Chapter Twenty Two

The night stretched across the ocean, the sky an endless canvas of inky black with scattered stars blinking like secrets whispered by the universe. The ship glided smoothly over the waves, the soft hum of its engines blending with the gentle rustling of the wind.

Alice stood at the railing of the deck that same night after her fight with Kelvin, her fingers gripping the cool metal as she stared at the dark horizon. The salt-kissed breeze lifted the ends of her loose hair, brushing against her skin like a fleeting touch. But it was nothing compared to the lingering warmth on her arm—the place where Kelvin had grabbed her. And then, the way he had looked at her afterward, and tended to the wounds afterwards with his eyes laced with something that almost felt like regret, had left her reeling. It was as if, for the first time, he had seen her. And she didn’t know what to do with that.

As she moved to the lounge chair, her heart was a battlefield—one side holding onto the pain Kelvin had inflicted, the other dangerously drawn to the way his gaze had softened, the way his voice had carried something… different. She exhaled sharply, shaking her head. Why was she even thinking about this? She decided to take

it off her mind and allow the night's peace to envelope her, with a smile plastered on her face.

She was carried away when Daniel who had gone there to clear his head saw her and moved to take a seat beside her.

She returned from her reverie and turned to see his handsome and charming face. Her smile was instantly turned to an expression of sudden fear and nervousness.

She quickly stood up and turned to leave but Daniel swiftly intercepted her, facing her, "Don't go Alice, please" his eyes pleaded.

"I don't want to be anywhere near you" Alice countered and stepped to the side to leave but Daniel quickly blocked her with his own step.

"You really do want to get me into trouble, don't you? Stay away from me!" Alice said.

"I can't as much as I want to" Daniel said, "I have tired to stay away from you since I found out about your engagement to Kelvin. I decided to kill my feelings for you by keeping my distance and never showing myself to you but still fate made us meet and get close to each other"

"That isn't fate. It is your manipulative tactics to get whatever evil it is that you want" Alice accused.

"And what is it that I want?" Daniel asked.

Alice was quiet.

"Tell me Alice? What do you think it is that I want?" he asked her again.

"Do you think I enjoy the torture of being so much in love with you but I can never be able to have you? Hell, I don't even get the chance to chase you and try to win your heart. Do you think I enjoy the thoughts of you tormenting my mind everytime? I so much want to be able to hold you, Alice...." he held both her shoulders with Alice shuddering a bit.

He continued, "..... to touch you, caress you, to take you in my arms...." his tone drifted. He now spoke with deep emotions and Alice could feel his every word pierce deep into her heart and soul, something that was very soothing to her at that moment as she held his gaze.

"......to be able to tell you just how beautiful you are. How your smile refreshes my heart, your laughter excites me and how I get drowned in your eyes every time you look at me.....like you're staring at me right now"

Alice quickly blinked away from his gaze. Daniel realized himself and slowly left her, dropping his hands to his sides. Alice said nothing, but just stood there looking away from him.

"I had to tell you about how I felt 'cause it was making me go crazy. It was almost pushing me to do things......the kind of things that would put you in trouble" he said.

Alice looked up to him with a slight frown couped with a flash of fear in her heart.

"I don't want to do that" He quickly defended, "I don't want my feelings to drive me into doing something that will hurt you and so I allowed myself reveal them to you, to reduce its weight on my heart and maybe to kill it's desires in me...." he looked at her.

Alice looked away, silent.

"I will not hurt you Alice, I sware. I'd rather die than cause any form of harm" He spoke and slowly moved his hand to her face, carefully as if waiting for an approval from her.

Alice drew in a breath, feeling the sensation from his touch. Slowly, he moved to her chin and lifted up her face to his. She looked at him and saw something, something she had never seen in Kelvin before, something she had always longed for since she married Kelvin, that feeling of being loved and wanted.

She wished in that instant that she was married to Daniel instead. She wished he had chased her indeed for she was sure that he would have definitely won her heart.

"I.....I just want to be a friend and try to reduce these feelings and to stop them even or maybe I can learn to use them to defend and protect you rather than to hurt you" Daniel said, his hands still on her cheek.

Alice released the deep breath and pulled away from him. She moved back to the lounge chair and sat down. Daniel watched her for a moment and then took his seat beside her.

For a while they were quiet, both facing the horizon, racing in their individual thoughts. Alice was dreaming, she was imagining what it would have been like married to Daniel, being on that honeymoon with him. It was sweet all the fun and romantic things they would have had together.

His love for her was what she wanted, what she yearned for and what she secretly prayed in her heart that Kelvin would finally be able to give her. She wondered why the prayers were answered in the heart of Daniel instead of her husband.

Daniel could not tell what was going on in Alice mind but at that moment, being with her was peace to his soul. He did not mind the silence but enjoyed her presence.

Finally she spoke, "How cruel can my fate be!" she stared blankly into the horizon.

Daniel slowly turned to her.

"Why isn't my husband the one to love me and say all those things to me?" she turned to meet his gaze, "Why are you the one going on about loving me and wanting me?"

"I....." Daniel tried to answer but Alice interrupted.

"I'm really very unfortunate" She said and looked away from him. Daniel's heart sank at her words. "So unfortunately to be married to a monster who sees nothing beautiful in me ..... and then to have a man who sees everything in me but I don't have the luxury to allow myself be loved by him"

"You can let me love you Alice" Daniel said.

"How?" she turned to him

"As a friend. As a friend that sticks closer than a brother or even a husband" he said, his eyes revealing sincerity so real to strike a chord in Alice's heart.

"And won't that be wicked of me, to lead you in your feelings in the name of friendship to satisfy my own desires?" Alice asked.

"It's not when I'm comfortable doing it. I am very content loving you as a friend" Daniel said and flashed a slight smile to her.

Alice couldn't help but smile back and Daniel felt his heart come alive again. She sunk into the lounge said, relaxing on the chair and enjoying whatever peace she was feeling that moment while it lasted.

Daniel also relaxed in his own chair and stared at the sky with Alice. The tension seemed to have cooled down and for the rest of the night, they chatted lightly about other topics, laughing and finding peace.

Both of them spent that night on the deck, in their individual chairs. Alice was the first to wake up that morning. The sun had not come out yet but it was beginning to get bright. She turned and saw Daniel still asleep on his chair. She peered at him, remembering every word he has said to her the previous night. Her heart felt warm and some level of excitement. She wished Kelvin would feel the same way about her. Feeling conflicted and a little pained, she left the deck and headed for her suite.

She entered the suite and found Kelvin in the living area. The crease on her brows deepened. Ignoring him she headed towards the bedroom.

"Alice" Kelvin called and stopped her.

She turned to him as saw that he was already advancing towards her.

"Where were you all night?" he asked in his

usual authoritative tone.

Alice said nothing but looked away and headed for the bedroom. Kelvin followed her.

"Answer me! Why didn't you spend the night here, in our suite and where were you all night?" he asked again.

Alice remained quiet and kept a straight face. She ignored him and lay down in the bed, turning her back to him.

"I'm asking you a question, Alice and you're supposed to answer!" Kelvin was getting impatient with her silence.

Alice still said nothing and closed her eyes shut. Reliving Daniel's words to her the previous night. Kelvin's interrogation and anger soon got drowned in her ears and she was in a different world together with the charming Daniel. A world where she was happy, loved and respected. She was dreaming of romantic moments with Daniel, while Kevin was already at his peak of tolerance.

Instantly, he sat on the bed and yanked Alice up, jolting her from her reverie. Her eyes went wide open and she glared at him intensely.

"Are you mad?" she threw at him.

"So you can speak? Why weren't you answering my question?" Kelvin demanded.

"Why should I?" she fired back.

"Because I'm your husband and you're answerable to me" he glared.

"You actually say that like you mean it. My husband indeed" she scoffed.

Kelvin flared up, "You're on a honeymoon trip with your husband and you're spending the night outside with God-knows-who? How cheap are you?"

Moved with indignation, Alice threw a slap on Kelvin's face, damning the consequences thereafter.

Kelvin was shocked but instead of hurting her, as Alice had presumed his reaction would be, he was surprisingly calm. There was a moment of silence before Alice spoke.

"Don't you ever defame my chasity" Alice warned sternly.

Kelvin looked at her, not sure of what his feelings were. Did he feel remorse? Yes, he did, but he did not want to admit it to himself. He saw the pain in Alice's eye's and it was just like the previous day, the pain resounded in his heart. Questioning her character was definitely a huge stab in her heart, the pain surfaced in her eyes and has inflicted his heart again.

"If there's anything I've ever been is to be pure and faithful to a whore of a husband" She spoke with great contempt, then stood up and walked out of the room and the suite, leaving Kelvin alone to whatever his thoughts were.

Alice took a walk round the ship that morning, trying to get her head straight. She walked into the swimming pool area of the ship and took a seat in a corner. She ordered for coffee and sat back.

As she drank, a familiar face approached her. She saw Lucas smile and took a seat opposite her at her table. She had not seen him since they danced together at the welcome gala.

"I was beginning to think I would never see you again, Alice" he said.

"Well, it's a huge ship and a lot of people. And I'm surprised that you remember my name" Alice said.

"Well, let's just say that I still remember our little dance that evening" he said.

Alice chuckled slightly, "Well, what exactly do you remember about that evening?"

"That it was pleasant" he smiled.

"Thank you" Alice replied and drank from her cup of coffee.

"So, are you alone on this ship?" Lucas asked.

Alice shook her head, "Mmh....my being on this ship is complicated, out of compulsion"

"How do you mean?" he asked, pondering.

"Never mind. I don't want to bore you with my life" Alice replied and sipped from her cup.

"Well then. Would you mind spending this morning with me?" he asked, smiling.

Alice peered at him for a moment, "would you mind that I'm married?" she asked him.

A flash of shock swept through his face but he quickly masked it, "Well.....that is a surprise, but I wouldn't mind that is, if your husband is here on this ship and won't mind either"

"He's out to torment me on this ship and there's no guarantee that he won't flare up the moment he sees me hanging out with another man" Alice said.

Lucas was quiet, not sure whether he should continue with the date or not. In that one second of silence he decided that she was worth the risk and he smiled, "I don't mind him at all"