FIVE DAYS LATER
Cade had woken up pretty early so he could speak to Ophelai; for the past few days she had been gently and so stylishly evading him that they did not even cross in the hallway. She was so good that no matter how early he woke up, he would not meet her. If he had not seen her driver and assistant around, he would have been forced to believe that she had not come home every night and was just spending every night out.
However, today he had to speak to her in person because she had ignored all of the messages that he had sent to her, where he clearly showed a sense of urgency in their talking; she had read them because he could tell, but she did not send a message back. Knowing her pattern, he was shocked that they had not made a public appearance in the past few days.
He was so happy when he got downstairs to eat breakfast that he heard ruffling in the kitchen, and she was the one in there. There was no way she was escaping Agan. “Good morning,” he said as he entered the kitchen, closing the door and leaning on it. The only way out was the back door, but he was sure that there was no way she would want to go out there with her nightdress.
He watched her back stiffen as she was in a match past conducted by uniformed men. He watched her slowly turn, but suddenly she had a smile on her face, which did not match the personality she had on her. “Good morning,” she let out in a chipper, loud voice.
She leaned into the counter behind her. “How are you? We have not seen each other in so long; I guess we have just been really busy with work and life but it is such a pleasure to see that you are still alive and doing good,” she said in a ramble, her voice still retaining the high pitch tone.
“Oh, is that why we have not been seeing each other? Work?”
“Yeah, you know, since I started work, I have been busy busy busy. Busy working like a busy bee that I have barely had time for myself, not including someone else,” she said, talking like she was thrown into a TV show.
“Oh, is that it?” he asked with a puzzled expression on her face. “I just thought you were avoiding me.”
“Avoiding you?” she said in a high-pitched nervous voice. Cade wondered how it kept going higher and higher each time the sound left her mouth. “What? That is just plain ridiculous; why would I avoid you?”
“Because of what happened.”
“What happened?” she asked, trying to act as if nothing had happened between them. She was embarrassed and hoped that he would be a gentleman and let her heal through the process. She would definitely get better and open up to begin to talk to him again soon. That was her plan, and it was a solid one, but now he was ruining it for her.
“When you told me that…”
“Oh, is it when I confessed to you? That old thing? Haven’t you gotten over it yet? I have gotten over it,” she said, blinking rapidly.
Right, you have, but yet you still found a way to ignore and avoid me.”
“Correction,” she said, her tone still in a high-pitched tone.
“You are not avoiding me,” they said together. She looked at him and wondered how he looked so good in the morning.
“Did you come for breakfast?” she asked to distract herself from looking at his body.
“Yes, I did, and I was hoping to catch you too.”
“Ohhh, catch me,” she said with a nervous laugh. “Here I am,” she added.
“Yeah, I have to travel for a business trip.”
“That is fine. I am sure that it is work that is keeping you away, so you do not need to report that to me,” she said, taking her cup and walking to the door, ready to escape him.
“I needed to tell you because you know we are married.”
“Just on paper,” she chimed in and turned around again to survey the kitchen, but she only did that because she was too close to him and wanted to get away.
“Do you mind?” she said, cutting off the silence in the room. “You are blocking the entrance.”
“Is that all you have to say?”
“What do you want me to say? Do you want me to refer to you as a king?” she asked in a sarcastic voice.
“No, but is that all you are going to say about my trip? I mean, it is a long one and would last ten days.”
“We barely even see each other as we are together, so I doubt it would be any different,” she said, trying to dismiss the thought that even though she would not see him, she could not try to peek at him or hear him through her room door. She would not need to sneak around the house anymore.
“Harper is coming.” Those words threw Ophelai off balance but she did not care at all. This had nothing to do with her at all.
“Of course she has to go; she is your assistant; who would help you through the trip if she does not go?” Ophelia said that she was making a very interesting point.
“But Harper is here to sabotage us.”
“And I don’t care if she tries to do that. I am sure you would do the right thing and if you do not want this marriage again, we can just agree to break it off earlier than expected All you have to do is ask.”
“Are you already suggesting a divorce?” confusion lined Cade’s words.
“I am not suggesting it, I mean, we already agreed to do that and you have Harper pining so badly for you, it must be torture to ignore that,” she sniffled.
She had been down with cold the past few days but she had been trying her best to make sure it was not obvious to him. Now that she was standing by herself without any support, the entire room was spinning so fast that she had to constantly close her eyes to steady herself.
“So do you,” she added in a strained voice before clearing her throat and pointing to the door. “Can I leave now or is there anything more you must say?”
“Nope,” he said, taking his back off the door and opening it for her.
“Have a lovely trip.”