Dare You To Love (Camren - Norminah - Vercy)

Chapter 5: A Walk to Remember

Dinah's POV

I opened my eyes groggily, wincing at the sunlight pouring in from the windows. My head pounding with a massive hangover, I groaned and turned to face the other side. Empty. She was gone. No. Not again. Regret and humiliation clouded my mind at once.

"Good morning," a voice said, snapping me out of my thoughts. I squinted at the figure approaching me with a breakfast tray. It was Normani, my wife, not-

"I wasn't sure how you liked your eggs, so I just scrambled them. I hope that's okay," Normani said, setting down a tray with toast, eggs, and orange juice as I sat up.

"I love scrambled eggs. Thanks. I'm not used to eating breakfast. I usually just roll out of bed and into the office," I rambled, trying hard to distract myself from the past.

"I hope I can change that. I'm an early riser and I'd love to make breakfast and lunch for you in the mornings. If you like my cooking that is."

"This is amazing, Mani!" I said with a mouthful of eggs, "But I can't ask you to make food for me all the time. That's asking too much."

"Oh, I don't mind," Normani said quickly, "I love cooking and I'd love to cook for you."

Normani's sweet gesture made me uneasy. She was so nice to me and I'd let my fuckgirl persona take her virginity. Albeit I was super drunk, but that's hardly any excuse. I shouldn't have slept with her and led her on like that. I needed to apologize. But with a pounding headache, I couldn't think straight. I needed to clear my mind. After breakfast, I quickly took a shower and got ready to go get some fresh air.

"Where are you going?" Normani asked as I put on my running shoes by the entrance.

I was so used to doing whatever the fuck I wanted that Normani asking me about my whereabouts caught me off guard. I guess I was going to have to get used to telling my wife about my whereabouts. Wife. God, that word made me feel so sick.

"Walking to my house to pick up Raider and Laker," I answered, tying my laces.

"Doesn't your family live far away, though?"

"It's only a 5-mile walk. Besides, I need to walk off my hangover."

"Do you mind if I join you? I have a hangover too and I'd love to walk one of the puppies."

"I don't mind, but you sure you wanna start the day with a 10-mile walk?" I asked, because I wanted to be alone to sort out my thoughts.

"I don't mind. I love walking. Let me just go change," Normani said and disappeared upstairs.

I sighed and sank into the couch. So, was this how life was going to be starting now? Was I going to have to tell her my every move? Was she going to tag along everywhere I went? I looked around and saw the sitting room littered with boxes full of Normani's stuff that she would soon unpack and fill my house with. And my house will soon become our house. For life. I hadn't been married for 24 hours and I was already feeling claustrophobic with Normani's presence. Sure, she was a sweet girl, but I hadn't had to answer to anyone since I'd moved out of my parents' house. This was already suffocating and I had to talk to Normani about this entire marriage business before things got worse.

A few minutes later, Normani came down wearing jogging clothes and we were on our way. As we chatted about the wedding, Normani kept eyeing my hand as if working up the courage to reach out and hold it. I wasn't ready for that level of intimacy yet, so I quickly fished my phone out of my pocket and started scrolling through it aimlessly. Normani quickly put her hands in her jacket pocket. Yesterday, she'd been flirty and forward, probably because of the alcohol, but today she was back to being her usual shy self, for which I was grateful because I wouldn't have known how to handle her otherwise.