Arranged marriage

Heart beat

                  I put down the cup and took another breath.

                 "I need to get to the shop." I stand up to put my hair in a ponytail.

                  "Let's go get you cleaned up in the bathroom real quick." Sofia held my hand dragging me into the girl's bathroom.

              I washed my face then fixed my makeup. When I walked out the bathroom Jay was waiting at the entrance leaning against the wall.

                "Put a smile on your face. Your smile is too cute to find." He cupped my face and smiled. "I would do anything for you, don't forget that." I closed my eyes and wrapped my arm around his torso resting my head on his chest. The sound of his heartbeat made me smile.

              That's all it took. One hug and I felt better. I had never fallen for someone this hard before- I can't lie...I'm scared. I'm scared that I'll get hurt again...That he'll get hurt again. Pushing all those thoughts aside I pulled away and gave him a shy smile.

"Oh, look Tati!" I looked at the flash of brown hair and waved back to the girl.

"Hey, Sila! Is Ethan in the shop?" She asked pointing back to the Starbucks. I nodded and she flashed me a smile before rushing into the shop.

"I need to go to the store, my shift is about to start." Sofia told me and I nodded once more.

"Yeah, me too. Tejah probably is worried and kinda pissed if she thinks I'm not coming."

"If you need anything I work right under ya."

"Kay, kay. Have fun!" I looked over at Jay who was holding my hand without me noticing until now. A smile tugged on my lips as I looked down at our matching rings.

             "Married? Really?! In how many mouths did it take you two to get married and do...that." Dominic came up from behind us looking down at our hands.

             "Bro, I have a headache and not in the mood to deal with this." I groaned and went upstairs to the H&M where I worked.

"What but-"

"Zip it before I rip those freckles off your face!"

_________________________________________________________________________

I plopped onto the couch with one earbud in watching a Shane Dawson video. I felt someone lay down next to me making me turn my head. Jay was close I could smell his cologne and shampoo. I wasn't complaining.

"Whatcha doing?" He playfully smiled like a child.

            "Watching Shane." I replied looking back to the screen. He swiftly took the other earbud and put it in his ear.

            We were four videos in when I looked over to Jay. He had fallen asleep with his head on my stomach. It reminded me of a child falling asleep on his mother's lap cause they were too scared to go to sleep in their own room.

          I gently brushed against his non-shaven face. He hadn't shaved in a day or two so his beard started to grow in a little. It looked good on him. His natural hair color was black. The sides of his hair were cut short but the top  had grown out to about his nose or something.

         The roots had also grown out making his hair fade from his black roots to his grey tips.

He was truly a masterpiece, not cause his face but his personality. He acted all ignorant putting up walls thicker than a concrete just so he wouldn't be hurt anymore.

       My lips curved into a smile as he shifted a little. I brushed his hair out his eyes. He yawned softly and the indent of his dimples flashed into view for a split second.

Starting to mumble his lips curled into a frown. He scrunched up his face while sweating bullets as if he was scared of something. I tried to make sense of his muffled words but came back untraced.

"Jay...Jay." I sat up straight as his face became more tensed.

"Please stop...please...daddy don't hurt mommy." His muffles turned into cries and I started to shake him awake.

"Jay, wake up!"

"Stop!" He jolted up blood shot eyes with sweat beating down his forehead. "Fuck..." He shut his eyes sitting on the edge of the sofa.

I put my hand on his shoulder gently being carful not to make him more uncomfortable. "Jay, are you okay?" That was a stupid question. I know.

He let a small chuckle slide, but it wasn't with humor, it was something else. "No matter what I do I can't get that bustard out of my nightmares. He can't get into my life so he's attacking me in my sleep."

I wanted to say something but when I opened my mouth nothing seemed to come. I watched as a tear rolled down his cheek...my heart shattered into pieces. I got up and sat down in front of him.

"Forget him. I know it's easier said than done, but trust me." I leaned closer wiping the stream of tears falling out of his eyes. I gave him a soft smile.

"What did I do to deserve you?" He dropped his eyes to the ground.

"You truly don't know what power you have over me, do you?" I let my lips loose staring back at him. "I didn't know what being loved felt like, Jay...you made me know what that felt like...you made me know what trust felt like." I rested my forehead on his knee shutting my eyes.

           "I think your the one that doesn't know." He lifted my chin up forcing me to look back at his bright green eyes. "Look...just...don't worry your pretty little head about me, okay?"

"How? You're my husband after all. That's like giving birth to a child and just dropping it off at Walmart. Not gonna happen." A smirk appeared on his face.

"Do you wanna have children?" The sudden question caught me off guard.

"Yes." I smiled looking down at the floor. "I've always wanted to have kids, maybe not now, but definitely sometime." When I looked up Jay was smiling. "Image, we would have a daughter. She'd have green eyes, dark hair, pouty lips. Just like you."

          "I'd want her to look more like you." He frowns playing with my earrings. "Have your brown eyes."