Chapter Seventy-Five – Nut Job.
There was music in the background.
Someone was eating besides her. She could tell from the plate and spoon clashing, and also because her stomach reacted to the aroma of the food.
Arya opened her eyes slowly. The ceiling didn’t look familiar. They were surely not in the hotel. Her body was quite numb but she knew she could move if she tried.
The person besides her stood up, and she made a sound.
Damien turned to her, then rushed to her side. “Arya, are you feeling better now?” he placed his hand on her head.
She smiled. “Yeah, don’t worry. Just a bit numb but it’d go away soon.” Her legs felt light but she didn’t fear.
“It won’t go away soon.” Damien smiled back. “You had anesthetics so your body will be quite useless for a while.”
She didn’t feel that weak but she nodded. As long as she was in a safe place, she wouldn’t mind not being able to move.
“We are at the Wades Mansion, right? The ceiling isn’t like our room but it’s similar.” She pointed out.
Damien stayed by her side then looked up. “Yeah, I changed the room. This one is bigger and you have room for your own stuff. Also, it fits two beds. You’d feel more comfortable.”
His thoughtfulness always left a mark on Arya. She felt so grateful to have been in the contract marriage with him instead of some other man. “Thank you.”
“No worries. Actually, at the hotel, I realized it’s more fun having my own bed so I decided to try it.” He chuckled.
Arya laughed too. “Yeah, that’s another level of freedom.”
It made Damien feel really happy that she laughed while they were having a conversation. It felt more realistic and he’d give anything to hear her laughing at his jokes.
He glanced at his food. “You might be hungry but I think you should rest first. You’re at the mansion so you can easily have an ‘all you can eat’ buffet.”
The invitation made Arya happy. All she needed after the drama that happened with Debby was just sleep and food.
“Sure, I’d try to rest. Thank you. And Connor is okay, right?”
“Ah yes. He’s with my mother now. He’s doing fine.” Damien replied. “He has been asleep for long now.”
Guilt seeped into Arya’s heart for what happened but she brushed it away and concentrated on the food she’d enjoy after waking up. She shut her eyes and tried to sleep.
Arya totally forgot the possibility of Damien staring at her while she slept and within minutes, she dozed off.
Damien watched her sleep. She was peaceful and he loved that. He loved that she could look peaceful knowing he was around her. He had always wanted her to feel that way.
His phone vibrated on the table and he frowned at it. Who was calling him now? Couldn’t the day just end like this?
“Ken? Is something the matter?” he left Arya’s side and strolled to the end of the room. “Why did you call?”
“I take it back!” Ken shouted. “I take it all back!!”
Damien shook his head. He wasn’t sure what tantrum Ken wanted to throw now but he better get ready. “What is it?”
Ken seemed to be breathing heavily and it almost worried Damien. “Your wife, Arya, is she there?”
Damien turned to Arya then turned away. “No, she’s asleep. What do you want to tell her…”
“That I was wrong! That I was wrong to think she could be any less of a nut job! Did she really do that! She nearly got herself killed! And Connor too! The poor boy!” Ken fumed.
Damien rubbed his temples. So that was where Ken was going. He had hoped Ken would hear of the issue by the next day when he’d be feeling less tired himself.
And calling Arya a nut job? How dare he? But Damien wasn’t in the mood to argue. It was almost midnight already. His day was hectic enough. “They are both okay, don’t worry.”
“Okay?? Connor would be scarred for a long time. Don’t forget that it was an explosion that killed his mother. Now, one nearly killed him because of your wife!”
Damien stared into space. How had he not thought of it? It was true that an explosion killed Connor’s mother when he was eight. It had been long ago so he forgot.
Connor would’ve been reminded by this incident. Damien looked back at Arya. “It wasn’t Arya’s fault still. She is still a victim. Debby used a family member against her.”
“Family member? So they’re all nut jobs who turn against each other? What family member? The one you helped get a job? Huh?” Ken threw the questions at Damien.
Damien looked at the clock and sighed. “The family member is her aunt. I guess the mother of the girl we got a job for. She might not be involved though.”
“Leave it to me then! I’d find out if she’s involved or not! And for your wife, I don’t even know what to say. Keep an eye on Connor too, goodnight!” Ken hung up.
Finally free, Damien fell on a couch, relaxing his brain muscles. “Connor was really shaken up when I saw him.” His mind went back to when he wrapped his arms around Connor.
“He was a child when his mother got involved in a fuel spillage explosion. I didn’t think this could reawaken traumas in him.” Damien forced himself from the couch.
If he thought of it carefully, he could remember Connor hating explosion scenes from action movies during the time his mother died. They riled him up.
Damien hadn’t related it to the death of Connor’s mother then because he was young as well.
Also, Connor’s father was around at that time, along with Mr. Wade so they took responsibility of Connor’s mental health.
And as it was totally an accident, only regret filled the hearts of the affected family members.
But in this case with Debby, fear, anger and many other emotions would be mixed up with regret if he had thought of his mother during the explosion.
He would be one person that wouldn’t mind burning Debby on a stake for nearly killing him the way his mother was killed and recreating the image in his head again.
Damien let out a sigh.
He was thinking hard even when he wanted to relax his muscles. “I really should put an eye for him. He stood up for my wife so I should stand up for him.”
However Damien’s body only wanted to sleep, so when he was on his feet, he fell on his bed and within minutes, slept.