“Don’t call me that.” When John thundered those words, Cayden hung his head low, thinking John is giving him the cold shoulder.Cayden felt discouraged. He did not think that John’s show of rejection would affect him this much. He thought he had this whole thing down pat, realizing he had his work cut out from him when John spurned him outright. Then, John gave him the go-signal telling him to call him dad and welcomed him to his family.Cayden could not explain the euphoria knowing John accepted him into the family. So when John stated his conditions, he did not think twice about agreeing. It was a small matter that he could easily arrange. He has finally accepted Wyoming in his life, and so does Wyoming. The future seems to favor them as he envisions a life with her from this day forward. “Where are we going exactly?” Marcus asked when Cayden hauled and bundled his whole family in the family-owned Mercedes-Benz G-Class van.“We’re going on a family outing.” He teased, but in
Cayden did not know what the h*ll happened: one minute, John had been so accepting of him, and the next moment, he was throwing his family out of his house. He did not know what happened in a span of a day to bring out such a violent response from his father-in-law. But he could not just sit and let John take Wyoming away from him. If he has to leave John’s place, he has to take his wife with him.Surrounded by his confused family in the hallway outside The Wilson’s residence, he strode back to the apartment, barged in the door, and forced his way inside. What he did not expect was John's fist waiting for him when he stepped inside. It connected to his right cheek. Cayden saw stars. Even with a walking cane, John could still pack a wallop, reeling from the sudden attack. “Dad!”“Cayden!” “John!”Wyoming ran to Cayden’s side when he crashed to the floor.Marcus came to his son’s defense and was about to strike when Noah thundered. “Enough,” instructing Cohen and Connor to colle
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Marcus Ellish confronted his wife of seventeen years when everything gelled in his head. The tension in his arms told Alicia that he was trying hard to control his anger. Marcus may appear reserved most of the time, a workaholic even but it does not mean he wants to be kept in the dark, unaware of what is going on behind his back, especially if this concerns his children and wife. He was a person who rarely gets angry, but when he does, the world around him shakes and trembles. Marcus values honesty so much. It was what kept their marriage going for seventeen years. He and Alicia had never kept secrets between them. They started out as strangers in this marriage, which progressed into friendship, to later became the foundation of a beautiful relationship. To learn that she was keeping a secret this big - anger simmered inside him. Alicia bit her lip. She felt ashamed. She kept silent, not knowing what to say, looking helplessly at Noah. "I told h
Wyoming stirred in her sleep when she felt someone gently brush a wisp of hair that escaped her ponytail and fell into the side of her face, distracting her from her deep slumber. She groaned, annoyed at the disturbance. She heard a chuckle and her closed eyelids opened reluctantly to see Cayden’s dark orbs greet her hazel brown ones. “Good morning.” He uttered sweetly, putting an unconscious smile on her face. Wyoming jumped up from bending at the waist, her head resting on her father’s bed. “What time is it?” She yawned uncontrollably, unmindful of Cayden’s undivided attention. “It’s nearly dawn. The doctor came by while you were asleep and told me John would be awake anytime soon. I do not want him to wake up seeing me here, so I will just go to the nearest cafe for breakfast.”Wyoming looked at him in protest. If it were up to her, she would have preferred Cayden to stay here so they three could talk about her father’s problems. Cayden saw the conflict in her eyes, but
Cayden brought Wyoming to the cafe across the street from the hospital’s building. All this time, he never let her go, his arms wrapped around her waist protectively, baffling her. Wyoming felt self-conscious at the proprietary way Cayden held her. This felt different from his previous hold on her. Whereas before there was detachment - looking at his profile now, she only saw a gentle expression on his face. It felt to Wyoming like Cayden treats her with kid gloves, ready to break any moment. His expression baffled her as well. It seemed as if he was afraid to let her go because the moment he did so, she would flit away from him and never come back. She realized it may have something to do with her father’s orders to divorce him. She assumed that like her, Cayden did not want to separate. Hope spreads through her, assured of his growing feelings toward her. A surge of tenderness welled inside her. A tingly feeling coursed through her spine at the thought that as much as she
The following days were blissful for both Wyoming and Cayden. Every look and every touch has a different meaning for both of them. Everyone around them would hide an amused look seeing their lovesick expressions, doting even, the overcast hanging above their heads notwithstanding. John had been discharged from the hospital. Still, he and Wyoming were not on speaking terms, insisting that Wyoming divorced Cayden outright, which the latter refused. Not when she and Cayden had already reached an understanding. “We are going to start anew, this time as real husband and wife,” Cayden promised when he walked up to her after tearing up the contract they signed for their fake marriage. Tears welled up in her eyes, remembering the tender expression on his face. She was so happy. She did not think that she could be this happy in loving someone. It was liberating to finally be free from trying so hard to hide her feelings. A sigh was released from her lungs. She does not have to hide a
When Alicia left, Wyoming had this sudden urge to run and follow her, but she restrained herself. She did not know why she suddenly felt shy now that she knew that the mother-in-law she looked up to is her mother. “You look unhappy,” Maggie commented when she sat down on the couch to rest her throbbing head on its back. She sighed at the momentary respite, except the throbbing returned when Maggie asked her the question she did not have an answer for. Wyoming bit her lip. Her bloodshot eyes peered at Maggie.She looked uncertain, almost regretful, as she looked at the older woman to whom she had gone quite close these few months. “Was I too harsh on her?” Wyoming said in a little girl’s voice, uncertainty shrouding her voice. There was also something in her tone that Maggie seemed to understand fully, but she did not point it out. Better for Wyoming to discover it for herself. “You were surprised. It was understandable.” Maggie patted her hand, offering comfort. But it
When he turned his head to look at her, Cayden appeared like a one-eyed patch pirate, devilishly handsome with a few strands of his hair falling to his forehead and covering his one eye as he made the announcement.Wyoming locked gazes with Cayden but shifted her gaze elsewhere when the look he gave her became heated. She could not stand the tension that suddenly grew between them at that moment.It was like she was on fire with something she did not understand.She rolled her eyes to the insides of the church where they took their first vow as husband and wife, noticing that the feeling this place evoked in her this time was quite different from the first. Not only did the place look ethereal and solemn. It also lacked the glitter of came