Temptations

49. BORED TO DEATH

NATHAN

I had been bored to death ever since I came home, because of the fact that my wife had abandoned me. Okay maybe I was exaggerating a little. She hadn't left me per se, just spending a night with her friend.

Alicia had invited me for dinner with a common friend but I wasn't in the mood. Instead, I went to Aria's room and asked Kelly to leave. I wanted to spend some time with my girl and read her stories from her story book. Due to my busy routine, I hardly get to spend time with her at night and tonight seemed to be the perfect occasion for that.

"Are you sleepy yet?" I asked.

"No." She shook her head.

"Good. Daddy will read you stories. Is that okay?" I asked and she nodded excitedly. I walked over to her bookshelf and it was filled with hundreds of story books and color books, all colorful, bright and radiant.

"Daddy, when will Mama come back?" Aria asked softly.

"Soon sweetie. She will be here tomorrow." I said and chose the mermaid's storybook from her bookshelf. "Do you like this one?" I asked and she nodded.

I sat down beside her bed and began reading the book, all the while running fingers in her hair. She watched me with big, brown eyes as she hugged the blanket closer to her.

"Mama will not leave us. Right?" Aria asked, cutting me in between the sentences. Her question took me off guard and I started looking around.

"No, she won't." I said, hesitating.

"Promise?" Aria asked.

I sighed as I watched her eyes filled with hope. "Promise." I said. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep this promise as Ellie would leave us as soon as Serena moves. But Aria wasn't mature enough to understand this. It would break her when Ellie would finally leave and I wanted to postpone this heartbreak as much as possible.

That's what scared me the most about this marriage. Aria has gotten unhealthily attached to Ellie and I didn't know what to do about that. She loved Ellie more than she ever loved Serena and I can't imagine her reaction to losing her.

I stayed with Aria for about an hour, telling her stories and listening to her talk about her classmates and friends. Finally, her lids grew heavier and she began to struggle in opening her eyes.

Once I was sure she had fallen asleep, I informed Kelly and went back to my room.

The room felt emptier without Ellie's overwhelming presence and the bed felt too big for a single person. In so little time, I had gotten used to her and it was all her fault.

After my daily routine, I lay down but my mind kept going to her. Whether I liked her or hated her, I can't ignore the fact that my life was empty without Ellie. The casual hookups of my past didn't come equal to the peace I felt by having her beside me every night. It felt different; it felt real, even though it was a fake wedding.

My eyes lingered on my phone screen and my hands itched to dial a phone call to her. But then, I remembered how she reacted when she saw me. She clearly didn't want me around and I was still thinking about her. How pathetic have I become in these few months? What's wrong with me?

Throwing my phone away on the bed, I turned off the lamp and forcefully closed my eyes. There was no way I was going to let a girl ruin my peace of mind like that. I was Nathan Byers, the businessman, not Nathan Byers the lovestruck teenager.

"Go to sleep." I ordered myself and clenched my eyes tighter.

*****

"So the deal is closed." The client held out his hand towards me. He was a tall man with a beer belly and a beard that really needed a trim. He was accompanied by his two sons and a secretary.