You & I ✓

Chapter 22

The next morning when I woke up I felt the similar warmth around me like my own personal comforter. I smiled remembering that I was wrapped in Ethan's arms. I lazily opened my eyes to see Ethan's  sleeping face. I tried to free myself from his grasp but my movements must've woken him up since he opened his eyes and smiled at me.

"Good Morning." I spoke softly.

"Hmm". He again closed his eyes and murmured sleepily. He tightened his hold on me and pulled me more closer if that was even possible since I was plastered to him like a climber.

"I hate to tell you but we have to go to office." I spoke since today he had one of his important meetings with Caleb. He told me last night, and to top it all I had to be a part of it. He was very apologetic and told me that if I didn't want to be a part of it then he wouldn't force me but I agreed to attend the meeting. I was a professional and I wouldn't let my personal problems mar my work.

"Let's skip work." He brought me out of my trance.

I sighed and almost agreed with him but decided against. "Come on, get off me, I have to go home and get ready. " I pushed his hands away.

"Fine. My driver will drop you."  He reluctantly let me free and went to the washroom to get ready. I reached the ground floor where his driver was waiting for me near his car. I self consciously fixed my hair and tried to smoothen my clothes which I changed earlier. He wished me good morning  and opened the door for me. I quickly got in and in no time I reached home.

I quickly got ready and left for the office. When I reached office I saw that Ethan was already present there in the conference hall along with Caleb and my few other office colleagues. Ethan's PA Miss Jones still gave me a bitter look. I mentally rolled my eyes at her silly actions. Poor girl, little did she know that we were in a relationship now. I couldn't care less about her now. My entire attention was on Caleb now. I tried to make it less awkward and wished every person there including him a good morning. They all wished me back.

Caleb spoke, "How are you Erica?"

I replied, "I am good. Yeah good." 

He nodded and kept quiet since he understood that I didn't want to continue the conversation. Ethan must have sensed the tension in the air since he ordered the meeting to start and for the next hour the meeting continued. When meting was over and everyone left Ethan told me to wait. His PA was still there collecting notes and Ethan told her to leave too. This felt like a deja vu. After the room was completely empty Ethan held my hand and spoke, "Are you Okay?"  It was true I was  a little distracted but I couldn't help it, whenever there was something related to dad's other family my mood instantly turned foul. I remembered the years of pain that me and my mom had to suffer. Sure, we never had any financial problems but money couldn't solve all problems nor it could take away the pain.

"Yes. What happened to me? I am okay." I lied.

"You seemed upset. Is it because of Caleb?" He asked holding my face in his hands.

"I just can't forget about all those times whenever I see them. I can't digest the fact that instead of including me in his family dad kept me away from him. Like he was ashamed of me, like he was ashamed of his other family. He used to come visit us like twice or thrice in a months. I remember asking him to stay with us and he used to feed me lies about being busy and all. Mom knew about it. She knew about his other family. Still they kept hiding everything from me. You know, how it feels to be remembered that your entire existence is a mistake. That you were never meant to happen but one mistake ruined it. If I wasn't born then no one would ever find out about mom and Dad's affair. And that women, Caleb's mother, she has not left a single chance to humiliate me. " I remembered the incident during my college days, she left no chance to humiliate me. One mistake on my part and she hasn't forgotten that mistake and nor allowed me to forget it. She kept on humiliating me for it. I wish I could turn back time and erase it forever or stop myself from commiting that mistake. But it was too late now to regret it.I wasn't ready to tell Ethan about that mistake just yet. I knew for a fact that it would change his attitude towards me and I wasn't ready to face that.