Chapter 116
116- Siblings' bond
Ashley Walters pov "I love you!" these were the first words I heard from his mouth when I woke up from my sleep, feeling his lips on my neck and then down.
However, he had to stop this delicious torture when his phone started ringing with that annoying tone. I saw him with half-opened eyes when he didn't take the call and got busy scrolling his phone.
"Umm. Justin!" I called him sleepily, "Come here!" I outstretched my arms and kept them like this until he joined me back under the sheets.
"I can't get enough of you." He whispered in my ear and started chewing the ear lobe making me laugh.
"Stop it! You have gone crazy!"
"Yes, I am crazy! For you, my love!" I felt his nose tip poking my cheek. Turning to him, I, at last, opened my eyes to look at his face.
I could feel this strange kind of closeness between us ever since I expressed my love to him, last night.
"Stay close to me!" I said while yawning, and closed my eyes, inhaling his sweet scent.
"You will always find me near you, my love!" I felt his lips against my cheek and smiled slowly slipping into oblivion.
"Do you want me to get closer to you?" I heard his meaningful suggestion and straightened my legs,
"Umm hmm. Yes, please. But let me wake up properly first." I tried to suppress the yawn.
"Oh, that's not a problem," there was this cocky tone again, "I know how to wake you up, kitten." I felt the covers lifting and gasped when his stark na* ked body laid on top of my bare one making me wide awake.
"See? I told you!" he winked grinning from ear to ear.
***
"They look so sweet!" I heard the shaky voice beside me while watching the movie, "Someone just get them married."
It had been one week since my memorable date with Justin. We were still living in the university campus residence with Keith and Sarah. Keith took the position of Dean just two days back. Justin did not only present all the proofs to the board of university directors but decided to be honest with them. He also showed the fake divorce decree he received two years back sent by me.
We could not leave Arguli because there was still ample time in achieving my degree. For the time being Justin was looking for temporary housing nearby.
We both were not in favor of living in my apartment. Eve and Aniya were also searching for a small place on sharing when Justin stepped in and told them quite sternly that they would not move anywhere as long as they were living in Arguli.
Both my friends who were not understanding my point, had gone putty in front of my husband.
I again heard a soft whimper nearby and was shocked to see Sarah crying.
I quickly paused the movie.
"What!" she protested and wiped her nose with her sleeve, "he was about to kiss her! Play the damn movie!"
I pursed my lips in a thin line and shook my head. My long-lost big sister was being over dramatic and too emotional in the ninth month of her pregnancy.
To be honest, she was glowing like anything, and we all could feel Keith drawn to her more with each passing day.
"Why are you crying?" I asked her more exasperated. It was her idea to watch a romantic movie and develop a sibling bond. I did like the idea because Justin was more into action stuff. Right now, she was nothing but an emotional wreck.
"C...can't you see?" she hiccupped, "How cute they are. Just look at their faces." She shoved a spicy-flavored popcorn into her mouth.
I couldn't help the mirth bubbling up in my chest. She glared at me and shifted her attention to the screen.
Urgh. My sister was a drama queen. Sitting side by side, our feet propped up on the center table with bowls of caramel and fajita-flavored popcorn in between us.
"Should I play some other movie? Or do you want to go to bed?" I asked her because to be honest, I knew nothing about pregnant women.
"No! Don't be silly. I want to finish it. In the end, they will make hot love!" she winked and turned her focus again to the movie.
"Urgh! Sarah! You said, you never watched this movie!" I rolled my eyes at her.
"Uh. That? I was kidding!" My big sister was a manipulative bitch. She still hadn't told Keith about those letters.
The romantic movie was more than halfway when after a brief knock Keith came inside followed by Marwick.
"You girls are watching some romantic shit?" Marwick remarked tiredly and loosened his tie around his neck.
"Yeah, It's cute!" I lifted my ass and shifted it to the center to get glued to Sarah's ass and then patted the vacant space beside me, "Come, Marw. Join us."
There were extra couches too where he could sit easily but I wanted him to sit beside me. I was sure, in my childhood, under ideal conditions, he would have carried me, his baby sister almost everywhere as a big brother.
He understood why I wanted him near me and complied with my request.
Keith had gone busy, leaning down and kissing my sister soundly.
"Guys!" I rolled my eyes, "Go to your room! Yuck!"
Marwick placed his palm to cover my eyes and forced my face to turn away from them, "Focus on the movie. Ignore them."
How could I ignore them when they were doing it so.... Noisily.
Thankfully, Keith did take my advice and lifted Sarah in his arms.
"Bye, guys!" Sarah detached her mouth momentarily to bid farewell and then they got busy again.
"Gross!" I made a face and leaned back. Marwick had already switched off the movie.
"Gross?" he chuckled, "says a girl who asked for my help for booking a hotel room... ouch!" he rubbed his arm when I hit it with an empty plastic bowl.
"Shut up!"
"Yeah! So do you want to play the movie?" he reached over and took the other popcorn bowl from my other side, "Who eats caramel popcorn?" he pulled a face but kept munching it.
"I like caramel ones!" I said and threw some in my mouth.
"So..." he circled his arm around my shoulders, "How is everything with Justin?" The mention of his name made me blush.
"It's going good," I said trying to fight those strange feelings that were evoked when his arm came around me. I never knew what family meant.
Living in an orphanage never made me feel that something was lacking in my life. Ever since Marwick and Sarah walked into my life and bam! Everything started having more meaning. My husband was giving me so much space so that I could get to know my siblings in a better way. Though my relationship with Justin was also not that old. But instead of being nasty about it, Justin was all sweet and understanding.
But the way his eyes used to follow me around in a room full of people, it used to be obvious to everyone.
'Thinking about your husband, little one? Missing him?" I snorted and filled my fist with those caramel beauties,
"He must be home any minute. His business and the search for a house are getting most of his time. Tomorrow, he is asking me to accompany him... and that reminds me," I placed the bowl on his lap and turned to him ninety degrees, "What is the fuss about your marriage and lost wife?"
When he didn't answer for a few minutes, I thought maybe I overstepped the boundaries, "Please forgive me. You deserve the privacy and this..." He once offered me that I can ask him anything I want. "No, no... don't be sorry. You are family now, little one." He squeezed my little frame to his muscular one and again went quiet as if looking for the right words,
"Dad got me married," he started telling me, "I didn't know who she was. He told me that it's a business thing. I never liked dad too much. Even as a child, I took it as a red flag when he used to boss around my mom. But this resentment in me grew when I met your mom," he tightened his hold around me, "As a child, I could see what a great woman she was. I was her lover's son, the man who ditched her, and still... she chose to trust me.
With time, I became rebellious. I wanted to start a business at a young age, and I was working to draw investments. Dad convinced me that if I accept this marriage, he will help me financially. First, I thought to say No. then grandpa suggested me not to do that. As he is my father, I should go ahead with the arrangement and work on the relationship. I was about to step in at the church when I got to know that dad lied to me. He was not planning to do any such thing. The moment we said our vows, I left her at the altar."
'The biggest mistake I did was to make a girl suffer who had no hand in it. She was just collateral damage.'
I didn't know how to console my brother, "Do you know anything about her? Did you see her at the time of the wedding?"
"No, I didn't. All I remember are her azure eyes through that white veil. Nothing else."
Hmm. Interesting! Azure eyes!
"I can't commit to any woman without meeting her, Ashley." He told me sadly. So, he was looking for his azure-eyed wife only to tell her to f*ck off so that he can get committed?
"Why don't you want a commitment with her? Is there someone else in your life?" I asked him.
"No one else is there in my life yet. There is this girl... Layla. She is getting impatient and doesn't want me to wait for my wife. After a certain time, the court does allow you to leave the spouse if he or she is absent from your life for a long time... without any reason...
But I can't do that to this girl. I already insulted her when I left her there alone. In front of so many guests," He became quiet after that.
"What if she gets involved with some other guy?" I asked him the mi II ion-dollar question.
'Then obviously, I will let her go. This will be the most ideal scenario. We both can go our separate ways." Hmm. That made sense.
But I had a feeling. A very unsettling one. Would he really let go of a girl whose azure eyes he still remembered?
"What about this girl? This Layla? Do you love her?"
"Love? No!" he chuckled, "We are just together for the sake of it. Her profession requires a lot of her time, so she is not interested in anything permanent. Just like me."
"And what is her profession?" I asked him, leaning my chin on his arm.
"She is a model." He looked down at me, "Layla Hayat. You must have heard about her."
My eyes went wide when I heard it, "Layla Hayat? You are dating Layla Hayat!"
Looking around frantically, he placed his finger on his lips to make me quiet, "Little one! Stop screaming." He whispered, "Stop announcing to the world about my dating preferences! Geez." "Sorry," Now that's a bummer. My brother was dating the beautiful and bold Layla Hayat while he was married to an azure-eyed girl.
He was looking for her so that he could compensate for it in the best possible way and marry someone of his choice. Not bad!
But my intuition was telling me that this all was a prediction of an upcoming storm.
Just then a freaked-out Keith came out of his bedroom in a pair of boxers.
His hair was disheveled.
"Sarah! I need to take her to the hospital." The moment he said it, we heard Sarah's painful cries emerging from the bedroom.
Marwick and I were at once on our feet.