An Arranged Marriage - Episode 39

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Kane. 

I'm a bastard. 

A selfish bastard. 

I'm sure this tune is nothing new to you. 

I curl her closer as she sleeps fitfully and I know, I know that deep down I understand how she feels. 

Here I am, asking her to throw it all away and trust me when I wasn't even honest to her in the first place. 

She doesn't know that but sue me for wanting her to trust me, for wanting her to depend on me. 

The fastest thing that will kill our relationship is my guilt and guilty I am. 

She doesn't know but will she accept me if she does? 

No. 

She won't,i conclude. 

Right now it's like she's waiting for the other shoe to drop, for me to tell her this is all a prank, I'm never telling her anything about what motivated me into meeting her. 

I'm never telling her. 

She's never gonna find out. 

I'm nevrt letting her find out. 

I can't let her leave me, she can't leave me. 

I pull her closer. 

I have to make her give herself to me, I have to make her need me the way I do her, the way I feel like I can't breath if she's not beside me. 

I'm obsessed. 

I have to make her obsessed with me too. 

Maybe it's because of the guilt that I've made her go through all my repertoire to pleasure, to make her delirious with ec*tacy, maybe it's my guilt stopping me from allowing her to explore my body. 

After all am I deserving of her attention? I almost scoff at the fact that she thought that she isn't deserving of my attention, it's the other way around. 

Who am I to allow her touch me? 

I've done nasty things to get her in the first place. 

She doesn't need to taint herself with me. 

Guilt. 

It's eating at my inside. 

I feel like I'm in a roller-coaster, I have to live with the fact that I almost did something nasty to her. 

I turn her around, tucking my face into her neck and breathing in her scent. 

My body shielding hers. 

She immediately entwines our legs, her hands burying itself in my hair. 

I kiss her neck. 

I have to stop feeling guilty before I destroy a relationship that has not even had time to build. 

I have to stop feeling like scum. 

But I don't know how to. 

****

Anadia 

When I wake up the next morning I'm alone in bed. 

I've never woken alone. 

Not since I got to this house.

Usually he's waking me up, I've never woken alone. 

My gut drops as yesterday's argument flits through my mind. 

I surge from the bed and I'm picking up my cane, leaning against the bed as I grab my satin nightrobe. 

I'm out the door in search of him. 

I try not to panic as I don't see him in our kitchen. 

I make the many steps down the stairs in search of Kane. 

I refuse to think the worse. 

He can't still be angry at me right? 

He can't still be thinking that he doesn't have me right? 

I enter the main kitchen and he's there, they all are, sitting on the dinning table. 

My breath comes out in a burst of relief and pain, my eyes accusing as I speak to him. 

“You left me” I accuse. 

He pauses, his eyes sweeping my face before he's on his feet and stepping into my space. 

My head find his chest and I wrap my hands around his waist, holding tight, the fact that he might have simply been downstairs didn't cross my mind. 

I had thought the worse. 

Maybe I'm being too obsessed with him. 

Maybe i shouldn't let him know how much he affects me but I can't stop myself. 

“I was going to bring you breakfast, I didn't think you would wake up soon” He murmurs into my hair. 

I nod. 

Just let me hold on a little more, I can't bear to think about any distance between us. 

“I didn't leave you” He whispers, his hands on my body. 

“I know, I.. I was scared..i thought.

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. I thought you were… “

“Ani..”

“Let's never fight” I say. 

“Okay” 

“Let's talk things out” I say. 

“Let's do that” 

“I trust you” I say. 

He doesn't say a word. 

He doesn't believe me. 

My face falls. 

“I trust you” I repeat. 

“I'm glad Ani” 

“I really do and I admit I was was wrong last night when I said you didn't have me wholly, you have me, I'm yours” I say, blattering. 

“I'm yours” He repeats like a Vow. 

“Let's talk about my working and you assisting me later” I say, making a compromise. 

“Let's do that” He murmurs. 

I nod, resting my head back on his chest before squeaking into said chest. 

“Won't you kiss me now?” I ask in a small voice and my head comes up as he fuses our lips together, my eyes fly close. 

He pulls away, his eyes staring deep into mine and I swallow, trying not to let my agitation show. 

“Breakfast?” He asks and I nod. 

I turn and I proceed to blush as I remember we had an audience. 

They look uncomfortable as they try to look at everywhere but us. 

All of them with the exception of Anaya and Cash. 

“HI” I whisper, embarrassment in my voice. 

Kane pulls a seat up for me beside his and I take a seat. 

“Fancy seeing you” Anaya says, breaking the awkward silence. 

I see that Kevin is present at the table and I get the feeling that he hasn't gone back since his last visit. 

“How are you?” I ask. 

“Is that a question my sister who is like a mother to me should be asking?” Aroofa asks teasing and I give her the middle finger.. 

“I see you are rejuvenated” Aroos says and my eyes snag on the fact that she's eating a piece of bacon from Kevin's plate. 

My brows raise as I turn to ask Anaya the silent question, she nods.

Ohemmgee. 

Is Aroos going out with a musical genius? It's been just one week and isn't he dating Linda? 

I save the questions for later as I turn to the plate Kane has fixed for me. 

“Why aren't you guys at work?” I ask and they still. 

“We should talk” Anaya says. 

Something is wrong. 

What is wrong? 

“Talk about what?” I ask and I feel Kane stiffen besides me. 

Cash looks mildly amused and Linda looks like she wants to be somewhere else. 

Kevin looks like he's confounded. 

“We wanted to tell you in private, discuss it” Anaya repeats and I'm getting the fact that she's holding back. 

Anaya never holds back, she's scared of nothing. 

“Well you see, Kane gave us an option the day he asked us to come stay with you“ Anaya starts. 

What that has to do with why they've been jobless I don't know, because from the looks of it it's obvious they've not been working. 

“Just spit it out” 

“Aroofa and Aroos are going to college now and I'm working with Cash as his PA” 

I still, my body leaning back. 

He did not tell me this. 

“When were you going to tell me?” I ask softly as my eyes go to him. 

“We asked him not to tell you, we know you hate handouts, we just.. He's family now, we thought you might feel differently” Aroofa says and the table is deathly quiet. 

“I hate handouts” I say. And I really did, I hate being at the mercy of people, I hate pity. 

They nod. 

I never get angry. 

But it's ugly when I do. 

I try to gauge my reaction and process what I'm feeling. 

My new husband enrolled my siblings in college and he gave my sister a job that although she's qualified for (Seeing as she managed to pull through college) she shouldn't have and he didn't tell me. 

I close my eyes against the burn of tears as acceptance settles in my heart. 

“Thank you” I whisper and he looks surprised. 

“That wasn't what I was expecting to hear” He mused. 

“If we are going to make this work I guessed that you could help me take care of my sisters” I say and he nods. 

“Even though it's extravagant and everything” I say. 

“It's nothing” He says

“It's everything"I say 

We stare at each other. 

“Five bucks says they are going to kiss” Linda whispers. 

“Ten bucks says he's going to pick her up and disappear for another week” Cash counters. 

Kane bends his head and pecks my lip, flipping his middle finger at his siblings. 

I chuckle. 

“Did you settle your stuff alright? Do you need my help registering for anything?” I ask the twins who shake their head. 

“You can stop mothering us, we are settled” She says and I nod, slowly grabbing Kane's hand beneath the table, he entwines it and brings it to his lips. 

“Thank you” I say and he bends his head to kiss me. 

“pay up brother” Linda says and Cash grumbles. 

“Speak to my PA” he says and I hear.. Yes.. Hear Anaya roll her eyes. 

“Pay your own debt man” Anaya says 

“You work for me, I'm commanding you to do it” Cash counters. 

Uh oh. 

“I'm thinking you shouldn't have said that” Kevin whispers and Its clear he isn't just a musical genius, he's a genius in real life too. 

“Well, aren't we the proud peacock? I resign, you can go fuck yourself” She says, grabbing her cup of coffee and attempting to spill the contents in his lap. 

He ceases her hand. 

“I dare you to try that” Cash says and its the first time I've heard him sound remotely human. 

“Let go of my hand and we will see” Anaya counters. 

“I will whip the shit out of your ass if you do shit like that” 

“You wish you could whip the shit out of my delectable ass” 

I blink. 

I blink again.. 

I blink again and again. 

“Try me” Cash hisses. 

“Oh, stop the mating dance and do something so we can all go back to our breakfast” Linda says and cash let's go of Anaya's hand and she sets her coffee back atop the table. 

She looks shaken as her cheeks flush and she strokes a strand of hair behind her ear. 

She's nervous. 

She does the hair thing when she's nervous. 

I bite my lip as my eyes go to my plate and I try not to squeal. 

My eyes find the twins and they nod in silent answer to my question. 

Yes. Anaya and Cash had chemistry. 

 

AN 

Thank you for reading! 

I'm grateful. 

Please leave comments. 

And a quick update on the app situation, it was as I predicted. 

They could do nothing to retrieve the lost data so I've gotten another app. 

Send a silent word of prayer that this one does not glitch. 

Thank you. 

. .

Read " Protected " by the same author ( Bebe Ernest )