Chapter Twenty-Four – Sad is shopping.
Damien smirked after seeing Arya fall down the bed. At first, when he was watching her face the ceiling with eyes opened, he thought that was how she fell asleep.
“Are you okay, down there?” he moved towards the edge of the bed and mumbled.
Arya was still shaking in fear and embarrassment. How long had he been freaking watching her? She wanted the earth to swallow her up.
He asked if she was okay again and she couldn’t help but notice how deep his voice was when he mumbled words. It gave a sexy feel, the bedroom voice.
She leapt to her feet like a dead game character. “Yeah, I’m good, just surprised that you were… awake.” She prohibited herself from using ‘staring at me’.
“I stared at you as I thought you were actually asleep, sorry to startle you.” He smirked, and rolled back to his aide.
She pouted, hearing him. So if she was asleep, he’d stare? She needed to get away from that man or her heart will fall.
Clearing her throat, she said. “About the donation you gave at my university, I’m grateful. No one might tell you but donations we receive do help a lot.”
Deciding to start with a formal conversation was the only way Arya knew to lessen the awkwardness she felt.
But her eyes widened, and discretion flew out the window, when he sat up and the blanket fell from his chest, revealing his chiseled chest and abs.
He slowly took it up and her eyes involuntarily followed his hands movement. She later dragged her eyes away and met Damien’s.
He replied. “I don’t need the gratitude. That’s my university and my family has been donating to the engineering department for years now.”
Her jaw dropped. For years? Her lecturer usually spoke about a family who supplied instruments to their labs but she never knew it was her husband’s family. “That’s horrendously nice.”
“Horrendously? Nice? Two opposite words. Stick with one.” He smiled, flipping his hair then falling back on the bed.
Arya just gawked at him, stupefied or impressed. When observing him closely, he’s more attractive than men she usually met and it was a first staying close to any man.
Also effortlessly, Damien had a sensual appeal with a gentleman touch, but she didn’t need that so she looked away. Someone had her heart, even if someone had his heart.
The realization began to hurt her. She left the ground, crawling to go change her dress and sleep off the turmoil. Sleep and food were always her escape.
Her husband, lifting his head up to see if she was still on the cold ground, noticed her crawling on her knees. “Are you alright, Arya?”
At first, it looked humorous but with her slumped shoulders, he guessed that she wasn’t happy, or was tired.
She plopped down on the floor, exhaling and throwing her hands in the air. “I don’t know.”
Her mind was battling with telling Damien about Seth and maybe he’d help her or just keeping it to herself. Why wouldn’t he help her anyway?
It was clearly in their contract to not owe the other person permission to fall in love while in the marriage. But it was still hard to, for strange reasons.
“Do you want to talk about it with me?” Damien asked, hoping for the first time she’d share her troubles with him.
It will be more than he ever asked for, if she’d see him as a friend’s at least.
But she looked him in the eye and replied. “No, I don’t want to, with you.” It was like a stab to his heart and expectations.
“Oh.” he looked down. “Will you talk to Anna then?”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to talk to anyone about it. I’m just sad.” She faked a smile.
Rising to her feet, she walked to her closet to change to a sleeping dress. The dresses there were not revealing and she felt comfort within anyone who picked them for her.
They knew her style, and also knew the man she was married to wasn’t her husband.
She found a yellow knee-length cotton gown to wear and slid out of the closet feeling happier. Yellow was a happy color so it affected her mood.
“Um…” she trailed off seeing Damien fully dressed in a tuxedo jacket and joggers. He was forcing his boots in his legs.
She wondered to herself where he was going but dared not ask. Finally, he would be leaving her to think and sulk in peace.
But then he turned to her. “Wanna go shopping? Come on, it will help your mood.” He assured, stretching his hand for her to hold.
The request made her jaw drop slightly. What world did she live in that being sad guaranteed shopping? In that case, she’d be sad always.
Arya giggled within herself. Her eyes swept over him again, looking really exquisite in the simple attire. She took his hand. “Okay.”
He pulled her to himself but not to close and they left the door together. She looked down at her sleeping dress, was it suitable to go shopping with?
“Anyway, this is probably more expensive than the clothes I buy with my own money.” She tsked, dismissing the thought.
Crossing the hallways, she caught sight of Debby walking out of her room. A mischievous thought crossed her mind so she called out to the girl.
“Hey Debby, we are going shopping, coming along?”
Debby looked horrified seeing Damien holding her hands. A part of her wanted to tear their hands apart and beat the living shit out his wife but she only folded her arms. “No!”
Arya smiled to herself. “That’s too bad. I’d try to get you something. Bye now.” She clung to Damien tightly to make the girl more annoyed.
She wasn’t quite clear why the girl felt annoyed by her closeness with Damien but she was set on milking everything till the girl ran mad.
She knew the girl would say no so asked her about going shopping, so she’d refuse with her own lips.
Debby looked regretful for refusing but she had to hold her head high and hold on to her words. “I will find a way to remove you, bitch!” the last part was more audible.
She glared at Arya and Damien walk out of the house. Swerving back, she froze when she was face to face with Mrs. Wade and Junior, who had a frown on.
“Was it my son or daughter in law you called bitch, Debby?” the woman raised a brow.
“I bet it’s Arya, this girl has no respect.” Junior shook his head, munching on his chips.
Debby looked down, not feeling guilty but enraged. “You’d all pay!” she yelled out then ran into her room, ignoring the stunned looks Mrs. Wade gave her.