His Bride

Chapter 7 - Riddle

Present 

Rosalyn

“So....” I heard a deep voice and my lips curled into a smile when I recognized my best friend. I turned my head to the doorway and found Dave. He was leaning against the door, and his hands were into his jeans pockets and his eyes fixed on me. I frowned after catching the sight of his get-up. He was in jeans and a t-shirt which he hardly wore. Perhaps he must have come here shortly after his honeymoon.

“What I heard is true?” He asked, and I frowned. But suddenly I realized what he was talking about.

God!

“Hey Dave, when did you return from Italy?” I asked, ignoring his question. “You should have informed me once before taking the flight. I should reschedule all your meetings.”

I gasped when he pulled me into a tight hug. “What did he do to you?” Dave asked immediately. He knew I had a meeting with Travis and he knew everything about us. “What did he do to you?”

My eyes dropped. I and Dave had a very different and beautiful relationship. He could feel my pain and I could feel his pain. I had always been with him and he had always been with me through our bad and good times. Whenever I was sick he couldn’t rest for a second and whenever he was sick I couldn’t sit for a moment. Without saying we could guess what was on our minds. He was my strength and I was his but unfortunately, we had different weaknesses, those were Ava and Travis. I had no weakness until Travis. How could the same person become a weakness and threat at the same time?

“Speak something, Rosa,” Dave said softly and made me look into his gray eyes.

“What are you talking about, Dave?”

“You know well, what I am talking about!” Annoyance overtook his beautiful face. “It’s about Travis. You went to Las Vegas, even after my warning. What did he do to you?”

“Nothing.” I looked away, wanting to close this topic. I was tired of talking about Travis. “He did nothing to me.”

“Travis did nothing to you?” He said incredulously, fixing me with a frosty glare. “You can’t be serious!”

“Do you want me to reschedule your meetings?” I changed the subject because I did not want to talk about him. Travis had made me vulnerable and pathetic.

“Rosa....”

“I’ll set everything up..” My voice cracked due to emotions swirling inside me.

“Rosa...” Dave tipped my chin up to look into his eyes.

My breathing turned to labor. “I-I..think you should work....”

“Rosa, stop it!” He immediately embraced me into his arms, and I clutched him tightly. After a long time, I felt safe. I felt safe in his arms.

“Dave...” I couldn’t stop and burst into tears. I grabbed his t-shirt and sobbed silently, letting out everything that I had been suffering for a few days.

“I’m here,” he whispered, cupping the back of my head. “It’ll be alright, Rosa.”

“I met him, Dave.” I sniffed.

“I know.”

“He was mad.”

“He has always been.”

“I’m afraid that he will hurt my family.”

“He is desperate for you, Rosa.”

“I don’t know what to do! I’m scared.”