Love's Unwritten Contract

5

My heart stopped as I stared at her. " what the hell is wrong with you. You love him?" I laughed, looking at her, my eyes wide. " You know, if you loved him, I wouldn't be here with his ring on my finger. If you had stayed and got married like planned, you would be the mother of your child and not trying to win him back." I snapped, feeling some pent-up rage because it was now the third time Bella had approached me about getting a divorce from Dominic so she could marry him. "Don't give me the 'you don't understand' excuse. The answer is no for the third time Izabella. The answer will be no." I spoke and walked into the kitchen where Dominic was hunched over a cookbook, slowly flipping the pages. " out of the kitchen. I'm claiming it since this can be where I can be at peace with no one breathing down my neck." I spoke, keeping my voice steady and calm as I stared at Dominic. He cleared his throat and closed the book, and Bella was nowhere to be heard behind me. " no one is behind you, and nor breathing down your neck., Ophelia. What is going on." he spoke, tucking away the book and crossing his arms. His muscles could be seen rippling under his shirt as his biceps flexed with the slightest movement. " my sister and Oakley. Oakley, I'm fine, but my sister is constantly prying and just out. Now."

I mumbled, jumping onto the counter, my legs hanging off the edge as I grabbed the cookbook Dominic was looking at when I first walked in. " one, sunshine, last I checked this was my kitchen as well, and two I thought we agreed on if she was bothering you you would come to me. And third if Oakley is getting to be too much tell me i'll take the burden off you so you can have a break." he spoke as he stepped back. Hence, his back was flesh against the wall by the fridge. And his gaze was soft but yet steady on me " one I don't nicknames its Ophelia, two. This is not the first time I've had to deal with my sister. third, Oakley may be getting much... Just a little." I counted each of his remarks to me. Crossing my arms, I groaned, "Please just get out. I would like the kitchen to myself so I can bake in pieces without people coming at me from every corner." I sighed. A small smirk spread across his face. " whatever you say, sunshine, but the nickname is sticking."

I rolled my eyes as he left the kitchen, leaving me to my thoughts. I sighed lightly and jumped off the counter, tying my hair into a messy bun while working on the brownie batter. I finished baking the batter and placed the pan into the oven when I heard Bella arguing with someone outside the door. I walked over to the door and saw a silhouette standing in front of the door. I knocked before opening the door and saw Dominic sitting in front of the door, reading a book to Oakley. "Uh, what is happening out here, and would you stop yelling? I have heard enough of you yelling in the past, and I sure don't need it again." I rolled my eyes, watching her eyes flicker to me and then back to Dominic. " ugh, you're the reason I'm not allowed in the kitchen! You are a bitch you know that, right?" Bella snapped at me as she tried coming forward, and Dominic picked Oakley up as he stood up. " watch how you speak in front of my kid, Izabella. I don't enjoy the mouth you have grown lately. Especially when you speak to your sister." Dominic's voice became darker, almost as he had spoken the night of our wedding when he had called me a child.

"Enough, I said no one in the kitchen. Now, please take your yelling somewhere else." I rolled my eyes before tucking into the kitchen to check on the brownies.

A few more words were being shared outside the door. I sighed, my timer going off. I grabbed the oven mitt and pulled out the fresh batch. The air quickly closed me with the dark chocolate smell mixed with freshly baked batter. I smiled, letting the cake cool while I cleaned up the mess I had made, wiping down the counters and washing the dishes. I returned to the door, and everyone standing there had vanished from the spot. A breath escaped me when I saw I didn't need to worry about anything else. For the time being, I headed into the living room to find my mother and father, but there was no sight of Ella. Dominic held onto Oakley as he stood back, and Bella stood there teary-eyed as she stared at my father. I froze once his gaze found mine. "There is the bride. Or ex-bride, 'cause I'm guessing your sister has been talking to you about how Dominic said he would marry her instead. So they can be a happy family for once." his voice was smooth, almost like he would speak to the younger six-year-old me. My heart sunk to the pit of my stomach slower than a sinkhole would swallow a human whole. " what the hell are you on about. I have never. And nor will I say this. She has my last name, and I'm not letting her out of my life." he spoke, setting down Oakley behind him as the little boy clung to his leg. Dominic's eyes nearly became pitch black, and his posture shot straight. He stared between my father and Bella. The room slowly started spinning faster than normal, followed by my breathing quickening. The last thing I heard was my mother screaming my name,

"Ophelia!"