chapter 4

Wrapping my arms warmly around Ava and inhaling her sweet homely scent made tears prick my eyes and a flood of relief and achievement wash over my senses.

There was no way I'd ever leave without getting this strengthening farewell.

"I thought you'd left already," she choked, wrapping her arms around me a little bit tighter. "It hurt so much."

I could feel the pain edged with relief in her voice. This was what I'd fought to avoid and now that I was here talking to her, I felt like I hadn't failed her.

I slipped my hands off her back as she did the same and I crouched right in front of her, holding her soft hands.

"I'd never do that to you, Ava," I promised, smiling through the few tears I shed. "I'd rather die than leave without talking to you first."

"Is he nice to you? Does he speak to you? Why are you dressed in black when a bride is supposed to be in white?" she asked me in panic, concern lacing her voice.

She cared for me as much as I cared for her. That care swimming in her eyes made it all feel worth it. I'd do it all over just to see that sweet smile on her face shine brighter than ever.

"Hey," I cooed, cupping her face with my hand. "I don't want you to worry about me okay? I'll be fine. You just focus on getting better and Mom, Natalie and I will handle the rest."

Ava shook her head, more tears pouring from her eyes. "He's being cold to you, isn't he? That's why you won't talk about him."

She was wrong. If anything, Dominic hadn't been as cold and heartless as people described him judging from our interaction nearly half an hour ago.

If he were truly a heartless man, he wouldn't have been considerate enough to bring me home, carry me in his arms when he realised my toes were sore and given me a couple of minutes to talk to Ava like I was now.

Deep down, I felt like he was a misunderstood man who could be really warm if he wanted to unless he was just putting up an act.

"Dominic isn't as cold as they said he'd be," I assured Ava. "I think he's just not a social butterfly and honestly neither am I. I think we'll get along just fine."

The last part wasn't sincere. I wasn't sure of what his perspective of me was. He'd literally seen me bawl like a baby and hiccup a few minutes later.

I felt so embarrassed of myself recalling those memories. He probably thought I was a child, an immature woman with no sense of a grip over her emotions.

I simply got emotional because I hadn't imagined the separation would be that abrupt with no farewell. If only he knew how much my family meant to me, he'd probably understand why I got emotional over leaving without saying goodbye.

Ava's lips widened into a small smile. "I'll take your word for that," she said, using her free hand to wipe away my tears. "Mom thought you'd be in a hurry if you dropped by, so we packed you a few things you might need. She said you'd go shopping once you landed on the island so there was no need to overdo it."

I looked at the suitcase by the door with a grateful smile. I trusted whatever they had packed would be efficient for at least the first couple of days.

My fashion sense was good according to most people I knew. I just wasn't sure my outfits would fit the class of a billionaire's wife.

"Where's Mom?" I asked, recalling I hadn't seen her downstairs either when I entered the house. "She wasn't at the wedding either."

"She left something like twenty minutes before you got here with your father-in-law. He came in with my new caretaker."

I'd seen the young caretaker downstairs, making dinner for Ava. She seemed nice and friendly, but I knew Ava had a hard time getting comfortable with new people. That was why I preferred being with her most of the time for her comfort. Now I couldn't do that.

"Do you like her?" I asked her with a smile. "She seems nice."

Ava nodded. "I think she's okay, but just a little too chatty and nosy."

I chuckled lightly, stroking her hair. She'd figure things out.

"What about Nat? Did she ever come back home since I left yesterday?"

She'd been angry when she left and called Mom a couple of times wasted. Her behaviour was worrisome at times and her rebellious tendencies sickening.

"Yeah, but she left like an hour later after Lucas called. She said she'd call you and she went through your closet for an outfit for her date as usual."

We both chuckled softly. At times, it felt like she preferred my clothes more than hers and yes, the mess she left in my closet was infuriating, but sometimes I didn't mind. I barely had anywhere to wear half of the nicest clothes I owned. Someone had to show them off.

"I'm gonna freshen up a little," I informed Ava, letting go of her hand and standing up straight. "I'll be with you shortly, okay?"

She nodded in agreement. "Sure."

I went straight to Natalie's bedroom, already slipping off the wig I wore. She had better cosmetic products to help easily remove the layers of makeup on my face and quickly redo something lighter and more me.

It took me close to five minutes straight to remove all the pins in my hair, detangle it with a brush and style it into a simple but elegant sweep down my shoulders.

I changed into much more comfortable matching semi-casual grey drawstring pocket pants, a black letter-embroidered cropped pullover with grey Air Jordan sneakers to complete the look.

When I went back to Ava's room, she was on her desk, writing something passionately.

"What're you writing?" I asked her, looking at my reflection in the mirror on her dresser and brushing my hair with my fingers lightly to straighten it.

"Something sweet for when you feel low," she told me with a soft giggle, "though I'll be blowing up your DMs 24/7 until you come back from your honeymoon."

I walked towards Ava and crossed my arms over her chest, planting a sweet kiss on her cheek. "You know I'll be looking forward to that, right?" I said, taking a peek at the words she wrote in her letter.

She quickly folded the paper before I could read anything meaningful with a soft chuckle. "Of course, you will."

I watched her as she grabbed a bunch of other letters she'd written and tied them together with a ribbon together with a few novels. She knew I was a bookworm and found comfort in reading.

At least I had something to distract myself with over those two weeks on my honeymoon.

Ava couldn't walk me downstairs since it would be a hustle getting her up and down the stairs so we bid each other farewell in her bedroom.

It was something really emotional to both of us, but it had to be done. We both had to be strong for each other to survive.

I trudged down the stairs with my suitcase and small duffel bag, blinking away the few tears threatening to spill out.

I had newly found strength within me to face whatever lay out there, waiting to be discovered by me. I could face it.

I walked through the open double doors at the entrance, struggling with my bags, but before I could take more than three steps forward, a man in a black suit came to my rescue, grabbing the bags and proceeding towards the limousine.

I absentmindedly proceeded down the stairs at the entrance, taking a deep breath and thinking of how I'd survive two weeks alone with Dominic.

Did he even like me as a person in general or was he annoyed by me already? I was heavily worried about his opinion.

I slowly lifted my eyes from the ground when I felt like I was being watched.

Dominic and I made instant direct eye contact that made me feel extra self-conscious and erupted something fuzzy at the pit of my stomach, inexplicable heat crawling up my neck and stinging my cheeks brutally.

He was leaning against the car by the door, the sleeves of his black tailored shirt rolled up to his elbows.

My eyes shamelessly gawked at how veiny his hands and arms were, muscles bulging and relaxing visibly through his shirt as he drank from his hip flask.

His eyes demanded I maintained eye contact as I walked towards him, but the tiny creatures crawling everywhere on my sensual skin made it impossible to keep looking into the eyes that made me feel like I was burning.

I averted my eyes from Dominic's, my hands suddenly feeling sweaty as I rubbed my palms lightly with my fingertips.

Calm down, it's just a man.

Not just any man, obviously. My scalding hot husband straight from my private P*******t board of aesthetically pleasing men I could stare at all night.

Dominic stood up straight, raking his free hand through the soft curls of his luxuriant black hair and I felt like melting at an action so simple yet fiercely sexy.

He was undoubtedly one fine specimen and I wasn't sure he was completely aware of the way he presented himself so effortlessly and smoothly.

Dominic kept his eyes on me as he opened the door and held it for me to enter the car first.

I reluctantly walked towards the opened door, blood roaring in my ears. He was still looking at me. I could feel it and for someone who wasn't used to getting such mysterious stares, I was doing extremely well.

Reaching the door and lifting one foot into the car, my eyes couldn't help but wander to his. I was right. He'd been staring and even now, he still was.

His face was so close to mine I could almost feel his hot breath fan my skin, our breaths mingling. His breath was minty with a pint of rich vintage wine, probably the one in his hand.

I suddenly had the urge to taste it, not from the hip flask in his hand, but from his mouth and such urges terrified me.

I couldn't look away as his free hand slowly reached for my face before he lightly tucked a few strands of hair behind my ear, his fingertips slowly dragging across my skin and leaving a trail of goosebumps.

What was he doing? What was he thinking?

He definitely swallowed as I saw from my peripheral vision his Adam's apple bob up and down slowly. I couldn't breathe. I had no idea what it was his hypnotic stare was doing to me, but I wasn't sure what the tingles I felt in the most sacred parts of my body meant.

I never felt so confused, so frightened and mostly, so hungry for something I didn't know. I craved it desperately right now, something I secretly enjoyed reading on pages in the comfort of my bed with my legs pinned together.

Fuck.

Dominic wanted to say something. I could almost see his lips moving, but they twitched slightly instead and then it all disappeared suddenly.

The coldness reclaimed his eyes, the warmth I'd felt disappearing as he suddenly stood up straight, his eyes cast away from me. Had I imagined it all?

I cautiously entered the limousine, muttering a polite thank you before taking a seat close to the far end.

Dominic joined me shortly after, sitting opposite me but closer to the door. The car started moving and I just sat there, thinking of what had happened and how my body had reacted to it. I still needed to thank him for allowing me back home nonetheless.

How could I when he seemed so restless now and didn't even look at me even by accident?

He grabbed his tablet from the table at the centre before he began focusing on something on it. Just like that, I became invisible to him.

I didn't want to be the one shamelessly looking at him and craving a reaction so I focused on my phone instead, scrolling through my settings absentmindedly. Anything to seem occupied and unbothered by his sudden coldness.

Maybe he hadn't been staring at me per se after all, just surprised by the change in hair colour and outlook.

I felt like explaining how I'd been wearing a wig all along and how this was my natural hair, but that sounded too stupid in my head.

He'd obviously figured that out already.

My eyes glazed over the words on my phone, my mind somewhere else. The silence was too uncomfortable and the temperature was too high. I felt like I was sweating already before even getting to the airport.

How was I going to survive a seventeen-hour flight in such extreme conditions?