I stepped from my car, opening her door for her and she looked at me.

"Do you like sprint to get here or something?" She asked.

"Good way to maintain my endurance." I smiled.

"Cute." She rolled her eyes as she got out.

I offered my arm before we'd walk in the ballroom we reserved.

"I'm scared, I know none of them." She mumbled.

"You'll be just fine." I smiled when she looked her arm through mine, her left hand settling on my bicep.

I looked at the glistening diamond, preparing myself for the noise and the questions.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Something like that." She replied.

I opened the door, people clapping and shouting as we walked in.

"Parents first." I mumbled and she hummed.

She stood straight like she wasn't even nervous. She was oozing confidence beside me and it began making me feel insecure. I don't even know why.

I saw my mom and her smile was large as she came up to us.

"Hi, ugh you're so pretty." She giggled and I rolled my eyes, smiling at this.

"Victoria, this is my mom, mom, Victoria, she prefers Tori." I introduced them and my mom immediately offered her hand.

I watched Victoria's face as she saw the diamonds scattered in different jewelry on her.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Weston." She nodded sweetly.

"It's Jessica but call me Jess or mom. I answer to any. Reid find your dad I'm stealing your wife. Come on!" She giggled like she was 20 again.

She didn't even look at me as she left with my mom and I walked to my dad.

"Hey." I smiled.

"My boy! I saw Jess taking her from you." He chuckled, drinking his beer.

"Yeah." I shoved my hands in my pockets.

"How do you feel? Did you listen to me? Have you been less of a douche?" He asked.

"Yes dad. I'm good to her, even she is shocked and we've only seen each other in person 3 times." I nodded.

"She sounds amazing. I'm glad you found a solid woman. No offense to your mother but the smothering housewife would've never been for you. I always believed that." He put his hand on my shoulder, walking with me till we got to a table where we could sit.

"Mom always said a man like me needed a submis-"

"Submissive woman blah blah blah. No." He shook his head.

"No? You married her." I laughed.

"I fell in love with her. In an arrangement like this, a man who's on top of everything needs something to relax with. A personality like yours needs to be kept in check, you're outbursts and needs for polished shoes need to be fixed and adjusted. The adjustment doesn't come from a friend or parent, it comes from a woman you respect and admire. It doesn't have to even be love." He shrugged.

"How do you know all this? It's like talking to marriage book for dummies." I squinted.

"I know you and I know myself. Women are very easy to read, men make them complicated. All you need to do is be patient because everything comes out eventually." He motioned the waiter with the tray of beer over and he grabbed a beer, handing it to me.

"She told me I'm not aloud to be a douche." I drank some of it.

"Good. You're an ass." He smiled.

"Thanks." I rolled my eyes.

"Speaking of, I believe the woman beside my wife is her?" He nodded and I turned.

"Yeah, that's her." I took in her outfit and presence.

My dad stood, offering his hand.

"Hello, I'm Logan, Reid's father." He smiled and she took his hand.

"Tori." She shook it gently before letting his hand go.

"What did you gals do?" He asked.

"Husband pep talk." My mom smiled and I watched Tori give a very genuine looking smile that disappeared just as fast as it was there.

Not so good.

"May I take Victoria from you? I apologize we just have to make our rounds." I stood and they both smiled at me.

"Love you Reid." My mom kissed my cheek.

"Love you guys. Alright." I grabbed Victoria's wrist, moving through people till we reached a place my secret spies of parents weren't watching me.

"Something's wrong." I stood and she shrugged.

"I'm not the woman your mom is to your father you know that right?" She crossed her arms.

"Perfectly aware." I nodded.

"Okay. That's all." She looked up at me.

I sighed.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to get them over with." I apologized.

"I know, it's alright." She nodded.

"Alright, so we have to pretend we're in love for the sake of these people so let's hurry before I get smiling wrinkles." I ushered her and she glared.

"Okay princess." She began walking.

We made rounds to my close family, people I've seen, to people I've never heard of.

A few times I've gotten a lecture from Victoria on how I'm an ass and I need to be nicer.

So I was, now I suffer the consequences of sore cheek muscles.

"Do you mind if I go see my dad?" I asked her when she sat at the bar.

"Not at all." She gave a soft smile and I left to him.

"Hey Reid." He laughed with his friends and I nodded.

I hate drunk people.

"I was just coming by to say-"

His face froze as he looked behind me.

I turned, seeing a man on the floor with Victoria standing over him, her hand holding her back.

"What happened?" He asked.

"I literally left three minutes ago." I jogged between people and got to her.

"What the fuck! Your bitch is crazy Reid!" He screamed and I had no idea who he was as my mother came, standing in front of Victoria.

"I can't." Victoria turned and left.

"What did you do?" My dad asked him.

He rolled his eyes, trying to leave but something was off.

My mom followed Victoria and I was lost.

"What the fuck did you do to her?" I stepped up and he rolled his eyes again.

"Stop that shit!" I sneered, my hands fisting his shirt as I pulled his off his feet.

"I did nothing to her." He spat in my face and I dropped him, my fist hitting his jaw as my dad kicked him in the ribs.

"Don't touch my wife!" I kicked him in his back, making him yell.

He rolled onto his side my guys coming and hitting what we could.

My dad leaned down, grabbing his knife and pulling on the man's eyelid.

"Don't touch my fucking daughter." He sneered, cutting off his eyelid before returning to the beatings.

I hated when people spat on people as a sign of disrespect, it was disgusting and never tolerated.

"Reid!" My mom yelled and I turned.

"He undid the clasps on her top so she hit him." She told me and I groaned.

"Are you joking?" My dad asked, his face laced is disgust.

"No." She shook her head and it got loud so I leaned into my mom.

"I've gotta go, I'm sorry, love you mom, tell dad thank you for the party." I took my dress shirt off, wiping the spit off my face as I walked to the car and she stood at the passenger door.

I touched her shoulder and she looked at me.

"I'm sorry if I ruined it." She told me, clearly not sorry.

"Turn around." I mumbled and she did, her hands holding her boobs so they weren't uncovered.

I did the clasps again, doing the top clasp to her skirt.

"Let's go." I opened her door. She got in without question and I got in on my own side.

"I'm sorry that happened." I frowned.

"People are gross." She looked out the window.

I felt bad.

"I don't know if this would cheer you up but my dad cut off his eyelid." I nodded and I heard her chuckle.

"That's pretty funny." She wiped her eye.

"Wait, are you crying?" I asked and she didn't listen to me.

"Victoria." I frowned.

I pulled over and she looked at me like I was crazy.

"Don't pull over!" She shook her head.

"What's wrong?" I asked, not knowing how to handle tears but I felt bad.

"I'm just uncomfortable that's all." She shrugged.

"That's not 'all'. What happened wasn't good, I bet you're uncomfortable." I didn't like her undermining her emotions.

"It's okay, I'll be okay." She gave a small smile.

I rolled my eyes and she grabbed my hand.

"I will be just fine." She raised her eyebrows.

I looked down at her hand and the beautiful ring on it.

I lifted her hand to my mouth, placing a small kiss on her knuckles.

"Let me know if I could do anything to help." I looked at her and she nodded.

"I will." She whispered softly and I pulled back onto the road, sort of glad when she didn't pull her hand off mine and just let it stay there.

It was weird. But this had to work. This was my best scenario and I'd make it better.