"Dad?"

I came back to reality on hearing Carmel's voice. "Y-yes?"

Sitting opposite to me on the dining table, she looked worried. "Are you okay?"

I gave her a small smile. "Of course. Why won't I?"

"But you haven't touched your breakfast for the past five minutes."

I looked down to see a plate of pancakes kept in front of me. "Oh..."

I picked up the fork and knife and cut a piece of the pancake and put it in my mouth.

"Better?", I asked Carmel and she nodded before finishing her own breakfast.

I glanced at Aeryn sitting beside her looking at me with a frown on her face. When I looked at her, she averted her gaze and continued eating.

I took a few more bites of the pancake and got up to leave.

Carmel looked disappointed that I didn't finish my breakfast but didn't say anything.

I was about to leave the house when Aeryn stopped me. "Everette?"

I turned around to her. "Hmm?"

She stood in front of me and scrutinized my face and her hands lifted upto my tie and she fixed it.

"You don't look okay", she said fixing my tie.

"I am alright, Aeryn."

She didn't look convinced. "Oh...okay."

"Bye", she muttered and humming in response, I left for my office.

.

.

.

Walking past my personal assistant's desk, I said to him, "Tell Gareth to meet me in my office immediately."

He nodded quickly. "Okay, sir."

I sat inside my office on my chair and placed my head down on the desk.

A few minutes later, my office's door opened and Gareth walked in.

"Brother?"

I lifted my head. "Hmm?"

He sat on the seat opposite to me. "You called?"

"Yeah...um...what about her, Gareth?"

He leaned back, disappointment visible on his face. "No clue."

I sighed deeply. "So, it's Aeryn at last?"

He nodded. "Yes, brother."

Groaning, I placed my head down on the desk.

"You promised, brother", Gareth reminded me.

"I know...I know..."

"I tried, Eve. I tried everything but couldn't find her."

I lifted my head and a drop of tear fell down my eyes.

"Don't cry, Eve", he said softly. "I thought you already got over her."

I wiped away the tear. "I was never over her."

"But you have to now. You and Aeryn are married for three months now and not even once did you guys kiss."

"You have to make efforts now to make this marriage work", he added.

He got up and came to me. Grabbing my head, he rested it on his stomach and gently rubbed circles on my back.

"Just forget her now. I know you have feelings for Aeryn. Just accept it."

"Shut up, Gareth."

"I am telling the truth, brother. You are very possessive of her and everytime you look at her, you smile. I have seen it."

I leaned away from him. "That doesn't mean I have feelings for her."

"So...you don't feel anything for her?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Okay, then..." He walked to the opposite side of the desk and placing his palms over it, leaned closer. "I will get the divorce papers ready. You divorce her and I'll marry her instead."

Involuntarily, I growled. "You will do no such thing."

He mocked. "Why? Can't stand seeing her with someone else?"

I slammed my fist on the desk. "Get out!"

Ignoring me, he continued, "And she is so kind-hearted, so cute, so funny, so beautiful. I won't mind marrying her. At least, I'll treat her like a queen."

I got up and bellowed. "Enough! You think I don't treat her nicely?"

"She deserves to be treated like a queen, brother", he stated. "Take her out on dates, praise her, gift her things, care for her, love her. Make her realise her worth. You made her so self-conscious."

"I said get out!"

"And if I can't marry her then I guess Zack won't have a problem marrying her either. Besides, he really liked--"

In a swift movement, I gripped his collar stopping him from completing his sentence.

"I am not divorcing her. Nor anyone else is going to have her as his wife. She is mine. Mine alone." I gritted.

He smirked. "That's what I am talking about, brother. You love her."

"I don't!"

"Tell me, brother... aren't you happy that I didn't find that girl and now you won't have to divorce Aeryn?"

I removed my hand from his collar and turned my back to him. "Gareth, this is the last time I am saying it. Get out or else I'll kick you out myself."

"Fine. I am going. But very soon, brother you will accept yourself that you are mad in love with her."

I still had my back turned to him and a second later, I heard the door close and I sighed in relief.

.

.

.

The clock on my office's wall struck eleven at night and I poured myself another glass of whiskey.

The pineapple yellow colour tiffin box lying on my table accusing me of not finding its owner.

My mind and heart were in chaos. Mind said one thing, heart the another.

Everytime I closed my eyes, Aeryn's face appeared and a small smile involuntarily made its way to my lips.

But then the tiffin box lying in front of me reminded me of the promise I broke. And my smile disappeared.

I gulped down the whiskey from the glass and smashed the glass on the floor in frustration.

Why is everything so fucking confusing?!

Feeling furious at myself, I smashed the whole bottle of whiskey on the floor.

The door of my office burst open and a heavily breathing Gareth barged in.

He looked frantic. His hair was messy. "I have been searching you in the whole city only to find you here. You are not even answering you phone!" He accused.

I leaned back in my chair refusing to say anything.

"Have you seen the time?!" He walked closer to me.

"Aeryn is so worried about you. And here you are sitting and drinking."

Aeryn. Aeryn. Aeryn. She is worried, about me?

"Get up and come with me", he ordered.

"You go, I will come later", I said dryly.

He rolled his eyes. "I am not letting you drive when you are drunk."

His phone rang and he picked it up. "Yes, yes. I found him. He's in the office only." "Yeah, he is coming back, don't worry."

Hanging up the call he gave me a glare. "Come on, Everette! You need to go home."

I frowned when he grabbed my arm and forcefully made me get up and dragged me out of the office.

"Aeryn", I mumbled to myself when he made me sit in the car. "She is crazy. Why did you make me marry her? She irritates me. She gets on my nerve. She angers me. She makes me get jealous over her. She makes me wanna kiss her till she can't remember anything."

Gareth glanced at me. "Then why don't you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Kiss her."

I ran my fingers through my hair. "Everything will get awkward."

"You both are married, brother. There is nothing wrong in kissing your wife."

I sighed. "I don't know..."

The rest of the ride home, no one spoke and all I could think of was Aeryn. Her feistiness, her craziness, her talkative nature, her eyes, her lips that I wanted to taste so badly.

Gareth stopped the car in front of the house and after making sure I safely reached inside, he drove away.

The house was silent and I went and sat on the couch in the living room.

Behind me I heard someone climbing down the stairs. "Everette?"

I didn't turn around cause I knew it was Aeryn.

When she stood in front of me with her hands on her waist, she looked angry, annoyed but when she scrutinized my face, her features softened; her hand dropped from her waist and she sat beside me.

"Eve..." She gently caressed my cheek with her thumb. "What's wrong?"

That's the first time she ever called me Eve.

I shook my head slowly and didn't say anything.

She shifted closer and gently rubbed my arm. "Something is wrong with you, Eve." Concern was written all over her face.

"I am confused", I admitted. About my feelings. I wanted to add.

"About what?"

"Something..." Saying that I shifted even more closer and placed my head on her shoulder wrapping my arm around her body.

Her hand went to my hair as she softly massaged my scalp.

"Is your mind and heart telling you two different things?

"Yes..." I whispered against her neck.

"Then why don't you listen to your heart?"

"I am afraid of the results", I admitted.

"If you keep getting scared of the results then you won't be able to do anything in your life. Sometimes, you gotta take the risk."

I buried my head in her neck. "What if... everything just crumbles apart in the end?"

"Then you pick up the pieces and start again."

I smiled against her neck.

We both were silent for a minute and then she spoke, "What is your heart telling you anyway?"

I lifted my head and stared at her. "My heart is screaming your name. Telling me to gather you in my arms and never let go. To show you your worth. To love you. To make you mine. To kiss you."

Her eyes shone with surprise, her jaw dropped and leaning closer, I closed the gap between us and placed my lips on her. Finally kissing her.

That's what I thought. Nothing happened. I was just staring at her like a fool until she snapped her fingers bringing me back to reality.

"You zoned out", she said.

Humming I again buried my head in her neck.

"Whatever decision you will make, I am sure it will be good. You will be able to make through it. Everything won't crumble apart."

"Only if you are with me", I whispered.

"Eve...", she trailed off not knowing what to say.

I tightened my hold around her, snuggling closer to her. "I need your support, Aeryn. If you will be with me, everything won't crumble apart."

I looked at her already staring at me in confusion. "Will you?"

Her forehead was creased into a frown, I smoothed it with my finger. "Smile, wifey. I don't like seeing you so tensed."

She bit her lips but eventually smiled.

I again asked, "Will you be my support?"

She nodded promptly. "I will."

I smiled. "Thank you."

I then kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, wifey."

And again placed my head on her shoulder.

She kissed the top of my head. "Goodnight, hubby."