KIAN

• GROUP CHAT •

Armano: *a discreetly clicked picture of Kian sitting alone in the garden, looking lost*
Poor Kian is missing his wife so much.

Zaire: She left him already? I told Uncle it wasn't a good idea to marry that poor girl to him.

Armano: Unfortunately, she didn't leave him but has gone to stay with her parents for a week.

Ada: Aww, Kian looks so sad.

Cel: I know right? I didn't expect her to be able to melt his heart.

Zayden: Poor girl must be traumatized by now though.

Kian: More like she is giving me trauma. I don't miss her and I am definitely not sad.

Arnaud: I can smell the lie.

Lenore: Yup, no need to deny it, Kian.

Mea: He keeps looking at her all the time.

Armano: Yesss. He is whipped I swear.

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Aly gasped as I tackled Armano to the floor. He laughed as punched him in the jaw.

"Daddy?" Aly stood on the side, looking at us with wide eyes.

Armano smiled at her. "We are just playing, sweety."

She pouted and I got off him so that she wouldn't think I was hurting her Dad.

Armano got off the floor, dusting his clothes. "Deny it all you want, Kian. You are going soft for her, even you know that."

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Irene's teddy bear lay on the bed on her side, staring at me, reminding me of her.

She had forgotten it here.

It's been around thirty-six hours since she left and I had my room back to me, like it was before our marriage yet something didn't feel right.

I tossed and turned in my bed, unable to fall asleep.

When my phone buzzed with a notification, I picked it up, thankful to have a distraction.

Only for me to frown when I saw that the notification was a message from Irene.

Irene: I forgot my dear teddy bear. But that's okay, you can cuddle with him in the meantime so that you don't miss me much, okay, hubby?

I will have to tell her to stop calling me hubby but knowing her, she would probably call me that more often to annoy me.

Irene: At least reply to something. It doesn't take long to type.

Me: I'm busy.

Irene: Doing what?

Me: I don't have to tell you everything.

Irene: But I wanna know. It's late, you shouldn't be working till now, it's not good for your health.

Me: Reading.

I wasn't but I was going to.

Irene: Oh. Do you like reading so much? Don't you get bored?

Me: Reading is not for people like you.

Irene: Oh, please. What kind of 'people' am I?

Me: Someone who can't keep her mouth shut for more than five minutes.

I don't know why the hell I was engaging her in a conversation but I had this urge to irritate her as she does me.

Irene: It's called talking, something you don't know how to do properly. You should take some classes from me.

Me: I would rather shoot myself.

Irene: One of the side effects of not talking much: suicidal thoughts. You need help. You can't keep your feelings bottled up forever.

Me: There are no bottled-up feelings. I don't feel emotions like love, affection, grief as intensely as others. Unnecessary physical touches irritate me.

Fuck, now I was sharing things with her.

Irene: Really? That's sad. Do your parents know this?

Me: Yes.

Irene: And they didn't do anything about it?

Me: Dad was the same as me growing up, then he met Mom and eventually, he learned how to love properly.

Irene: Ooh. That's so sweet.

I wanted to reply something, to make sure the conversation didn't end there but I didn't know what to say.

It was fucking absurd, me wanting to keep a conversation going.

Irene: I think this is the longest conversation we had till now. I like it though *grinning emoji*

I could imagine her grinning.

Me: Don't think much about it.

Irene: Aaand you had to ruin it.

Me: It's the truth.

Irene: Sure, hubby. I will keep it in mind. Can I ask you something?

Me: No.

Irene: I will ask anyway. So...do you miss me?

I sighed.

Me: No.

Irene: Liar. Say that you miss me.

Me: I don't.

Irene: You are so bad. I will not share the chocolates with you.

Me: I don't want them.

Irene: Of course, how could I expect you to like sweet things? You are allergic to them after all.

I didn't know what to reply to that so I waited.

A minute passed by.

Then another.

And another.

Me: ?

It was unlike her to not reply. My message was seen instantly but there was no reply making panic rise in me.

Me: Irene?

Where the fuck did she go?

Me: Don't play games with me. Why aren't you replying?

When there was no reply for another five minutes, I was in full panic mode as I dialled her number.

Did she hurt herself?

What if someone broke into her room?

Fuck.

The phone rang and rang and rang until it went to voicemail.

Fuck it.

I jumped out of bed and rushed inside the closet to put on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt since I was in just my boxer briefs.

Then I grabbed my bike keys, ready to bolt out when my phone buzzed.

I opened it instantly, relieved to see Irene's message.

Irene: Shit! I am so sorry! I had to go to the bathroom because I all of a sudden started with my period and I was afraid of staining the bed and I left the screen open.

I slumped against the wall, sighing loudly. This girl is going to give me a heart attack one day.

I thought something happened to her. That thought terrified me more than it should.

Irene: Now I am craving cheeseburgers. Are you too?

Me: No.

Irene: You are so boring. What's your favourite food?

Me: Nothing in particular.

Irene: That can't be possible. You must like a particular food. Come on. I am on my period, don't trouble me.

Me: I am troubling you or you are troubling me?

Irene: If I am troubling you then don't talk to me. I am not forcing you to. You could simply turn off your wifi.

Fuck. She was right.

Me: I like the chocolate chip cookies that Mom bakes.

Irene: That's sweet but something other than too? Cookies are not food. Tell me a dish.

Me: Tacos.

Irene: Did you just say the first thing that came to your mind?

Feeling amused, I replied.

Me: My sisters and most of my cousins love Chinese food but I like Mexican. Especially tacos.

Irene: Oh, noted. Now that you mentioned it, I want tacos too *crying emoji*

I checked the time. It was almost midnight.

The restaurant I frequently order from must be open, I could order for her but then I don't trust a male delivery boy to go to her house in the middle of the night.

I still had my keys with me and grabbing my wallet, I walked out of the room.

Walking out to the garage, I asked her...

Me: Did you not have dinner?

Irene: I did but then I didn't eat much. Never mind, I am going to sleep now.

Irene: Goodnight, hubby.

I put on my helmet and got on the bike.

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The house looked dead asleep from outside and I dialled Irene's number but she didn't pick up.

I didn't want to ring the bell so glancing around I made sure no one was looking as I picked the lock.

The door opened easily with a few tries and I went inside, locking it behind me.

I walked quietly around the house, searching for Irene's room, a packet of steaming food in my hand.

The house wasn't big so it was easy to find her room which was upstairs.

I slipped inside the room quietly. She was on the bed, under the duvet which covered her to her face, only her hair peeked out.

If she's in a deep sleep then I won't wake her up.

Just as I placed the packet on the nightstand, she jerked up, throwing the blanket off her body.

She screamed on seeing me making me step back.

"It's me", I murmured.

"Oh my god! Are you fucking crazy? You scared me."

I didn't know what to say, I was acting on impulse, coming over here in the middle of the night just to bring her the food she was craving.

It's not like I had anything better to do.

"I called you," I told her.

She glanced at her phone which was lying on the nightstand. "It's on silent. How did you even get in?"

I shrugged walking closer to her and handing the packet to her.

"What is it?" She took it from my hand, opening it.

"Tacos and cheeseburgers?" Her eyes widened and she looked at me excitedly.

I nodded.

"Thank you." She grinned. "That was so thoughtful of you."

I rolled my eyes. "I was bored, not being thoughtful."

Her grin widened even further, her cheeks flushing. "Yes, yes. Whatever you say."

I turned around to leave but she caught my wrist, tugging at it.

I looked back at her and she kneeled on the bed, holding my hand. "Won't you eat with me?"

I shook my head.

"Pretty please?" She pouted. "I don't like eating alone. And you said you liked tacos."

Sighing, I moved back and climbed onto the bed after kicking off my shoes.

She grinned and sat opposite me, her legs crossed and took out a taco and handed it to me before taking out one for herself.

"Cheers." She tapped my taco with hers before taking a big bite.

I watched her carefully as her eyes fell closed the longer she chewed and she let out the softest of moans.

Fuck. I shifted uncomfortably.

"It's so good!" She exclaimed the moment she swallowed. "Thank you!"

I took a bite too from mine, joining her.

She didn't speak anymore, she simply ate, enjoying every bite while passing me small smiles in between.

I eat these tacos frequently but they never tasted this good before.

Once she was done, she dug into the packet and took out a cheeseburger, eating it too.

How hungry was she? Did she seriously go to sleep on an empty stomach?

Aren't you supposed to eat good food while on your period? Tacos and cheeseburgers were not that healthy but at least they were better than nothing.

Ten minutes later, she was done eating and leaned back, rubbing her belly. "That was amazing."

Then she uttered a loud burp and covered her mouth with her palm, looking sheepish. "Sorry."

Shaking my head in amusement, I wiped my hands with the napkins.

She stuffed all the used things inside the packet, placed the packet aside and then looked at me warmly.

"By the way..." She patted her bed. "...I miss our bed though, it's so much softer and more comfortable than mine.

"Come back then." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

Shit. What the fuck am I saying?

She stared at me for a long moment making me grow uncomfortable under her intense gaze.

"Kian Ludovica, did you just indirectly admit to missing me?"

I shifted back, threw my legs off the bed, and sat on its edge as I started putting on my shoes.

She sat beside me, our sides brushing, the widest of grins on her face. "I won't make fun of you, you know."

"Fine, don't admit it but I know you miss me", she said as I stood up.

"Goodnight once again, hubby", she called out as I moved towards the door.

I whispered as I went out, "Goodnight, wife."