The Greeks Demand

Chapter 9

Arabella basically jumped from the car as they got to the house. She rushed to the kitchen and got a glass full of water. She felt like she was being smothered her mouth is dry her ears are ringing and the world feels like it's moving at a pace to which she can't catch up. “Demeutreus, go to your room please.” She heard in the distance she slipped to the cold tiles with her back leaning against the cupboard with her eyes closed she was trying very hard to get herself under control. She heard the faucet open and the water stream down into the sink, Niklas sat down next to her.  “Here is some water.” She opened her eyes to see him holding out the glass. She took it and drank it all before closing her eyes again. The water was still streaming out of the faucet, the sound was calming. Niklas just sat next to her giving her time to calm down after a long while he heard her audibly exhale this being his opening. “Are you okay?” He asked softly as he turned to look at her “Yes I'm fine now. I don't know what happened.” Arabelle admitted being shocked by her behavior. This experience was a first for her. “I think you might have been having a panic attack. Demetreus mother used to get them she was a fragile girl. She easily worried about anything and everything.” Niklas has never told her anything about Demetreus mother, she doesn't even know her name.  “I think you might be right. Your mum had many questions and suggestions. I can't do this Niklas. I'm afraid of marriage and everything connected to it, I don't think I want to ever be married again. I can't marry you or even pretend to be engaged it will drive me to insanity even this gorgeous ring feels like it's weighing me down. My own marriage was a miserable farce. I went from you to even worse. Niklas don't make me pretend anymore.” Niklas was knocked back by the raw emotion that she was showing she usually hid her emotions by looking away or walking away. She was staring right at him her blue eyes digging into his soul.  “I'm sorry, but we have a contract, a binding contract. I don't want to lose you. I only gave you what you wanted and it came into line with what I wanted. I can appreciate that this is hard for you.” Niklas got up to leave he can see that this is hurting her, but he can't and won't do anything about it. He won't sacrifice his interest and he won’t lose. His grandfather always said ‘Why should I care if I don’t gain anything from it.’ he had said that about almost everything and at the end of every argument from small to large issues.  “Damn you! How can you walk away from me! This is all your doing! I was fine by myself I was coping with the loss of my father. All I wanted was a few things for myself, some keepsakes then you came back into my life and just shattered my equilibrium, now everything is upside down! For goodness sake, I'm in Weybridge when all I want to do is be in Manchester in my own apartment or busy working in my restaurant with my own people!” “Don't blame me for this. You left me remember! You ambushed me when I walk through the door, no reason, no conversation! You just left! I wasn't ready for you to leave and I'm still not, if you hadn't been so unreasonable your life would have been different! You wouldn't have married Michael, you wouldn't have had all this debt! Why would you want to go back anyways, your apartment isn't something to brag about especially not your furniture.”  “My house is lived in that is how things look if you use it. My house isn’t a show house! You would let me think I made a huge mistake leaving you, but I didn't! I have thought about how my life would have been if I stayed, but it would have been the worst of the two scenarios. Michael did a lot of bad things, he really did a lot of bad things, but at least I didn't love him!” Niklas was frozen in a place as Arabelle walked past him she stopped on the stairs. “I didn't think it possible, but you are worse than you were back then you manipulate people and you're deceitful!” She ran up the stairs and Niklas heard the door slam, he couldn't believe the nerve of her. How could she expect him to be the same as he was back then. She doesn't have an idea what her leaving did to his life. He had realized just how dependent he was on her, she had made him weak! Never be in a situation where you need someone more than you need money, He was raised by that rule. Niklas had all the money he could ever want, but without her it all felt useless, life felt empty without her.  “Why do you have to be so mean to her! You’re going to be the reason why she leaves again!” Demetreus is on the stairs looking stern and much older than his 14 years. He must have heard their conversation.  “Demetreus don’t get involved. You don’t have an idea of what is going on.” Niklas walked back into the solace of the kitchen. He hates this kitchen it is impersonal it is all steel and electric. It’s very reliable and modern, it's what he wanted. Demetreus stormed into the kitchen.  “I know more than you think I know, you forgot I was there when she left at the time I didn't understand, but I feel like I do now, at least a little bit more than I did then and I'm sure if you act like you just did she’ll leave faster than she did last time! Back then you said she was just your friend but, she was my mom and you drove her away!” Demetreus spoke like he knew everything, but he had no idea what would he think if he knew that Arabelle was blackmailed into being here, that she was tricked into being engaged and bullied into staying engaged. “She won't leave us again I'll make sure of it now go to bed you have school tomorrow.” Niklas leaned against the cupboard and watch Demetreus leave. He remembered all too well how it was when she had left. Niklas was stuck in their house filled with their memories he had to sleep in the cold bed that they shared and most of all he had to deal with a heartbroken 11 year old that lost the only mother he had ever known it was a difficult time. He had to learn so much so quickly There was too much he didn't know about his own son. He didn't even have time to feel his own heartache, but when he finally did he fished out the ring he had bought her and twirled it around in his finger. He had sat for hours wondering what he had done wrong until he felt caged in by it all. Which is when he uprooted his life and made changes that would protect him from feeling like that ever again. She has only been back for two days and he can already feel all the protective measures crumbling down.   “Good Morning, it's nice to see that you came down for breakfast. I made it all by myself especially for you.” Niklas said while he was leaning on the counter causing his dress pants to spun tight over his butt Arabelle’s eyes was transfixed on his body the crisp white shirt he wore rolled up to his elbows. The first two buttons of his shirt open, the shirt tucked in and pulling tight over his well-built back. She remembers all the times she scratched up his back with her nails, she gave herself a mental shake before she went too far down lust lane. “I only came down, because I thought that you have left for work obviously it was a mistake on my part since I'm forced to see your insufferable face.” and gorgeous smile that always made my heart melt she added internally. She tied her robe even tighter around her body like it would work as a barrier against him and her reaction to him. The problem being her body knowing him so well- on mornings like these when he looked like that they had made a quick job of wrinkling up his crisp shirt and disposing of his tight pants. The food cold and tasteless by the time they got to it.  “Yes you have been doing a great job of avoiding me this last week I was starting to wonder if you haven't starved. You never answer when I come knocking at your door…” She could see how his jaw clenched he was trying hard not to lose his temper at the outrageous way that she has been treating him.  “The contract said that we were to be in a relationship it doesn't specify that I am required to be at your beck and call or be in your conversation at all. Look how good the relationship has gone since I started avoiding you we haven't fought once, in fact I feel rested. I needed a vacation and this is like living in a hotel. I don't need to work and I don't have to serve anyone.” Niklas was tempted to walk away and just avoid the situation and all of the conflict it would bring, but he had reasons for wanting to talk to her some honorable some not at all. He gave her a once-over even in the robe and slippers with her dark brown hair piled on top of her head she look gorgeous. Tightening the robe only pulled attention to a small middle and extended his opinion on her ass and breasts.Niklas didn't need this distraction, instead he put some food in a plate for himself and then extended another plate towards Arabelle. She hesitated a few seconds, but her hunger won her over.  “I'm willing to to compromise to show you that I listened to you the other night. You only have to wear the ring when we have company or go to an event and I have hired a wedding planner so you don't even have to be involved with the planning.” She almost choked on her scrambled eggs, she took a big gulp of her orange juice and gave it time to sooth her throat, before she was ready with her reply.  “I'm not marrying you! Why would you get a wedding planner for a fake wedding?” It was insane and a colossal waste of money. Niklas put down his fork readying himself for the fight he knew that they'd have.  “I did it for the image of it all. Hiring a planner will satisfy any noisy parties, that want to dig up dirt on us and then you wouldn't have to deal with it. It's a win-win situation.” She rolled her eyes at Niklas not nearly impressed by his solution to their problem.  “Niklas it has never been a win-win situation with you, there is always a winner and a loser. I'm always at the losing end of it! I'm waiting for you to drop the act!” Arabelle was no fool she knew Niklas too well to even think that he was being nice just for the fact of being nice. He was gaining something more than trying to keep the peace between them.  “Just so you know we are going to a gallery opening tonight the artist send me a personal invitation I confirmed with a plus one, be ready at 18:00. We need to go drop Demetreus at my parents before we go to the Manchester.” and there it is he needs her to cooperate. At least he did try and make things easier. The least that she could do is try and be civil.  “Fine I'll be ready.” She poured herself some coffee and sat down. The rich aroma of the thick black coffee hit her nose, she inhaled it, she had immediately fallen in love with Greek coffee it is even featured on her restaurants menu she keeps the menu diverse and interesting featuring many different cultures foods and drinks. Niklas watched her drink her coffee. She took the news of their outing rather well. He watched as she gazed at him over the rim of her small cup, she was watching him carefully trying to figure out his inner workings. Her blue eyes always seemed fragile to him they were big and always seemed to be filled with hope and enthusiasm. It seems like they would shatter if you were to disappoint her but all that happened is the tears streamed down her face and her eyes brighten up even more, a person can become hypnotized by it. A hard sound radiated through the house Niklas watched as she jumped from the chair to investigate and sighed audibly. He was hoping to avoid this till it was too late. On the stairs two men was holding a door.  “What is going on?” Arabelle exclaimed the two men dropped the door and it slid down the rest of the stairs. Niklas grabbed Arabelle pulling her out of the way of the runaway door. “I'm renovating.” Niklas explained as the two men came to pick up the door again. They carried the door out.  “You could have spared me a heart attack, if you had only warned me about the renovations!” from peaceful to angry Arabelle stormed off to her room fuming at Niklas. She thought for a moment that they were being robbed at seeing the door she figured different. It's always secrets with him. She stopped and stared at her room to see an open space where the door use to be the fury finally bubbled over.  “Niklas!” It didn't take him long to arrive meaning he was lurking close by waiting for her to notice.  “You removed my door!” He was thinking about a way to reason with her. “I had to do it, you gave me cause to worry. You had it locked from the inside what if something were to happen to you and I couldn't reach you.” He looked right into her eyes trying hard to convey his worries to her.  “You could have just taken the keys this is entirely uncalled for and so unreasonable where will I get changed Niklas?” He had ulterior motives for taking her door.  “That does rather seem like a problem.” he admitted nonchalantly. Her hand was itching to slap that smile right off his face, but she would never lose her composure like that.  “I'll move to a different room! I can't believe you.” She could have guessed that it wouldn't be as easy as that when he told her they were going out for the night. “I have locked all the other bedrooms your only choice is to move into our room. I have felt rather lonely this past week and I wanted to rectify it!”  “You're a bastard and I can't wait for this month to be done with!” “You love me I know it, but by the end of this month you won't have any thoughts of leaving me!” Niklas just turned and left she could make him suffer as well two can play this game he might be in the lead and he might possibly be more stubborn, but she will not take it as easily as she did when she was younger.