She was just staring at all of them for she couldn’t believe what was happening to her right now. The small and reserved luncheon they had organized in a restaurant which she knew no one will know that the Brayden family were having a wedding luncheon was going on and every one of them was happy. She sat and stared at happy everyone seemed and she didn’t know what she was supposed to feel. Happy that she had finally gotten married at last or terrified when she remembered who the husband was? She knew that smile, that hug, that sensational kiss was just for show and he would have to show her his real color only when it was left the two of them.
She sent Maya a text, for the place was suffocating her and she didn't even have enough appetite to eat what was placed before her. ‘I think I need to go to the toilet, Maya. Please if anyone asks me, cover for me because I need to stay somewhere else to calm my nerves, okay?’ She looked up to see her best friend staring at her and just when she thought she was going to say no or try to make her be the strong woman she knew she wasn’t; she nodded her head with a slight encouraging smile on her lips.
Anna stood up, feeling relieved and hoping that she found the peace and courage she had lost in her heart. Whoever met her eyes, she could only nod her head at them for they had reserved the whole restaurant and there were just a few of them. A very close family members which couldn’t be ignored even if the wedding took place in a room, they had to know. She walked to the bathroom and after a few minutes because she had been trying not to smudge her makeup if not, her face would’ve been ruined by her tears now. She walked out of the bathroom feeling detached and wondering where she could go to be alone and away from everything that would remind her that she got married to Jack.
She was slowly walking so that maybe she could find someone and ask him if they had a rooftop or somewhere she was going to be alone in when someone pulled her to a lane that was so dark, and she doubted if she wasn’t kidnapped. Her blood raced and she opened her mouth to scream so that someone can come to her aid when that someone placed his palm on her mouth and spoke, “Anna, it’s me.” Wait, she was so bad at putting voices on faces that was why she always enjoyed it whenever she met someone she didn’t knew so well where it has light. The only people she knew their voices were Mom, Kate, Julia, and Maya. Before Charles left, no, Henry, she was beginning to memorize his voice but now everything had vanished from her mind. She didn’t know anything.
But it seemed like she was safe, because if someone knew you and expected you to recognize their voice, that's when they say ‘Hey, it’s me.’ But this person, whoever it might be didn’t know that she could never know who he was and the darkness on this lane, which seemed like their way to their attic was so dark that she couldn’t even see the white of her gown. “Who is it?” She managed to ask with a voice breaking for just because he said it’s me, she didn’t relax. It might just be anyone, someone guileless to some and extremely harmful to her.
Just hen that thought crossed her mind, she gulped down a lump in her throat and she felt as he placed a light kiss on her lips, “It’s me, Jack Roberts, your husband.” Oh wow, so he was the one all along and she wasn’t able to recognize his voice? How could she? When all they exchanged between themselves were hurtful words and fights that actually stung in the heart and this time, she heard a voice that was soothing to a soul.
“You aren’t my husband.” She was trying to be stubborn; she knew. But she was suddenly hating the fact that Jack will take pride in calling himself her husband just tease he wanted to rile her up. She struggled to get away from him and that was when she had noticed that he had cornered her with both his arms. “I need to go back to them before someone noticed I've been away for long.”
“So what if they notice? You can tell them that you are with your husband. None of them can blame you instead, they will all be happy that I'm already taking care of you.” She scoffed, the pride she didn’t think about would be on her way when she said ‘Yes, I do.’ If only she had known, she would have told the priest to make him swear on his Mother’s life that he wouldn't show her any pride just because they had been pronounced as husband and wife.
“I need to go back.” She struggled to get out of his hold, but Jack happened to be the strongest man she had ever known in her life. She gave up and looked up at his face even though she couldn’t make anything out of his features. “I need to go back, Jack, please. I'm sure they’re looking for me because they’re done, and we need to get back home. I'm sleepy.” She really was, everything happened so fast as though a lightening that she was still not being able to wrap her head around it. It was a huge toll she had never expected to overcome. She wanted some sleep to reset her brain to what was actually happening in her life and if she woke up and found that it was nothing but a dream, nothing could stop her from being the happiest woman on earth.
“You can’t leave empty.” He said with a sultry voice and she wanted to smack his face, but she didn’t want to prolong their stay in this place, she wanted to be out in the dark because who would’ve thought that this beautiful restaurant had a place like this?
“Empty as in? I came here bearing nothing, so it’s only normal if I went—” her words were muffled when she felt his lips on hers and she gasped, which made it sound as though it were a moan. She forcefully pulled her mouth away from him and stared into her eyes even though she wasn't sure whether it was his eyes or not. “Jack! What do you think you’re doing?”
“Kissing my wife, and I dare you to stop me from doing that. In fact, I thought I could let you stay one more day at your parents’ house, but I'd be there tonight to take you home.” He mentioned it as though it were a normal thing that she already expected. But if not because he had said it now, she had already forgotten that you have to stay with your husband. But they all knew this marriage wasn’t so much of a real one, right? First, they had to wait for the real wedding which the whole of America will know and second, they only had five years to stay with each other, she was never going to forget that.
She placed her hands on his chest and tried to push him away from her, but he stayed so rigid that she only had one choice which was to give up. “I'm not living anywhere but my Father’s house, you can meet me there if you have something important to tell me. We have the normal wedding which is yet to be planned and no date was set for it. No one knows I'm married to you, so I won’t go to stay with you.”
He chuckled, and she could say it was solely to annoy her because he knew so well how it irked her when she was being serious about something and someone acted as though what she was saying didn’t count. She hissed and pushed him harder, “I need to go, Jack.” He surprised her by taking his hands that were encasing her off and without another glance at him, she walked to the light and went back to where their families were enjoying themselves and being at their happiest. No one knew what went on between the groom and the bride, the hatred they felt for each other and how important it was for them to avenge on each other, she mused to herself and sighed.
A message popped into her phone and when she brought it out, she stared up at Maya even before she opened the message and Maya winked at her. She knew the message was from her. ‘Hey, what makes you stay long? Don't tell me you had a quickie?’ She bulged her eyes out and stared up at Maya that was grinning from ear to ear and instead of an answer, Anna rolled her eyes exasperatedly and glared at her. She heard the chuckle and that angered her even more.
❦
No one was in her room, she was alone and already in her nightgown, ready to sleep. She was feeling on cloud nine because she had revoked Jack’s words about going to stay with him and no one in her family spoke to her about it. Not even Mom, whom she had never seen as excited as she saw her today, and Anna wondered if she had always been sad because she wasn’t married before. She got to her bed and stared down at the ring that was slipped into her finger by him and somehow, she found herself touching the diamond that was perched on it.
A call jolted her out of her reverie and even though she had seen a new number, she picked it up because she thought maybe it was someone among the family that stayed in their home for tonight that needed something, and they couldn't find a maid. “Hello?”
“Hi, come down.” The moment she heard that voice, she didn’t want to believe what she thought it was because the last thing Jack had was her phone number.
“Who’s this, please?” She asked because she knew acting with her brain can only take her to her doom, she didn't recognize his voice enough to jump into conclusion of who it was.
“Your husband, come down, I'm going to take you home.” She hissed loudly that it even surprised her. She hated the guts of this man and how he was speaking to her as though getting married to her today gave him the effrontery to feel superior to her.
“Has it ever occurred to you that nothing could make me succumb to your every wish, Jack? Can you stop acting as if you own me and drive back home? Because no one can make me leave this house, today, I've already told you that.” When he stood in front of the restaurant together with his family as both him and her family members got into the limos they came with and drove up and he didn’t mention a thing about her living with him, she thought he had backed off. So, it seemed he was still on his words.
He chuckled, “Anna, you’re my wife and of course I don’t own you because we both know what’s between ourselves but that doesn’t mean you are less of a wife to me. Come down, I'm going to take you home.” She rolled her eyes exasperatedly, who even gave this guy her number?
“I'm not. Go back home because to me, this place has always been home. I’ll hang up now.” And before Jack was able to reply her or even warn her not to end the call on him, she had done that already and he wanted to choke on his breath due to anger. He wasn’t going to let this girl have her way.
She laid her head on her pillow with her duvet brought up to her chest, but sleep had deserted her because there were a lot of things on her mind right now, one of which was whether or not Jack had left. She wished the window in her room had a view from the entrance. She would’ve checked to see. A knock came, putting a halt to her thoughts and she lazily said, “Come in,” because for all she thought, it was Maya.