Too Little, Too Late

26

On the day she accepted his marriage proposal and on the day they actually got married, Ayra was certain she and Ibrahim were always going to live in pure bliss.

While the months they'd spent as husband and wife weren't exactly what she'd dreamed, she'd never envisioned that a day would come when she'd stand on the other side of the wall that separated the foyer from the living room, her hands brought up to her mouth to stop any sound from slipping while tears streamed down her cheeks as she listened to Ibrahim bring Bella to an earth-shattering orgasm with just his hands in the foyer of the place she – Ayra – had learned to call home.

In her chest, her heart was a battered organ that had exploded and she wasn't sure there was anything else that could hurt her more than the discovery of Ibrahim being unfaithful. She didn't even want to try wondering how long it had been going on for. She was scared about what she'd find. Nothing else could hurt her like this. Nothing came close.

In the foyer, Ibrahim held the woman he loved with his face buried in the crook of her neck as she came down from the blissful high. She left her hands in his hair, trying to catch her breath, while he focused on restraining himself, the bulge in his trousers nearly painful. As much as he wanted to take her there and then and pour out every single emotion he felt, he knew he had to wait. Until they cleared up the issue between them, he was going to keep himself under control that came with years of practice.

The minutes ticked by and when Bella's hands moved from his hair, Ibrahim knew what was coming next. More than a decade of being together had taught him more than enough. He easily caught her right hand which had been on its way to his face. A moment later, he caught her left hand too and when she struggled, asking to be let go, he sighed against her neck and pulled back.

Like every single time he saw her, he was reminded that she was too beautiful to be real; even when she glared at him, her eyes ablaze as fury and fading lust clashed against each other. She was mad at him and he knew she had every right to be.

The conversation they were to have was a little overdue as she'd made it impossible for him to try to reach her. If it was to go on for any longer, they were both going to blow the way they'd once done years back; something none of them – including the other members of the squad – ever wanted to relive.

"I hate you." Bella gritted out, trying to wriggle her hands free. "I really hate you."

Ibrahim sighed again and pinned her hands to her side, resting his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry, Sevgilim."

She laughed humourlessly. "Of course you have to be. When I'm done with you, I'm going to kill Jalal because non aveva diritto a chiamarti in ufficio (he had no business calling you to the office). Let go of me!"

Ibrahim stayed calm. "Sapeva che dovevo parlarti (he knew I had to talk to you)."

Bella's eyes blazed even more. "Fuck you."

"Oh we'll be getting to that very soon." When she glared at him with more intensity, he exhaled slowly before letting go of her hands. "Bella –"

She shoved him and it only moved him back a bit while rage consumed her whole. "You took her to Santorini!"

"Bella –"

"No, Serkan, you should listen to me! We made plans to go to Santorini to celebrate thirteen years of being together and we both took time out to ensure this trip was perfect! I spent two weeks picking out that suite for you and me and yet who went there? Who went there, Ibrahim?!"

He briefly tucked his tongue in his cheek, telling himself not to get frustrated even in the slightest. "You knew I had no other choice."

Bella didn't want to hear it and her glare told him everything she wasn't vocally saying. He held her glare with his calm gaze. "You know, just like everyone else, that I had no other choice, Bella. This wasn't like any other time when I could say the right words and Ayra would yield so we all knew we had to act fast. It was too late to get reservations booked and I had to use ours because if I hadn't, we'd be in an even deeper mess now. You know that. Anneth, Tobi, Jalal, and Nathaniel also know that. And you also know how sorry I am; how sorry I've been."