AROUND THE HEART IN 80 DAYS

Forty Five

"Where are you going?"

"Jacqueline's."

He appeared to be studying her, and indeed he possibly was but she didn't want to pay attention to him. Not now at least. When her friend was having a breakdown. And not to mention inviting her over to Edrei's house at long last.

"See? You even put up an attitude now when you talk to me."

Eyeing both sides of her profile in the mirror, she decided the longer earrings would go better with her now-straight dark hair.

"Martha for goodness' sake, can't we just talk anything out if there's an issue?"

"Who said anything about an issue, Luis?"

"Then let's talk. You're paying less and less attention to me. You're focusing too much on work, on your friends-"

"Why shouldn't I focus on my friends? Jack for instance, she's feeling terrible now. Her boyfriend hasn't been home in five days and she's worried sick. I informed you of this. Why are you acting like I'm doing something evil?"

"I get it that she's going through a lot right now, I care about her too. But what's going on between two of us is something that doesn't relate an inch to that matter."

Martha dropped her shoulders then rolled her eyes. Finally, she spun in her vanity seat to face him. "Okay, what on earth do you mean?"

"Are you joking with me?" Luis did look frustrated and she didn't like that for him. But she hadn't told him to come over. Now he had and he was disappointed. How was that her own fault?
"Martha we've been engaged for almost half a year. I'm set to get married but you keep holding it back. My family is waiting, your brother keeps asking of what I did wrong. I cannot get around what is happening."

"It's all of you worrying yourselves. I'm truly having marriage jitters and you can't blame me for it."

"You weren't having jitters before December. We missed the Christmas wedding we spoke ages about. Then to top it all off, it seems you don't even want to see me anymore. You don't want to return my calls or messages. Pardon me if I am intensely worried about my fiancée."

"Nothing's wrong is all I can say to you," she turned back to the mirror to check the wings of her eyeliner. When she was done, she stood up and smoothed over her skirt.

Luis studied her incredulously. With a snicker, he added, "And just when did you start looking so fancy when going to visit Jackie?"

"Oh is everything going to bother you? Are you going to nag me to death now? What is with you these days, Luis?"

"Nag? What is with me?" He wiped his hand over his mock smirk. "Martha is there somebody else?"

She stood up straight and shot him a pointed glare. "Don't go there. I mean it."

"What do you expect me to think-"

"I'm simply living out the best of my last days as a single woman. Dressing for fun, hanging out with my friends, slowly detaching."

"It's a marriage, good God! You're not being enlisted in the military."

"Well, trust me. I'm not cheating. I'm honestly going to see Jackie. But it's alright if you don't want to believe me. You can believe I'm cheating so I don't expect anything to be a shock for me anymore." Sidestepping him, she reached for her purse to pull out her phone and proceeded to book a ride.

Calmly, two arms snaked round her shoulders. If she rolled her eyes so much, they just might fall off. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry 'kay babe?" He kissed her shoulder but she was well aware he was also checking at the address location she was typing in. "I'm so worried, you have to understand me. I feel like I'm losing you everyday and I can't do anything about it."

"Let me guess, it's your choir colleagues filling in your head with a lot of nonsense. Or is it the guys from work? Because I simply cannot put together how-"

"Babe," he drawled and kissed her shoulder again, "I'm sorry. I won't doubt you again. I promise. But please open up to me more. I need to understand what's going on with the whole marriage thing. Please?"

"Fine. We'll talk more when I get back today. Is that fine with you?"

He nodded behind her obediently.

"I have to go. The driver's pretty close by. Do you want to stay or..."

"I'll wait. I'll wait here."

"Alright. Bye... dear." She pecked his cheek quickly and made out the door.

●

Her love was still in the kiss. How could he ever have doubted his fiancée whom he lived with all his life? He smiled dreamily as his fingers went over the lucky cheek.

He loved her to the moon and back and he must be an idiot to think the worst of her. A lot of people held on to engagements for even up to two years. He would be a patient man. Besides, wasn't love patient and kind?