Ravel

|1

IRENE

I turned on the soft mattress as I stretched my arms, feeling the coldness on the other side. I blinked my eyes and stared at the empty space.

He is gone.

Again.

I let out a sigh and slowly set up comfortably. This is all I have been witnessing since we got married two weeks ago.

I have never woken up with him by my side, I'm only left with the coldness. Sometimes I even forget I'm already married, considering I'm always thinking maybe it's a one-night stand. You know, waking up to find out the guy you slept with has disappeared. I have never had or experienced a one-night stand but sleeping with my husband, felt like that was what they felt well, except the feelings, I guess.

I close my eyes and rub them with my hands. I scratch my scalp through my hair before deciding I need a decent bath. I got up and went straight to the bathroom. Stripping off my clothes.

Yes, we live in a mansion. It was only his until we got married. I moved in. Sebastian owns one of the most successful businesses in this country. They offer goods and services to their clients.

I seriously need to tell him that I need a job.

*****

"So, how's married life going for you!" My friend squealed as we sat at the dining table drinking coffee. I really don't know what to say to her.

Firstly, me and Sebastian haven't spent enough time with each other since we got married. Secondly, I barely see his face. Thirdly, we don't have much time to talk because I get really tired when he gets back, which happens to be past 12:00 a.m. midnight, like the next day at midnight, we just have s*x, then sleep.

I stared at my coffee as I steered it with the tea spoon, replying to her. "I just got married, Jane." That's all I could say.

"But still, come on. Two weeks is something." She lightly pushes my shoulder. "And seriously, when is your honeymoon? You guys haven't done it yet."

Jane doesn't seem to be helping with my situation right now. I needed someone to take my mind off this marriage thing for a while. I sigh lazily. I even forgot about my dream honeymoon.

"Jane, can we please talk about something else?" I asked, giving her my fake smile. She keeps quiet for awhile and just stares at me. "Thank you." I said, still keeping that fake smile on my face. She might have noticed it was fake. We have known each other since high school.

"Awww! Come on! I'm curious. Wait, or have you guys been fighting? You found out he is not the one because you already got married?!" She begins to raise her voice and gasped until she suddenly gasps with her eyes almost falling off this time. "You don't love him!" She exclaims.

I sighed. "Can you stop being dramatic and, of course, I love him." I held my breath and halted before breathing out and deciding I should tell her. She's my only friend after all. "Let's just say we don't really talk much like we used to before we got married."

She frowns and rests her hand on my shoulder. The silence follows as we breathe in and out until she decides to break it with her hand still on my shoulder. "Men are all the same, worse if they are really attractive and handsome like him." I push her hand off my shoulders immediately as it burns.

"Not him. He's different, okay? I have never seen him with another woman, talk less of his female workers."

"Yeah, yeah. Maybe he's the sneaky type." She said, pouting before taking a drink from her coffee.

"Are you my friend? Aren't you supposed to say "he has his reasons", "Be patient and don't jump to conclusions" or even "I'm sure he truly loves you just as much as you do for him", but all you are doing is not helping. Bad marriage adviser." I said, after in a soft voice to what I expected her to say before looking away with a frown.

She lightly punches me.

"Hey! Come on! I'm still new to you being married and slightly scared of it after what happened to my parents." She said, her voice going low at the end.

I looked at her, trying to hold the pity I truly felt for her, and just held her hands, squeezing them tightly. Her parents divorced when she was just 9 years old after her mum gave up on him when he cheated the third time. So, his mum moved out of the house with her and her brother, who was 13 years old then. Now she's 26, just like me, but single and her brother is Jorden, who is 30 years old, working in one of the country's best companies. It's an oil company.

Since then, she doesn't trust any guy or has tried dating him. I tried making her see from the other side by showing my parents as an example, but she still couldn't see that not all men are the same. She once said she felt like she would get unlucky with men like her mum did. I don't actually blame her much. So discussing my marriage with her might be a big mistake.

"Come on. Forget about that and move on. Not all men are the same, you know?"

She scoffs.

"That's all they say, but you should see where they end up."

"Jane! Stop that!" I exclaimed, not wanting her words to sink in into me mentally.

"Okay, Okay! I'm sorry!" She puts her hands up in surrender. "Just ignore all I said. I guess if I see your marriage still going well after a year or two, I might try dating." She said while smiling proudly at me.

"You will." I said, smiling warmly at her with my hands covering hers tightly.

"Yea, maybe." She whispers, smiling back as we both laugh.

*****

I took my eyes off the TV and checked the time on the clock hanging on the wall. 01:09 a.m. in the morning. Not again. I took the remote and switched off the TV as I got up. I fixed my pajama top and slipped on my slippers.

They make sloppy sounds on the floor as I lazily walk up the stairs.

Just then I heard the door unlocking. I turned back around and started my fast walk to the door, until he came into view.

I walked up to him and lazily walked out my hands. He does the same with his breath-taking features.

"Hey." He greets.

"Hey." I greeted him back, mirroring his smile.

Sometimes I wonder how lucky I am to have such an attractive handsome guy like him. Why did he choose me? I ask myself.

I embrace him as he hugs me back tightly before landing a kiss on the top of my head. He lands another kiss on my cheek, moving to my neck.

"I missed you so much, my dear wife." He whispered huskily, making something wet down there. He lent another kiss on my neck. I let out a moan.

"I missed you too, Sebastian." I said, almost letting out another moan as he sucked my neck, biting it lightly. He slammed his lips on mine as I immediately kissed him back with the same force. We kissed passionately. Devouring each other's mouths. He uses his dominant mouth to work its way to my tongue. After about thirty seconds, I pushed back breathless but he, as usual, was still breathing normally. "Impressive, you can hold your breath a bit longer now."

"Thanks to you," I replied back, smiling.

"Thanks, pleasure is obviously all mine." He replied back, seductively, husky. I chuckle and stare at his eyes with the love I truly felt for him.

I yelp as he scoops me from the floor to his arms, unexpectedly. I wrapped my arms around his neck before smiling at him.

"How was work?" I asked. He started walking to the stairs.

"Tiring. As usual," he replied.

"Mmh. Sorry about that." I said, closing my eyes and resting my head on his chest, he climbed at his steady heartbeat as we climbed the stairs.

His heartbeat keeps me calm and warm. He is the only man my eyes can't leave. The men that made me laugh to the fullest, smile to the fullest. Keep my heart beating. Sometimes I wonder where he was in my crying days before I met him. When I'm sad, I think of him and I find myself smiling.

I started falling for him a few days after we met. He was a customer who usually came to talk about business with other men. The club was still newly opened then. He stood up for me when a man smacked my ass and I slapped the man in anger. The man got angry and got up, slapping me five times harder than I did him, making me drop to the ground. Sebastian got to me and landed about three punches to the pervert, resulting in him being unconscious.

He then turned to me and stretched out his hands as he asked. "Are you okay?" with those dark forest eyes lacing with concern.

I smiled, forgetting the stinging sensation on my cheek for a while, and nodded "Yes," before putting my hand on his.

I will never forget that day.