Just The Right Black

Chapter 42

Ariana and Jace walked through the front door and he shut it behind them, their silence filled the darkness as Ariana walked to the living area and just stopped, her thoughts haywire.

Jace turned the lights on and she snapped out of whatever daze she was in.

"Everything all right?" Jace asked when he saw the look on her face,

"Yes," Ariana said before she turned and made her way upstairs to the room and into the bathroom.

She shut the door and went to stand in front of the vanity, placing her hand flat on the marble counter and sighed heavily. She glanced up at the mirror and stared at herself. A smile appeared on her face at the thought of her mum.

There was a knock in the door which made her straighten,
"Everything all right in there?" Jace asked,

"Yea," She called, "I'll be right out."

Ariana leaned closer to the sink and splashed cold water on her face. She needed to feel like she was present and actually awake because of everything that has happened from her mum waking up to getting married.

Getting married. She was married. Well, biblically, not legally.
Ariana snorted at that.

Never in a billion and one years did she ever think she'd get married, even a fake marriage.

And there she was, married to someone who made her life complicated, who made her feel things that she shouldn't feel, alien things.

Ariana grabbed a towel and wiped her face before heading out. Jace looked up at her the second she stepped out.

"You alright?" He stood at the end of the bed. He'd been pacing before she stepped out of the bathroom.

Ariana nodded her head,
"Are you?" She asked out of courtesy,

"I'm alright if you are."

Silence filled the space between them yet again.
"I should move back to the guest room." She said the first thing that came to mind,

"Why?" He dragged,

"My leg's better now," She gestured to her leg, "Thanks to you. I'll no longer have to be in your hair."

"Don't." He said quickly as he took a step towards her,

"What?" Ariana blinked,

"I like having you here," He said, "I sleep better with you here and every time you step out, I wake up."

"Every time I step out," She repeated, "So you noticed. I always tried to be careful not to wake you up. You work throughout the day till late at night and you sleep very little."

"Believe me, you're as quiet as anything. The only reason I wake up is because I feel your absence."

"Sorry." She said feeling guilty for waking him up,

"Hey," He said walking towards her, "It's not your fault."

He stopped in front of her,
"There's another reason why you shouldn't move to the guest room," He said, "And this one is more important than anything."

"What's that?" She looked up at him,

"You're my wife," The corner of his lips quirked in a small smile, "For however long that would last."

Ariana needed to get oxygen into her lungs. Jace reached up and placed his hand on the side of her face, her lips parted and she inhaled deeply as her heart skipped a beat.

"Jace?"

"As much as you think it was just a show to make your mum happy, it's as real and true as it can be for me."

"What are you saying?"

He smiled,
"Something you're not ready for." He pulled her into his embrace and placed a kiss on her forehead.

It took Ariana a moment to start breathing but when she did, she put her arms around him and took it in. She still couldn't figure out why she felt the way she did every time he was near or touched her or did anything to her.

"Thank you for today," Ariana said still in his embrace where she wanted to be forever.

"No thanks required," he said, "I'd do anything for you."

"Except take a bullet." Ariana pulled away with a smile on her face,

"And that too," He said smiling, "I want you to be safe."

Her smile fell when she realized he was serious.
"Don't you dare," She said through clenched teeth, "My job is to protect you not the other way around. I can't let you get shot or worse...killed."

Ariana turned around and walked away heading to the walk-in closet with Jace behind her.

"Why are you mad?"

"Because you think this is a joke," She snapped as she unbuttoned her shirt, "This is my job and it's your life on the freaking line. Anything happens to you, it's my ass on the line..." she removed her shirt and let it fall, "...and I can't let anything happen to you, I have a reputation..." she unbuttoned and unzipped her trouser, "...and I don't need you to slide in, take a bullet for me along with my reputation." She pulled her trousers down and stepped out of them.

"I've been wanting to say something." Jace leaned into the wall,

"What?!" She snapped and stopped to look at him,

"You...look really sexy in that white piece," Jace smirked, his eyes running along her body,

She frowned at him before she looked down at herself and realized she had not only taken off her clothes in front of him but she still had her white swimsuit. After she'd gotten the call, she pulled her clothes over the swimsuit not caring if it got wet.

She was used to taking her clothes off with her team in the same room when off on an OP because there just was no time to spare for privacy during times like those and she thought this was one of those times. She just forgot one important detail.

She was talking to Jace, not her teammate.

Ariana cleared her throat and looked up at him before she picked her clothes from the floor.
"It's just a swimsuit."

He was still staring,
"Uh-hmm,"

Ariana picked a nightwear from her stacked clothes and went to the bathroom. Jace couldn't help but watch her as she walked away and he realized it was a bad idea when she walked past him and he turned around. He groaned and looked away.

"You're killing me." He called before she slammed the door.

That night, she went to sleep not caring about what was to come. She slept like her life depended on it and when she woke up, she woke up from the same nightmare. She turned to her left to find Jace still sleeping peacefully and she got out of the bed and was about to head out of the room when she remembered what he said about her absence.

She sighed and went to the walk-in closet and took out some blankets. She walked back towards the bed and spread on out one of the blankets on the floor near her side of the bed, she picked her pillow up and placed it on one end. She laid down and went to sleep.

That always felt better.

She let her mind wander till she fell asleep again.