Haunted Devotion

16.

Sharing a bedroom, bathroom and closet with a man that's my fiance was a new experience overall.

Seeing his habits, him watching my habits, it was all different.

"Can...can you zip this for me?" I ask, pressing my lips together nervously as my romper's zipper is stuck.

Linus stops drying his hair from just getting out the shower, zipping my outfit with a towel to cover his waist and below but showing a sharp defined V line.

"Red looks good on you," He kisses my check then goes over to the walk-in closet to pick something to match with what I had on.

"If I remembered correctly, I solved your parents curse and they like me?"

Linus throws on a red casual but formal shirt leaving it unbuttoned having a white tank underneath paired with black faded jeans to match.

"They have no choice but to respect you if you're going to become their daughter in law and the love of my life until death do us part."

"I am linked to you until death do us part," Another voice invades my thoughts not matching Linus's voice.

The phone in the bedroom goes off, having me pick up hearing Yerlin's voice.

"Wife to be, how are you?" He says actually sounding like a normal person and not like an entitled prick that I remembered.

"Still getting used to it," I genuinely say now looking back at the ring on my finger.

Yerlin chuckles softly then lets me know he'll be on his way and bringing a friend.

"Yeah sure that's okay I think, give me a sec," I turn, covering the phone looking at Linus, "Is it okay if Yerlin brings a friend to breakfast with your parents?" Linus nods, "I don't see an issue," Then puts a chain on while adding cologne afterwards. "Linus said it was alright," I told Yerlin which makes him delighted.

We hang up having Linus and I go downstairs to see the food placed out on the table and counters.

"You outdid yourself Gerald," Linus says, complimenting his hard work.

Gerald smiles bowing in appreciation, "Thank you Mr. Elrod."

The doorbell rings having Linus answer it with a smile as he sees his parents.

"Mom, dad," He kisses their cheeks then lets them in while I stand in the middle of the dining room awkwardly.

Both Gina and Thomas wave then go in to kiss my cheek admiring how I looked with the addition of the engagement ring.

"Wow, you look stunning," Gina says through a fake smile.

Thomas agrees then sits smelling the food getting ready to eat before any of us could get a chance to.

"Dad," Linus says but his dad just loosens his shirt wedging a napkin towards the collar.

"Forgive him, he's been waiting to eat since we got ready this morning," Gina beckons while taking a seat by her hungry husband.

Linus and I take a seat right after, grabbing the food, placing it on our plates then a few minutes after Gerald walks in Yerlin with his guest.

"Hey, this is Nolan, the friend I was speaking about," Yerlin says, having the person smile low while greeting everyone then stops and stares at me.

"Do I know you?" I ask as I shake his hand which was cold as he sat by me.

Nolan reaches over, taking an eyelash off my cheek then shaking his head.

"Congratulations on your engagement," He says, already knowing because of Yerlin.

I smiled then felt Linus hold my hand underneath the table on the other side of me.

"Let's eat before the food gets cold," Linus says then pours some juice in a cup for me then places a napkin on my lap like they would in the restaurants.

Nolan keeps watching intently, having his actions feel more intimate than a stranger's gaze would be.

"Excuse me," I say, going to the bathroom having my heart race so fast that I thought Linus could hear it thumping as much as it was in my ears.

Splashing water onto my face, memory resurfaces and I could have sworn Nolan was right behind me and the shower was on, his breath found near my ear with the word yours lingering out, but then the memory fades with just me staring into the mirror squinting at my own reflection.

As I got closer, my reflection points behind me, making me turn to see candles flickering in a ballroom.

Touching the glass, I slipped in and got transported somewhere she was showing me.

People of not our time walked with umbrellas underneath the sun with bows in their hair and men in suits that looked vintage.

A man that looked like Nolan held a carriage door open for a woman that looked just like me.

"How did I get so lucky?" Nolan asks the replica of me.

"Lucky is my middle name," She joked then held his arm with hers going into a market with barrels of fish filled to the rim and a butcher cutting up meat right in the open on a wooden board.

"Devlin?" Linus' voice somehow brings me back and I'm looking down at a sink full of water.

"S-Sorry, I'll be right out," I smiled, turning the faucet off.

Linus nods then looks back unsure if he should leave me alone, worried.

I know Nolan...but not now...in another life?

I go back out to the dining room with Linus' parents talking about the Relish Organization and how they must be thriving more since my big win with their curse being solved.

"She is the heart of it all," Yerlin says chuckling while Nolan just stays quiet, almost as if he was waiting for me to come back because when he saw me he sat up more keeping his gaze on me but not entirely to suggest he was staring.

Linus holds my chair out for me to sit then pushes it in once I get comfortable.

"You alright?" He whispers over to me while kissing my cheek.

Couldn't help but still feel his eyes flickering over to me, I looked down then back up catching him in the act not sure why it made my heart fluttered more.

For a moment I thought I saw him mouth something...a word.

Squinting a bit to see exactly what, Gerald bends down whispering in my ear that I have a phone call from someone urgent making me excuse myself again leaving puzzled.