Entangled Feelings

Raging Cold Storm and Cozy Warm Feelings: Carene Warren

It had been two weeks.

Two weeks since I had signed the official documents. Two weeks since I had wore the smooth platinum in my fourth finger. Two weeks since my self claimed last name was changed. Two weeks since I had moved in to the new environment with new people who I see almost everyday. 

It felt different. Kinda rushed. But I did it for myself, and to return the favor to Alex.

The new surname felt foreign, but I know I'll eventually get used to it. Same way I did with my name previously. I received my own room, my own study, everything provided, and yet it felt wrong. Alex had assured me several times that I didn't need to feel that way. But I just couldn't help.

We two lived our lives separately, yet closely. I only saw him during the night on weekdays and sometimes during the breakfast on the weekends too. He was a busy man, always clad in suit, calm and quiet. 

This house was in a society, somewhere in the higher lands where no normal person can even accidently enter. Forests and hills surrounded the area and it was a forty minute drive to the main city. It was beautiful. I always wanted to live in a peaceful place like this. Away from the chaos in the city. But there were so many secrets about this place that were buried deep in this society. This whole area was only for the Warren Security's people and their families. What puzzled me even more when I was introduced to the "trainees" here, that included Naziha and her friends who I met when I came here. When I asked Alex, he said they were here for internships and were learning, but that didn't seem like a full truth.

I didn't ask any other questions after that. 

My laptop screen was still lit opened and it rained outside. The weather was cold and the tip of my nose was red due to sneezing. Half of my room was covered in large windows that showed the rain that poured outside. A welcome card given by the girls stood proudly on my desk. The room was dimly lit and I simply stared out before a knock on the door brought me back to the present. The door opened and I turned around to see Alex standing there.

"Hey..." I stood up pulling the woolen shawl over my shoulders. He stared at me for a moment.

"It's cold, isn't it?" He muttered while still having his eyes on me. 

"Yeah..." A soft smile broke on my face. "The rain made it better." 

He nodded and looked at the windows. "Did you have your dinner?" His head turned to me again.

"Ah that-" I had lost the track of time. "No, not yet. I didn't realize it was so late." 

"I brought take out, hope you like Chinese." His hand raised and rubbed the back of his neck. My smile grew and I nodded once again before he tilted his head, motioning to follow him.

"Alex?" I called out while walking up to him.

"Yes, love?" He turned back immediately. We both froze for a moment. I at the unexpected title and the close proximity, while his brows furrowed, gaze slightly below my eyes. "Are you... sick?" He asked looking at my nose.

"Oh- uhm, no, just sneezed a bit and the- and the weather." A sniffle and I rubbed the tip for some relief. He stared at me for a while before reaching out and holding my hand.

"You're cold." His thumb traced my knuckles. Heat instantly spread on my face. His hand was warm, unlike the room and the weather. He retrieved his hand a moment later and I missed the feeling already, instead he held the shawl and adjusted it properly so it covered me enough to keep the cold off. "I'll make you some coffee." He said quietly and I could only stare at him.

For some reason he was paranoid and had me sitting on the couch, wrapped like a burrito in one of the blankets he found. 

"Don't you dare move." He said all the way from the kitchen. A while later he brought a cup and placed it in front of me. "It's hot, be careful." He said and disappeared in the kitchen again. I stared at his path before he stepped out with the food this time.

"You're worrying too much, it's nothing, really." I slipped out of the blankets and grabbed the coffee cup before sipping the warm liquid carefully. Alex watched me do all that. I looked at him and raised my brows, placing the cup back. My breath got caught in my throat when he moved extremely close to my face. His finger pulled off my glasses which I didn't realize had fogged up a little.

"Don't wanna risk it, do we, love?" He whispered and placed the blanket over my lap before moving back and going back to eat. I coughed out and looked away, silently thanking that it was dark so he can't see my face burning. "See you're coughing too now." 

"I choked." Cough. "On air." He glanced at me from the side. 

"Careful, love. You might get your throat irritated." Again with his names. I cleared my throat and shoved a spoonful of fried rice in my mouth. 

"I'm fine." I muttered with my mouth full. His gaze didn't move away from me, a small smile playing on his lips. "What?" I asked looking back at him.

"Nothing." He said and slipped some of his food on my plate before patting my head. "Eat well." I could only stare cluelessly at him. 

His phone buzzed and he looked at the screen. I tried sneaking a glance but he was quicker and excused himself, getting up with the call. My eyes followed him as he mindlessly roamed in a distance while talking to someone on call. He stood by the glass door of the backyard and nodded. Curiosity was overtaking my mind. I don't usually eavesdrop but at the moment I had the serious urge to do so. Soon, he hung up, watching something outside.

"Alex no!" My hands threw the plate on the table and ran behind him. He went out in the backyard and the storm was still raging. "Alex!" I called out, stan and he was doing something with a sheet of synthetic fabric, over a few shrubs.

"Stay there." He said and my legs were rooted to the ground, watching him pull the stupid stunt. When he was done, he dusted his hands off and walked back in. 

"What were you doing?" I threw a towel at him and locked the door while he rubbed the fabric on his head.

"A bird's nest, it fell off the branches and there were couple of hatchlings there." He sighed and shook his head to get the excess water out. "The sheet can shelter them for a while, at least until mama bird is back." His eyes went out to look at the shrubs. If I was told on the first day I was meeting Alex Warren that he builds shelter for baby birds, I would have laughed it off. But the more time I spent with him, had me realizing that Alex was indeed a marshmallow deep down. His gaze locked into mine when I simply stared at him in awe. "Staring is rude, you know?"

"I know." My lips were upturned in a smile so big that my cheeks hurt. But that quickly fell when I gasped and turned around. "Can you not strip in front of me?" He had the sheer audacity to pull his shirt off in front of me.

"Why not?" He shamelessly shrugged behind me. I can imagine a stupid smirk plastered on his face, being all smug about the reaction he pulled out of me. "Carene... Warren. You have my surname, oh my god, do you know what that means, love? It means that I'm your husband, and I don't think it's a crime seeing your husband... well, shirtless. Not that I mind it." So, he expects me to see a wet, half naked man and be totally sane about it. Lovely.

"Thank you for that very generous offer Mr. Warren, but I'll have to kindly decline it." I have to think of a way to get away from this situation.

"I see, but your eyes being on my reflection say otherwise" He stated casually and my brows furrowed. What reflection? And my eyes darted up on the glass in front of me.

My holy heavens, Jesus Christ, bless me.