It Leads to Your Heart. [NOT EDITED]

23

The cousins retreated into some place in the house while I busied myself to clean up the kitchen and head back to my room. I wasn't sure what of exactly I am supposed to do, should I have made tea for them, am I supposed to hang out or join them. The conversation might have been private. Walking out I heard nothing until I reached the stairs.

"Cupcake, running away so fast. Aren't you into goodbyes?" he chuckles before surprising me by looping his arm around my shoulder and smacking a peak on my cheek. The gesture flustered me unprepared and I am sure my face displayed it while I felt the heat on it. But the cheeky lad thankfully hadn't noticed, yet the heavy buzz that itched my skin made me aware of the eyes that very much studied me.

"I'll see you birds at the manor in days' time, till then mate." And like that he was out. And the air froze. I didn't honestly know what to do, my feet felt as if it was bonded my concrete onto the floor, too heavy to even slide on the smooth dark wood platted surface. Fidgeting with my fingers, we stood like that for what felt like eons before the heavy spell broke when the doorbell rang.

My feet at that point were on fire as my mind found something other than the man present around to focus on. Hot on my heels towards the door, a large palm gathered my arm and stopped me in my tracks. Looking up, the glare was enough to bind me back to the floor. "Hold your horses." The accent that aired from his lips was thick and melodious. Those the sound struck my chest, his eyes made sure to make me coil into my spot while the sparks of his hands on my arm did feel utterly foreign but safe. He was safe.

Slowly letting go of me, with what my eyes could only decode as a kingly posture, he walks the remaining distance to the door as it rings again. Not sparing a glance to me, he opens it. "Welsh?" pushing the door wider, Gareth storms in narrowing his eyes at me. "Surprised me again cupcake, I thought you cared enough to remind me to take my cake before I left." Wide eyed, I stare at him in confusion. As if he owned the place, he marched into the kitchen before coming back with the familiar wrap in between his hands. "Sorry mate, but I couldn't have left that behind." He stormed back out.

Silence fell again when he closed the door behind him. And without a word, he ascended the stairs and soon the sound of the door shut echoed the quite place.

Standing at the foyer, embarrassment washed over me. what was I thinking? It was his house after all, not mine to be at ease to welcome whoever inside.

Retiring to my room, I manage to unbox a couple of boxes before sleep took over me while I laid on the bed.

Days passed by, moving towards the day before charismas eve. My days were spent mostly at the house, mingling all alone around the silent space. Making sure that I dropped by the hospital, it seemed like it was the busiest service compared to the city. Mother was stable after surgery, yet not conscious still. I couldn't repeat the trip again for a taxi fare at such time was unaffordable and asking him for a ride seemed to be like pushing it. So, I had to be satisfied with this one until the festive was done with. Ever since my handy mini cooper had to be left to the mechanic a day before the marriage, life became a little restricted for me. I thought with the events coming that I would not need it and the time was perfect to finally grant the car the repair it needed while money was still fresh in my pockets. But this happened and I was aware that I had to swallow and hold tight like a mature adult until I had my mini cooper back in couple of days.

Throughout those days, I had the time to discover the space in my free time, it wasn't that big. But was modern and tech enough to freak my wits out. The place seems to be the closest thing to a robot house. Four En-suite bedrooms, three of them where on the second floor while the fourth is on the first. A gym, two living rooms, a small office, a beautiful backyard with an infinity turquoise pool and a vast breathtaking forest like garden. The villa was sort of on an uphill, and the pool over looked that. The bedroom I am staying at is indeed the master bedroom, its veranda had a wonderful view of the pool and back yard, the fireplace attached there is the coziest thing and the bathroom is to die for.

However, there is a third floor to this place that I have never steeped foot towards and did not dare to. From the past couple of days, I gathered that my husband spends all his time nowhere but this place and his room that he occupies opposite the floor of mine. I was sure curious, but I was humiliated enough to step on the wrong foot yet again before him.

Other than that, we fell into a new silently agreed routine. My husband played the role of the shadow in the house more than anything else. I would make sure to prepare all the meals in my favorite space in this house and plate it as fancy as I could all on the round very elegant and minimalistic dining table. He would sometimes show up to have his meal with me, where the soft clutter clanking sounds would only be the sounds echoing from around us or he would not bother. Which happened more often, I would leave his plate in the microwave and the next morning I find it gone, washed and left to dry on the rack.

Even though that was far from the life that I wanted. His attitude towards me was just neglecting. He would rarely replay to my words whenever I collected enough courage to speak or made ab effort to initiate a conversation while dinning. Which was the only time I would get the chance to see him throughout the day. He would sometimes hum, nod and very hardly ever would utter a word or two. And that was when his visits to the dining room became less frequent and was seen less in the house.

I left like living alone again, as if nothing has change. I was just picked up and placed into a different environment, had to cook for two instead of one and bask in another level of loneliness. All of the freelance scripts and edits that I have accepted before the holidays were done and wrapped up, two books were archived as complete as well. I used all the resources to fill in the free time and divert my mind from the grey eyed hunk in the house. 

Today was no different until Garth and some other guy showed up. Gareth was brief this time around, too clipped for my liking as he did not share much before he disappeared towards the office on the second floor. Walking back to the kitchen, thinking that I should probably prepare something light for them until dinner would be ready. Tea was always an excellent option, brewing some, I took out some biscuits and nuts before laying them all on a tray and walking carefully up the stairs. I could hear their distance voices clear as I neared them. Feeling giddy with the new company in the house, it felt different, more lively as their laughter sounded from afar.