The Royal Contract

"I don't know what to say." Tyra finally looked him in the eyes. "I guess I am still confused about what I want to do."

For now, it was the only thing she could tell him. However, she felt she could not continue to string Troy along with her idea of tying him to her benefit. It was not fair to him. 

She knew she needed to finally determine whether to go through her plan or end it right now. But if she did, she had to make sure that she was not keeping any secrets from Troy. She had to come clean with everything that could affect his life too.

"Forget all your troubles and forget about what I will think. All I want you to do is focus on what you need. Do you want to come with me? Do you still want to get married?" He needed answers and did not see the point of going around the bush.

He did not see a reason for them to keep circling the issue. He needed answers, and he did not have time to wait for Tyra forever. He almost did that for Cassie, and it did not end well.

He knew he was not in love with her nor liked her romantically. But, he could see that they had so many things in common. They could become good friends. They could help each other.

"I..." She still had no answer for him. For days, she had thought about it. 

Although she knew she could trust him with her life, something still kept her at a distance. But now that Troy was demanding her answer. Was she ready to give him one? 

She contemplated deep in her mind, trying to come up with a proper response. But she was still hesitant to commit to Troy to be her fake husband.

"I'm sorry." He suddenly felt like an asshole, demanding her to decide on the subject matter. "I did not mean to put pressure on you."

It was clear that this was not an easy task for him. So how could he expect that it would be easier for Tyra? They were both risking their future for the other.

He did not want to do this, but his time was running out. He did have to leave soon to attend to his other obligations. He did not want to go unless he was sure that Tyra had made her final decision.

"It is ok. I understand. It is not you, but me. I know I can trust you to fulfill the end of the bargain, but I am afraid that something might go wrong." She stated as she played with the glass in her hands. 

She did not even notice that it was already empty, not until he offered to refill it together with his glass. She accepted another one, hoping that it would remove that uneasiness that she felt.

"Well, I can't blame you for thinking that way. We still hardly knew anything about each other." He answered her silent query. "But if you think of it, how sure are you that the next guy you meet will be better than me?"

He observed how she reacted to his statement, coming up with his conclusion. He still sensed that she was wary about her situation at home, especially with her father.

He was aware of her reason for entering this arrangement in the first place. It had everything to do with her father. Instead of protecting her, he planned to sell her to the highest bidder.

"You do have a point." She felt the seat next to her move and realized that he had decided to sit beside her. 

She took the drink he handed her and took a big gulp in it. She wanted the courage that the alcohol provided. She suddenly felt nervous from his nearness and the attention he was giving her.

"I am not saying that marrying me is the only solution to your problem. But if you think it will help, I am willing to go through with it." He felt the need to reassure her that he had no problems coming to her aid.

"But I can't wait for you forever for your decision. If you want to do this, you have to tell me now." He moved closer to her, not in a threatening way. "I just want to be your friend."

He had sworn never to get involved with women with baggage after his experience with Cassie. He almost lost his self-respect when he kept doing what she asked her to do even though it was against his principle.

However, fate seemed to enjoy playing with his life. He could not seem to stay away as he faced another one today. Try as he might, he could not turn his back on Tyra when he knew she needed him.

"What about your future?" She asked, still unconvinced that she should impose on him and let him marry her, just on paper.

She knew that by doing so, he would be tying himself to her and destroying any chance of finding someone who would truly love him.

"Let me handle that. For now, let us focus on your future." He knew that he was not expecting to fall in love anytime soon anyway. 

So, what was a couple of years or more of playing house with Tyra? He could certainly use her company to pass the time. Besides, they agreed to get a divorce once things with her father had settled down.

"Fine, I will come with you. Our initial agreement will resume if that is still what you want." She finally concluded their meeting.

She was still unsure of what she was doing. But she still felt that it was better than marrying some random guy that her father chose for her. 

She had finally realized that her father had never thought of her best interest. He only needed her for his benefit.

"If there are changes that you wish to implement, you might need to inform me now. So, we can decide on the matter immediately." She continued without letting him respond.

But the situation with her father was getting worse.. The only possible solution to her, she could assume could work, would be to marry and show her father their marriage certificate.