The sweet laughter of children outside my window had awoken me. Hearing them was what I considered a rare, entirely special remedy that left me feeling dandy on a regular Thursday morning.

Standing behind the satin curtains, I looked at the tots rolling over the grass in an open field. One of the children was a little girl who was sitting alone with her doll beside a puddle. She made concoctions using leaves from the trees, the minuscule berries on bushes, and water from the puddle of rain. Playing by herself, she spoke to her doll as if it were her guest, sitting on a chair made up of little pieces of branches and twigs she laid down overlapping with one another and a rock she placed at the center to be the doll's table. I bet she was making chicken broth.

Looking at the other kids playing knight in a sword fight duel, I laughed at one lad who tumbled.

There was a silent knock on the door.

Wearing only boxers, he climbed up to the bed and put his two hands behind his head. "Breakfast in bed for my one and only queen," said Nathan.

"Where's breakfast?"

"Right here," he said, pointing to himself. Rolling my eyes, I closed the curtains and walked towards him.

"Don't mind if I do." I pulled him closer to me and kissed him. He pushed me against the wall, working his hand inside my shirt all the way to my breasts. He squeezed them and caressed my nipples in a slow, breathtaking circular motion. I moaned in pleasure, hypnotized by his eagerness to please me. The rhythm of our desires united into one that only the two of us could hear.

"As much as I'd like to freeze time with you being on top of me on this cushy bed," he said, feeling the sheets with his palm. "I've prepared a real, edible meal for you on the table."

"Fine. As long as you get to be my dessert." Merrily, he carried me all the way to the kitchen.  As soon as we entered the dining area, he let me down. The table was filled with scrambled eggs, dried fish, bacon, and a couple of buttered toasts. I was awed by his romantic gesture. In excitement, I sat down and noticed something unusual. "How come there are three seats? Who's dining with us?" I asked.

"Eric, duh. The three of us live under one roof. Don't you remember?"

Confused and shocked, I chose not to respond. I started breathing heavily.

"Do you have amnesia or something? You've been stringing us both along for years. You said it was fine if we both live together until you finally make a choice," he added.

"Wha—what? Where's Eric?"

"Present," said Eric, walking to the dining table and typing on his laptop at the same time. "Avery, our business is thriving! Sales have just gone up over 40%. At this rate, I'd say we're finally going to beat the Crimsons!"

Overwhelmed, he let his laptop down. He leaned closer to me, stroking my hair, and tucked it behind my ear. I knew at that moment he was going to kiss me. Not knowing what to do, I closed my eyes and suddenly, everything went pitch black.

A high-pitched static sound whirred as flashes of harsh light appeared right in front of my eyes. Then the loud, deafening music blasted into my eardrums at full volume. Everything that was once a blur began to clear up. Lots of people were hovering over me. I was surrounded by strangers doing nothing but staring at me.

"Avery!" A man's voice called me.

"Avery, snap out of it!"

"Damn it, Audrey. I told you her tolerance is terrible."

"It was only a few shots. The next thing I know she was on the dance floor dancing. I —-"

"What happened?" I said, moaning in pain as I touched my head.

"You blacked out," said Nathan.

Seeing me conscious again, Audrey sighed and said, "See? It's just classic Avery seeking attention."

"Come on, let's go."

"No, I still want to stay," I said, pulling his arm.

"It's not a request," he said.

The crowd dispersed and everything went back to normal. Nathan carried me over to the couch. "We should head back now."

"I'm too tired, Nate," I said.

"Audrey, please," he said in a serious tone.

"Fine. Get her in the car," said Audrey, getting her car keys. Upon leaving Lion's Den, my body demanded itself to rest so I took a quick nap at the back of the car. My head was still in gradual ache from all the liquor and excessive partying. When I opened my eyes, we have already stopped at a decent, one-storey ranch house.

"It's nothing like your palace. Hope your royal ass won't mind," she said, opening the door. I ignored her and made my way to the kitchen. Meanwhile, Nathan went straight to the computer and indulged himself in desktop game applications. Audrey followed me to the kitchen shortly after. Taking a seat, I asked, "Hey, what have I ever done to you?"

She opened the cabinet and got two instant cup noodles and some junk food. "Besides judging me and rubbing your wealth to my face? Nah, nothing much. You bore me."

"Really? I beg to differ."

"Perhaps it's best if you shut up and rest. You're lucky you have a roof on your head. My roof, out of my own hard work," she said, heating water at the stove. "What happened back there anyway?"

"You said so yourself. I blacked out," I said, trying to forget the dream that came across my mind. Uncomfortable, I changed the topic right away. "Come on. I didn't come all this way just to get a hangover that's probably not going to wear off soon. I came here to get to know you."

"Well, aren't you persistent?" She poured hot water into the cup noodles.

"Sue me for wanting to have a background check on my debtors," I said.

"See, that's exactly why you're a pain in the ass." She handed me a pair of chopsticks.

"I'm just kidding."

Taking a seat across me, she blew the hot steam from her noodles. "Remember when I told you our dad has had played in every casino there is, and that he'd always find a way to get inside?" I nodded. "Well, like every gambler, Julian had been marked. He had vendettas everywhere and the guys he loaned from made it their life's mission to chase him down until they collect what's theirs," she said, mixing her food.

"Raymond and I were hanging out, watching movies. He wanted some popcorn so I went to the kitchen and made him some. I was waiting by the microwave until I heard gunshots from the living room. They thought it was our father inside, or maybe they didn't and they were just trying to send him a message. I don't know. Everything was too blurry, and there was blood everywhere. Those cruel men, they shot him dead like a cow."

"Oh... I — uh, I'm sorry," I said, "so he was the one you were visiting at the cemetery."

"Was he? I think I was just feeding the squirrels," she said, slurping the noodles.

"You don't have to pretend like you don't get hurt, you know."

"Life has toughened me up since it stripped me away from free will. From all my terrible, distraught life-changing experiences, I learned the best way to protect your heart from getting hurt is to pretend you don't have one."

Both of us indulged in our hot, flavorful instant noodles. We shared a couple of laughs and took advantage of the time to talk privately. "So...you and Nate, huh?" I asked.

"What about us?"

"Are you...uh...together?"

She scoffed. "I don't date anyone's exes. It's just not me."

"But what about at the restaurant and at the —"

Audrey laughed, causing her to spit some of the broth out of her mouth. "I was making you jealous, dummy. Hilarious you even bought it."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because... I was bored," she said, picking up the container and drinking soup from its rim.

"I can tell by the way you look at him, and the way he tries so hard to piss you off for no reason," she said, "and from my experience, that's boy language for making you mad so you'd give him a chance to make it up to you, hence, the start of the flirting."

"You seem to know so much about guys, huh."

"Duh. Who could resist this face? Let's not get started with the body."

"You want sisterly advice? Don't let a love like that pass you by," she said, pointing east, specifically at the entertainment room where Nathan was staying.

I scoffed, wiping my mouth with a napkin, "Are you just saying that because I saved your night club?"

"I'm saying this because it's true," she said. "Everything that comes out of his mouth is Avery this, Avery that. And when he talks about you, you can really see the sparkle in his eyes. Honey, you're his whole damn world."

"To be honest, I don't know what he sees in you, really. You both live in very contradicting worlds, you're a brat who makes stupid, impulsive decisions, and of all people affected by your sudden change of heart, he's the one who's hurt the most at the end of it all. But, believe me when I say, if he's in a crowd full of women of your caliber: gorgeous, stunning, smart, ambitious, one-of-a-kind ladies, that man over there," she said, pointing east, "will always come to look for you in a sea of perfect ladies and kiss you in a heartbeat, proud and honored to let everyone in the room to see, and they just stand and stare, wishing they were you he's kissing."

Having latched onto her every word, I couldn't talk my way out of it. I was at loss for words. My heart was beating fast, completely stunned by the feelings zapping like a fireball. I retained my composure not to be gullible in words solely.

Indeed, love has a way of tricking you into thinking you're invincible against all odds when the only thing you must be protected from is yourself.

Coming back from two whole years of rethinking the philosophy of my life, I made a vow myself to bury everything, including my love for Nathan, to relive and find my own calling. I didn't want to torture myself into repeating the same old process, the same old temporary happiness, that have caused me to be a changed woman.

"I still don't see tangible, long-term goals with him. Maybe we'd be wasting our youth canoodling in our fantasy, only to find out we have bigger dreams we still wish to pursue on our own," I said, quickly regaining my confidence based on past choices.

"I think you do. I think you dream about it, actually. You're just afraid of something. And that fear is what's gonna hold you back from being truly happy."

After hours of rest and casual conversation, we drove back to Vichtrone Avenue to drop me home. I staggered over to the front door still with a throbbing headache drilling into my skull. Lydia, with the other handmaids, assisted me in walking up the stairs one step at a time.

Finally reaching my room, I saw Eric lying on the bed. Seeing me he stood up and said, "We established ground rules here, Avery, and I expect you to follow them. The last thing we want is for the press to harass us in our front yard." 

"You've been very secretive these past few days. And not once did you tell me, not even as your wife, but as your best friend. Can't I get a pass? Do me a favor and get your nose off my business."

"Why did you marry me?"

Confused, I wasn't expecting him to ask that particular question. "I did it so I could be free from my parents, remember? This marriage was our deal."

"And did you get what you want, your freedom?"

"Well, for one, my parents are out of my hair. That's a start."

"Come on, Avery. I'm not stupid!" He screamed, throwing a chair to the other side of the room.

Scared, I screamed back. "What do you want me to say, that I did it for some other reason?"

"Or are you testing the waters?" He said, staring into my eyes suspiciously.

"What do you mean?"

"Quit playing dumb."

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about," I said, taking off my sandals.

"Doesn't it bother you that you're marrying me and not the guy you love?"

"It doesn't bother me because I know it's not real, Eric. Nothing of this is."

Having heard my answer, his eyes watered instantly. With hands on his waist, he turned around as soon as I noticed his strange, vulnerable reaction. "Not even a little bit?"

Refusing to respond, I shook my head and walked away from him. Awkwardness clung to the room, urging us to keep our distance to cool down. As for me, I made my way to the bathroom, took off my ragged clothes, and peacefully drew myself into the bathtub.

Submerging into a hollow pool of thought and water, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.