LOVE HURTS (Will BE PUBLISHED SOON)

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4CHAPTER 4

Isabelle

***

It had been two days since my encounter with Hunter in the kitchen after that microwave incident. I mostly ignored him and he also didn’t comment on anything but staying away or locked in the room wasn’t an option. We came face to face a couple of times a day but never exchanged a word. It was slightly piercing especially after he had claimed that he’d earn my forgiveness with his actions but I had not seen anything in his actions. He was again that closed off egotistical jerk.

I was getting ready for the dinner with the clients he had mentioned. At last, I gave in and told him that I’d attend a few dinners but shouldn’t expect more form me. And… surprisingly Hunter had agreed with me.

Should I consider this as his action to earn my forgiveness? No! He knows he doesn’t have any other way.

I gave myself once over and I looked presentable in this yellow off-shoulder knee-length dress. My chestnut brown hair had soft curls and a minimal make-up with peach lipstick.

Although I looked fine but I was nervous because a realization was sinking in that I was going to meet people as Hunter’s wife and there were going to be so many questions, for the life we had lived for five years.

How were we going to make people believe that we were married when we lived in different states for years?

I could see this dinner failing miserably, and I could bet Hunter also knew that it was a lost cause.

A knock on my door pulled me out of my thoughts and I knew it was Hunter. Opening the door, I stepped aside, still not looking at him.

“What is bothering you?” he asked, stepping closer to me and only then I looked up, gazing into his hypnotizing eyes.

“They’ll see through our ac of happy couple.” I sighed.

“Let them think what they want to. You just be… be you. I’ve got your back.”

“Don’t you want to please them for the business deal?” I sneered at him, reminding him that he was here only because of this deal.

“Our definition of pleasing clients is very different. By pleasing, I don’t mean licking their asses. They wanted to make sure that I was a married man, and they’re going to meet my wife. That’s all,” he said with a straight face.

This was going to be a very long night. But I couldn’t shake an unknown feeling which had crept inside me. There was something more… more than this deal. I could tell he was hiding something but didn’t press for any information. After all… we were not a couple.

“Where is your ring?” I was startled when he asked this.

“Huh?”

“Your ring, Isabelle.”

Shit!

Shit!

Shit!

The disaster has already started.

“Isabelle, what did you do?” Placing his fingers under my chin, he made me look at him and I cringed inside. He searched my face with that sheer intensity. I bit my lip refraining myself from uttering something so stupid which could land me in trouble with this beast.

As he took a step closer, I stepped away from him, and then my legs hit the bed and I lost my balance and flopped down on the bed. Hunter Leanne down and I arched backward, trying to get away from him but fell on the bed. He came on top of me, supporting his weight on his forearms, caging me in. His face was mere inches apart, his minty breath caused shivers to run down my spine.

“What did you do, Isabelle?” he asked again.

“I… that… that….um…,” I stuttered badly when he was this close to me. This was the first time when we both were in this position and so many oner whelming feelings had took over my senses already. I wasn’t experienced at all and this was way too much for me. I wasn’t even bold enough to push him away. Shyness which had been suppressed by my anger for years resurfaced. I closed my eyes when I couldn’t hold the eye contact as his gaze had started to make me feel things that I didn’t want to.

I gasped, arching my back when I felt his weight on me and his hand caressed my cheek ever so gently. “Isabelle,” he whispered in the crook of my neck.

“Hunter,” I said back.

“You have no idea what you do to me.” He placed a small kiss behind my ear which made me moan in the pleasure.

This was wrong. I knew, this was wrong but it seemed my rational brain had taken the leave, leaving the stupid one behind.

He pulled back. “So, what did you do, wife?” he asked again but his voice was stronger as if he wasn’t affected by any of this. I blinked to regain my focus and clear the haze which had built in my mind. I looked at him with baffled expressions.

How could he be so unaffected when I was hot all over?

Before I could answer him, the bell rang and I pushed him off me as if was some kind of creepy guy. For a second, Hunter also had a startled expression but then he masked. Standing up, he extended his hand for me but I ignored him.

“Let’s go.” I coughed a bit, and that bastard chuckled. But then he stopped me from moving and took something out of his pocket.

It was a ring box, and when he opened it, my mouth hung open. This had the most beautiful diamond ring with a big oval-shaped rock on it. There was a simple diamond band with it as well. Taking the ring out, he grabbed my hand and put it on. Rising my hand up to his eye level, he looked at it and a slow smile spread on his face. It weighed heavy on my finger, and I wasn’t used to wearing any big diamond ring.

I scowled at him because that smiled screamed as if he was happy claiming his stake on me. I wasn’t his. He never accepted me for who I was. I was just an unfortunate turn in his perfectly organized life.

Hadn’t I been…!

“Come on,” he said and I took a deep breath and left the room. The bell rang again, and I was about to run and open it— our guests were slightly impatient.

“Wait, Isabelle.”

I faced him and arched my brow as a gesture for him to continue. “We are a couple and don’t kill me if I touch you or kiss you.”

What the…!

He didn’t wait for my reaction as he walked to the door and opened it for the guests. Taking in a deep breath and plastering a wide smile on my face, I also went to Hunter to welcome the guests.

Hunter put his arm around my waist and pulled me to him. His body was stiff and there was an unusual difference in his reaction. He wasn’t fond of this socializing as well.

“Welcome, Mr. Martin. Meet my wife, Isabelle Kingston. And Isabelle, this is Mr. Arnold Martin I had told you about. His wife, Gracie, and daughter Kylie.” I said hello to everyone when Hunter introduced me to them. But the way Hunter had introduced Kylie was a bit odd— his voice was slightly stained as if he was annoyed but keeping his calm composure only for the show's sake. I invited then in and led them to the living room. Mr. Martin and his wife had surprised look on their faces when they saw me. Guess what! They didn’t believe Hunter had a wife. Kylie gave me once over and her gaze lingered a little longer on my ring but she gave me a wide grin.

“Come on.” Hunter grabbed my hand, and we joined our guests. We offered them drinks first.

At first, the conversation was light about Paris, weather, and sports. Then it shifted to business and Mr. Martin congratulated us on the new product launch.

“Yes, Arnold. This new phone has lots of new features and Isabelle and her team have worked hard.” Hunter said and I smiled at everyone. I was already a ball of nerves as the guests still gave me looks.

Of course, how could they believe Hunter Kingston suddenly had a wife all along?

“Isabelle? Really, Hunter? Don’t tell me that you don’t address your wife by any nickname?”

Hunter’s jaw hardened and he looked sharply at Kylie— she was getting on his nerves.

“Why should I give Isabelle any nickname when her name is the most beautiful name in the world, in my opinion, of course. I love calling my wife, Isabelle.” Hunter looked in my eyes and his hand had already gripped mine tightly. I could only smile in response.

How smoothly he could lie? But I did feel butterflies in my stomach when he said this. Could there be any truth in this statement?

Then I asked them to move to the dining room as it was almost dinner time. They all came, and I excused myself and went to the kitchen. Mrs. Martin offered to help me but I politely declined her. It was much work since I already had set the cookware on the table. I only needed little time to re-heat some of the dishes.

“Tell me, how could I help you?” Hunter asked while I grabbed the dish which had spaghetti. I looked strangely at him because I knew he was a distaste in the kitchen. What he could help me here without setting this whole building on fire?

“I can manage. But thank you,” I replied.

“Isabelle, although I can’t cook, I surely can help you setting the table.” He rolled his eyes and a slow smile spread on my face when he admitted that he wasn’t good at something. His ego must have bruised in admitting this.

“Then place this in the center of the table.” I handed him the dish I had been holding. “Are you sure, you’ll cover these some fetes without tripping and breaking this glass dish?” I couldn’t help but take this comic jab at him.

“I’m not a toddler.” He grabbed the dish from my hands and looked at it carefully and then he turned. His first few steps were careful as if he was trying to make sure that he wouldn’t trip.

He then came back again after placing that dish and helped me with the other two bowls. This domestic side of Hunter is totally new to me. He had never bothered to do anything domestic all his life. And now he was stepping into new territories.

We all sat and started dinner.

“I must say, this food is delicious,” Mr. Martin said after tasting lasagna.

“Thank you, Mr. Martin.”

“Don’t be formal with us, Isabelle. Call me Arnold.”

“And call me, Gracie and my daughter, Kylie.” Mrs. Martin gave me a polite smile.

“Isabelle is a wonderful cook. The chocolate fudge cake she bakes is something to die for,” Hunter said and I looked at him in confusion because the first time I baked that cake was the only time Hunter had tasted it. I was sixteen and obsessed with baking, so one day I decided to make that cake after seeing the recipe on YouTube, but it came out really bad. Hunter and his father were at my home, working on a project with my father. I asked Hunter to taste it before giving it to our fathers, and when he tasted it, he spitted it immediately. And I knew what disaster I had made. Then he never tasted any cake made by me, even though I had perfected my skill within a few months. But he knew I had learned it as his mom and his sisters would devour the whole cake withing minutes when I made for them, whereas he’d only look at that cake with suspicion. That was why I wasn’t able to understand if he was being sarcastic or genuinely praising me.

It seemed sarcasm to me because he never tasted the deciduous cakes I had made over the years.

“Really?” Gracie said with appreciation.

“Well, then I’d like to taste it,” Kylie said this with a strange edge to her voice. I could pick some cold vibes from her and my suspicion was confirmed when Gracie gave her the hard look to which she only rolled her eyes.

This girl was trouble and something in me warned me that I should be at an arm’s length from her. Even Hunter had a hard expression on his face.

“Why not? I’ll bake one either tomorrow or a day after.” I smiled at her as id didn’t want to offend or disrespect her when she was in my apartment.

“Well, Isabelle when Hunter told us that he was married, we didn’t believe him. Now I understand why he never opened up about his personal life. You’re really a beautiful woman and he wants to keep other men at bay.” Arnold chuckled, and my face reddened at his remark. I briefly looked at Hunter before looking down at my plate.

Looking up, I said, “I guess this is a nice compliment, Arnold. Thanks.” I had no idea what to say in such a situation. Also, a strange dread had started to creep in my body as I knew the conversation had shifted to our personal life Na dour marriage was going to be under a lot of scrutiny.

“Why you never lived with, Hunter?” Kylie asked and I stiffened in my chair.

My mouth dried and I was clearly uncomfortable. This dinner was slowly turning into a nightmare. I tried to think of any excuse but I came shot. Then Hunter grabbed my hand which was on the table, squeezing it gently. Everybody noticed this small gesture.

“Yes, we never lived together until recently, and there is a reason for that. I won’t go into detail but the summary is when Isabelle and I got married, things weren’t right in our family. Also, she was barely an adult with lots of responsibilities, mainly her education and career. I didn’t want her to give up on everything and assume the identity of my wife. I wanted her to fulfill her dreams, and that could have only happened if we had stayed apart. The last thing she needed at that time in her life was an overbearing husband, and the endless responsibilities that would have bound her in a limited circle.” He chuckled lightly to pass this as a usual conversation. “Also, to keep this marriage hidden, the only way was to live separately otherwise media would have found it within months.”

Where ever one had admiration written on their faces, my eyes stung, and there wasn’t just one reason behind those unshed treas. First, this was all a lie. As far as I knew, he never lied— perhaps he had learned now. This conversation or agreement never happened. Second, I wished it was true. Then, our separation would have been bearable and I would have lived these years peacefully, not in pain or insecurities. Third, Hunter had thought about every possible question that could arise and he had answers for those, whereas I was unprepared. I could have never come up with this type of convincing lie.

Turning my face towards himself, Hunter leaned in and kissed my forehead. “My Isabelle deserves the best.”

Liar! My subconscious screamed at him, but I managed a smile small which he returned and those stupid butterflies in my stomach danced again.