FLOWER

Chapter Fifteen

It had been one week and two days since Cleopatra started staying in Theodore's mansion,she didn't leave the house or went for a walk,subconsciously she felt Theodore might just be like Aaron,she couldn't let her guard down.

Even when lady Evelyn advised her to go out and explore the world,Cleopatra remained at home,she didn't want to get into trouble, she blamed Aaron for making her feel like every man was as deceitful and conniving as he was.

She always sat at the garden or in her room,or at the dinning room,anytime she thought of stepping out she would remember what Aaron did to her,the words he crested on her back with the sharp knife.

Burden

She felt a sense of nausea anytime she looked at her skin,it was like a new tattoo that restricted her from seeing the outside world.

As she sat on her bed and looked out the window of Theodore's house,she saw him coming out of his car,she couldn't stop looking at him from afar,he was very handsome so perfect,so caring to her,but she noticed that he didn't smile much or laughed,he was just like her in a way and she wondered if he ever had a wife who locked him up at home too.
She smiled at her silly thoughts,she knew Theodore never had a wife before.

Just then there was a knock at the door,but she didn't make a sound,she hoped who ever was at the other side of the door would go away.

"Cleopatra can I come in". Theodore asked as he knocked the door,he didn't know why but he couldn't stop thinking of her when he was at work or when he was at his meetings,he just missed her.

"Yes". Cleopatra said as she slowly stood up and walked to the door,she twisted the door knob and opened the door,she looked at his clothes and his auburn locks, then she looked at his hands, he was holding flowers, she quirked her brows in confusion,did he always hold flowers when he came back home.

"They are for you". Theodore said as he looked down,he felt so uncomfortable giving flowers to a woman,but all his thoughts vanished when he saw her smile.

"Thank you". Cleopatra smiled as she closed her eyes and sniffed the fresh flowers,they smelt so fresh,she opened her eyes and blushed, she couldn't believe she just blushed in front of a man.

"Don't you get bored staying indoors all day". Theodore asked,he had noticed that she didn't like going out much.

"I don't know where to go". Cleopatra said shyly as she looked away,even Theo was confused at her statement.

"What I mean is, I don't know anywhere besides the meadow and a coffee shop". Cleopatra explained as she bit her lip.

"Do you want to go out now". Theo asked as Cleopatra's face lit up.

"What do you mean". Cleopatra asked.

"You'll soon find out".Theodore said as he led her out of the house and into his car.

The drive was taking longer than she expected, she hadn't really been to places but she knew this was different from anything she had ever seen .As the car was driven faster and faster she knew for sure that they were at the outskirts of town,she glanced at Theodore's cool face,he was making it hard for her to focus as he drove with his slender fingers and his handsome face pulled in a frown .She had discovered that he usually put in all his effort in doing anything,and driving was one of them.
Soon she couldn't keep her hands to herself as she kept fiddling with the hem of her gown.

"There's no need to be nervous,we're almost there". Theodore said with a smile, he had noticed her shaky hands and her confused face.

After a while,the car stopped near a small river,the sky was already dark announcing that it was night time and the moon had already announced it's presence,the air was cool and the tides were peaceful.
Theo got out from his car as he helped Cleopatra down like a true gentleman .They walked together and relished in the cool breeze.
And even though the river was calm,Cleopatra was not,in fact she wanted an explanation as to where they were going and why they were going so late at night.

"Would you please spare me,my curiosity is killing me".Cleopatra said as she looked at Theodore, she noticed a little glint in his eyes like he was excited to be here, but she didn't find anything interesting,only the quiet tides as the waves make a swoosh sound,and the cool breeze that wafted through the air,and......and.

"Is that smoke I smell". Cleopatra asked as Theo nodded.

They walked even further,until they could locate the source of the smoke, that was when Cleopatra knew why Theodore was so excited,cause right there and then she was also excited .There was a campfire,with people sitting around it,some dancing and some singing,some resting on their partner's shoulder.
They walked over to the crowd and sat down together on a rock.
The smell of the smoke mixed with the smell of the sea made the place so surreal,all around her were unfamiliar faces and yet she felt safe.
She watched as men and woman stood up and danced around the fire,they looked so happy, so joyous and that brought a smile to her face,the ladies jumped up and down as their gowns bounced along with them,whilst the men held unto a damsel and twirled them around as others sang.
While she watched them, she wished life could be like this,happy and peaceful,she got so lost watching them she didn't notice being patted on the back.

Theo saw the excitement in her eyes and he couldn't hold himself back,he stood up dusted his trousers and held a hand out to her,Cleopatra didn't exactly know why Theodore hand his hands stretched to her until it finally dawned on her that he wanted to dance with her .She refused at first but after being persuaded,she placed her palms on his soft ones as he helped her up,she was confused,she didn't know what to do or how to dance.
But when Theodore started making weird moves and following the odd beat,she knew she didn't have to think,she just had to have fun .She hopped and jumped and swayed her hips to the very unladylike beat,she was having so much fun,she didn't know when she started laughing,at first it was just a smile then a grin and soon she broke out into full blown laughter,she was shocked at her self for this great miracle and she wasn't planning on wasting it,they continued to dance around the fire as she giggled and sometimes stumbled but she never stopped until she was sure she was tired,she found Theodore's moves funny,the way he would flapped his hands like a bird or twist his legs into the sand,she hadn't seen this side of Theodore before but she loved it and she wished he never stopped dancing or smiling.

After exhausting their energy,they sat back on the rock but Cleopatra didn't stop smiling or giggling and this made Theodore really happy, he had brought her here so she could be herself, so she could be free.
But even as the sound died down, Cleopatra felt her teeth clattering due to the intense cold, she rubbed her palms together and shifted close to the fire to warm her self but then she felt a coat being draped over her shoulder,she looked sideways and saw Theo smiling at her as she snuggled and held his coat tighter around her,she kept staring at him not wanting to look away from his green and blue eyes, her eyes looked at his brows and her fingers touched his cheeks, she wanted to feel every part of his face on her fingers as she traced her fingers down his nose while he stayed still .Their hearts were beating so fast,Cleopatra dropped her fingers away from his face and moved closer to him,she cupped his cheeks and looked down at his lips, slowly she pressed her lips to his,she didn't know what she was doing but it felt right .Theodore also responded by placing his hands behind her to support her back as he returned her kiss,her lips were as soft as he thought and his lips were as loving as she thought .They moved in sync for minutes until they broke apart for air,both not knowing what to say they turned back to the crowd with thoughts swimming all over their minds.
Even when they left the crowd and drove back home, they were silent but they knew what they felt for each other.

After they got home,Cleopatra stood at the door of her room whilst she looked at Theodore, she didn't know what to say or how to explain what happened so she kissed him again and thankfully he didn't object, she pressed her forehead to his as she smiled.

"Thank you for today". She pecked his cheeks and entered her room.

Theodore stood frozen as he watched her close her door,his brain was on overdrive and he felt so happy yet so frustrated,he had figured out two things,one being that he had fallen in love with Cleopatra, and the other being that he was in love with a married woman .He felt disappointed in himself that although he loved Cleopatra more than he had ever loved anyone before,he couldn't bear loosing her,he decided to end this game now before it even started.
But how could someone end a game one enjoyed,he thought as he walked to his room.