Pretty and Painful

boundaries!!

BLAQUE -

My world was flipped upside down. Blood rushed through my head, and it took a minute for me to process everything, and then I realized where I was.

I started wiggling to get out of his grip and shouted, "Put me down, you asshole."

"Stop fighting," he smacked my ass.

"Put me down. I'm warning you." I tried to threaten him.

But he chuckled and said, "Or what? Little one, I gave you 5 seconds to get inside, but you didn't."
With that, he carried me over his shoulder to the car. He opened the door, tucked me inside, and gave me a glare to not move. Then he crossed and reached for the driver's side.
I didn't say anything the whole ride to my house. He stole a few glances my way, but I ignored them. I was exhausted from work and the drama that unfolded in the bar earlier.
We reached home in about 15 minutes, and I reached for the door to get out, but the door didn't open.

"Open the door," I demanded.

Heath glanced at me and said, "Now you speak." He observed me and said, "You look tired. How many hours do you sleep?"

I was astonished by his observation. It was the last thing I expected him to say, and also I always mask my tiredness and don't let people know that I am sleep-deprived and have insomnia.

"I'm just exhausted due to work and the thing that happened at the bar," I said.

"That's not my question; I asked, How many hours do you sleep?" He tilted his head.

I sighed and said, "That's none of your business, but since you are so desperate, I'll let you know that I sleep enough to work functionally." He was not convinced by my answer, but anyway, he opened the door, and I left.

I entered my room, changed my clothes, and got ready for bed. I was completely worn out, but sleep was the last thing on my mind as it was occupied by Heath. His smell, his voice, and his possessiveness. The way he almost killed a man for grabbing me, grabbing something his. His words, not mine. He has an attractive personality; I'll give him that, but I still don't want to marry him.
After a while, sleep took over me, and I was fast asleep.

4:01 am

"Please don't come near me, please." I screamed in pain. My chest was hurting, and I was gasping for air. I couldn't breathe. My eyes were full of tears.
Suddenly, the door of my room opened, and someone came in. I was frightened. "Please don't come near me," I was begging. A large hand came to my back and started rubbing gently.

"Breathe slowly"

I recognized that voice. It was Alvey. He must have heard me scream.

"Blaque, look at me." I looked at him.

"Now breathe with me."

Slowly, I took in some air.

"Just like that," he said.

I was sweating, and my whole body was shivering. Alvey looked at me with concern and asked, "Did it happen again?"

I know that he was talking about the nightmare that haunts me every day and is the reason I am an insomniac. "Yes," I replied.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

But I refused. "No, I want to shower."

"Sure, but if you need anything, I am just two rooms away," he said.

"Ok"

My nightmares don't go away. My demons haunt me in such a way that even my therapist was unable to get rid of them. I stopped going to therapy the day I realized that my nightmares were always going to be there for me.

After Alvey left, I went for a shower and sat in there for an hour. Then I wore my workout clothes, went to the gym, and worked out until my body was exhausted.

***

Days went by, and today it was Friday. The day when I will no longer be Blaque Anderson as I will become Blaque Donato. I haven't seen my husband-to-be since that day at the bar.

I was sitting in the dressing room wearing a white wedding gown, staring at my reflection in the mirror. I was staring at myself for so long that I didn't see anyone come into the room until I heard someone clear their throat. I turned to my left and saw Heath.

He was wearing a black tuxedo with his hair slicked back, which made him look hot.
He was looking at me more, like staring me down. "Staring is rude," I said.

"Not when I'm looking at something that is mine," he replied.

"I am not a thing that you possess," I retorted. He has started to piss me off already.

He smirked and then started walking towards me. I took a step back, and he took two steps in front. This continued until my back hit the wall, and he was right over me, just a few inches away. I could feel his breath, and his delicious masculine smell was everything.
I was mesmerized by his deep green eyes. His eyes had that magnetic pull, which made me want to dive and drown deep into them.
For a fraction of a second, he looked at my lips, and that was the moment when I wanted to kiss him—to kiss those full lips and know his taste. I know that once I taste them, I won't be able to go back. I know that he will kiss me like he dominates me, and I know that I will like every second of it.
Heath may have read my thoughts clearly because he moved close to me, but before he could do anything, I stopped him. "Stop...We can't"

He didn't say anything, nor did he move. He reached for something in his pocket without breaking our eye contact. Then he took out a small box and gave it to me.

"This is a small wedding gift from me," he said, looking at me.

I opened the box, and it was the most beautiful pair of earrings I have seen. They looked expensive. "Wow, thanks; these are beautiful," I said, admiring them.

"Your staff has a nice choice," I added.

His nostrils flared, and his jaw clenched. "These were picked out by me," he gritted.

I stared at him. "Well, they are nice. I'll give you that."

"My other things are also nice, baby," he smirked. Baby. My mind wandered in all the different places it shouldn't, and I needed to clear my mind and set some boundaries between us because if I didn't, then I'd be in big trouble.

"I have something to say," I said.

He nodded and said, "Go ahead."

"This is just a marriage of convenience; no more than that, we have to set boundaries between us," I said bluntly.

He looked at me and said, "What if I said no?"

"Then my car is waiting in the parking lot."

He moved towards me and trapped me by placing his hands beside my head.
"Little one, you're too brave to threaten me. Even if you run away from this place, I'll find you in mere minutes because this is my fucking city. And also, next time, watch your mouth before threatening me."

I retaliated, "What if I don't?"

He moved closer, bit my earlobe, and said, "You will face the consequences, little one." My heart was beating fast.

"Alright, I'll see you at the altar. I'm waiting for you, little one. Come soon." With that, he left.