Tell Her Your True Identity

Noelle and Flynn stepped into the brightly lit registry office, the air thick with the scent of stale coffee and bureaucratic paperwork. The clerk, a woman with a perpetually bored expression, barely glanced up as she directed them to the designated room.

Everything about the place screamed "efficient" and "impersonal," a stark contrast to the romantic, whirlwind romance that Noelle used to naively dream of. To be fair, this could be considered whirlwind, Noelle was still trying to reconcile the whirlwind part with the nagging feeling that she had been swept up in something more akin to a tornado.

Flynn, a picture of a calm confident groom, produced a pair of small, nondescript rings from his pocket. They were simple bands, functional but lacking any real sparkle or sentiment. Noelle raised an eyebrow, a flicker of doubt crossing her mind.

It was not just the fact that she had envisioned something…more. Something that reflected the depth of the kind of connection they were entering. These rings looked like they could have been purchased from a vending machine. But also, the presence of the ring spoke to a confidence he felt, he had known that she would say yes.

A tiny voice whispered in the back of her head, Have you made a mistake? She pushed the thought away. She had come this far, agreed to this impulsive marriage, and there was no turning back now. Besides, what was done was done, and she was not a quitter.

The ceremony itself was brief and perfunctory. The registrar, a man who looked like he had seen it all, rattled off the standard vows with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. And for that Noelle was glad, she had chosen the most far away place so that she would not be recognized.

Her groom, his eyes blank of any emotion, repeated the words perfunctorily as if it was just a duty. Noelle, on the other hand, felt a strange detachment, as if she were watching the scene unfold from a distance. She recited her vows, her voice steady but lacking the emotional resonance she had expected.

And then, it was over. They were officially husband and wife. Flynn turned to her, his expression smug, and once again Noelle wondered what she had gotten herself into.

"So," he began, his voice a little too calm for someone who had just married a literal stranger. "Now that we are officially…you know…"

He trailed off, his gaze locking unto Noelle's, apprehension intensified in her belly. Something was coming. She could feel it in the way he looked at her as if probing her soul.

"What is it, Flynn?" she asked, her voice clipped. She was already bracing herself for whatever bombshell he was about to drop.

Flynn's puppy-dog eyes grew even larger, if that was possible. He shuffled his feet, then blurted out, "My landlord…he is kicking me out and i don't have where to go."

Noelle stared at him, her jaw dropping. "Kicking you out?" she repeated, her voice incredulous. "Why?"

"I did explain that I would need somewhere to stay." Flynn shrugged, his expression sheepish. "Apparently, I am…behind on the rent. A little bit."

"A little bit?" Noelle echoed, her voice rising in pitch. When her future husband told her that he would need to have accommodations, she did not think it was an immediate thing."

Flynn mumbled something unintelligible.

"Speak up!" Noelle demanded.

"Three months," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Noelle's eyes widened. Three months! He was three months behind on his rent! She had gotten herself married to a wastrel who could not pay his own rent! Surely he was a worse choice than Evan, it was like going from frying pan to fire.

Noelle stared at him, her mind reeling. She had made a huge mistake. A colossal, life-altering mistake. She had married a man who was not only irresponsible but also completely clueless. She had married a man who was now, effectively, her responsibility.

A wave of despair washed over her. She had gone from single and independent to married and…burdened. She felt a surge of regret so intense that she almost wished she could undo the past few hours.

"And you thought it was a good idea to get married when you're practically homeless?" she asked, her voice laced with sarcasm. She pinched the bridge of her nose and wondered if it was too late to get an annulment, that would definitely break a record.

She took a deep breath then leveled a cold look at the handsome man who stood before her. Might as well just deal with this, grandma does not have too long to live, I will keep up the charade of being happily married so that she won't worry and when she is gone we will set a divorce immediately.

"Fine!" She snapped, "go get your things and then I will send you the address."

With that she turned and started to walk away.

"Wife!" Flynn called out and Noelle stopped in shock, then she gritted her teeth and turned to look at him.

"What!" She demanded, angry at the familiar tone he had used with her. They might be married but that did not mean that he could just call her affectionately.

"How will you text me?" Flynn asked, his puppy dog eyes growing even wider, "you don't have my number."

Noelle sighed in exasperation then beckoned him forward. She collected his number and turned away, getting into her car without a backward glance.

After Noelle's car had driven out of sight, Flynn looked down at his red book and smirked before heading towards the black Rolls Royce which was parked some distance away.

He got in and sat beside Tolu who took off his sunglasses and looked at Flynn.

"What are you looking at?" Flynn snapped, not ready to listen to Tolu's words that would ruin his happiness.

"Nothing," Tolu said, "I'm just looking at the newest groom in town.

When Flynn did not answer, Tolu questioned him. "When are you going to tell her your true identity?"