There was an awkward silence in the room after the exit of Simon Walker that was until Diana, Aziel’s mother decided to break the silence. “Let’s eat shall we?” She said with a smile on her face. I glanced at Aziel who gestured to the cutleries before me. Slowly I picked up the silverware and stared at the many delicacies on the table. It was so much that one would think the table was prepared for twenty people. I didn’t even know how to start. Aziel must have noticed my dilemma because the next thing he did was pick up a plate and pile it up for me. “Do you want this?” He asked, pointing at the large plate holding large lobsters. I shook my head. “What about this?” He asked as he pointed to the roasted turkey. I nodded. “I like the breast better.” I said quietly so his mom would hear us. I watched him cut out the turkey breast with a fork and a knife before placing it on the plate in front of me. “Is this enough or would you like to have something else?” He asked and if I didn’
Aziel joined me downstairs moments after and as we walked to the living room where his mom was, I noticed him reach out to hold my hand but I didn’t let him. Things still felt awkward between us after what happened upstairs and I didn’t want to make it any worse so I moved my hand out of his reach and took a faster step just so I was ahead of him. “Mim, Red, and I are leaving now.” Aziel announced the moment we stepped into the living room. I noticed that Diana was watching some soap on the large-screen television. “So soon honey? Why don’t you wait to have supper?” “No. We need to be on our way now. There are a few things I need to tend to at the office besides dad’s not-so-warm welcome makes Red want to be anywhere but here?” He said, glancing at me. I looked up at him with wide eyes. What the—When in the world did I tell him that I wanted to be anywhere but there? I mean yes, I wanted to get back to my apartment, get out of the dress I was wearing, and fall face flat on my bed
The first thing I did when I got in was take off the dress and shoes Aziel bought for me that morning. I wiped off the small dust I noticed on the shoes with a small towel and placed them back in their box when I was sure that they looked just as good as new like they’d never been worn. I was careful enough to not leave a stain on the dress so Aziel shouldn’t have a problem with returning it. I folded it neatly and put it in the bag that I’d put my old clothes in before. My stomach growled as I walked around my room in just my underwear. I opened the refrigerator to bring out the leftover pizza from the day before. Alex had brought it in on her way from work and when we couldn’t finish it, she insisted I kept the rest saying she had many leftovers in her refrigerator. I knew she was lying though ‘cause the last time I was at her apartment I didn’t see any leftover food in her refrigerator but I didn’t say anything. I microwaved the pizza for a few minutes before plating it and taking
I stood in front of Aziel Walker with furrowed brows. I was in utter confusion and didn’t understand what he meant by what he said. “I’m sorry, I’m not quite sure I heard you correctly, sir.” I added the last part just so he could remember who I was and what I was just in case he had somehow forgotten. I mean maybe he seeing me all dressed up in the exquisite dress he got me had made him forget my background. Maybe he had forgotten that I was the proper and pristine kind of lady the world would expect him to be with. Maybe he has forgotten that I was the type of lady that did odd jobs to make a living. His eyes washed over my face done to my outfit and as much as that made me uncomfortable, I was glad he did that ‘cause maybe that will help him realize who was standing before him. His eyes lingered on my exposed arms for a brief moment before they moved back to my eyes. “Perhaps we should find somewhere better to talk. It’s cold out here.” He said before walking past me to get to th
“And?” Alex asked with wide eyes filled with anticipation. “What did you say?” She sat up, eager to hear my reply. I parted ways with Aziel about an hour ago for my apartment. I wasn’t surprised when I got in and saw Alex still in my room, munching on potato chips as she scrolled through her phone. I had barely gotten the chance to settle down when she pulled my arm and asked me to tell her everything that happened. And I did, without leaving any single detail out I gnawed on my bottom lips. “I don’t—I haven’t given him a reply yet.” I told her and watched her stare at me as if I’d suddenly grown two heads. “You haven’t?” She asked in a surprisingly calm voice. I shook my head. “I told him to give me a week to make a decision but well he said the best he could give me is two days. Now I have just two days to decide if I want to marry a stranger or not.”“Are you even listening to yourself, Hera? A week? Girl you should have fucking said yes in a heartbeat on that spot. What more d
I was in the car with Cole. We’d been drinking down an unfamiliar road for the past ten minutes and I couldn’t help but worry about where he was taking me. I didn’t want to imagine that he was taking me somewhere to kill me or remove my important internal orgasm. ‘What if Aziel had told him to do that?’ An obnoxious voice said from the back of my head. Quickly I shook my head, dismissing the intrusive thoughts. Aziel wouldn’t do that. He wasn’t the type to do that. I chanted in my head ‘cause I so wanted to believe it.Now I was wishing Alex had gone with me because then at least I’d be at peace that someone I knew that was familiar with the street of Los Angeles was with me. Not to talk of the fact that she could defend us from bad guys, she started learning judo at a young age. Alex too had wished she went me. She was so reluctant to leave the apartment that morning and kept saying she wanted to call Gina’s to tell them she wouldn’t be able to make it to work that day but I told
It was around ten am when I heard a knock on my door. I’d just finished taking my bath and was about to get dressed when the knock came. A small frown settled on my face as I started to wonder who was by the door. The only person that ever knocks on my door is Alex and the pizza delivery guy. Alex has left for work and I didn’t order pizza. Throwing the oversized T-shirt I use as my nighties, I walked over to the door cautiously, silently hoping it wasn’t any of the neighbors wanting to invite me to their weekly even if something. “Who is it?” I asked. “You have a package ma’am.” A feminine voice said from the other side of the door. Slowly, I unlocked the door and pulled it open just enough for me to get my head out. “I’m sorry, I didn’t order anything.” I said, my eyes moving from her face down to the brown box in her hand. “Is this the house of Hera Garcia, please?” She asked and I nodded before realizing that maybe I shouldn’t have. “Then this package belongs here.” She sai
The camera flash went off again and I turned towards the direction the light had come from. Standing close to a van were a group of men who kept taking pictures of me and Aziel. My eyes furrowed in confusion as I looked up at him. “Who are they? Why are they taking pictures of us?” I mean it wasn’t like we were Hollywood actors or singers. “The paparazzi I suppose and they’re taking pictures of us because you’re with me.” He said as if that was supposed to make any sense. “We should head in.” He said giving me his arm to take. I glanced over at the men again before holding on to the inner part of his elbow. It was awkward as fuck. Walking into the restaurant with her arms linked together like we were a normal couple that was deeply in love. I couldn’t help but notice how muscular his arm was. Even through his jacket, I could feel the hard muscles that seemed to flex under my touch. Subtly, I moved my hand higher just so I could feel his muscles better while silently hoping he would
Many weeks have passed and my relationship with Aziel has deteriorated drastically that even our children noticed and it wouldn’t have been that way if I hadn’t entertained Dylan or given a second thought to any of the things he told me. Although I didn’t admit that Aurora was his child, I became less hostile towards him and would even go on coffee dates with him under Aziel’s permission of course. As I started to get closer to Dylan, Aziel and I drifted apart. He indulged more in work and would only speak to me when necessary. He reminded me a lot of his old self, the Aziel I’d had a contract wedding with. Although Aziel never said it out loud, I knew he wasn’t happy with me seeing Dylan. He had told me to do whatever made me happy and it hurt to see that my actions made him less happy. The other day, Reon had asked me why Aziel rarely ate breakfast with us and I’d come up with an excuse about how he had to be at the office before everyone else but I knew it was only about time bef
I left the office late that night around past 9 pm because I was determined to sort out every pending work on my desk. I ended up being the last person to leave the office ‘cause I’d quickly dismissed everyone else in the afternoon. As I walked towards my car parked in the company garage, felt a presence behind me. I didn’t want to know if I’d imagined it or not, I didn’t turn back and instead picked up my pace and hurried over to my car. The person behind me was closing in on me and my heart raced ever faster. Why did I have to park my car so far into the garage? Who was this person following me and what did they want? I could hear the sole of their shoes hitting against the ground. I was walking so fast that I was almost running. I was really scared and thought about calling Aziel but I doubted he would have been able to do anything from where he was. When my car came in sight, I quickly fished out my car key from my purse and pushed the unlock button. I arrived at my car and just
“Aziel.” I said in a small voice, unable to look at him. I couldn’t even deny what he had said because I wasn’t sure if it was the truth or not. I didn’t know if I still had feelings for Dylan or not. I mean my body reacted to him like it had always been but still, that wasn’t enough to conclude that I had feelings for him. It’s been years since I last saw him so it could have just been a one time reaction. “Are you still unable to stop loving him after all these years with me? Are you ever going to stop loving him?” Aziel had never once asked me questions like that. Gone was the usual blank expression on his face, he looked hurt and he wasn’t afraid to let me know that. I felt a dull pang in my chest as I looked at him. He loved me, he’d always made me know that before we got married again (‘cause we had another wedding, a real one this time where my family attended). Although he might not say it often, but he’s told me he loved me before and not once have I ever said it back. “Azi
In the blink of an eye, I comported myself, standing tall with my head held up high even though my heart was thrashing so hard in my ribcage. I held his burning gaze for three seconds before blinking and walking away. As I walked past him, I caught a sniff of his scent. I shut my eyes close and held my breath, preventing myself from perceiving him 'cause his scent was beginning to stir up memories that I had locked for years, memories I had no interest in revisiting. "Wait!" He suddenly said, authoritatively might I add, and unknowingly, I stopped. I stopped. Why did I stop? Why can't I move my legs? I urged my legs to move but they didn't, they couldn't. It almost felt as if I had no control over them and he did the controlling. Like I was a puppet and his voice was just enough to control me. I felt irritated and embarrassed that I waited like he wanted. That even after all these years, his voice still elicited this unexplainable feeling in me. "You are still married..." He s
FIVE YEARS LATER"Mommy!" Reina cried out from somewhere in the house. I could hear the faint knocks on the bathroom door as she knocked on the door with her small hands. "Mommy! Let me in." She cried out again. I quickly rinsed off the soap lather on my face and looked through the glass shower to see that she had managed to let herself in. "What is it, honey? Mommy is taking a shower." She pointed outside the wide-opened bathroom door, her lips were curled downwards and her eyebrows knitted together. "Reon said his dress is prettier than mine! Mommy tell him it's not true! I have the prettiest dress, it's pink and gwOUrgeous and has a cute bow, his is just black and ugly." She stuck out her tongue in distaste. "And he's calling my dress ugly and-and Aurora isn’t taking my side...Mommy come tell him my dress is prettier! I'm prettier, my hair is prettier, my face prettier and he's just jealous of all this beautifulness...Mommy! be fast!" She whined before flailing her arms out in
“Are you going to say something?” I said after a long moment of silence. I hated that I was standing there, crying and on the verge of losing my mind while he looked as calm as the sea as if he hadn’t heard what I’d said. “I—don’t know what to say.” I had been wrong when I’d said he looked as calm as the sea. Yes his expression was calm, completely unfazed by what I’d just said but his voice on the other hand was different. I don’t think there was ever a time I’d heard Aziel sound so confused. He could have hid it with his expression but his voice gave it away that he was thrown off balance by the news. “I mean you’re pregnant that means…I’m going to be a father again. What I don’t understand is why you’re crying? I don’t know what you were thinking but I’m not like that douche. The child is mine and I’m going to assume full responsibility.” I shook my head and the tears in my eyes dropped. “I’m not having this child. I’m not. Not when I was finally getting my life together. How co
Aziel had barely stepped out of the house after receiving an urgent call from work when Athena started to bombard me with questions. “Why did your boss hug you like that? Why was he looking at you like that?” She had a skeptical look in her eyes. “What do you mean? He wasn’t looking at me in any way he shouldn’t be.” I said and tried to change the topic by asking if they wanted me to make breakfast for them but I should have known it wouldn’t be as easy as that. If I hadn’t forgotten that she and my mom would be watching us, I wouldn’t have hugged him or done anything that would make me suspicious. “Of course, he was weirdly looking at you.” She glanced at my mom as if asking for backup. “Isn’t he supposed to be your boss?” “And he is.” “So why did it seem like there’s something more between you two? Why did he look at you as if…as if he was in love with you?” If I’d been drinking something at that moment, I would have sputtered it everywhere. Aziel, in love with me? I wanted to
I woke up the next morning with my head in Aziel's chest. I glanced up at him to see that he was still sleeping very peacefully and I thought he looked cute when he was sleeping. Memories of what we did the previous night came back rushing in and then I felt a slight soreness between my legs. I couldn't help but smile at the thought that Aziel and I had finally done the deed after almost two years. I raised my head from his chest and placed a soft kiss on his chest. Our bodies were covered with the comforter so I raised it slightly to peek in it. I smiled when I realized that we were both still fully naked and that just means that we really had sex. I let my hand wander across his smooth muscular chest before gently moving downward and under the comforter till my hand was holding his flaccid member. As I slowly started to stroke him, I felt him getting harder and bigger in my hand. I found it fascinating that although he was still very deep in sleep, his member wasn't. I pulled the
Many months passed by and it was finally my twenty second birthday. I woke up that morning, extremely excited about my birthday. I’d received loads of wishes at midnight from my college friends, Theo and Alex. And although I appreciated that they all remembered my birthday but the one person I wanted to remember my birthday didn’t seem to remember. It had been that way for my twenty first birthday too, Aziel had forgotten about my birthday too. Theo had been the one to tell Aziel on the night of my birthday that it was my birthday. And although he had apologized then and got me a car the next day as a gift, I couldn’t help but think the same was going to happen that day. As I walked out of my room to the living room, I realized that Aziel had left for work. I frown appeared on my face as I realized that he had forgotten it was my birthday again. He didn’t think to wish me before he left or even send me a birthday message if he was running late. I shook my head and patted my cheeks w