Husbands by agreement

¿Agreement?

"This thing you're doing, I can't make sense of it." These are the first words that Anthony expresses, after what seems to me an eternity... His eyes seem far away.

"I told you not to ask me for explanations, and that's the only way I could relieve your charge and support you." I cast seriously, not taking my eyes off her face.

"Julieta, how can I marry you? All I know about you is that you need major surgery, that I ran you over... And that you're a foreigner, how can I marry a woman I don't love?" Anthony asks me, his face showing latent confusion.

My chest feels tight as I listen to him... It's a gentleman's point of view, though... I'm not going to pity anyone; his sweet face is not going to stop my plans.

"Love is not always the most important thing, I assure you." I say without thinking, it was impossible for me not to think about Freddy and my conflicting feelings.

"For me, love will always be the most important thing, love for what you do, for what you want to do... And most of all, for who you are. We don't know each other at all, we only know the superficial, why would you want to be my wife?" insists Anthony, all in all he is a damn stubborn guy.

"I told you I'm not going to explain my decision to you. It's the only proposal I have to save your ass, take it or leave it, Anthony Nasser". I offer with certainty, I don't have too much time for things to move forward, sooner rather than later my pregnancy will be noticeable... And I... I have to build a stable future for my baby, and that will only happen if I get Freddy and his threats out of my way.

"Let me think about all this..."

"No, no time to think, take it or leave it." It's the only thing I say out loud, my heart pounding and the confusion I'm experiencing because I can't analyze if this thing, I'm doing is right.

"I thought you said you were expecting a baby?" Anthony interrogates me with interest, his beautiful eyes holding my gaze, creating doubt in my mind.

"Yes, I am expecting a child." I answer him firmly.

"And why don't you marry the father of this child and ask a complete stranger to be your husband? Have you gone mad?" he asks me again in a tired tone.

"I have no need to explain myself to a f*****g stranger. I'm just offering you a way out of the big trouble your inexperience and recklessness got you into." I say firmly.

"Julieta, I firmly believe in love and I am not qualified to marry a woman I feel nothing for."

"Love is not always beautiful or idyllic... You should know, usually people spend their whole life waiting to feel something different, and in almost all cases you can experience how your heart breaks the moment you cling to something or someone, and then... Then you're back where you started, but broken." I offer lightly, I can't help but think of Freddy as I say these words aloud.

"He sounds like a damn sad person who expects nothing from life."

"Mm, believe me, I expect a lot, Mr. Nasser." I nod and stop looking at him, I don't want him to notice the confusion I'm feeling right now.

"And one of them is to marry a stranger. Being pregnant, in the city of Istanbul, how strange, isn't it?" he asks me and something in his gesture has changed.

"As strange as it may seem, I assure you that our union will bring more advantages than disadvantages, believe me." I say without thinking.

"I..." Anthony stammers and starts pacing in the middle of the room, his body odor penetrating my aching nostrils.

I take a deep breath and stare at him, again... His eyes are truly beautiful, so similar in shape to Freddy's, but never in their depth.

"What are you afraid of?" I ask him out of the blue.

"Right now, you. My life is in your hands." Anthony confesses and runs his hand over his forehead in despair.

Hearing that sentence, my brain scrambles in a way I've never experienced before....

My life is in your hands.

It was the sentence I had chosen to make Freddy understand that I loved him, that I loved him madly... And that as a fruit of the passion that united us, I was expecting a child....

The way Anthony and I addressed each other as you, and then suddenly we stopped, as if some kind of mist came to our lips and made them connect... But in a non-physical way.

He and I don't know each other at all... Nevertheless, my chest assures me that I have done the right thing, that the impulse I had to ask you to be my husband was that impulse they call destiny, mine and yours, connected the moment we saw each other's eyes as soon as I woke up....

What is the driving force behind this?

I suppose there will be plenty of time to find out.

"I accept, Julieta, I will formally ask you to be my wife. You... You will firmly believe in Allah and that he has crossed us both for some purpose, a good one of course, that's all I hope for." Anthony sighs and sits down again, his eyes seeming to wander.

"Have you ever been in love?" I ask him, unaware of my question.

"No, or at least not with a person, except... When I was a teenager." He confesses and a half smile appears on his handsome face.

"Interesting."

"Her name was Hilda."

"That's a pretty name, maybe she was very beautiful. "

Silence fills us again, he says nothing.

"I'm going to... I'm going to announce that it was all my fault, I'm going to take responsibility and label myself as a negligent person who was incapable of looking sideways and that's why she got run over... And then I'll take your word for it." I spit ironically.

"Julieta, you have my word, I will marry you. I'll make it official; we'll make it right."

I'd like to ask her why her perception has changed. I'd like to ask her what made her want to do things that way?

Isn't it enough to go to a registry office and affirm our will to be united in marriage?

Does civil marriage even exist in Turkey?

I guess I will have to find out.

Will Anthony tell his family how he decided to marry me?

I must avoid that at all costs... He and I have to make sure that we love each other.

Even if it's the biggest lie ever invented... I... I wouldn't be able to love this man or any other.

Love always tastes bad in the end... Something like drinking coffee after you've just brushed your teeth, and especially unrequited love.

Freddy Nasser made it very clear to me. Love is not for women like me.

"Thank you for that." I say, not knowing why my eyes crystallize.

"I don't know what to say in the face of this." Anthony replies and I can tell he's grimacing.

The door to the room is knocked hard and Anthony allows the person to enter.

"I think it's been long enough." The doctor says, beckoning to Officer Francheski.

"Are you feeling all right, Miss Hernandez?" the officer asks me for some reason, analyzing my gesture minutely.

"A little sore, but I would like to discuss a few things with you." I reply politely.

"Would you like me to stay for the procedure?" the doctor bursts in and Anthony searches for me with his eyes, he is nervous, I can smell his every fear.

"No, you don't need to." I answer after thinking about it for a few seconds.

The doctor nods and leaves the room, Anthony stays, right in front of me, waiting for my words to ring out, to bring him relief.

"Officer Francheski, I know this all sounds crazy and nonsensical. But I want to confess to you that Mr. Nasser was not responsible for what happened to me and I have proof of it." I say confidently and this time I look into Anthony's eyes... My words sound firm, while inside I can only stagger.

"What the hell did you mean?" the officer interjects aggressively.

"I meant to say that I received devastating and heartbreaking news at work, which caused me to have a nervous breakdown. I am human, sir, I am weak, I have moments of instability. That is why I crossed the street without looking, Mr. Nasser tried to stop me so as not to hurt me, but I cannot deny that he came a little too fast, I think a fine will be more than enough to settle the situation". I explain calmly, Anthony looks at me perplexed, while the officer's face begins to redden, the product of anger.

"Have you lost your mind? The cameras caught the gentleman running over them, he was speeding." The officer insists, looking at me with contempt.

"Mr. Nasser came to pick me up, we were supposed to meet today. We had chatted a few times, on Messenger, of course." I say eloquently and look at Anthony out of the corner of my eye, he begins to look amused.

"This has no head or tail, Miss Hernandez. I'm warning you; we're going to go all the way..."

"You can do your job, but you won't press charges against me." I say loudly.

"I'm leaving, I'm tired of so much shit... Money, damn money, causing impunity." The officer blasphemes and storms out of the room, slamming the door.

Anthony looks at me and I look back at him. ....

Everything is going well.

The doctor comes back in. He tells me that I have to rest, they will schedule my surgery for three days from now, they assure me that it won't be too dangerous... But I'm still scared.

"I'm going to leave... For now." Anthony blurts out in a trembling voice.

"I need an important favor, besides you being my husband, of course."

"By Allah!" he exclaims.

"I'm not going to ask you to be my slave... Or anything like that, I just need you to buy me a cell phone... You can take my card in my apartment; I don't need your money... Just put my phone line on the new cell phone, it's important... For work purposes". I explain carefully and he gives me a half smile, I like it when he smiles....

"I'll need the keys to your apartment, Julieta. I'll bring what you need to make you comfortable and I'll take care of you too.

I sigh inwardly as I listen to him, his words making me feel slightly soft. And it's a mistake, this man is just an instrument for my plans.

He leaves the room and I fall into a deep sleep. I am exhausted.

I sleep for hours and I feel so much relief.

I wake up drowsy, feeling as if weeks have passed... And he's there, looking at me, his hand, caressing my hair.

Why is he doing this?

He doesn't notice that I've opened my eyes. I stare at him for a few seconds, he's so damn handsome.

"Julieta..." He mumbles through his teeth and quickly pulls his hands away from me.

I smile at him sheepishly and feel the blush creep up my cheeks.

"Here's your phone, it's the best I could do in the short time I had." He says apologetically and hands me the phone.

I thank him and quickly turn it on.

Eighteen messages from Freddy Nasser, fifty-two missed calls.

It's so early for everything. ...

But everything is in order.

A new life begins for me and new horizons to explore.

Will Anthony Nasser be the key to fulfilling my most desired temptations?