The first thing to wake Jayden that morning was a stubborn ray of sunlight slicing through the curtains and landing right across her face. She groaned, pulling the covers higher. Why can't there be forty-eight hours in a day? she thought bitterly. Maybe then she'd have enough time to figure out how to escape this ridiculous marriage her father was forcing on her.
She had already decided she wouldn't spend another day sulking. No, she would meet this matter head-on directly with her father. She knew he wouldn't back down, but asking her no-nonsense mother for help was pointless. Her mother had made her neutral stance clear from the start. That left only one ally: Her younger brother, Hayden, the sole spark of rebellion she could count on.
She snatched her phone from the nightstand and dialed his number. He picked up on the first ring.
"Hello?" A deep, clear voice came through the speaker. Jayden blinked. How did her twenty-three-year-old brother have a voice deep enough to make women blush through a phone call?
"You'd better get here quickly," He said, skipping greetings. "Dad already knows I've been making excuses for you. He's expecting you to ditch him again today, like usual. I really can't cover for you this time."
"I won't ditch," Jayden replied. "I just woke up late. I'll be there soon. Just… find an excuse for me, my lovely, cute brother. I love you sooo much."
Jayden grinned and hung up before he could say anything else.
Holy crap! she thought. How difficult can it be to just be a beautiful, single lady in this century? Who still practices arranged marriage?
Only the great Mr. Cole her father could dream this up. She sighed again and headed toward her walk-in closet. Today was a battle day, and she needed her "armor".
She flung open the closet doors and ran her hands along the rows of clothes. "Thank you, God, for giving me Hayden," she muttered. Without him, she wasn't sure how she would've dodged these marriage setups for so long. She offered a half-serious prayer of gratitude, though deep down, she knew she couldn't dodge this one forever. Still… she could delay it. And she intended to, for as long as possible.
Her fingers paused on a pair of black tailored slacks. Yes. Strong. Uncompromising. She paired them with a crisp white shirt clean lines, no-nonsense, just like the version of herself she needed to project today. She raked a hand through her hair, trying to shake off the tension knotted in her shoulders.
After slipping on her shoes and grabbing her handbag, she stepped outside. On the drive to her parents' house, her thoughts drifted to Hayden again. Without fail, he'd always found ways to rescue her whether by inventing last-minute emergencies or mysteriously "forgetting" to deliver messages from their parents. She could almost hear his voice making up some absurd story about why she couldn't attend another tedious family dinner.
The Cole family driveway came into view far too quickly. Jayden's chest tightened. She parked, drew in a slow breath, and gave herself one last pep talk. You've got this. Shoulders straight, voice steady.
As she stepped out of the car, the front door swung open.
"Hey, kiddo!" her father called, smiling in a way that didn't fool her for a second. "Glad you could make it. We have a lot to talk about."
Jayden forced a smile of her own. This is it, she thought. The moment she'd been dreading.
She straightened her shoulders, took a deep breath, and walked inside ready for the fight she knew was coming.