*LONDON’S POV***
Zane is so difficult to deal with. I hadn’t planned on straying away the main path but I had found some wild berries and I was tempted to follow their trails, munching on some of them.
These were the sweetest I have ever had and as I chewed on them, I saw other wild fruits.
The reason why I had left the house was because I needed space. One I couldn’t have with Zane being so fucking close.
I just needed to experience this freedom just like no other, and I don’t think it was working, hell no, it wasn’t.
When I heard a growl, I rushed to see what it was, to my surprise, it was a bear fighting with a snake.
“Oh, Jesus!” I mutter as I watch the thick, burly bear use its claws to fight off the black forest snake. It seemed so interesting until I stepped on a stick, the tweak so loud that the bear snapped its head to my side.
Dark brown eyes stare at me as I start shaking my head furiously, pushing my hands out in front of me.
“No… No… No!” I scream as I start running across the forest, my panting so heavy that I start sweating.
Tears spring to my eyes, and now, I see my life flashing in front of my eyes.
I had been so stubborn towards Zane, earlier.
The restaurant date hadn’t ended up as I had planned. The meals just weren’t passing in my mouth and after making him spend so much money, and also breaking a plate at a restaurant in town and visibly annoying Zane, well, I deserve this hot karma.
I hear the sound of the grizzly bear and I shout, running farther down the path.
I had just taken my cast off, I don’t want it put back so early. The doctor had said I had healed super fast, and that I should take care. He had prescribed the number of foods I could take on a regular to keep me in form quickly.
I guess I was so stubborn.
Deep in me, I wonder if Zane has noticed my absence, and if yes, was he out here looking for me? Tears spring in my eyes as I start running, wild tears streaming down my cheeks.
“Help me! Zane! Please… Lord Jesus!” I cried as I kept running, losing track of where I was or where I was going to.
I didn’t see the little cliff before me, I also didn’t see the fallen tree right in front of my nose because I was running with tears in my eyes.
This was so dumb, and a lame excuse to get myself killed.
When I stumbled over the fallen tree, I hit my right knee so hard that I fell with my hands. I feel rough tweaks pinching my skin as the blood trickles out of my body.
I roll to the edge of the cliff, using everything in my might to stop myself from falling over.
It works, and I hear a gunshot in the distance.
I closed my eyes, hating that the sound was so loud.
I heard a second gunshot and a third. I use my hands to cover my head, shouting and whimpering in pain. I have never felt so much fear in my entire life.
I even promise to be a good girl if I survive the whole experience. I would do anything to survive this ordeal.
My eyes are tightly shut and when I feel a dark cloud hover over me and a strong pair of hands gather me in a bundle, I scream in pain, fighting the person.
“Calm down, little girl, it is Daddy,” I hear Zane’s unmistakable voice and I open my eyes, seeing Zane’s face.
He has a worried look on his face and I can’t seem to read the expression on his face. It is just so hard, so fucking difficult to do that with Zane.
“Zane! There was a bear and a snake fighting, and the bear started chasing me and I fell over the tree. I didn’t also see this cliff, I would have… Fallen over,” I choke on the ending of my words, crying harder.
“Hush, baby! The bear is gone now, but I have to get you to safety first. We will talk about your unruliness later,” he says softly, a promise in his voice.
A shiver runs down my spine as I know what that means.
*
At home, Zane snubs me. For fucking real, the man snubs me as he strips me of my light clothes, huffing every now and then, at how light my clothes are.
“Zane? I am sorry, okay? Besides, I am the one in pain,” I shoot out angrily.
The man chuckles darkly, but he regains his composure as easily as that, anger causing his nostrils to flare.
I was poking him, and I might have escaped the grizzly bear today, but Zane, I wouldn’t escape him at all.
He took his time cleaning my sounds, making sure to take out all the sticks from it. Tears spring into my eyes, and I feel hurt so badly, that shit really hurts so badly.
“I’d rather you punish me than snub me, Zane,” I tell him frankly, my eyebrows pulled together as one.
“Don’t tempt me,” he says those words so easily that I want to fight him with everything I have in me. I definitely don’t because this man is an asshole, or at least, he is proving to be real quick.
Zane puts a bandage over the brush on my knee and I make an attempt to stand but he blocks me, holding me captive.
“We need to talk,” he says.
“No! We aren’t going to talk, Zane. Who do you take me for? Do you think you can go ahead and snub me and now just fucking think it is normal to do that? Fuck you,” I scream at the top of my voice.
Zane takes a few steps backward and I slide out of the counter, where he had placed me there.
I go into the room and pick up a blanket and a pillow, I return to the living room, setting it on the couch and sliding into it.
“You. Can’t. Sleep. On. The. Couch. When. I. Have. A. Bed.” Zane grits out, taking his time to place the words one after the other as if I were some dumb kid.
“Fuck you, yes I can,” I yell, covering my entire body with the blanket.
I don’t know about Zane, but I suspect he was standing there, watching at me sleep.
I don’t know if it were the baby hormones giving me this courage, but I know Zane wouldn’t touch me, or harm me unless it was the punishment he thinks I deserve. Right now, I don’t give any fuck about it.
I had just started slumbering when I felt Zane carry me to the bed. I don’t fight him off, but I do grumble a little.
“Let me sleep on the couch,” I murmur.
“No, London. You are my woman. No matter what argument we have, you need to share the bed with me. And besides, I hate going to bed with my woman being mad at me,” he says.
I snuggle close to him, enjoying his warmth and everything else he has to give me.
“I love it when you talk like that, Zane, it makes me think you are going to change,” I tell him jokingly, stroking the beard on his face.
I love doing that a lot, I think Zane likes that too because he gives me a way to touch it.
“Get some sleep, honey Bonnie, we will talk in the morning,” he says kissing my forehead.
I stay silent for a while, and Zane must have thought that I had fallen asleep again because he heaves a gentle smile, I part my eyes slowly, and look at his calm, handsome face.
“I didn’t say thank you for protecting me,” I whisper, my eyes showing sincerity as much as they could.
I watch Zane open his eyes, I also watch him nod his head, bringing it down to lay a soft kiss on my forehead.
“Apology accepted. Now, close those eyes of yours, you need your beauty sleep,” he says.
Giggling, I close my eyes, and let the sleep take over me.
I was in bed, where I should be, with my husband and him circling me in his arms. It makes me happy so badly that I just take this out of my mind.
**
The sun’s rays wafting into my eyes make me shiver as I roll into bed. As usual, Zane is not there, and I do my morning routine before heading out.
Zane is in the kitchen making breakfast.
“Good morning, little girl,” he says as I walk to him and kiss him across his lips.
He smiles warmly before saying, “We eat, and then, we talk,” he says.
“I bet we have a lot to talk about, Zane,” I sass out as I walk to the dining table and take a sit.
“London, I swear, you would keep aside the sass by the time we are done talking,” he promises sweetly.
My eyes lock open but Zane refuses to meet my gaze, he wouldn’t even talk nor elaborate on anything else he said.
“I told you I didn’t want to sleep in your bed last night,” I say, bringing small talk.
“You are a married woman, London, you should act like one. That cliche of not sleeping with your man when he is angry, I don’t like it, and you wouldn’t get away either if you act like that to me,” he blurts out.
My eyes stare at his back, he just called me out. With this older man, it hurts as fuck when he gets my young trick, I just can’t believe it.
“Close your mouth, London, or you will have my cock in it,” he says and I gasp softly.
If Zane keeps doing this shit to me, I swear, I am going to explode from anger, I bet it.
Zane places a plate of food before me and I thank him. It was waffles and the syrup made everything taste wonderful.
“You were wild berries yesterday, London,” I hear Zane says.
He was accusing me, telling me with a square face and there was nothing I could do to shut it out.
“I did, Zane. Come on now, That couldn’t have been hurtful. They tasted so wonderful, I guess that was why I didn’t see the pathway leading to the house,” I explain.
“You lost your way? Of course, you did. Why did you even run away from the house?” he asks frowning.
“None of your fucking business,” I say.
I cut into my waffle and munched on it, the taste was far from heaven, it tasted delicious and I enjoyed it.
“I love it,” I say, enjoying the food.
“I am glad you did,” he muses, but there was this dark gaze that hovers around his eyes, it makes my body tingle a little and I know I have to step up my game, especially now.
“If you have something to say, let it be now,” I push out, making sure Zane has his eyes on me.
“Finish your food,” I let out.
I look at the waffles on my plates, roll my eyes, and continue eating.
“Zane,” I mutter, finding it difficult to let go of the topic.
When I was greeted with silence, I used it as a motive to speak up.
“I left the house last night because I felt the pressure creep up my body, I almost lost it though, but I am glad I could hold my own,” I push out.
Zane burst out laughing, stood from the table, cleared his plate up, and moved to the sink.
“Are you going to snub me, Zane? How rude could you be?” I shout.
The look I received from Zane was one of spite, I couldn’t take my eyes off his face.