100Using her trembling fingers, she typed. Claire: He is shot on his back. Take him to a hospital soon, Reggie. She was crying and sobbing simultaneously by the time she finished. Claire touched a hand to her heart and was dazed, listening to the beating of her heart. It was a mess. Her chest was shaking and her breathing was ragged. Just then Reggie called her. Since her fingers were twitching and typing was proving to be a difficult task, she picked the call even if she knew she would sound pathetic on the phone call. She put the phone to her ear and heard Reggie's panic-stricken voice, "Sir is shot? How? And when? He seemed completely fine to me when I visited him in his cabin ten minutes ago." "Are you saying that I am lying?" Claire's voice was heavy and shaky, but her undertone was packed with fury. "Obviously not, madam. But I can assure you he is okay. He's attending an online meeting now." A gasp shot out of Claire's mouth. More tears left her eyes as she knew what he
101'Reggie calling...'Claire frowned looking at the name. She wondered why he was calling her now. She had buried the emotions of the night with the night and welcomed the new morning with new hopes.Pulling the car over to the side, she heaved a breath. Even if she was afresh with new excitement for the new day, concern for Hunter remained etched in her chest. She couldn't draw it away. And Reggie's call doubled it."Hello?" She spoke in a monotonous tone after taking his call."Good morning, Madam," His tense voice sent her blood pumping.To increase her adrenaline, it started raining again and the pelting rain reminded her of the blood she had seen washing away with rain from Hunter's palm last night.Everything before her became a blur. Claire switched the vipers on and held the gear to brace herself to listen to Reggie further."I want to apologize beforehand for the inconvenience my call may have caused you, Madam, but sir left me no other option. He's turned deaf ears to my re
102The subtle rebuke in his voice caused her to clench her teeth. His indifferent behaviour took her back to the initial days of their marriage. Even the thoughts of facing the cold and ignorant Hunter shook her limbs. In reflex to the memories, Claire propelled her hands against his chest and roared, "How could you do this to me? I thought you married Zara after our divorce. The trauma of the same took my child's life. But from Reggie I get to know it never happened." "How could you do this to me, Hunter? I loved you. Even if you wanted to get rid of me to be with her, you could have just told the truth. My baby would have been with me then. I wouldn't have lost him." When she looked into his eyes she saw the control he was trying to keep on himself. The push stretched his muscles, reawakening the pain in his shoulder, thus moistening his eyes. But that was all... Moist eyes. He stood erect, his face red and eyes deeply staring into her soul. "And you believe him?" The hardness o
103"Hmm, interesting!"Hunter kept his face straight as he watched his doctor, aka one of his close friends, Caine, raising his eyes in amusement.He peeked over Hunter's shoulder at Claire who was sitting in the visitor's chair across from his desk. She was pretending to stay busy with her phone. But Caine can see the redness darkening in her cheeks. She was trying not to fluster as she sat rigidly in the chair.The fact that she accompanied Hunter to his doctor alone was surprising, talk less of her swollen lips. Caine's lips arched in a teasing grin as he brought his eyes to Hunter. He winked and whispered to him. "I thought Zara got you in her vice grip. But Claire's swollen lips and some of her gloss on your own says a whole different story. I like it!" "Check my wound." Hunter said in a faked steel voice as he didn't make any attempt to hide his smile. He purposely left his lips untouched. He had felt the smooth texture of her gloss on his lips right after they parted. Even
104Her heart thundered away in her chest, her hackles rising in delicious delight. Claire was supposed to hate this but all the more it made her feel good. She didn't know when it happened, but her fingers went in his hair. Her stomach fluttered and mouth sealed tightly to prevent a moan from escaping. She didn't want him to know that she was enjoying it. She didn't want him to realise that his touch still caused her system to go haywire. Few minutes later he stopped and joined their foreheads. They stayed in that moment, in that position as he arranged his breathing. Hunter's fingers shivered on her waist. She could feel it. Then as they pressed into her flesh, his face tilted to look into her gorgeous blue eyes. "Please kiss me, Claire." Claire shook her head in a no. "Please, I want to feel your lips moving against mine." She closed her eyes for his words were making her core shudder. This was his effect on her. Even though he didn't use any dirty words or acted dirty, her bod
105The happenings of the morning became a distant memory when Claire woke up. She was, for unknown reason, feeling happy and refreshed. She came down to the kitchen upon her mother, baking muffins. The warm aroma of chocolate was in the air. With the fragrance of muffins baking in the oven, and the pattering of rain outside, the environment transformed into the one Claire basked in. She was glowing as she requested her mother to let her help her. "Do you remember the baking contest I once had in school?" She asked Andrea while mixing a new batch of cake-mix in a bowl with a spatula. Andrea smiled in response, "In your seventh grade, right? How can I forget it. Your father and I both had arrived not aware of the other's possibility of coming. We both were busy and we both made time to come, much to each other's shock. Then he had to sit in the audience while I joined you in the contest. Clearly because I'm the best baker among us two." Andrea gave a smug raise to her eyebrow, showin
106The air became harsher and colder with passing seconds as she kept staring at his messages. For staring too long, her eyeballs ached. To relieve them of the pain, she deviated her gaze and found herself looking at his profile picture. It was the same picture of the front of their marital home that she likes during rain. The vast expanse splayed with grass, looking darker in shade under gray pouring clouds. The sky looking mysterious but worth admiring for hours. The tough iron gate that fenced and guarded the mansion from outside forces, standing like a lone warrior protecting its fortress from the enemies from breaking in. She was taken back to that balcony from where he had taken that picture. Her favorite place. Claire regarded the momos now becoming cold in blowing winds. Then at the circle that was the profile picture on the top left corner. She had enjoyed momos many times, in those two years of their marriage, on that balcony. Claire looked at the phone, another hard sh
107A current of exasperation zinged through Claire. She grit her teeth, anger burning deep in her belly.She harshly dropped the waffles beside her on the mattress and began typing.Claire: Why are you doing this? And what are you trying to imply by doing this? Whatever he was typing earlier stopped. Claire's skin singed with goosebumps as she stared at the messages.She didn't want to believe that he really sent her favorite food to her. That he knew about them. There was no way.In the two years of marriage, minus the two months of togetherness that he agreed to, he was never there in the relationship. He was never home. He never even tried to acknowledge her efforts, much less notice anything related to her.Frustration seeped through her bones because this was becoming repetitive. All these onset of emotions. All of this that he was doing to show how hard he was trying to woo her back. But the truth was, she was alone in the marriage for two fúcking years.Completely, brutally,