Chapter 80

Chapter 80
I thought I should wake up earlier than Arlo so I could catch him sleeping, but once again, when I fluttered my eyes open, he was already awake and watching over me.
Arlo, my husband.
“Hmm,” I groaned, closing my eyes shut again.
“Is that an annoyed sound I hear? You’re not that happy to see my face first thing in the morning?” There was laughter in my voice, so contagious that I found myself chuckling as well while he pulled me closer to his side.
For a moment, I didn’t open my eyes and just lay there in his warmth while he wrapped me in his arms.
“No! It’s because you always wake up before me.”
“Oh, so we’re now trying to see who gets to wake up first?” 
The sheets were soft against my skin, and every movement we made gave off the faint scent of something distinctly Arlo — and a mix of something sterile, like rubbing alcohol.
The memory of last night flashed in my mind and abruptly put me to a stop. 
My parents, the suppressed memory of that incident, how they didn’t even apologize, so in the end I turned into someone I barely recognize. Someone who could order ‘break their limbs’ like it was nothing.
“Breathe,” Arlo’s voice grounded me again.
“Oh,” I exhaled, noticing only now that I stopped breathing after I remembered.
I shifted slightly, pushing myself up and felt my body ache faintly.
Arlo’s fingers were circling my back, as if he was connecting the freckles like constellations.
“I should get ready,” I murmur.
“For what?” he sat up as well, resting his chin on the space between my neck and shoulder.
“Your grandfather is about to arrive tomorrow, right?” I recall the conversation he had with Lucien, and I must prepare myself to meet him.
“I can’t believe so many things happened in a span of 24 hours,” I planted my face on my palms, rubbing my eyes.
“Like what?” Arlo asked, as if he wasn’t there most of the time, but nevertheless, I breathed out and enlightened him.
“I snuck around the mansion with Juricia because I wanted to find out if there was a connection… but other than that, Lucien came while I was sneaking around the library, then you came. I find out the grandfather I met was fake, and the real one is set to arrive in three days. I ran out, because, you know, I was hurt for being lied to…” I glared at him hard, then continued. “You followed me back to the library, dropped some mind-boggling flashback I have no idea about. An hour later, my parents arrived. We ate dinner, they hurt me, you hurt them, I hurt them back. Then morning comes.”
Arlo seemed to enjoy listening to my storytelling, a small smirk was plastered on his face. A smirk I wiped off with my hands as I pinched his upper lip and bottom lip together.
“Not funny, Arlo.” 
“Yes, I understand.” He said in a muffled voice while my hands were still squishing his lips together, but the corner of his lips were still raised, so I released him and turned away.
“Anyway, I still haven’t found out why those robbers ran as soon as they saw my face.” I mumbled on my own. 
When I didn’t get an answer, I sharply turned around, mouth already open to nag but saw that Arlo had already gone to the bathroom with the door just closing.
“Hey!” I called.
The door opened again with his head peeking out. “You want to join or?” he smirked again.
I rolled my eyes, grabbed whatever my hand could find — which was a pillow — and threw it in his direction, but he closed the door before it could reach him.
I guess this conversation is scheduled for another time. So much has happened already. My mind would have broken if there was another revelation shoved in my hands.
When he stepped out the bathroom, I studied him for a moment, really looked at him in the sunlight seeping through the windows.
He was already dressed in his usual attire, already composed. He buckles his cuff links while I remained sprawled on our bed, in awe at the sight of him.
This man orchestrated so much of my life without me knowing, a man who had waited for me for so long, who had just held me together when I fell apart.
“If I didn’t sign that deal… what would you have done?”
He quickly turned his head to look at me, his eyes calculating at first before softening. A faint smile ghosted across his lips and without hesitation he spoke.
“I would have made sure you still ended up with me.”
He was honest.
And it should have terrified me, that he would bend the world just to have me… but I felt safe knowing he would always have my back no matter what. No matter how bad things go, there was someone who would always find me.
“Oh,” I exhaled, a small smile forming on my lips. “You’re insane,”
“Only if it’s about you, darling.” He finished tying his tie and walked towards me, leaned down so he could kiss the top of my head. “You should get ready,” he whispered.
I jumped out of bed and went straight to freshen up in the bathroom. When I was done, I stepped back out, and the balcony door was open.
“Arlo?” I called, stepping towards the door and found him outside.
“What are you doing out there?” I smiled, but before he could answer, I already saw it with my own eyes.
The balcony was bathed with the softest glow from the sun, the type that makes everything around us so peaceful despite whatever is happening a few floors below us.
A round table had been set for us, already adorned with a variety of food that looked like it was too perfect to eat.
“I was just gone for five minutes. How did you set up-”
“Darling, I have my way,” he smiled, pulling out a cushioned chair for me to occupy.
I sat down, and he did too across from me.
I immediately went for a piece of waffle and took a bite, savoring the sweetness.
It was nice, all this was too nice.
From his seat, Arlo was also eating, but I noticed him stealing a glance at me occasionally.
“What?” I asked, raising a brow.
“I was wondering what you were thinking,” he said.
“Nothing.” It’s the truth. 
Maybe Arlo was wondering how I felt about what happened to my parents last night, but honestly, I don’t feel anything about them anymore.
I placed my waffle back down on my plate, wiped my hands with a napkin and said, “They are not my problem anymore.”
Those words came out so quickly, so easily, as if I wasn’t just revering them as the people I respect the most.
“Are you sure?” His eyes narrowed slightly at me, flickering with something dark and satisfied beneath his calm exterior.
I nodded, even smiled.
“They made their choices, and I’m just making mine.”
This decision came out of the detachment.
“I don’t owe them anything.”
Arlo smiled too.
“Good,”