Twenty four

EVE'S POV 

I picked up the form and ran my fingers around the edges nervously.

 "Even if there are side effects, they said that they will compensate me",

He gave me a look that suggested he thought that was ridiculous.

"And you believed them?",

"It's in the registration form”, I defended.

His brow furrowed. 

"Let's say they are not lying, what if the drug has serious side effects on your health? Are you okay with that, just because they'll compensate you? What if you suffer permanent effects?",

"Many people have done this before," I said, trying to calm him down. 

I couldn't understand why he was so angry about it. 

"You're overthinking, I'Il be fine", I said.

"Overthinking?" he scoffed. 

"Don't you care about your health at all?",

"I need the money, okay?", I told him finally, dropping my gaze to the floor.

 "I need money urgently and this was the best option I could find”,

"What?", he asked, his voice full of disbelief.

"You're putting yourself in danger because of money?”,

I clenched my teeth together, feeling my frustration from earlier arise. What else was I supposed to do? It was not like I had a lot of options laid out to me on how to get money. 

Many people earned money by taking part in drug trials. Why was he making it sound like I was being needlessly reckless?.

He got to his feet, and I had to take a step back as he suddenly crowded me. 

"If you need money that badly, why didn't you ask me? I'm your husband!".

My husband? He always pull that card at the most ridiculous instances, doesn't he? We were just a couple on paper and had agreed to stay clear of each other's personal issues. How then could he expect me to go running to him with my problems?. As far as our arrangement went, it was none of his business.

I blinked as tears welled my eyes. If my situation wasn't so dire, it would have been comical. On one hand, I was stuck in an arranged marriage that didn't benefit me in any way. On the other, I had parents who abandoned me after the said marriage occurred.

"We are just a nominal couple, remember?", I asked him in a small voice. 

"You also made it clear.that we shouldn't interfere in each other's personal affairs”,

 Gathering bits of courage, I looked up and met his eyes. 

"So you have no right to blame me for not telling you about my problems”,

MORGAN'S POV 

As I looked into Eve’s eyes, I felt my anger abate. First because of the tears in her eyes, and second because she was right.

I was the one who had insisted that we keep our personal business private. And since I was her fake husband, it made sense that she couldn't just come to me with her problems.

Even knowing that, I still felt bothered. I wished she had never gone to such an extent to look for money, and I wished I hadn't made that stupid rule about not interfering in each other's lives. Because as long as things were that way it would be hard to take care of her when she needed it.

"You're right" I said eventually, calmly.

 "I'm sorry", I added.

Taking a deep breath, I raked my fingers through my hair. I needed to think. And we both needed to calm down. 

"I need to step outside for a while. I'll have dinner later, you can start without me", I said.

She only nodded, and I stepped past her and went into the living room. After grabbing a coat, I pulled it on and left the apartment.

 There was a garden at the front of the building, and I went there to pass the time.

Alone, I admitted to myself that I had crossed the line. Only a real husband should get mad at his wife doing something like that, not a pretend one. Maybe I should have asked more about what she was going through instead of going all angry from the beginning.

Also, me getting angry was a sign of something I wasn't sure I wanted to deal with yet. I could no longer hide the fact that I care for her. And I couldn't even tell when I had become so involved with her.

The idea of her getting hurt because of some botched drug trial pissed me off. And not just that, I also found myself wanting to fix whatever needed fixing in her life. I wanted to know about her day at work, wanted to spend time with her when I got back home from work, and truth be told, my attraction to her was growing.

It was as if suddenly, this wasn't just an unwanted arrangement to me.

I exhaled deeply and buried my face in my hands. I needed to get a hold of my emotions. But I couldn't think about that right now. I needed to figure a way to get her to abandon the stupid trial.

****EVE'S POV ******

With Morgan gone, I sat down to have dinner. I no longer had any appetite, but I still ate anyway. Most of it was angry-eating. 

Now that he was no longer in my presence, intimidating me with his anger and making me feel stupid and reckless, my anger got an opportunity to grow.

I was sick and tired of people telling me what to do. Neither my parents nor Morgan cared about my feelings. The former thought it was okay to trick me into a marriage with a stranger, while the later thought it was okay to tell me what to do as if I owed him anything.

By the time I finished eating, he wasn't back, and I was more than fine with that. It would be just fine if I didn't see his face again until the next day. 

I gathered the utensils I had used and carried them to the sink, meaning to wash them before I went to bed.

At that moment, I heard the front door open, and then a few seconds later, footsteps heading towards the kitchen. 

I looked up as he walked in, and I couldn't help the retort that rolled off my tongue. 

"Why are you back?".

I had assumed he wouldn't be back any time soon after telling me to have dinner without him.

“I didn't want you to be alone," he replied, and even if he caught the sting in my retort, he didn't show it.

I frowned at his answer, but didn't pay him more attention as I got ready to start washing the dishes. What did he care whether I was alone or not? I was perfectly okay being alone.

I was about to turn on the tap when he suddenly appeared beside me and reached up to touch my face. 

I recoiled instantly and stepped back, giving him a shocked look. I could no longer keep up with this man and whatever was going on in his head.

He sighed. 

"Just stop with the drug trial, okay? You have a job now, you'll earn the money you need soon”,

I pressed my lips into a thin line and crossed my arms across my chest. 

"And if I don't? It's none of your business”,

MORGAN'S POV 

As she faced me and stubbornly refused to take my advice, I felt my irritation rise again.

It looks like I had been wrong to assume that the time spent apart had helped her calm down. Or think twice. But I was determined to make sure that she didn't do something that she could regret in the future.

"If you don't do what I say" I said, taking a step towards her. Her eyes widened at my advance, but she didn't step back. 

I was impressed at her resolve to hold her ground. But I had a feeling that wouldn't last long.

 "I will have sex with you," I finished.

Her mouth fell open, and then she clasped her hand over her lips.

 "What?" she asked, her eyes shooting daggers at me 

"You're my wife after all", Isaid, taking another step closer.

 This time, she stepped away. 

"And if we have to behave like a true couple for you to listen to me, we might as well get started",

Just then, I moved my hand to the top of my shirt and undid the top-most button.

Her eyes lowered to my shirt, and then lifted to my face.

 "You're..you're crazy”, she choked.

"Am I?" I popped the second button, my upper chest now showing.

"Stop!" she ordered, holding a palm out. 

"We… that's not what we agreed”,

Her eyes went back to my hand on my shirt, as if her gaze alone could freeze my actions. 

EVE'S POV 

This man is truly crazy. Who even came up with such an idea? Does he think he could swing from acting like a pretend couple to a true one whenever he felt like it? At this rate, he was going to drive me insane.

He took another step and I stepped back, only to feel my back press up against a surface. Just great, I had backed myself into the counter. And the only escape route was going past him.

"After we have sex," he said, releasing his third button.

"You'll listen to me and accept my help, right?",

At this point, I could see his chest hair. I swallowed hard and pressed my hands to the surface behind me. I couldn't let this go on. If he really gets rid of his shirt, who knows what would happen next. 

I wrenched my eyes from his chest and to his face. The heated look he was giving me flustered me, even more than his half exposed chest.

"I... I..." 

Dammit, where has my ability to talk disappeared to?.

He dropped his hand and reached for my dress.

"Should l help you undress?",

I slid against the counter, moving away from his hand. 

"No!", I screamed.

"No? Come on, Eve. Don't be shy. Let's get this out of the way”,