In This Love

Chapter 16

It was night time when Sarah dropped me at Rhysand's house. My head was resting on the cold window, even though the car had stopped in front of his house but I didn't want to leave. 

The feeling of suffocation and confusion started to creep inside of me. How can his signs become so messed up? One time he's normal and then one time his feelings and hate reach their limits. And even though he does the right thing but he says that he doesn't care.

My eyes travelled to his car parked in the garage. He was already there. I expected him to come late since it was his first day. But no.

"If you don't want to go. Then we'll go back to my place" Sarah said as I turned to grab my stuff. 

I looked at her through my lashes and nodded no "It's alright. I'll be okay. Today was awesome. Well do this again" I smiled at waited for her response.

"I know" she said as she side hugged me and after a few seconds I let her go. 

I got out of the car and made my way to the front door. I already had the keys with me. So I simply opened the door and walked in.

I made my way through the gallery, keeping my steps quite incase if he was sleeping. There were no lights on in the house. Complete darkness.

I peeked from the wall unto the living room and found Rhys sitting in the couch with a beer in his hands as he watched the television.

He had sensed my presence. I was sure of it. I put my stuff onto the kitchen island and went to the living room.

His eyes not even for once shifted to look at me or acknowledge my presence. He simply looked ahead, sipping from the bottle after every few seconds.

Should I say thank you to him? For....defending me and making things right.

It was like a move in chess. Your reputation could get shattered within seconds in the celebrity world. It wasn't that Rhysand had all the power. He was powerful but he didn't have full control.

Nora had strings to hold on too. She had experience and contacts too. She still had the power to shatter him in this game he started.

Nora knew about his weaknesses. This marriage was one of them. The most fragile one. She could use it too.

I was lost in my thoughts so badly that I didn't even realise that I was half laying next to him with my head resting on one side on the couchwith my leg stretched in front of me. My foot almost touching his leg. I had my eyes closed. I felt his eyes watching me. At first, I ignored it but then the uneasiness started to give me anxiety. So, I opened my eyes and caught him staring at me with some weird longing but immediately he just turned his gaze away in a hurry. Back to the TV.

"The newsstands were busy in the city today" I said as I got up in a sitting position I folded my leg  close to me. I rested my chin on my knee as I looked at him. Expecting any reaction. But his facial didn't even change for a split second. Though all of it seemed forced.

"I went to my parents house to confront Ashley" I said again and still no reaction from him. The light from the television was making shadows on his face so magnificently that they complemented his features.

"When I told mom everything. Ashley came with a magazine in her hands. Threw it to me and asked if I was the reason behind the news printed for the whole world to see" I tucked a strand of hair behind me as I got up from the couch and walked to the kitchen to get some water for myself.

"How's Nora?" I asked when my back was facing his back. I heard his getting up from the couch and walking to the kitchen too. He got water bottle out and protein powder from the cabinet.

"Why do you care?" He said without sparing a glance at me. His voice was so emotionless like there was no remorse, no hate. Just - annoyance. But he wasn't letting me see it.

"Not everyday your career gets destroyed by someone you know" I said with my gaze fixed on the kitchen counter. Not once daring to look at him.

Wow! What a great way to say thank you, Avery!

I realised my mistake but it too late now. He was already angry. His eyes blazed with anger and I started to feel tad bit scared. Of what he will do.

"How did you find out it was me?" He said in an awfully calm tone that didn't let my fear settle. 

I was there at the café. Where you were slipping all the hatred you have for me to your friend when Nora showed up. I was almost going  to say those words to him but I thought for a minute to rephrase my answer. 

"The café. Downtown. I was there" Rhysand immediately turned towards me with an irksome glare. Which was my queue to continue "Sarah and I were there. Then you and your friend showed up. You two were talking" I could hear every single word you were saying "And then Nora showed up. You then confirmed her and me that it was you. Who did it. I left before I could hear anything else becau-" I stopped in mid sentence. 

Because it hurt hearing those words. I thought to myself.

"Because?" He asked as he leaned against the counter and folded his hands in front of him. He was intrigued now. It showed on the face.

"Because....Nothing. I was done with my food and Sarah kept on saying that she had to go for perps" I gave myself a mental high five for that promising yet awful save.

"What I'm trying to say is that...thank you" I let out a sigh. My mind went back to the conversation we had just this morning. 

I did nothing. He had said those words and I turned them around in such a way that made him even more guilty. 

I don't know but there is something about him that makes me want to push him to the line where he has no choice but to change. And then on the other hand - he let's me see the little glimpses of hid true inner self. Even if it is for a second. But then puts this mask of hatred that in his own chaotic way helps him cope with our harsh reality.

"I would have done it for anyone. You're not special " and again he used the support of harsh words to glamor his true self.

If you continue to become something you're not. A day will come where you will become the mask you hate. It will be too late.

I held my head high "I know I'm not. I'm ordinary" it was ironic because I was doing to exact same thing. I was pretending that his words don't affect me yet in reality his words are the only thing that cloud in my mind. And that handsome face...

"Since you coincidentally were at the same place as I was. I just told you that I would have done it for anyone. So don't wander off too far with the illusion that things are changing. They're not. It's reality we are talking about." He flicked the hair that fell on his face backwards like it was a habit of his.

My head bowed down as a gesture that I understood what he initiated. 

"Ordinary girl. How did I get stuck with you" he mumbled pretending like he was just talking to himself. But truly he wanted me to hear those words he wanted to get out of his system without getting into an argument. 

My brain was so tired that I could care less about what he said about me even though when I will get back to my senses. I'll know the real pain they brought.

❤

Rhys

Later that night. I went to the gym downstairs to do some work out. My senses were a wreck and I needed to tire myself physically so that I could have a good night sleep.

I was making my way to my room but my feet came to a halt on hearing her voice.

I heard a male voice that was on a phone "How are you Avery?" I heard her let out a tired sigh before saying "I'd be lying if I said I was okay Ridge. I mean this is a huge change for me and you didn't even call for these two weeks! You promised!" She was talking to her brother Ridge on the phone and sounded devastated.

I closed my eyes and leaned next to the wall.

"Tell me everything that happened in this short time that has left you this broken" her brother said causing her to sniff. I wondered if she was crying.

"I don't know why but I expected him to be nice, Ridge" her voice cracked when she said his name causing a faint pressure in my heart.

"Why did you think of that?" He asked the same question I was asking the whole time.

"Sometimes. People are not who they are portrayed to the world. He is known for having power. That is true but on the other hand they call him heartless too. So I thought he wasn't going to be what they say he is. I mean...he does these charities for the people in need so maybe he isn't that bad. I was wrong" she said into the phone. I heaved a sigh and slowly descended to the cold marble floor.

"I wanted him to be better than what they call him. I expected him to" there was a pause " consider the fact that I was forced into this too. Even if it is for a year but still" a sob broke from her causing my heart to clench at that sound.

"He hates me" I wrapped my arms around my head and tried to stop myself from imagining her pain.

"He is just angry and can't deal with reality. That's all. Give him time. He'll settle" Ridge Stark the man with an honor who protected the people around him and his country sounded in pain too.

"He wears a mask to hide his innerself. The person you expect him to be is in there. I know for sure" he added with such trust in his words. 

I unwrapped my arms from myself and peeked a little to see her.  She was curled into a ball in the middle of the bed, her phone lying next to her. Her eyes were closed and tears were falling down from that beautiful face like diamonds. The moonlight that lightened the room only targeted around her. She looked like an angle who fell from heaven onto this cruel world where people like me existed.

I knew I was the bad guy in her story. The tyrant. 

That realisation hit me hard. I started to wonder and question all the things I've heard about her from my mother and all the things I've heard from my father.

"If he continues to be the person you say he isn't that there will be a time where it will be too late for him to turn back Ridge" she whispered into the phone and my heart hammered against my chest.

It was amazing how observant she was. I had split personality. I got angry when I saw her and there are times where I'm speechless in front of her character.

"Tell me all the things he has said and done to you. I'll deal with him" his tone suddenly changed.

"I won't. I won't because it will only rot your mind" she defended me in front of her. It almost made me feel like she wasn't the enemy here.

Please I'm not the enemy here. Please don't turn me into one. Her words ringed in my head from the time when she found mom complaining about her.

"But Avery..." he continued but she stopped him.

"No Ridge! He's not worth it. Leave it! I will stop caring. I will. I will become indifferent towards him. I will not let his words get to me anymore. I'm okay. Now. Can we stop talking about him and just talk about something light-hearted? Please?" She puts on another mask of hers when she is around me. I didn't see and always thought that my words never affected her. Even if they did - they must have momentarily. But they did. They all damned did. 

Why do you care? You don't owe anything to her. Just like she said to you.

But I do. I do owe it to her. I tell myself that I am the victim here in this situation but I tend to forget the fact that she is one too. And I let out my anger on her.

But she pushes my buttons and she knows it. Or maybe she is concerned? 

I closed my eyes and let all the memories I have for the past two weeks of her.

Now since my mind was clear like paper and anger was no where near my thoughts. So I was analysing everything.

What I noticed that she is just trying to make everything normal. Avery wanted things to be normal between us. Maybe in her mind she is trying to figure out why she cares. But her main goal must be peace.

I was acting like a cave man whose mind was underdeveloped. I have been acting immaturily thus whole time.

Avery's presence irks me. Which makes me hate her facade.

Maybe all of this a facade.

Maybe. I was stuck between the lines of all the possibilities there could be.

"Rhys? Are you okay? Why are you sitting here?" I felt a hand on my left shoulder and my right hand automatically went and rested on top of hers as I let out a sigh after escaping all the "ifs" and "maybes".

Her hand froze on spot and I froze too. My hair were falling on my face when I looked up and found her staring back at me with question in her eyes.

I was aloof.

I searched her face and there was no sign of tears there. Just red eyes I could still see in this dim light. She had her hair tied in a bun and her cane supported her.

That was one of the reasons for my "hate" towards her. 

"Nothing" I said as I still didn't move my hand from hers and heaved a sigh. Avery blinked. Of course she would find it weird. Me, sitting on the floor, sweating, with my head in my hands. And arms resting on my knees. And now my hand that was resting on top of hers and my mind was screaming at me to move but my hand was glued.

My heart? It was saying that it is okay. It was hammering a different beat now.