Story Of Us

Chapter-18

SEPTEMBER'S POV

" You are meanie." Claire stuck out her tongue at me and shifted her attention back to television screen while resting her head on Zachary's chest and making herself comfortable on his lap.

I laughed at her antiques and munched the popcorns, taking a sip of coke. Purposely I rested my head on Zachary's shoulder who was seated beside me. His gaze flickered at me for a second before the corner of his lips curved to give a faint smile. I chuckled at my acting skills and tried to built my concentration at the movie playing on screen.

After we had agreed to Claire's demand for watching Disney movies, Zachary had made sure to built up the perfect environment for movie night. In his living room, he had turned the lights off and on high resolution, plasma television screen, he had played Disney fairy tales. He had also arranged coke and popcorn and not to mention smoothy for Claire. When at first we settled down on the couch with him beside me and Claire on his lap, all I felt was familiar discomfort but witnessing a cute smile gracing the corner of Claire's lips, my heart forced me to for once forget everything and enjoy the moment.

So I paused my hatred for few hours and decided to proceed my 'perfect wife' fake act.

" Zacie." She called out.

" Yes, Angel."

Eh? Zacie? I scurried my eyebrows in confusion and studied both of them to confirm my suspicion that Claire had actually pet named Zachary as Zacie.

" Since when she started calling you that?"

I asked, tapping his shoulder.

He grinned from ear to ear and bend to place a kiss on the side of her head. " She has the right to call me anything."

I almost, almost pinched myself in a thought that I must be dreaming, right now.

" You're not Zachary are you?"

By using his fingers, he closed my jaw which was once wide open in surprise. "No."

" Huh?"

" No, I am not Zachary Wilson, at lest not with this little Angel." He replied, passing bowl of popcorn to Claire, who gladly took it and smiled, affectionately at him.

It didn't took a rocket science for me to understand the hiding meaning behind his words. He had indirectly told that he's not going to hurt Claire. My lips curled up into wide smile before I beamed in happiness and unintentionally placed a kiss on Zachary's cheek.

Both of our eyes widen in surprise c*m shock when my lips touched his slightly beard skin. Somewhere, his eyes were conforming that I've genuinely kissed him.

The f**k?

I quickly maintained breathable distance with him and gazed down at my clasped palm on my lap. Am I out of my mind or do I need an appointment with a psychiatrist?

I shook my head and to my periphery I found him gawking at me like I've grown two heads.

" What?" I snapped in irritation to which he simply licked his lips and shifted his attention away from me.

Anger bubbled up in me not because I kissed him but because instead of kissing him out of my fake act, unconsciously in sudden happiness of him not hurting Claire, I genuinely kissed his cheeks.

Stupid, stupid September. Now live forever in guilt that you actually showed some warm emotions to the killer of your family.

I clenched my jaw and gave myself a mental salute for snapping at him without getting killed. I peeked through my eyelashes to find any trace of anger on his face but there was none. I sighed in relief and shifted closer to him, snuggling to his shoulder.

" I am sorry." I faked an apology and interconnected our fingers together.

His rough fingers molded completely against my skinny one and strangely it didn't felt odd to hold his hand even though my mind was screaming that this was all just an act.

" Zacie, look, Cinderella is so pretty." Claire chirped.

" But not more than you, Angel."

I rolled my eyes at his words. He's spoiling her. But still deep down my heart is appreciating the little connection between them. I don't know the reason but still I found it cute when they both interact with each other.

" Really? Am I pretty?" She asked with a shine in her twinkling eyes.

I shook my head and looked at Zachary who was staring at our interconnected fingers.

" Yes." His lips broke into a perfect smile, reveling his dimples.

Did I just said perfect? And how come I never noticed that he has cute dimples? Damn you September, stop admiring his features. He's ugly.

" So I'll get my Prince too?" She spoke.

I swallowed a laugh when Zachary's face twisted in discomfort. Ha, that's why I avoid Claire's question sessions as much as possible because her tiny mind is full of curiosity. 

" No." Zachary said in a stern voice.

Claire's face turned towards him as she pouted and then her eyes started getting watered. Aw, my baby is going to cry. I nudged his shoulder and mouthed him to fix his mistake of saying no to her.

He cupped her cheeks and frowned in genuine concerned when tears streamed down her cheeks. " Why are you crying, Angel?"

She hiccupped and clutched his shirt in between her little fingers. " I won't get my Prince?"

Zachary shifted his attention to me and silently asked for help through his expressions. I shrugged my shoulder and passed him bitchy smile clearly indicating that he has to make everything alright by himself. He sighed, helplessly.

I grabbed popcorns and shoved them inside my mouth, suddenly enjoying the scene in front of me where Zachary was out of words.

" I-I..." He trailed off.

" Yes, Zacie. Answer her." I teased, stressing on the nickname given by Claire to him.

" F-ck." He muttered and cleared his throat.

" You will get your prince, my Angel." He added.

" When?" She cast an adorable puppy dog look.

I wriggled my eyebrows up and down and it had taken all in me to not burst out laughing.

" Not until you'll be of thirty."

I gasped at his reply and smaked his shoulder in disbelief. " Are you crazy? I will allow her to date in her teenage days."

He raised his eyebrows and looked at Claire before scowling. " Over my dead body. She's not dating till she will be in her thirties."

My jaw dropped in shock. " No."

" Yes."

" No."

" Yes."

" No."

" Yes."

" Uh..September, Zacie? Why you two are shouting?" Claire's confused voice broke us from whatever we were doing.

I pulled my bottom lips inside my mouth and remind myself that I was arguing to him over something which even didn't make any sense? It isn't like I am going to spend my life with him then why fuss over the conversation which involves that future which will never happen?

I blinked, shifting uncomfortably and wondered that what's happening with my conscious state of mind? Why am I behaving like everything's normal when in reality there's not even a word which could scream normality? Zachary is my hatred and he will always be.

" It late, let's get to sleep, baby girl." He said to Claire, maybe sensing the sudden change in my mood.

" Okaie dokie." She sang and he scooped her up in his arms while gesturing me to follow him.

I nodded, absentmindedly and entered inside the bedroom where he gently made her lay on the bed in middle and so did he on left corner beside her. I stared them for a moment, admiring their perfect bonding with each other where Claire was playing with the hairs of Zachary.

I rubbed my arms and lay beside Claire and pulled the blanket over us.

" Is she asleep?" I asked, once I didn't heard any moment of Claire.

" I guess so." He whispered. 

I nodded and he turned the night lamp off.

" Good night" I said, exhaling a breath.

I swallowed a lump forming in my throat and clenched my eyes shut.

" I...Uh.. I want to ask you about something." He spoke in hesitation.

" Sure."

" Let's go to beach." He get up from the bed.

I knitted my eyebrows in confusion but decided to do what he said. When we both reached outside, I quickly took off my slipper and let the lingering feeling of wet sand touch my bare feet. In moonlight, the water appeared beautiful and the fresh breeze was increasing it's beauty.

Zachary folded his sweatpant and stepped into water. Without saying anything, I stood next to him and we both glanced at the never ending water. Surprisingly, silence between us was not uncomfortable instead I felt a relief to not say a thing.

" What is love?"

His question caught me off guard making my eyes snap in his direction. He was still staring at the ocean and his face was rock hard without any expressions.

Love? Wasn't it strange to hear that word from the mouth of a criminal? I averted my eyes from his face and looked at my feet which was partially in water.

" You loved Hunter, don't you? Then tell me how it feels to be in love?" He breathed out.

My heart constricted in my rib cage at his sudden words and I couldn't help but let the images of Hunter to flash in the back of my head. You won't ever understand Zachary, because love indeed is a pure emotion which is impossible for a disgusting man like you to let alone even think about it.

I didn't loved Hunter, my heart loved him.

" I no longer love him." I lied.

He chuckled dryly and I saw his Adam's apple bobbling down a bit. " How I am going to make you fall for me when I know nothing about love?"

I stiffened at his question and every nerve in me forced to develop a sudden interest at his just said words. My jaw clenched in anger as I saw a raw emotion in his eyes which was of vulnerability.

" Haven't you heard a word Family? What we feel in family is also part of love. The attachment, the care, the respect, everything comes under love." I spat.

But unfortunately a cold hearted man like you won't understand the beauty of love, never.

" Family?" He laughed like a maniac.

" F-ck the challenge of making you fall in love with me." He hissed and turned to face me.

With a dangerous smirk on his face, he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him till our chest touched each other. I gaped and stared at him in shock but he smashed his lips on mine, sealing them into brutal kiss. I stayed limp against him while he bruised my lips and in a matter of second, his fingers roamed under my top.

" I better f-ck you right here, right now. Who's going to stop me?" He commented in his old scary voice.

Tears filled in my eyelids and panic rose, giving me goosebumps. Everything was going according to my plan then all of sudden what happened? Have I said something which triggered him or he was tired of acting sweet? Wasn't he not once felt anything by my fake act?

" You still love him?" He hissed, grabbing me by my throat.

My lungs started going out of breath and I coughed, helplessly but he only tightened his hold. " N..No." I lied, again.

A satisfying smirk dropped on the corner of his lips as he leaned down to peck on my lips.

" You better not." He chuckled.

Tears stung down my cheeks as I struggled against him to remove his grip from my throat but he didn't.

" Because now, you're going to fall in love with me not because then I would be able to f–ck you but because I want to know that how it feels to be loved." He pushed me away and wiped his mouth through the back of his hand.

" Yes, Mrs. September Zachary Wilson, you're going to love me, no matter what."