Chapter 74—Outing
Noah’s POV:
“Where are we going anyway?” she asked as we sat down in my car and drove off.
“Your mother’s house”
“That is your idea of an outing?”
I looked at her raising an eyebrow. “Yes”
“Let’s go somewhere else,” she sighed.
“But don’t you miss your mom?” I questioned.
“Gosh, Noah I was married yesterday. I miss her, but you know when you’ll leave, I will stay with her. So… can we go somewhere else today?”
“Meet her, Astrid,” I insisted. She doesn’t know that her mom has cancer, so I am trying to do what she would have done if she knew.
“What’s wrong with you?” she looked irritated. “Let’s just go to some… movie?”
Trust me Astrid, if you knew, you’d have not wanted to even eat anything.
“No” I denied. “You will meet her”
“Are you ordering me!?”
“Yes”
“I won’t follow your orders!”
“You will”
“Why the hell will I!?”
The atmosphere tensed as she became more serious about this talk.
“Because you are my wife!”
“Yes, wife and not some servant!”
“I said so you will listen to me!!”
“Noah, you know what?” she looked pissed. “You are right, a lot has changed”
I looked at her in a quick glance. I hurt her once more. But I can’t tell her the truth.
“Yes” I replied, my eyes fixed at the road. “A lot”
“For the most part,” she looked at the road. “I never thought you were so narrow minded to think that the husband has the upper hand in a marriage. Let me tell you Noah, you will never be able to control me”
“Oh I will”
“You won’t be able to” she looked out of the window.
“I will be able to Astrid, trust me”
“I don’t trust you” she looked at me with the kind of expression in her eyes that made me hate myself.
“Shut up Astrid”
“Why the hell will I shut up! I will say whatever I—”
“I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!!” I yelled finally and she looked suddenly scared of me. I saw her eyes getting watery and she looked out of the window.
“So this is how you’ll control me” she slowly said but it was enough to break my heart.
“Yes” I replied void of any emotions.
“I don’t want to go anywhere. Take me back” she said.
I was regretting, but I had no other way.
“No, you are gonna meet your mom”
“Noah, enough” she seemed frustrated. “I am not gonna meet her”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. My mood is ruined. Why do you even want me to meet her so badly?”
My heart paced, but I kept calm. She can’t know it.
“I don’t need to explain you”
“Wow” she scoffed. “Take me back”
“No”
She took a deep breath. I don’t know what she is doing.
She suddenly unlocked the car lock and opened the door. I was quick to apply the brakes.
“Are you stupid! You are jumping from a moving car!” I went to her side. She had already left the car and was running to somewhere.
“Astrid, come back” I said as I followed her.
“Astrid…” I searched the area. There was this park, it had many trees, almost like a forest. And she is nowhere to be seen. “Please, you are scaring me”
“Why are you scared?”
I turned around at the voice and I saw her standing. I went to her, but she went back, until she hit a tree.
“Why’d you do that?” I questioned her. I had her between me and the tree.
“I’d rather jump from a moving car than be with you”
Her eyes were moistened and so were mine. I am intentionally hurting her. I can stop it, but I am not doing that because then I will have to answer the questions she shouldn’t hear the answers to.
“Ast—”
“Let’s meet mom”
“You sure?”
“You don’t have to ask me, right?” she got away from the space between us. “So, don’t”
“Okay,” I replied and went back to my car, making sure that she followed me.
I drove towards mom’s house.
“At her place…” she looked out of the window. “Please act like everything is fine between us”
“Okay”
I stopped in front of her old house.
“You first” I said and without another word, she got out and rang the doorbell.
Her mom came out and damn, she was so happy. All I want to do is see her smile like that, and Astrid to be happy. But I can’t do anything, I can do nothing from both of them.
“Hey Noah!”
I came out of my thoughts and smiled at mom. “Hey mom”
“Aww. See, now I have a son”
I smiled and hugged her. “You do”
“Come on in!” she said, and we both followed her inside.
“So, you are leaving tomorrow?” mom said down on the couch across ours.
“Um… yes mom. Classes”
“Do medical students don’t get holidays?” she laughed. “That’s bad”
“It is totally fine, mom. I and Astrid will stay in contact”
“Yes we will” Astrid replied and smiled at me.
At me.
“Woah. I see a beautiful chemistry there” mom winked at us.
“Yeah mom” Astrid replied followed by my yes.
“Breakfast?” mom questioned.
“Done, mom. I can’t miss her delicious food” I said. At least I can tell how much I love her food right now.
“Aww. See how much your husband loves your food” mom smiled at her. “May you two be happy forever”
“Thank you mom” we both replied.
We talked a little more. Almost till afternoon and then after having lunch, we decided to go back.
“Thanks mom,” I said as I hugged her.
“Keep her happy, Noah” she hugged me back.
I hope I can.
“Yeah” I got away and Astrid hugged mom and then we went to our car.
“Great acting there,” she said as we sat down.
Maybe that was enough to shatter my heart into pieces. If only she knew that this was not acting, but what I have been doing all this while was.