is no need too."

  "But for the record?"

  "We're getting a divorce. But my feelings for Dane stay the same. He is a great man. Great football player. But we made a mistake."

  Like hell! Has she gone mad?

  "Now do you have any questions that aren't related to my client’s love life?" Megan snapped.

  "So you and Emerald made a mistake? Is that why you are living on my couch?" Scott said.

  "I'm not getting a divorce." I gritted out. "She’s the only one thinking that."

  "But she just said it on national tv, that you were." Jessie looked at me. "And you have been living here. And you didn't even know she wasn't in the country. Hell, it's like you two stopped talking."

  That was exactly what happened. I stopped talking to her and clearly she took that as we were over. I may have been forced to take a break from her, but I was the one who cut her off completely.

  I should have answered her calls. I shouldn't have listened to the coach and the board of fuck wits.

  My phone started ringing. Coach.

  Don't tell me he was up watching this shit as well!

  I answered, while my attention was still on Emerald as they spoke about the new line that she was going to be the face of.

  "What's this I hear you are getting a divorce?" Coach was down my throat.

  "Well you lot are the ones that made me take a break from her!"

  "We didn't want this! Do you know how badly this will look?"

  "Yeah trust me I know."

  "The whole world loves this woman. If they think for a minute you treated her badly, it will be over every magazine cover."

  He was telling me, like I didn't know that she was the world’s sweetheart.

  "I'll call her." I said into the phone watching their interview wrap up. "I'll try and figure this shit out."

  "We never told you to stop talking to her Sullivan. Clearly, you didn't understand what we meant by you taking a break from her."

  "You wanted me to focus on the game! That’s precisely what I did!" And now I was facing what happens when you don't put your marriage first.

  She wanted nothing to do with me.

  I knew she didn't trust men or anyone easily. And I had only proved to her, that her reasons for that were right. Coach started laying into me about the image of the club and I hung up.

  Her interview was over. Good she could bloody well answer her phone now. It dawned on me how selfish I had been. Expecting her to answer when I called but I had blankly ignored her calls.

  I dialled her number. It rang twice and relief flooded me when she answered.

  "Hey this is Emerald. I'm no longer reachable on this number. If it's important call my agent."

  Then it cut off.

  She’d changed her phone number?

  "Okay by the look on your face mate, maybe you need a beer?" Scott said watching me pace.

  Megan. I had her number.

  "Emeralds cancelled her number." I muttered scrolling through my phone contacts. Why did I have so bloody many? "Wait a sec,” I looked at Jessie. "How are you talking to her?"

  "Emails." She shrugged. "Do you want her email address?"

  No I wasn't going to wait on the chance of an email. I had to speak to her. Now before she did file for divorce.

  I dialled Megan's number and waited what felt like a lifetime.

  "This is Megan?"

  "Megan's its Dane."

  "Oh you."

  "Can you put Emerald on?"

  "Guessing you watched the interview. Funny you would watch that. When she attempted to give you a head up a month ago."

  "Can I speak to her?" I should’ve answered my bloody phone! Never again, will I ignore one of her calls.

  "No."

  "Why not?" I gritted out. Wanting to speak to my wife, shouldn't be a big deal. And her agent shouldn't stop me from talking to Emerald.

  "Because you are the low life piece of trash that was photographed with that Leah girl again. You are the man I thought was a good guy and trusted my friend with. You dragged her name through the headlines and now, all of a sudden when you register she won't put up with it. You want to speak to her."

  "Nothing happened with Leah."

  "You kissed her in a crowded club! The picture might be blurry but it is you! I got the pleasure of telling and showing Emerald that. I got the pleasure of telling her, while she was doing everything humanly possible to talk to you. You were off kissing another woman! You might not have noticed but Emerald stopped calling you after that."

  "Just let me speak with her."

  "She's busy. In fact, I don't even know if she is coming back to your country this year. She won't be if I have anything to do with it."

  "I won't sign anything. Till I speak with her." It was the only card I had.

  "Your lawyers will have the divorce papers within an hour. I suggest you sign them and let her go. Because I don't know if you realised this or not but she is Emerald Asher. She can and will have anyone she wants. And she doesn't want you anymore."

  I sighed, utterly defeated. “What do I have to do to speak with her?”

  "It doesn’t matter, I'm not giving you her new number and I'm not giving her a message from you. As far as I'm concerned, your contact with her, is over. Speak through a lawyer."

  What I had to say couldn't be said through a lawyer. "I have to talk to her. Make her see she is making a mistake." I reeled myself in and attempted to speak calmly. This woman was going to determine if I speak with Emerald or not.

  "I think the mistake was marrying you."

  "I'll do anything, just let me speak to her."

  "Fine. I'll make you an appointment with her."

  "But you said she wasn't coming back to the country?"

  "She isn't. You'll have to come to Europe."

  "Fine. When?" I didn't care about flying to her. If that's what I had to do then I would.

  "Saturday afternoon three o'clock."

  So that was the catch. I knew that, that was too easy. "You know I have a game that day." She was doing this on purpose.

  "Well Sullivan, you have to pick which one is more important. The game or your wife. Heck she might not even be your wife by then. Emerald's lawyers are blood hungry and work quickly when she wants something."

  "Do you have any other times, during the week?"

  "Maybe, but not for you. Heck if you can't miss one game, it says how much you really care for her. Now I have to go because Emerald has a full day. So I'll leave you with the decision. I'll message you the details of where to she is and then it's up to you."

  Megan hung up.

  "So did you speak with Em?" Jessie asked.

  "Did it sound like I spoke with her?" I didn't mean to be rude but I had never been so frustrated or pissed and downright hurt. Was this how she felt when I pushed
her away?

  "No. Which is good because I think she deserves better." Jessie got up and gave me a disapproval look. "I'm going to bed. Scott you coming?"

  "In a minute." Scott said, getting up and standing in front of me. "So what happened?"

  "Her agent made an appointment for me to see her."

  "That's a good start."

  "It's a game day."

  Scott sighed. "Well man if I was you..."

  "You would what?"

  "I'm just saying if Jessie and I were married and she said she was divorcing me and I had to miss a game to make sure she didn't. Well I wouldn't even think about it twice." Scott whacked me on the back. "Night mate."

  He was right there wasn't even a choice. I wanted Emerald, not just because it would look bad if we divorced but because I think I was... well I had never felt this for a woman before but the thought of her moving on with someone else and not being my wife. Well it didn't just make me feel sick and incredibly nervous, or make my palms go sweaty. It just scared the shit out of me. Made me feel like I wasn't just losing her, but I was losing a part of me.

  I had to stop it. So I didn't even think twice or call coach saying I won't be playing this weekend. I just booked the flights.

  Chapter 11

  Emerald

  It was official. I was drowning under the pressure of homework. Math was giving me a headache. My teachers had been emailing my work weekly. They weren't used to students studying off campus and well didn't really know what material to send me. But my math teacher, he took the cake. He was not only sending me key information, he was sending me half written questions!

  I’d spent days working those fractions out only to send them to him, to have them sent back all wrong. All because he hadn't spent me the questions correctly. I wanted nothing more than to fly back home and strangle him.

  I was redoing the questions with the correct information. I had been doing it nearly all day. And I was nowhere near finished.

  There was a knock on the door.

  "Come in." I didn't take my eyes off my work, I was in the middle of a fraction. I had taken over one of the conference and had my work spread across half of it.