by S. G. Sonysa
“I… I thought you were.” I tried to tell him, but he interrupted me.
“Forget it. You’ll take the whole day to speak,” he said, turning around and walking towards the door.
Coming out of shock, I realized that I needed to follow him outside if I wanted breakfast.
He seemed arrogant and rude. I felt scared around him, and my mind would shut off. His all hard and angry demeanor made me scared, but the feminine side of me got me distracted with his stunning looks.
I locked the door behind me and found him waiting for me inside a shiny black car. I got in and put my seat belt on. When we were settled in the car, he started driving to some place for breakfast. I kept my eyes on the road or sometimes looked out of the window to stare at the scenery. The car ride was so silent, and I was ready to fall asleep again if he didn’t stop the car outside the cute small café.
We got out of the car and made our way inside the café to have breakfast. Chase selected the corner booth for us to sit. The waitress approached us with menus, and she handed Chase one while I waited for her to give me the other menus. She stared at him dreamily and didn’t hand me the menus, but Chase didn’t notice her.
“Hailey, take a look at the menu and order something for you,” Chase said, handing me the menus.
I stared at him dumbly because it was the first time that he said my name, and it sounded really sweet to my ears.
“I know what I want, so order for you,” he said, pulling me back to reality.
I nodded my head happily, and with a quick glance at the menu, I ordered coffee with lots of whipped cream and some chocolate pancakes.
Chase ordered some sausages and sandwiches with black coffee. I couldn’t even think about drinking a black coffee. The mere smell and look of black coffee made me shudder. I liked my coffee sweet with rich cream and milk.
We were waiting for our food to arrive when I thought of striking a conversation with him. It was really difficult to find the right topic to initiate a conversation with Mr. Stone Face. Yes, I had given him a nickname that would be stuck with him until he would change and show me some emotion to convince me that he was indeed a real human and not made up of stone.
Before I can think of a much interesting thing to say, I opened my big mouth and said, “It’s a very nice place. It smells like coffee.”
And there I went embarrassing myself again because of my stupid mouth incapable of striking a nice conversation. I was busy cursing myself in my head when my stomach growled and embarrassed me further. I was sure he heard it, and my cheeks started to feel hot.
I stole a shy glance at his face, and my eyes got stuck. I was mesmerized seeing a semblance of a smile on his face. It was something like a slight twitch of lips similar to a smile, but it was beautiful nonetheless. I was staring at him completely amazed. My mind started to imagine how a full smile would look on his face.
Yesterday, when I saw him for the first time, I realized that he was handsome and had great features, but the constant scowl on his face dampened his looks a little bit. It made him look dangerous.
The waitress came back with our orders and placed it on the table. The smell of pancakes and coffee instantly filled my nose, and I wasted no time devouring my breakfast like I was some starved person.
“This place is my granddad’s favorite. We used to come here every Sunday after football practice when he was healthy,” Chase said.
I was shocked that he was talking to me and sharing something about himself with me. Discretely, I turned my head to look if someone was standing behind me, but I didn’t find anyone. When I was sure that he was actually talking to me, I cleaned my lips with a napkin.
“It means this place is special and full of memories,” I said.
He nodded his head and said, “We used to spend a lot of time here. This place has both happy and sad memories of my granddad and me.”
Then he took a sip of his coffee.
“Recall the happy memories. They will make you smile,” I said.
He stared at me, and I stared back at him.
I was informed that his granddad had not been in good condition for some time. Doctors had hardly given him a week.
We finished our breakfast, and Chase paid the bill.
It took us fifteen minutes to reach the hospital. The large board stated that it was St. Martin Hospital. We made our way to the elevator. Chase knew the floor and room number of his granddad’s room, so we didn’t make a stop at the reception to ask.
When we were outside the room, Chase turned towards me.
“Hailey, when we go inside, we must look happy,” he said.
I nodded my head understanding his need and gave him a reassuring smile. He took my hand in his and laced our fingers together. My heart started doing a somersault, and a blush appeared on my cheeks. He looked at me, and I smiled.
Maybe I made the right decision that night by agreeing to this marriage.
Chapter Five
My Dream Family
Hailey
When we entered the hospital room, the first thing that came to view was a fragile old man lying on the bed with different tubes and wires attached to his body. He had an oxygen mask on his face, helping him to breathe. When we moved closer to his bed, we realized that he was sleeping. His breathing was slow and came out as a gasp.
My eyes started to sting with tears while looking at him. The state he seemed to be in, reminded me of my grandma. I was ten years old when my grandma died, leaving me all alone in this huge world. She was my only best friend, my savior, and my mentor. She took care of me like my real mother would have if she were alive today. My grandma was always there for me, not my stepmom. My stepmom stopped playing the role of a Mom when I turned eight, and Grandma had to take her responsibility.
I was devastated after my grandma’s death, and I spiraled into depression. I was so close to her, and her death tore me apart. The school was already hell, and after her death, I started sinking into depression because I had no one to console me. Later, I started having nightmares. They were horrific, and they would appear almost every night. As usual, I hid it from everyone, and the condition got worse. My pleas and screams turned so loud at nights, and that was how mom and dad found out. I had no other option but to tell them the truth.
After that day, my dad took me to a psychologist. I was diagnosed with MDD (major depressive disorder). I had to attend a session every week to get better. The nightmares decreased gradually, but they never disappeared completely. I still had a fear of losing people that I loved, and whenever there was death, my mind took me back to the past. Sadly, I couldn’t control my mind while I was asleep.
I was pulled out of my thoughts when Chase said, “Granddad, wake up. We are here to meet you.”
Slowly, his granddad opened his eyes and looked at Chase in confusion. Chase smiled at him and tilted his head in my direction. His granddad followed Chase’s gaze and looked at me.
I gave him a wide smile, and said, “Hi.”
He removed his oxygen mask and put it on the bed. I walked closer to him.
“Who is this pretty girl?” he asked him.
“She is Hailey Edwards.” Chase placed a hand on my back and pulling me towards him.
My heartbeat accelerated hearing my changed last name.
His granddad’s eyebrows scrunched up in confusion, so Chase said, “She is my wife, Granddad.”
His granddad’s eyes widened, and then a smile broke on his fragile face.
“Are you David’s granddaughter?” he asked me.
“Yes. I am his granddaughter.” I smiled at him.
“Great, come sit here,” he said, telling Chase to move and making me sit on the chair beside his bed.
Chase narrowed his eyes at his granddad’s antics then grumbled something in annoyance. I stifled a giggle at Chase’s expression, catching his attention. He glared at me, and I fell silent.
“Hello, I’m Joseph. David and I used to study in the same high
school,” he said.
“I’m Hailey.” I placed my hand on his fragile ones.
He smiled, and my heart swelled looking at the happiness in his eyes. If Chase agreed to marry me because of his granddad’s happiness, then the smile on his granddad’s face was worth everything.
“I hope my friend didn’t point his old pistol at your head to make you marry my grandson,” he said, making me laugh.
“No. He didn’t use any villainous tricks to convince me to marry your grandson. He left the decision to me, and I did what I felt was right to do.” I glanced at Chase.
Chase stared at me, and I found myself spellbound under his intense gaze, forgetting where I was.
“Good. I must say I am very happy with both of your decisions. If his grandma were still alive, she would be ecstatic to see you both bound in a beautiful relationship,” his granddad said, snapping me back to reality.
His granddad noticed how Chase was still zoned out from the conversation.
“He is a bit off, but I assure you, he could be nice when you talk about his favorite sports: soccer. If you find him sad or upset just put anything made of chocolate in front of him and let the sweetness of the dessert work its magic.”
I memorized it. It was the first thing that I got to know about Chase Edwards.
“He can get upset about small things like a small kid, so you can scold him if he doesn’t listen to you,” his granddad said with a mischievous smile.
“Hey! Don’t feed her lies.”
His granddad and I laughed.
Then his granddad started to tell me embarrassing stories of Chase and his brother, Cameron. I couldn’t stop myself from laughing at every story his granddad shared with me. They were hilarious.
“Now you know what to expect from your children in the future,” his granddad said.
I didn’t get his joke and glanced at Chase to find him blushing.
The nurse came to check on Joseph and gave him his medicine. After a few minutes, he was asleep, and we decided to leave.
* * *
When we came back home, Chase went straight to his room, leaving me alone in the living room. I switched on the TV and watched my favorite movie Tangled. The movie ended after two hours then I went to my room to freshen up and change into something comfortable.
I changed into my grey sweatpants and black dolman sleeve cold shoulder top then sat on my bed with the book that I didn’t finish the night I found out that my life was a lie. The woman I tried to impress my whole life wasn’t my real mother, and I was a product of my dad’s affair. I stopped myself from thinking further about that night and started reading the book.
My stomach growled, and I checked the time on the wall clock to see that it was already three o’clock in the afternoon. I was hungry, and I didn’t know if I should ask Chase for anything. Whenever he was around me, I felt scared and ended up doing something stupid.
I decided to go to the kitchen and find something to eat. I went downstairs and hoped that my mother-in-law wouldn’t get angry with me for snooping around her kitchen without her permission.
I found some milk, cheddar cheese, a pack of macaroni, and chicken. When I was a kid, I used to help my grandma in the kitchen a lot, so I knew my way around it.
I put the pot filled with water on the stove and boiled the macaroni. I cooked the small pieces of chicken with some salt and black pepper. Then I started to prepare the sauce by melting butter in a saucepan over medium heat. I stirred in flour, salt, and pepper until it was smooth. Slowly, I poured milk into the butter-flour mixture while continuously stirring it until the mixture was smooth and bubbling. Then I added cheddar cheese to the milk mixture and stirred until the cheese was melted.
When the sauce was ready, I put the cooked macaroni and chicken pieces into the sauce then simmered it for a minute. I dished it out in the serving bowl and stared at it. It looked good, and I hoped it would taste good too.
Should I go and ask Chase if he wanted to eat?
He would probably throw the plate in my face if I disturbed him. I shook my head and dismissed the thought of asking him, but then I thought again. It is basically his house, his food, and I should ask him even if he would get mad at me.
I made my way upstairs and knocked on his door, but he didn’t answer, so I twisted the doorknob and peeked inside. Chase was sitting on his bed with some papers and books spread around him. His head was bobbing up and down, and that was when I noticed, he was wearing headphones. He looked busy, and I didn’t want to distract him.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped up and caught me staring at him. I gulped scared to death. He narrowed his eyes at me and removed his headphones then placed them on the bed. He got up from the bed and made his way towards me.
“What are you doing here?” he asked in a stiff voice.
“I… I came here to… uh, ask you if you want to have lunch.” I stuttered.
He intimidated me, and I didn’t know why. It was the first time that I was alone with a guy, and probably that was scaring me.
He frowned then glanced at the wall clock in his room, and his eyes widened.
“I am really sorry. I was busy with the assignment and forgot about lunch. Give me five minutes, and I’ll order something for you,” he said, looking upset.
“No.”
He frowned.
“No?” he asked, scrunching his eyebrows in confusion.
I found his reaction cute.
“I have… prepared pasta. Do you want to… eat with me? If you don’t, I can bring it for you here,” I said, stuttering.
“No thanks. I am not hungry.”
I nodded my head and went back to the kitchen sulking. I wasn’t even expecting him to join me and eat with me.
I put some pasta on my plate then took a bite. It tasted good, and I was happy. After a few minutes, I heard footsteps coming down, and Chase appeared in the kitchen. I was frozen and stared at him.
He made his way to where I was sitting on the stool near the kitchen counter and sat across me. Then he glanced at the pasta and picked up the spoon. He put some of the pasta on the empty plate and then started eating it.
I was beyond shocked and forgot I was eating before he walked into the kitchen.
Oh god! What if he didn’t like it?
“He will throw it on you,” my mind taunted.
He didn’t complain, and I relaxed a bit. We ate in silence.
“Did you make this?” he asked me, catching me off guard.
“Yes.”
He stood up, and said, “It wasn’t bad.”
Then he left the kitchen before I could say anything to him.
It wasn’t bad meant it was good. He complimented me, and it made me smile like a Cheshire cat. The smile didn’t leave my face even when I was washing the plates and cleaning the kitchen.
Around six o’clock, my in-laws arrived. They were now sitting in the lounge with me.
My father-in-law smiled and asked me, “Did you meet my dad?”
“Yeah, Chase took me to meet him in the morning. He was very nice and friendly,” I told him honestly.
My mother-in-law asked me, “Did you like the room? I decorated it myself.”
“I loved it! Thank you so much for giving me such a beautiful room.” I kissed her cheek.
She looked at me lovingly, and said, “No. You don’t need to thank me, dear. You are like a daughter to me, and it was just a simple decoration.”
For her, it might not be a big deal, but for me, it was very special. I was never pampered by people like this before, so least to say I was extremely happy receiving so much love. The tears brimmed in my eyes when I realized that she could be the mother figure in my life that I didn’t have all these years. I could experience how it felt to be loved by people.
I looked at her and thought maybe this could be my dream family that I wished all these years to have.
[A week later]
I had been married to Chase Edwards for a week, but my life
didn’t change that much. Except that I didn’t receive snide remarks here and there from Emily anymore.
I was in my father-in-law’s study. He told me I could borrow books from his library. His study room had a large collection of romantic books, which belonged to Allison. Allison was Chase’s elder sister who I had yet to meet. My father-in-law told me she took some of her favorite books with her when she got married, but there were still some here in his study.
Now that I was in the study, I realized that they were placed on the top of the shelf. I tried to reach them, but my 5”4’ height made it impossible for me. I ran my eyes around the study to search for something that would give me a few inches to allow my hand to reach the top. My eyes landed on a small stool in the corner, and I dragged it to the shelf. Putting my right foot on the base of the stool, I tried to stand on it, and after a few attempts, I succeeded.
I read the titles of the books and smiled, but then I heard a creaking sound and glanced down. My face paled. The stool was about to break under my weight, and that made me nervous. I wanted to hit my head for being so stupid. I looked at the books in my hand and put them back on the shelf. Before I could get down from the stool, it broke, and I fell down on the floor.
In the process of saving myself from the fall, I scraped my hands and elbows. They started to bleed. The tears brimmed in my eyes, and that was when the door of the study opened. Chase entered looking confused.
“What’s going on here?” he said, walking towards me, and I wiped my tears.
I didn’t want him to see me as a kid, so I didn’t tell him how I fell down, and I stopped crying like a baby.
He knelt down and looked at me suspiciously.
“What are you doing here?” he asked me.
“I was just looking for some books to read.” I tried to get up and flinched at the pain in my hand.
He looked at the broken stool and then he looked back at me. He started to laugh, and I forgot about the pain, staring at his face in awe.
“You tried to reach those books by standing on the broken stool and fell down,” he said, making me flustered with embarrassment.