04

“Mom no.. no”

I heard someone whimpering. I thought it was outside but it felt so near. The voice so familiar but yet it was distant.

I opened my eyes to see Marcus on his bed. Sweating, his fingers tightening around the sheets as he was having a nightmare.

I didn’t know what to do but I stood up and walked over to him.

“Marcus ! Marcus! “ I shook his arm trying to wake him up.

“Marcus ! It’s just a dream”

He suddenly opened his eyes and looked at me.

“ Get out” he yelled in anger.

What? Did he just tell me to get out for saving him?

“ What’s wrong with you dork? I saved your ass and this is how you treat me. “ I was more than annoyed. I quickly turned and strode to the bathroom to calm myself.

When I came out he was dressed in a t-shirt and pants, getting ready to leave.

“Where are you going?” I asked with a scowl.

But he ignored me and left. I looked at my phone to see the time and it was 2.30. Where the hell was he going?

I waited a while for him to come back but he didn’t. So I went to the balcony for fresh air. As I was looking down I saw a man seated on a bench at the beach. I squinted my eyes to see who it was.

I would’ve recognised that body anywhere. It was Marcus, sitting on the bench, staring at the ocean with a pained look.

I quickly took a chair to the balcony and sat, observing Marcus. He bent his head back and closed his eyes, feeling the breeze of salty water.

I suddenly felt the urge to run down and hug him. He looked so fragile at the moment. He was always composed, never letting out his emotions. Seeing him this vulnerable made me want to run to him, to ask what was bothering him.

But he would hate me for it. I quickly shook my head, annoyed at myself for thinking of such things.

I saw a notification on my phone. It was Ally. My only friend. She was traveling in Sri Lanka currently. She worked in a welfare project in India for few months so I couldn’t see her for a while and it made me sad.

Before the wedding I told her about my arranged marriage and she had been very supportive to me. She was my happy pill and now I desperately needed it. So I called her and she answered quickly.

“Hey girllll how’s hubby?”

“Shut up” I laughed, my mood already lightened after hearing her voice.

“What? He’s handsome” She said so innocently.

“Change the topic”

“No”

“Then I’m cutting the call”

“You care about him. Don’t you?

“Ally”” I said in a more warning tone and she giggled.

I talked with her for a while and went back to sleep. About an hour later I heard the sound of a door opening and closing. I slightly opened my eyes and saw Marcus getting under his sheets looking exhausted.

Is he always like this? Shutting everyone out?

Marcus leaned back on the headboard and pulled out his laptop from a bag. He started working without even getting any sleep. Not wanting to get caught I closed my eyes and went back to sleep.

…

Today we were meeting Charles Bolton. He couldn’t come yesterday evening so he promised to meet us today.

He was a nice man compared to his children. He also told us that there would be a charity event today evening which requested our presence.

After our wedding we were the talk of the country. Two massive businesses merging from just a simple wedding ring. Our photos were printed in every magazine and newspaper, paparazzi following everyone and everything related to us. It was getting on my nerves but thankfully the spotlight would go away in a few weeks.

I would be meeting some of my investors in the event so I worked the entire afternoon on my bed, pretending not to have a husband.

After hours of working I stretched my arms and opened a drawer to take some painkillers. But as I was about to get it the door suddenly opened and an angry Marcus walked in. He was scolding someone on the phone, looking furious, scaring me with his every yell.

He slammed his fist on the table and I flinched at the sound. Noticing my reaction he quickly cut the call and looked at me with cold steel eyes.

“ Get ready we are going now “ he ordered me with a flat tone and went inside the closet to change. Jeez does saying please kills a person?

After a while Marcus came out wearing a dark suit with a matching waistcoat and a tie. He stood in front of the mirror and began fixing his hair.

I watched him, my mouth hanging open, drooling over his handsome face. But as soon as he saw my reflection in the mirror he narrowed his eyes and glared at me.

I quickly looked down and cleared my throat in embarassment before sprinting off to the closet. I changed to a floor length red dress with a high slit and then curled the ends of my dark brown hair to a twist and fanned it around my shoulders.

As I was doing my makeup Marcus knocked on the door. “What are you doing there? Giving birth? Come out. We are going to be late”

“I AM COMING”

I put on a light makeup and walked out in fury. Without even looking at me he went out the door to the elevator.

After we both reached the lobby his driver came and drove us to a huge hall filled many elegant guests, screaming rich with money. I walked along the showcases inspecting each and every item. There were so many items lined up to be bid and some beautiful necklaces instantly caught my eyes.

Marcus was right beside me observing the jewelry. We were both searching for things to bid on since it was a charity for a children’s hospital.

Then we walked to an area with art work. Even though I didn’t understand art I still admired it. Marcus seemed to be more interested in the paintings than I was. He talked with a few people about the paintings and seemed to be nodding his head in approval.

“Are you going to bid on the paintings?” I asked him with a curious look.

“Mmm” That was all he said.

He walked off to look at other paintings leaving me alone.

I met my investors shortly so I spent my good time with them until a man spoke through a microphone telling us to sit down. I followed the crowd to a room with a stage and spotted Marcus at the corner. I quickly walked over and sat next to him.

He gave me a you are so annoying look before focusing back on the auction. The auction went well with me buying a few necklaces and Marcus buying seven portraits. Where the hell would he hang those?

…

“Want to have dinner?” I asked awkwardly in the car.

He glanced at me from the corner of his eyes and sighed in irritation before pulling into the parking lot of a restaurant.

As we went inside many people recognized us. The manager soon came running and gave us the best spot by the window facing the sea.

Shortly our food came and I looked up to make some conversation with Marcus but he was on his phone, ignoring me.

“I talked with my investors. I might have to go to Germany for a few days next week” I tried again to bring up a conversation but he kept tapping on his phone.

I don’t get why I was trying to make conversation to ease the tension between us when my ultimate goal was to divorce him.

I reminded it to myself several times and kept my mouth shut throughout dinner.

After we got back I changed to a blue short and a white baggy t-shirt. As usual I took the pillow to the couch and dozed off.

After a while I heard the whimpering back again. I knew it was Marcus and if I woke him he would lash at me once again.

So I closed my eyes again not wanting to cause anymore scene. But curiousity got the best of me so I slowly opened my eyes to see him sweating, looking very scared. I wanted to go and tell him that everything was okay. But I knew better.

He repeated the same thing for a while. Then I heard the door opening and shutting with a loud thud. I opened one eye to peak and the room was empty. No Marcus.

Hesitantly I wrapped a robe around me and went to the balcony to see him. And he was there on the bench just like last time.

We stayed in Florida for the next two days. Marcus’s nightmares came every every day torturing him with sleepless nights. Even though I didn’t like him I also didn’t like the idea of him suffering. No one should suffer.

He slept everyday for two to three hours until his nightmares came. Then he goes to the beach, relaxes and then comes back to bed to work .

I wanted to ask what was bothering him but I knew that we were not close enough to talk about that.

After a boring week we both got on the jet to fly back home. To his home.

To a new beginning, hopefully.