Loving Her

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Augustus

I open my eyes exactly at six in the morning. Looking around the room I recollect the events that happened yesterday and are greeted by a fruity floral feminine scent surrounding me. My eyes then gaze down and settle at the sleeping form of Angelica. Looking at her weird way of resting, a smile ornaments my features. Half of her body was lying on top of me with her legs tangled to each other on the bed. Just looking at her my heart beats frenzy.

With euphoric thoughts occupying my heart I try to pull out from under her comfortable embrace but regretfully she was already fluttering her eyes open. Rubbing her orbs like a baby she looks around and finally lands her optics upon me. I pull her cheeks while sitting and wish her a morning. She is so cute when she looks at me like that. "I am sorry I fell asleep upon you." She tells me in shyness squatting beside me. I chuckle at her cuteness and ruffle her hair. "It is no problem cup cake....."

Playing with the hem of my shirt which was now upon her she speaks to me turning scarlet. "When I was small and lost my mom, I used to have bad dreams for many years. Since then my dad put me to sleep on his chest with his arms around to rid me of the nightmares. So out of habit..." She bites her lips in diffidence. "You fell asleep upon me." I complete the sentence for her and pull her out of the awkwardness. Getting out of the bed I tell her. "Dress fast Angel because we are soon leaving to meet my parents."

Within a few minutes I come out of the bath with a towel wrapped around my waist. I find Angelica sipping her beverage leaning to a window. Getting closer while I wipe my hair with a hand towel, I fortuitously happen to look inside her mug and a huge smile encloses my features. "You were drinking chocolate? I ask her surprised and clean the brown moustache above her upper lip with my thumb gazing at her funny look. She looks down here and there out of hesitancy. "I never got to taste anything other than chocolate all my life because of a rule imposed by my dad." She proclaims with a cute pout on her face.

A huge chuckle engrafts my lips as I pull my head back in titters holding my stomach. "Angelica you are completely awesome. What more I am going to learn about you today?" I ask her between my laughter. She is cuter when she is angry. Holding her forefinger in front of my face she proclaims with a serious look. "You are not supposed to laugh at others when they are unhappy."

I try my hardest not to laugh at her pretty declarations but it seemed the most difficult task to do at the moment. Holding back my laughter I look at her tenderly and stroke her super soft cheeks. In my most tender voice that I never thought existed, I ask her. "So what exactly happened that you are never allowed to drink anything other than chocolate by your dad?" She looks at me for a second contemplating if she could let her secrets out. I encourage her with a nod and she speaks in innocence. "When I was thirteen I drank coffee by sneaking into the kitchen and blackmailing one of our cooks. Somehow my dad came to know about it. The cook was instantly removed and I was lectured for half an hour about the ill effects of coffee on growing children. Since then I never got to taste coffee with the fear of being caught".

It was very difficult for me to hold back a smile this time after hearing her little childhood adventure. But I create a deadpan expression and speak to her solemn. "Considering your story on 'coffee' I guess it was the first time you were having a taste of alcohol when I caught you drunk and unconscious." She nods her head looking at me in guilt and I give her a look of impassiveness. "That was the first and will be the last time your lips would taste alcohol because I am never allowing you to drink again." She creases her eyebrows in annoyance. "You have no right to order and control my life the way you want."

I pay no heed to her. She was like a child cribbing for a toffee. I speak pointing a finger to a bag resting on a chair. "There is inside a new pair of clothes for you to wear." She holds up the garments and looks at me surprised. "How did you know my size?" I shrug buttoning my shirt looking at the mirror and she gives me a hubristic smile. "With the number of girls you fucked it is not difficult for you to guess my size." My anger inflates in an instant and her face goes dread. Gripping her upper arms tight I snap. "You never leave a chance to ridicule me and bring back my past life. Isn't it?"

Sniffling she shrieks into a cry. "You are hurting me." I release her in a furcating force and walk away from the room. The journey to my parent's house was in complete silence except for the stereo playing some old classics. I steal glances at her and notice marks of stray tears under her eyes. It instantly raised a pang in my heart. I stop the car and look at her in penitence. "I am sorry sweetheart. Hurting you will never happen again." I try to reach her but she pulls back in fear to my absolute dismay.

Fuck! I curse out loud and fist my hand to hit the steering wheel which makes her to further jump on her seat in terror. Fearing me was the last thing I wanted from my wife. I get off the car in anguish and light a cigarette out of frustration. Puffing out smoke while leaning to my vehicle I find a departmental store across the street and something strikes me. I hope my plan works.

*****

Getting inside the car I tug a few of her strands behind her ear and speak to her fondling her cheeks. "Cup cake I am changed man now. Since the time I promised you of my chastity I stayed away from every woman in this world. You are the only woman I desire to touch and make love with. Please, you need to trust me." I almost plead her.

Focusing at her in my red shot eyes I did my hands in my pant pocket and pull out a sucker. She takes glances at me and the candy in my hands alternatively for a few moments and her eyes light up like a thousand watt candle. I guess certain things never change and ironically I am happy about it. She grabs the lollipop out of my hands and in an instance puts it in her mouth. I smile at her shaking my head. Can she be cuter than this? Exhaling the smoke out of my lips I cup her face in my hands and kiss her forehead.

"How do you know that I love suckers?" She asks me still engrossed in sucking the lollipop in her hands. I recollect the sweet memory which happened more than a decade ago. "I know many more things about you cup cake about which you have the least idea off." I tell her pulling her cheeks and then start to drive. "You know when I was twelve my dad took a promise from me that I will not have more than one lollipop a week. He was afraid that I would be spoiling my teeth. Since then I stopped eating lollipops but still they are my favourite." She tells me with a bright smile adoring her face.

Omitting everything that happened around us she is engrossed with the sucker in her hand. I'm some how glad that she is still a child from her heart. "When are we going to reach your parent's house?" I answer her in merriment. "Within ten minutes."

Reaching the house, my dad had a cheerful smile on his lips welcoming Angelica into the house with open hands. He hugs her and introduces Angel to my mom. "This pretty girl is Angelica, Margaret's daughter." Mom beams to Angelica in excitement and pulls her to a heart warming hug. "Do you remember 'Flower' you came to this house many times with your mom when you were small."

Just like that the time passed away and it was already evening and slowly getting dark. We bid our adieus to my parents and started driving back to Newyork.

Can this day go any better? Both my parents accepted Angelica whole heartedly and a huge weight was lifted out of shoulders. The first step towards our marriage is now successfully accomplished and I had a contented smile on my face.

But ...I think my happiness is short lived. Fate had something else to offer in its platter for me.

Angelica's phone rings and within a matter of seconds her face completely drains out of blood. With quivering hands she holds my wrist and pleads shedding tears. "Please drive faster. I need to go home immediately."

I wasn't able to understand anything. In a state of stupor I ask her.

"What does that phone call say?"