Flashback.......Riley's POV

"I don't know. I just can't fall in love with him, I still need time.", I said.
"Time for what?", May asked.

"My heart is still fragile, you know.", I said.
"Fragile my foot. That's bullshit, and what's making it fragile might I ask.", she said and I looked at her.

"Seriously, like you don't know.", I said.
"Matter of fact Riley I don't, please enlighten me. Because if I were in your shoes I wouldn't waste this opportunity that the universe has given me to love again because I'm sulking over a love story with a bad ending.", she said and I was silent.

Was that what it was with Brayden, all those years just summed up to a love story with a bad ending?

"Plus if you keep this up, one day some old fling of his will come up and might take him away. Then you'll find yourself hearing the quote, you don't know what you've got till it's gone.", she said and shrugged like it was going to happen.

"That can't happen.", I said.
"Oh and what makes you so sure."
"W..well cause.....", I stuttered and she raised her brow asking if there was any reason. But I continued.

"Cause, he told me she lied a very big lie to him.", I said.
"Oh.", her eyebrows went up. "Okay. But do you know her?", she asked but I shook my head.

"Her name?"
"No.", I said and she sighed.

Present Day

After they pulled apart, they both sat down.
"What are you doing here?", Ansel asked.
"Oh, you know me, just catching fun. With the way Las Vegas is, I didn't expect you to be here. If at all with a lady, what is she, a...."

"My wife.", he said interrupting her. She looked shocked but did well at masking it. "Riley, this is Shanelle. Shanelle, this is Riley, my wife.", he said and she looked at me and smiled.

"Oh Ansel, how could you have gotten married without letting me know.", she whined.
"Well I didn't want to put you in the position of, the ex at the wedding.", Ansel said.

"Oh, but I wouldn't have minded. I could be the ex at any wedding.", she sighed. "So what are you both doing here?", she asked.

"We're on our honeymoon.", I said.
"You just got married then.", she said.
"No, we've been married for a while, but we were quite busy at first so...", I trailed on.

"Busy? Don't tell me you're working?", she asked.
"Yeah I am.", I said.
"Why? I mean Ansel is so rich, you're income might not even be up to quarter the profit from his business.", she said.

"Well I gotta be doing something.", I said.
"What do you do?", she asked.
"I'm an interior designer.", I said.
"Interior de... what's that?", she asked.

"I design the interior of houses, event halls and stuff.", I said.
"Oh.", she said then looked at Ansel. "Ansel dear could you get us some drinks.", she requested.

After telling him what we wanted, he left. I looked at him as he went and once I turned back Shanelle was looking at me like she was scrutinizing me, like I was some mysterious creature.

"Why are you looking at me like that?", I asked.
"I'm looking for what he saw in you.", she said. Her once chirpy voice had gone down a tone. It sounded cruel, nothing like the light feathery it was moments ago.

I gave her a confused look.
"I mean, you just seem so plain. When I was with him, it was so obvious he liked girls like me. You know the ones who had everything, but you don't look so bursty.", she said like I was boring.

So that was why she had sent Ansel to get us some drinks, 'cause she wanted to use the opportunity to make me feel down about myself.

I wanted to say something but she said, "You made a mistake coming here. When he left me, I told myself that if I ever got the chance, I would take him back. I would make him want to want me. And you just presented that chance to me.", she said.

I opened my mouth to let her know that would never happen, but she looked over my shoulder and her demeanour changed. Back was that friendly smile.

Next thing, Ansel sat beside me and she thanked him for the drink, her chirpy voice had returned.

"So when are you both heading back to New York?", she asked.
"Tomorrow.", I said abruptly. I knew Ansel was looking at me but he didn't say anything.

"Oh pity. I thought we could hang out sometime.", she said to Ansel. "I mean all three of us.", she added looking at me. "Anyways, I'll leave you two to it.", she said standing up.

She leaned over to peck Ansel's cheeks then she came over to me.
"It was very nice knowing you Riley.", she whispered before pecking me and then leaving.

"We're leaving tomorrow? That's news to me.", he said.
"I don't like her.", I said instead.
"And that's why we're leaving all of a sudden leaving.", he said then turned me to face him.

"You don't have anything to worry about. I have no more feelings for her.", he said. I looked away but he held my chin so I could face him.
"I only have feelings for you. Okay.", he said.

He leaned in to kiss me and it felt like everything was truly alright.

Two Weeks Later

It had been two weeks since we came back from Vegas and things had been very fine. Today, Martina wasn't around so I decided to leave the office early.

I had just come out of my office and was in my car when I noticed someone on the sidewalk. That blonde hair, the model legs. She waved at me so I had to stop.

She tapped at the window and I opened the door to let her in.
"Riley, fancy meeting you here.", she said in her chirpy voice. I gave her a flat look. Why was she pretending?

"Shanelle. Why are you here?", I asked.
"I came to visit a friend.", she said.
"I mean why are you here, in New York?", I asked specifically.

"After I saw you both in Vegas, I realised I had a lot of friends here in New York so I decided to pay them all a visit.", she said with a fake smile.

"I know why you're here so stop faking the attitude it's just me and you and in case you didn't know, Ansel and I are married and we love each other. So whatever useless idea you have about getting Ansel back, make sure you get it out of your head."

"You love each other. Are you sure?", she started. "Then you must know I met him this morning.", she said.
"What?", I asked.

"I also met him twice before this. I came back two weeks ago.", he paused after seeing my expression. "So you didn't know then. Oh, I'm sorry. Maybe you're confused, maybe you're the one who loves him and not the other way around."

I looked away. Why had Ansel hidden this from me?
"Maybe he's rediscovering his feelings for me.", she said and sighed. "You, my dear have a lot to think about.", she said before she opened the door and left.

Angry, I drove away. Why had he not told me about his meetings with Shanelle, I didn't even know she was here in New York.

I arrived home and headed straight to the room after CJ told me he was there. I opened the door and slammed it after I had entered.

That same moment the bathroom door opened and Ansel came out in only a towel hung loosely around his waist and his hair slightly wet. For a moment I forgot my anger. But no!

"You went out today?", I started.
"Yeah. I went to the office.", he said, so he was gonna lie about it.
"The office. Huhn, okay.", I paused. I looked at him. He didn't even look nervous, he was lying through his teeth.

"You know I saw Shanelle today."
"Oh."
"Yeah, you know the Shanelle from Vegas, you know your ex.", I said and he looked at me. "Do you know what she said, that she had been here for two weeks now, that she saw you today. She also said it wasn't the first or the second.", I said.

"Riley I..."
"Why didn't you tell me that you were seeing her? I felt like a fool when she told me!!", I yelled.
"I'm sorry.", he said weakly.

"No!!", I yelled and he looked at me in shock. "You can't just apologise and expect me to forgive you. You can't do that! Then you'll go and do something wrong and come apologise again.", I said.

I went over and sat on the bed. Then I turned to face him.
"I thought you trusted me, I'm your wife. You should have told me this. You should have.", I said and looked back at the floor. I was so mad.

He came and sat beside me. "This is why I didn't want to tell you. I knew you would overreact.", he said and I whipped my head towards him.
"Then why did you still go ahead and see her? Why!"

"I messed up, I'm so sorry.", he said.
"You aren't, you always mess up, you always say you're sorry, and then you always do something else. I'm your wife, you should tell me things.", I said. There was a long silence before he spoke.

"You know you've been using that title lately.", he said and I looked at him.
"What title?"
"My wife.", he said.
"But I am your wife. I deserve to know all these. There have to be no secrets between us. Because I lo....", I paused and he looked at me like he expected me to say something.

"You what?"
"I....", Why couldn't I say it.

When I didn't say anything he looked away.
"Do you even love me?", he asked not looking at me.
"What?", how could he still be asking?

"Do you even love me.", he said and looked at me so intensely.
"This is not about me.", I said and stood to avoid his gaze. "It's about you meeting....."
"Shanelle. I did that to find out if.....", he paused and came to stand in front of me.

"When I met Shanelle in New York after the honeymoon, I told her everything. She also told me everything, she told me what she said to you in Vegas. I assured her that she could never get anything with me again. When she finally accepted the fact she came up with this silly idea to make you admit that you loved me.", he said.

So that was what was happening. He just wanted me to say I loved him. He took all this stress to do that. Couldn't he see that I did? Did I have to tell him? A tear dropped from my eye.

"I'm sorry I offended you. And I trust you. After all, you are my wife.", he said.
"Ansel I....", he interrupted me by hugging me.

"Don't worry, even if you're not ready to say it, that's fine. When you're ready I'll be here.", he said and pecked me softly on the cheek. Then he left.

Why couldn't I tell him? I did love him, didn't I?

The next day things had gone back to normal. He didn't even bring up the issue. It was like it never happened. It took me some time to get over it, but at night we were doing our normal practice.

He was playing with my hair as we were cuddling. The issue was still on my mind, on my heart so I had to clear it. I sat up causing him to do the same, then I turned to face him.

"Ansel, I....", I started. I didn't know what to say to him, but I wanted to say something. "I...I want you to know that the way I felt about you when we first got married is not the same way I feel about you now.", I said and he smiled.

"Well, that's very obvious. I mean when we got married you were all snappy and cranky.", he laughed.
"I wasn't.", I said.
"Yes, you were. You were all don't do this, why did you do that.", he said in a high-pitched tone.

I swatted his arm. "First that is not how I sound. And second I'm serious.", I paused then continued. "I don't think I was ever good at saying my feelings. That's why I made sure I always expressed it clearly.", I said.

I held his cheek and looked down at his lips. I moved my thumb to trace his lips and his lips parted to hold my thumb in his mouth.

"It's the way I am and I realised I didn't express clearly how I truly feel about you.", I said and slowly leaned in to kiss him. It was a soft passionate kiss.

He smiled into the kiss. His lips parted and the space between us was almost negligible. His hands circled my waist and pulled me closer. My hands went up to his hair and as he deepened the kiss my hands went down to his shirt.

Feeling needy, I tugged at the buttons and he assisted me to get it off. My hand roamed his chest and I smiled at the way his muscles flexed underneath my touch. He held me and slowly we lay on the bed, him on top of me.

"I understand exactly what you're expressing.", he said and I smiled that he got the message. Soon the remaining clothes were off. He looked at me and I nodded knowing exactly what was coming next as he pulled the sheets to cover us.

Hey there everyone. To all those who expected something heated. Believe me, I thought about writing it but then I thought not to, plus I believe some level of intimacy can't be written so I leave it to your imagination to see how it turned out. Plus it's their first, let's give them their privacy :)

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The Sparkling Authoress
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