Arranged Alliance

Coward

Nora Duke

It was midnight and I couldn't sleep. I slept for a while but woke up again, maybe because it is a new atmosphere or I didn't want to. I was staring at the ceiling, not thinking, not saying, not sleeping, not feeling anything. I don't know how much time I was staring at the ceiling, but I got tired. I glanced at Nicholas; his face was towards me and he was sleeping. I almost turned towards him but then I sat up and went to the balcony.

His room also has a balcony that gives moonlight; mine has too. Whenever I didn't get to sleep, I just stood on the balcony railing and looked out at the world. Today I am doing the same, looking at the world. The world, which has many people, would be happy, sad, broken, feel like it was there in the sky, failed, passed. Some would feel like all the problems in the world on their shoulders, some would be in so much depression that they want to die, some are already dead in the world, some are already dead from inside like me.

This night has many secrets like that night had.

Tonight is everything that I always have wanted from the moment Sana came into my life and she was in my life when I wasn't even born. Sana, Sophia, Lily, Elizabeht. Four friends that can give each other lives for each other, what would happen in their life that those friends want to kill each other. What did mom do to Sana? That was she so obsessed with her revenge and me? What happened between those four friends who sacrificed everything for each other? Was it love? A boy? Beauty? Family? Jealousy? Money? But what is good for me to get the answer to these questions?

Now I am far away from these things. Sana - Revenge -Plotting - Elizabeth - Lily- Mother - Pat- Four - Friends - Husbands - Kids - 23rd July - 1999 - car accident - Park - James - picture. All of these, but one thing I can never back off is finding my uncle. From the start, revenge was not important for me, the only thing I wanted was to want my uncle back. I don't know where he is. What is he doing? What is he up to? Does he have kids? Did he forget me? How would he look? Does he still like cooking, painting, finance? Does he miss me? For now. I will find him somewhere but-

"At least I can be at peace now." I sighed hard and, leaning on the wall, I crouched down, pulling my knees to my chest and put my chin on my knees on it, and closed my eyes. Someone put a hand on my shoulder and I jerked back.

"Relax, its me." Nicholas said, putting both his hands in the air and raising his brow. I calmed down and looked away, facing ahead where there was a light color sky. The sun just started to risen. "What are you doing here?" he asked me after a long silence.

"What time is it?" I didn't answer his question, he wasn't bothered by it. My voice was groggy and a little tired.

"It's almost 5." He answered, looking ahead. "Why were you sleeping here?" He asked me again.

"I was not sleeping here. I just lost track of time and... and slept. " I said, yawning, and tucked some hair behind my ear and put my head on my knees.

"Last night you were limping so I picked you up and now you can't sleep." he said, almost to himself with a soft laugh...

"Because I was hurt" I whispered to myself.

"Hmm?" He turned to me.

"Hmm?" I also hummed, pulling my chin up. His lips curled up in amusement.

"You said something?" He said, raising his eyebrows.

"No" I answered shortly.

He frowned but let it go and started to look at the sky. We were silent, for I don't know, but at that moment, the sun rose and shone on us. I glanced at Nicholas. He was staring straight at it.

"Your eyes don't hurt constantly looking at the sun?" I asked him, staring at him, curiously.

"Were you comfortable sleeping like this?" He threw while meeting my stare.

"What........do you.... mean?" I stuttered, looking away.

"You were sleeping in one position for too long, like hours, and your body doesn't ache from anywhere." he asked worriedly.

"It's a habit," I said, looking down at my lap. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Who is it? " He shouted, still staring at me.

"It's me Seth, breakfast is ready. Dad is calling." Seth's voice came from the other side of the door. I looked at my phone, it showed 9:07.

"Okay" Nicholas shouted from beside me. "Come on get up and get ready." He took his hand out and I took it. Our chests almost met. He stepped back. I went to the bathroom to shower, then headed to the closet to change. There was a light blue dress with full sleeves that came to my thigh length. I changed into it, did a little makeup and went out. I got out and saw Nicholas sitting at his study table and working on the laptop. I got close to him and saw he was working on his company's project.

"I am working with the same company." He jumped hearing my voice but smiled and shook his head.

"That's great we will see each other in too company too." I don't know why but I smiled at what he said, it was a great thing to do. Nicholas glanced at me and stared at me; a warmth crossed my cheek.

"Aren't you going to shower? Everyone is waiting", I said to him. Suddenly, I was very interested in his shelf. I pulled a book and tried to read it, then put it back.

"Huh, oh yeah, I was just going" he did a little typing on the laptop, then got up and headed to the closet.

I sat on the sofa admiring his room. His room had black and white contrast. In the center there was a bed. In front of it was the sofa. On my left there was a desk where his laptop. Some files were scattered. Besides it was a shelf.

I got up and arranged the scattered files and stepped toward the shelf I was going to touch, but a thought came to my mind.

What if he doesn't like someone touching his things?

Nicholas was out, I backed away from his study and stood beside the sofa. He glanced at the arranged files. I stood awkwardly there. Suddenly he got up and went out of the room. I didn't know what to do, so I just stood there and rocked on my heels, looking down. A hand slipped through mine. I jumped a little and looked up with brown eyes.

"Aren't you going to come?" His voice came. I nodded and tucked some strands behind my ear and went out with him.

There was a hallway there were two rooms. We passed by a light. Furthermore, we went up stairs, to two sides of the stairs. At the end of the hallway there were also two more rooms. We were on the second floor when I suddenly stopped, hearing some noises. I don't know if I have to be scared or confident after what happened in the past month, because of what they said. Nicholas was also stopped on his way after realizing I was not behind him. I was frozen in my foot. Nicholas came towards me, looking confused.

"Nora, what happened?" Nicholas asked curiously. I looked at him.

"Umm .. Are my parents here?" I asked, ignoring his question. He looked at me, then at his back, then back at me.

"I-I actually don't know that your family is here." He said, confused, he waited a little then asked, "Shall we go? They are waiting?" I didn't say anything and he slipped his hand in mine and tucked me with him into coming downstairs. I saw my family with Nicholas's family sitting in the lounge. They were talking and laughing.

"Oh, my dear Nora, how was your first night here?" Sana squealed when she saw me, as she came closer and hugged me. I didn't hug her back, "Do you miss me?" she said, and I gripped Nicholas. He rubbed his thumb continually on the back of the hand. "You do remember what I told you, right?" She whispered in my ear, patting my back. I bet she was smiling. She let go of me smiling, looking at my face to find an answer. I nodded my head, then looked away.

Then dad came and he hugged me also. I hugged him back again, tightly. We pulled back and he smiled and I forced a smile on my face and backed away. Nicholas's mother said something to Sana and she laughed. Dad was talking to Nicholas's father.

"Oh, I think breakfast is ready. Come on, let's have a wonderful breakfast." Nicholas's stepmother said. Wonderful, that's not in my

Family vocabulary. Everybody obeyed Nicholas's stepmother and, in a few minutes, the lounge was empty, we were both still standing in our places.

Nicholas coughed "Nora, you can leave my hand," he said.

"Huh", I looked at our hands. I lessened my grip, "Sorry".

"Nora, are you alright?" Nicholas asked. I looked at our hands and slowly removed them, but he grabbed them again.

"Sorry, I am just so surprised my family is here." He looked weirdly at me.

Does that make sense? Maybe not. Maybe yes, for me, it is a later one, because what she did to me that day later day, I am not that Nora anymore. Who was not, she was a coward, scared and she never had a thought of being dead. But now she has and she is me. If I wasn't going to be married, I would jump from a building and kill myself. But I know Sana won't give this merciful death, at least not now or never.