Unedited.

"You know, it's not that bad." The man in the blue shirt said, a slight hint of irritation adamant on his face. His skin tan from the Capri sun, a five'o clock shadow on his face.

"They are.... depressing. Really depressing." Sighing, I rolled my eyes. There was no way in the world I was considering any suggestions from Asher anymore, especially about home decor. His taste was certainly muted. I couldn't live with these muted colours anymore.

"Like me?" He chuckled and I almost regretted saying that. I smiled trying to keep the air around us light.

Asher was in a good mood today. He was sportingly in a good mood since we have returned. And I wasn't complaining.

"Really? They are the worst. Just look at them." I said pointing at the pile of grey curtains in the living room. I looked at them in disgust making sure my confused and stubborn husband knew what I felt. Exaggeration was my key to success at the moment.

Asher and I decided it was time to bring changes. Something new means getting rid of the old and weary. And I decided we should begin with getting rid of the wretched gloomy curtains.
The house had beautiful long french windows and hanging these curtains on them, took away their beauty.

"Do you plan on turning this house something out of Alice in Wonderland? If so, I'm concerned." He did look concerned, I wanted to laugh at his face. The frown on his forehead was amusing to me suddenly.

"Don't be, you need to have a lot of faith. I'm not going to ruin your house." I assured him.

"Hopefully." He ran a hand through his wavy hair, pushing them back and gave me a tight smile. Not only were the curtains changing, he was too. I was hoping the change for him was not seasonal and more permanent. If old Asher was here he would have yelled at me, probably threw a manchild-like tantrum over touching his things. But the Asher infront of me was something different, as if he took a dip in the holy water, washing away his sins and brooding self. The man in front of me was nothing but cooperative. Which was odd.

"Hope. Yes. That's a good start." I grinned at him.

He chuckled before walking into the kitchen. I began folding the curtains keeping them away in boxes that we were going to drop at the shelter for homeless people in the evening.

"I have something for you."

"What is it?" I turned to him.

He blinked at me and then a frown hung low on his face. "Nevermind." He said as he shook his head.

I shrugged turning back to the undone curtain.

"As much as I want to do this. Lighting up a cigarette and having a cold beer sounds more fun." Leaning against the wall he stared down at me.

"You better not. I need help. You can put up the painting that I got." I suggested.

"I don't like them." He gave me a stern look.

"You don't like anything you know." I narrowed my eyes at him. "I'm not asking, I'm telling. Do it."

"What's up with you?" He clenched his jaw folding his arms against his chest.

Was I testing his limits? Yes.

Did I plan on stopping anytime soon? No.

"Nothing you're being a child."

"I'm trying you know." He said. The sudden change in his voice made guilt bubble up in my chest.

"I know," I sighed. "I'm sorry." My smile dropped as I stared at him.

"Do you want to eat something? I've heard cranky women are usually just hungry." He gave me a tight mean smile.

Cranky woman.

"Are you cooking?" I teased.

"No, we're going out."

"Sure, I'm famished after working alone and keeping my audience entertained." I said pointing a finger at him. My taunt did not go unnoticed.

"Shut up Callister, let's go."

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"You like this?" Asher said looking down at the burrito in his hand.

"Yes, don't knock it till you try it."

"If you say so." He bit into his burrito and I could see satisfaction crashing on his features like high tides. I grinned stuffing my mouth with the heavenly combination of flavours.

"That's actually good."

"I know right." I gave him a proud smile.

"You know what else would be nice?  warm fudgy cookies." He said, a slight smile playing on his lips.

My eyes lit up as I was suddenly reminded of Asher's love for cookies. I remember how embarrassed he felt when scarlet told me about it.

I didn't want to go to a restaurant and Asher wanted to try something new. New for him was surprisingly a burrito. We were in a park, sitting on a bench, stuffing our faces, enjoying the view. The sun was not too harsh just perfect. Once in a while I'd kick his leg just for fun. Asher didn't quiet appreciate it but he wasn't complaining either. He just grunted.

We stared at a little boy playing with his dog. Asher chuckled as the dog ran around with a frisbee in  his mouth and the boy chasing after him. We ate in silence, my mind was at peace there were no thoughts.

"Do you like dogs?" I asked

"I don't like anything that wouldn't understand me at once. I don't like explaining myself again and again." He said.

"That's weird. I don't understand you even when you explain yourself." I gave him a smug smile.

"You're slow." He said giving me a side eye.

"No, you're difficult." I quipped.

"I wouldn't disagree, Soph."

"My neighbour had his crazy dog that would go on peeing around on people. Made me dislike dogs in general after that." I said as the boy and his dog disappeared out of sight.

"Are we bad people for not liking godsent angels?" Asher said sarcastically.

"Maybe we have a lot on our plates already." I shrugged my shoulders.

Literally and figuratively. I thought looking down at my food. I was done and so was Asher.

He nodded "Can we get some cookies? I know a place."

"I want to sit a bit longer." I told him scooting closer to him.

"As you wish, Callister." he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me even closer to his side.

You know the quiet after the siren goes off. The chaotic silence after a stormy night. Being with Asher felt so. Everything was suddenly different. As much as I loved it, it scared me  what if things change again.

"Ask me what I want, Sophie." Asher said out of nowhere, raising my head that was leaning on his shoulder I looked at him.

"Cookie?"

"I said ask me." He said.

"What do you want Asher?"

"You, naked."
I blinked, completely taken aback before I burst out laughing.

"Isn't it the same, Asher?"
The seriousness on his face morphed into amusement before a deep throaty laugh left him.

You were right, his nails dug into my skin as he pulled me up, my legs immediately going around his waist as he pushed me against the nearest wall closing the front door behind us. His lips were everywhere, my face, neck, my chest, my hair. "This is better than cookies." He whispered.

"You'll be the death of me Sophie."

"I hope not." My giggles turned into a moan as he sucked on my neck making me shudder.

He was wonderful, his lips even better, him on top of me better than anything I could imagine.

This touch held a possessiveness, it was appreciative. As if he was talking through it. Tell me things that he couldn't say out loud, taking his time tracing every inch of my body, making me crave for more, leaving me begging.

Asher knew how to love in his ways. He wasn't a guy of many words. I didn't know if he loved me or not. But sometimes, when he held me close, kissed my forehead, tucked my hair behind my ear and let me sleep in his arms I felt loved.

The next few days were a whirlwind spent inside the four walls of our house. Us naked. On the bed, on the couch, the kitchen floor, the bathroom. Asher was a madman. Literally.

Asher was perfect. His hands, his lips, his hair, his body, his bare skin on mine. Simply perfect. He moved so effortlessly, keeping me in control, whispering things that made me blush crimson.

We laid there, in between the sheets, his hand around my waist keeping me close. I loved him but the better things got the harder it was for me to express my feelings for him. My eyes roamed around the room, taking in the changes, I was proud of myself, it looked perfect with the curtains gone and the off-white blinds in place.

Asher hasn't spoken about violet once since we've returned. Maybe I'm still waiting for the perfect time, the perfect moment, the perfect something to ask him about his daughter, the daughter who was no more. There didn't exist a perfect situation to ask him about it. He still carried his pain around, maybe it has been more bearable now a days.

But, what now. What after this? The question scared me. I didn't know what he expected from me. I didn't know what I expected from myself.
My life still laid hidden.

I had to tell him . But how? And when?

My line of thoughts came to an halt as his soft lips pressed against my neck. I smiled my eyes falling on his black shirt laying on the ground, a blush running up my face as I was reminded of all the things that went down in this room an hour ago. I was sore but I wasn't complaining.

"What are you thinking Sophie?"

"Nothing." I said forcing a smile on my face.

"You look underwhelmed."

How do I tell you, that I'm a college drop out who married you for money to pay my college fees and to have a better chance at life.

"It's nothing, I'm just tired." I closed my eyes, feeling his warmth, unable to make eye contact with him. I was a traitor.

"I've been thinking I don't want to spend all my days sulking. I should go back and take over the company. If I don't do it now, the company wouldn't survive."

His words caught my attention, I grinned at him. "That's great, Scarlett would be so happy to hear that."

His jaw clenched. "I'm not doing it for her."

"I know." I said, embracing him, pressing my face in his chest as my arms went around his bare torso.

"Do you think we will get sick of each other?" I mumbled against his skin and felt him stiffen.

"Yeah, probably." He said nonchalantly playing with my hair. "You're quite intolerable."

"Haha, you're so funny." I deadpanned. "Can you tell me something about yourself I don't know." Pulling myself away I looked up at his tired face.

"I was forced to attend a tap dance class. Mom thought it would be good for character development." Asher didn't think twice before saying that. The word's rolled out of his mouth as if he was waiting to tell me.

I couldn't help but laugh. Character development? What was Scarlett thinking.

"I created a very unattractive image of you tap dancing." I whispered smugly.

"Shut up sophie not that I attended them. You turn." He quickly shut down the tap-dance conversation, averting the conversation towards me.

Tell him Sophie. This is your chance!

"My friend wanted me to believe I like girls, so she and I could date." I blurted out. Stupid, stupid Sophie. I hated myself for being so selfish. I didn't want the moment to end and telling him the truth could have been the end of it.

"And... There's more." Asher said a smug smile on his face.

"She took me to a strip club." I internally cringed at those words. Replaying the horrible night I spent with naked women everywhere my eyes went.

"Ha, no way. Must be an interesting night."

"For sure, it was. Wanted to poke my eyes out and take a burning hot shower at the end of the night." I sighed.

He kissed my forehead before walking towards the window. I wanted to call him back in bed but I didn't.

"I need to make some calls, we'll eat then." Asher said.

I stretched like a cat in bed, I was fired but I didn't want to waste a second, I didn't want to close my eyes. "Okay." Was all I could say.

Asher smiled staring at me, weirdly. When I caught him he swiftly walked out of the room.

Men are strange.

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"I got something for you." Asher said. This was the third time I've heard that.

"What is it?" I shoved some pasta in my mouth. There was nothing attractive about having a mouthful of pasta but I didn't care, I was hungry.

Asher cleared his throat and placed a tiny velvet box on the table I eyed him and then the box.

"What's that?" I teased. I tried to keep myself calm but my inside went crazy with joy. To say I was happy would be an understatement.

His jaw clenched, he looked nervous. "look for yourself." He said pushing the box towards me.

I opened the box to find the most perfect solatire ring sitting snugly inside. A single diamond on a platinum ring embedded with more tiny diamonds. It looked so delicate.

"This is more you. The other one wasn't." Asher said looking down at his food. He refused to make eye contact.

"I love it." I squealed with joy, i couldn't take my eyes off the ring. It was everything I wanted my engagement ring to look like. But then again, I never thought of getting married, or ever having a beautiful ring on my finger. Beggars can't be choosers, right?

"Put it on." he said eyeing my hand.

I nodded before slipping the ring on my ring finger.

"I love it!"

"You've already said that." He said, taking a sip of water. His eyes moving from my face down to the ring.

"Thank you." I smiled at him. My heart felt so full, it was going to explode anytime.

Asher shrugged his shoulders and continued eating with a stoic expression on his face.

"Stop staring Callister and eat."

I giggled reverting my focus back to my plate.

"I was thinking do you want to take a shower before bed with... Me." I said, grabbing his attention, tilting my face slightly I gave him a soft smile. Trying to lure him.

Asher raised an eyebrow, "Is that my present from you?"

"You can consider it that." I blinked at him innocently. Though there was nothing innocent about me at that moment.

He gave me a devilish smirk and I knew how my night was going to turn out.

...

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