It was Friday evening, when I finished my work and started packing my things.

Isaac said that he will be late so, I was going home alone untill Nyle called me and invited me to his house for playing Red Dead Redemption 2.

I agreed to him happily and reached his penthouse at seven in the evening and I didn't even bother to tell Isaac.

"Take cover Nyle! Look more O'Driscolls are coming", I shouted to Nyle as he fought with the O'Driscolls and I just sat there and watched him play cause I don't know how to fight, I mean I have never been able to kill someone properly in that game but Nyle was expert in that.

Empty pizza boxes laid around us as we played and ate pizza for dinner.

"Finally!", Nyle exclaimed when he killed all the enemies and then he switched off the PS4 because we have been playing for a long time.

"I didn't even realise that it's too late", he said glancing at the wall clock.

He was right, it was quarter past ten already.

"Nyle?"

"Hmm?"

"You and Isaac are childhood friends, right?"

He looked baffled on hearing me asking him a question all of a sudden.

"Umm...yes. Why?"

"Nothing...I just...is Isaac angry with you?" I wanted to ask him that for a long time because they both are best friends but they don't act like that. Isaac doesn't even hides the fact that he is uncomfortable by his presence.

"No...he is not angry", he said, avoiding eye contact with me.

"But why does he acts like that towards you?"

Sighing he leaned back on the couch, "We are like that since childhood, Thera. There is nothing wrong."

"No, I know it's not necessary for two friends to show affection for each other but Isaac seem to not like you, I don't mean to offend you but he does accept you as his best friend but you both don't seem to get along, why?"

He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them, still staring at front.

"First of all...I am not supposed to tell you much but all I can say that he and I grew up together, we were best of friends but for the past ten years, he has built a wall around himself and I have been trying for the past ten years to break that wall and hangout and do stuffs like we used to before but he just doesn't listen to me...we are still friends, we are like siblings, we love each other but Isaac is...broken."

Isaac is broken was all I could understand. Why?

"What happened ten years back?"

"I can't tell you...he will kill me. But all I can say is that Serah died ten years back and since then...he had been blaming himself for her death."

"Why is he blaming himself?!"

He gave me a sad smile, "You should ask him not me about that because I don't want to die single."

At that I let out a small chuckle but I was not done asking questions, "At least you can tell me what relationship he had with her, please?"

He looked at me for a few seconds, debating whether to tell me or not.

I thought he wouldn't but he finally said, "Serah, Isaac and I were best friends, our families were friends and we three grew up together; we were inseparable untill death took her away. That's all I can tell you."

His eyes looked empty talking about her, they lost their best friend.

"Don't tell Isaac I told you all this because he doesn't likes to talk about all this to anyone", he added.

"I won't tell him anything", I assured him, giving him a small smile which he didn't reciprocate.

"I should go... it's very late", I said, "Bye Nyle."

I was about to step out of the penthouse when he called, "And Thera?"

I turned around, "Yes?"

"Please... don't leave him."

I didn't say anything cause I was still processing his words.

He added, "He doesn't show it but...he needs you. He is broken but I know that you can fix him up. He tries to be strong but believe me he is not...he is very soft-hearted but we all experience some things in our lives that changes us. Give him some time, he is short-tempered, I know it is difficult sometimes to tolerate him but please...just try."

"You know what, he is a very possessive person even. Once he got jealous just because I was talking to a boy who joined our school. I was helping him out and he got so jealous about that. He doesn't likes sharing his things but he has a heart of gold."

"I don't give up easily", was all I could say and I gave him a smile.

I guess I am planning to stick with Isaac for a long time...

_______________________________________

Entering the house, I decided to silently walk to my bedroom without waking Isaac because it was almost eleven at night and I was out for so long without telling him where I was going and even my phone's battery died and I am damn sure he must have tried to call me.

But my plan to silently reach my bedroom didn't work cause the moment I reached the top of the stairs, there stood Isaac, with folded arms and an angry expression on his face.

"Where were you?", he demanded.

"Umm...I was with Nyle", I told him but then I realised that it might have sounded like something else to him, I quickly added, "We were playing games."

"I mean...on the PS4", I added again cause my sentences had double meaning.

"What happened to your phone?"

"It's battery died", I replied.

He took a few steps closer to me, "You seem to hangout a lot with Nyle."

"He's my friend! Now don't tell me you are jealous just because I went to his house and I hang out with him, blah...blah...blah."

He moved closer and my mind was already becoming a mess with our closeness.

"Who said I was jealous?", he cocked his head.

"You don't always have to use the exact words to express your feeling, you can indirectly express it. And right now, you Mr. Isaac Grayson are jealous just because I was with your best friend. Right?"

"You two had dinner together?", He asked completely ignoring what I said.

"Yes."

"Was that a date?"

"You crazy?! Date? Seriously?! He is my friend, Isaac. F-R-I-E-N-D!"

He scrutinized my face for a few seconds before he turned around and walked towards his room.

"Why can't you trust me? I am married to you, I won't cheat no matter what!", I called out to him.

He stopped in his tracks, taking deep breaths and then he turned around and walked upto me.

"It's not about trust", he stated, his eyes filled with an unreadable emotion.

"But...", he took a step closer, "you should remember whom you belong to."

Why can't he maintain some distance?!

"Umm...what-whatever", I stuttered and turned sideways to get away from him but in a swift movement, I was backed up against the wall with my arms pinned above my head.

Our faces were so close that the tip of our nose was touching.

Not again!

I felt so hot all of a sudden and the reason being my husband who if has not been an asshole to me I would have fallen for him already.

"Wha-t are yo-u doing?"

He ducked down his head and buried his nose in the crook of my neck.

"Who do you belong to?", he whispered huskily.

I was too stunned to speak anything, his hot breath that I could feel on my neck and his lips that I could feel brushing against my collar bone was driving me crazy.

"Thera, who do you belong to?", he asked again in an impatient tone but yet his voice was low and husky.

Wanting to create some distance between us, I decided to quickly answer him.

"Thera-", he spoke again but I quickly cut him off because I knew what he would ask.

"You."

As I answered, I could feel him smile against my neck but he didn't move away instead he stayed like that for a minute more making me lose my self-control with every passing minute; he finally released my hands that were pinned above my head and he removed his head from my neck.

"Good", he smirked and then he literally ruffled my hair as if I was a kid.

"No!", I whined removing his hand from my hair because I always get irritated whenever anyone touches my hair.

But that didn't stop him from ruffling my hair instead he ruffled them more cause he knew I was getting irritated.

I pouted my lips sadly and that's when he stopped and his eyes turned darker.

"Stop pouting your lips", he stated.

"Why?" Maybe I know the reason why.

"Just don't."

"Afraid to lose control?", I teased him knowing that I was playing with fire.

He leaned in smirking and said, "Lose control, huh? Actually you should be the one to be afraid of losing it."

"M-e?...ne-ver..."

"How many time do I have to remind you that you are a bad liar?"

"I know how to...not lose control. I never lost it in 27 years of my life."

He raised his brow in confusion, "Don't tell me you never kissed anyone."

"I never did", I told him honestly avoiding eye contact with him.

He let out a small chuckle making me angry.

"There is nothing funny in it!", I folded my arms.

At that he chuckled once more.

"Fine! Laugh at me...I am going", I turned sideways and walked to my room.

But before I entered my room, I heard him say, "For how long can you resist me, Thera?"

I didn't answer him and just said goodnight and closed the door.

But seriously, for how long?