-44-Returning home.
"The transition of love increases pain. So Some protest, some detest, while some rest."[Stuart]
......
Dear Readers,
Which one of these are you?
Tell me in the comment section❤
....
"Yes, Mindy."
"Oh, I will be home in an hour. And I have good news to share with you."
"Really. You are cooking today. That's awesome. I am looking forward to having dinner together."
"Oh. No, No. I am not eating here at the party."
"No. It's not because of that. It's because I want to share some great news with you. Okay. Yeah. Great. bye, Mindy."
Her voice irritated Stuart to the next level. She was still sitting with him but wanted to have dinner with someone else. 'Did my position changed in her life? Wasn't I always her priority. What's going on.'
A few drops of water dropped on his hand and he realized he was crying. He tried to ignore the feeling of slow desperation that was increasing within him, the need to keep her with him. Listening to her his heart was breaking as she laughed, like her supposedly husband had cracked a joke. 'Was it how women talk to their contracted husband. So free. So full of themselves. Like they are best friends. He felt the urge to take the phone from her and break it into pieces.
Yet he knew the actions he might take in anger will result in nothing but destruction. To protect himself from doing anything stupid. he walked to another corner; the corner that was farthest from her and sat there with his back to her waiting for her to finish off the lovey-dovey talk.
Riley noticed his strange behavior and ended the call.
"Stuart are you alright?"
"Yeah." He answered back nonchalantly trying his level best to make sure his voice didn't betray his mask.
"It was your husband. Huh?"
"Oh yeah. It was Mindy."
"You are on a nickname basis with him Jelly bug."
"Yes, Stuty Pooh. You know this is my habit. I love keeping nicknames." Seeing his nonchalant behavior Riley tried to clarify it to him making the situation worst than it already was.
"But you do that only for the people you adore Riley. And there are only fewer able people to enter your adoring zone. What does it insinuate Riley Brown? Does that mean he had touched your heart?"
"What do you think Stuart. A man who protected me at the cost of his life. Doesn't he deserve a nickname? What's wrong with you? It's just a nickname. It doesn't imply anything."
The response she gave him spoke volumes of her emotions. Now he was sure that Mindy or whatever his name was; he had already carved a place of himself in her heart. Her denial of accepting the truth only meant she was unaware of her feelings. There was no prejudice about it.
The flames of jealousy were doing nothing to him other than destroying his peace of mind.
"Yeah. I get it now. You are right about it. He deserves a nickname too. It's not a big deal."
His words sounded anything but genuine. It was a sarcastic remark. She ignored it. As if asking why he said it would make everything okay!
Taking long strides she walked up to him. And used her forearm to mop his brows and drew in a long breath as he frowned again, making his brows ends meet together. He didn't react to her touch. Yet she knew it wasn't the right time to ask him why he was behaving like a 4-year-old whose parents were refusing to give him chocolates and she was the one who refused him so he was throwing his tantrums on her.
carrying the deep ache in her heart. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She needed to inform him about leaving early. She was thankful to God for keeping him alive. For keeping him fit and healthy.
'Thank you, God, for keeping him alive. I owe you for this.'
Her shoulders slumped in
Perhaps she wouldn't have even thought of removing herself from him today but the guilt of the kiss was eating her alive. She could be anything but a cheater. And the only redemption, for it, was to go back to him. To make everything alright. Also, she wasn't sure if she will be able to stop the man from kissing her again if he wanted to do that.
Trying to leave without making him sad, she beamed with a smile and said.
"Study pooh, Can you please tell me your mobile number? I am going to give this good news to Mom and Dad. And You know how much they love you. They are probably going to throw a large party to welcome you."
"Yeah. Of course Jelly bug. Let me save it for you."
Riley handed him the phone without a second thought.
"I am going to freshen up for a bit. You can take your time."
She pointed at her face, making him aware of how she looked with a smeared makeup. Her lipstick had started to come off while her mascara was ruined painting her eyes black. She looked like a ghost of a horror movie.
"Okay."
After Riley left, he opened her phone. Checking her pictures unknown to the fact that the more he will know the more he will feel bad about it. The more he will be hurt.
He opened her Gallery and saw few pictures of her. Out of a Hundred pictures, 25 were selfies. In which she looked ravishing. 40 we're the pictures of the sun and just nature. Ten pictures were of her parents with her. He smiled appreciating every picture. They seemed to be a little aged but we're natural. 10 pictures were of the food. And he chuckled on those. They looked appetizing. Cakes, waffles. 'Ah seeing those pictures made him realize he was hungry too. Out of the remaining pictures, five were of her with a stranger that he never knew in the past.
In the picture, it seemed they were laughing while he held her shoulder intimately. The second one was of just her with a beautiful small flower in her ear. The third one seemed candid and it was breathtaking. She was smiling looking down. Her beautiful eyelashes were curved while her cheeks were rosy may be due to the sunlight. The fourth one was the last picture he saw, that left him fuming. Her supposedly contractual husband, who looked too handsome to be a singing beggar was kissing her on the cheek while she seemed surprised. He threw the phone at the bed in bitterness. Without knowing the remaining pictures that he didn't saw were of him.
Riley returned to the bedroom and saw him frowning and clutching the nearby vase. Like he was going to break it. It was probably the most she had seen him frowning maximum times in a day. 'What's wrong with him now?'
Shooting her head, helplessly she cleared her throat to make him aware of her presence. He looked at her once for a few seconds without any emotion and then ignored her completely. Knowing it was useless to ask him the reason for his anger. She took the towel cleaning her face.
"Study pooh I need to go for now. But I promise I will meet you tomorrow again. Maybe I should plan a dinner for you to meet my husband."
'Husband. Huh.'
"Yeah, I would like that. But how about I drop you home?"
"No Stuty pooh. I will go back with Tina. She is probably waiting for me downstairs."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."