Chapter 7 - Ari

Even with a body other than my own in the house, that week was the loneliest one I had ever experienced.

Just because we were married, it didn't mean I was entitled to her time or attention. I knew that. But as I went about my usual routine with the addition of making sure she was eating and somewhat taking care of herself, it was easy to forget about the union altogether. It had felt more like a figment of my imagination.

The worst part about it was how much it bothered me.

While she didn't know me and I didn't know her, something in me wanted us to find a common ground, or, at the very least, speak to one another.

Wanting to get to know Vivian and to at least be in her presence seemed like such an innocent thing, but the longer it went on, the crazier it made me feel.

For a moment, it made me wonder if we were experiencing the same kind of cabin fever, even if I left for work every day.

After a week of being married, I had never felt more alone, and I was sick of Vivian shutting me out.

Regardless of how she would feel about it, something had to change, and I was determined to make it happen.

Even if she hated me, or if it would push her away even more, I had to try.

Being so affected by her iciness easily took away the shine of outdoing her father, which was the one thing I had clung to ever since following through with the hasty decision to get married to a woman I didn't know two things about.

Pushing through the front door, I let go of a deep breath and tried to push away the thoughts that lingered from the workday. If I wanted to appeal to her in some way, I couldn't let that irritation follow me.

After dropping my keys on the kitchen island, I made my way up the stairs with that slight concern pulsing in my chest.

That feeling would hit me every time I went to check on her, afraid I might not like what I saw when I opened the door. I assumed Vivian was too stubborn to do anything she might regret, but given how she had been left with no other choice but to accept her new situation, I couldn't write off that possibility.

I hoped that she would come around eventually and that I wouldn't have to worry about her in that way.

Swallowing back that hesitation, I approached the bedroom door, only to find it cracked open. I peered inside, but the bed was empty, along with the ensuite.

Immediately, my heart skipped.

Did she get out of the house somehow? Did she slip through the security system?

Those questions bounced around in my head as I pushed away from the room and continued down the hall, surprised she finally left the spare bedroom.

I immediately let out a discreet sigh, relieved to find her in my library.

She sat in the armchair with her legs tucked underneath her, book in hand, while she quietly read by herself. It was one of my favorites, too, and I couldn't help but think she must've had good taste.

Even if the scene in front of me was a simple one, I was glad to see it. She looked at peace and comfortable, and it was nice to find that faint smile on her lips as she was completely immersed in the book.

Something in me hoped it gave her a sense of normalcy through everything going on, no matter how small.

Regardless of how things came to be, I didn't want her to suffer. She would likely say otherwise, but I didn't take any pride in knowing she had been uncomfortable and reduced to moping around in the spare bedroom.

With some regret, I watched as Vivian realized I was there and jolted in place, face blank as if she had seen a ghost. She immediately closed the book like she had been caught committing some sort of crime, and she regarded me with caution.

Seeing how she hesitated around me as if I might bite at any given moment stung, but I told myself to push it away. She looked prepared for me to shout at her, but that wasn't what I had in mind, and I didn't want to fuel her preconceived notions of me.

When she still didn't say anything, I murmured, "We're having dinner with my family tonight. I'm making arrangements now, and you'll have the chance to meet them all."

There was no missing the fear as it flashed in her eyes, truly alarmed at last. The color drained from her face.

Instinctively, she shook her head. "I don't want to."

"You might not want to, but it's happening anyway," I returned, bracing myself for another tantrum. "You have a few hours to get ready, then everyone will be here to meet you."

As much as I didn't want to push her too much or cause any more problems between us, I needed her to acclimate herself to our new life together. It was strange and uncomfortable, but it had to be done for the marriage to work.

The sooner she accepted it, the sooner we could develop some sort of genuine connection, rather than just what was printed on paper.

Despite her fear, there was no denying how beautiful Vivian looked in that moment as the early evening light streamed in through the window and brought out the natural blonde highlights in her hair. While her eyes were wide and bordering panic, the green in them seemed to sparkle.

There was nothing extraordinarily done-up about her appearance, wearing a simple outfit consisting of an oversized knit sweater and yoga pants with her locks splayed over her shoulders. It was simple, yet put her natural beauty on full display for me to appreciate.

It made me wish there hadn't been any kind of discomfort or rockiness between us. If we had met organically and had the chance to get to know one another, everything would be so much easier.

But I didn't exactly enter her life in a way that could've built a solid foundation for us to work with.

Again, I could only blame myself for that, but it didn't change how I wanted her to see me beyond the brute she assumed I was.

Even if she hated me, just looking at Vivian was enough to evoke such a strong yearning to be near her, and to understand how she affected me without even trying. She caught my eye the moment I started doing research into her family, and while I assumed it would fizzle away with time, that desire to know her never did.

My moment of adoration for her features and how perfect she looked shattered the moment she stood with a look of complete refusal on her face, and that startling reality brought me back down to earth.

With resolve, Vivian fixed her lips in a straight line as she tucked the book underneath her arm and went straight for the hallway. "I'm not doing it. You can't introduce me like some happy bride who wants any of this."

Sighing, I followed her out of the room, able to take longer strides than her, despite her hastened steps as she headed for the bedroom again. "Give me a break, Vivian."

"I don't think you deserve one," she snapped, attempting to slam the door in my face.

But I caught it with a hand before it could hit me, and I pushed it open again as she hurried over to the bed and hid. We were back to square one again.

My blood was boiling once again, but I bit my tongue. There were so many things I could've said to her at that moment, but they would do more harm than good.

If I wanted any kind of peace between us, I had to lead by example. Fighting her fire with even more would burn the whole house down, and I wasn't willing to go through anything worse than our current condition.

"Listen," I began, even as she faced away from me and pulled the covers over her head. "You can either get ready in the time I'm giving you, or you can be prepared to head down in your current state. Either way, it doesn't matter to me. You're going to eat downstairs for once and meet my family regardless."

There was a moment of silence before her muffled voice came through the duvet. "You could force me into marrying you, but you can't make me do anything else."

Tempering my irritation, I straightened my shoulders and drew from my well of authority. "Fighting me won't make this any better. The sooner you realize this won't just go away, the happier you'll be."

"Happy," she muttered, voice bitter. "I don't know what that is anymore, thanks to you."

Scoffing, I scrubbed a hand over my mouth. "Apparently, you didn't know it back home, either."

As that silence settled between us again, I immediately regretted the words, but I couldn't take them back.

Forcing out another breath, I didn't know what to say to make it better. I had the feeling it was just more salt in her wounds, and trying to fix it would make everything worse.

"I don't want to hear any more arguments or whatever else you might have to say about it. Get ready, or don't. Your choice. But either way, you will be at that dinner table by seven."

Not caring to hear more of her grumblings, I left the room and headed straight for the master bedroom with my phone in my hand as I made catering arrangements. I had to cool off before I said anything worse.

Feeling the need to wash away the anger and any residual frustration from our lackluster conversation, I stripped down and hopped in the shower.

As the hot water streamed down my body, cloaking me in some semblance of comfort, I couldn't keep my mind straight. There were too many thoughts and concerns moving around in there, forcing me into a constant state of questioning.

I wanted to believe everything would work out fine, and that marrying Vivian wasn't for nothing, but that ever-growing doubt in the back of my mind seemed relentless.

Given how back and forth she had been with me, favoring her outbursts, I had no idea how she would behave in front of my family. They were the people I did everything for, and if she were to disrespect them, or make a mockery of me, I didn't know what I'd do.

They would certainly understand her resistance, but something in me didn't want that risk. I didn't want to deal with any headaches in that department.

I could only silently pray over and over again for everything to go well.

However, I had the hunch that regret would be the one thing she'd like me to feel. That would be her only possible exit from her current situation.

As I scrubbed myself down and tried to clear my head, I just hoped for the best.