Happily Married [COMPLETE]

[26]

November 24th 2017

It was past two am in the morning.

Everybody had left. Thank God. Audrey couldn't remember staying this long at a party since she was back in college. But then again, since the party was at her house there wasn't really anywhere else for her to escape to.

The night had been difficult for awkward. She had been on constant alert the whole night, avoid not one, but two of the Paynter brothers. It seemed that both Calvin and Kade had made it their mission to stake her out; she had no idea why, but she didn't dare to stick around and find out.

Audrey had been embarrassed enough, especially since she had realised that she had not been the only one to eavesdrop on Calvin's private phone call. When she had turned around to get away, she had bumped into Kade, much to her mortification. Audrey didn't wish to spare another second around either of the brothers so she had pushed her brother-in-law out of the way. She must have caught him off guard because he stepped back and allowed her to pass.

Audrey had spent the whole night sitting on the swing on the back porch, letting the gentle night wind sway her. Surprisingly, no one had come outside to disturb her.

She dared to go back inside only when she noticed that the music had stopped and the overwhelmingly loud chatter of people talking had ceased; downgrading to a light him instead. After a quick scope of the downstairs landing, Audrey had figured that Calvin had either left to go to his lover, or he had gone to bed. Either way, she was free to get rid of the few people remaining and clean up her house without having to worry about the humiliation of having to see him again so soon.

Thankfully, Kade was gone too.

Audrey didn't need anyone to pity her. She had just about stopped pitying herself, and she didn't need anyone else to make her feel any worse about how she already felt. No matter how pure or innocent his intentions may possibly be, Audrey refused to pick up any of his calls, choosing to turn off her phone instead.

That was over an hour ago.

Pulling out her phone from the back pocket of her jeans, she applied slight pressure to the button at the side with her thumb. A few seconds passed before she was met with the glaring screen of four missed calls and one text, all from Kade -Calvin's brother.

As if the night couldn't get any worse, there were crumbs all over the sofa and by the look of things, multiple shoe prints on the coffee table. That sofa was her bed and that coffee table was her desk, and it had been for a very long time now. So, those two were the first pieces of furniture that she tackled first.

Not wanting to be left to her thoughts, Audrey grabbed her earphones from her bag which was still left carelessly on the ground by the coat rack. She didn't really care what she was listening to, as long as it kept her mind occupied long enough to clean up.

She could have always slept upstairs in one of the guest rooms and cleaned up in the morning when she was well rested and energised, but she doubted that sleep would come any times soon. Her mind was too jumbled up to relax enough to be able to sleep.

There was also the fact that she had helped herself to two cups of coffee from the kitchen when she thought the coast was clear throughout the remainder of the night. Now that she was alone and not trying to avoid anyone but herself, she realised what a grave mistake it was indeed. Because now, she was wide awake with a lot to think about.

It didn't take long -or it didn't feel like it took too long since Audrey had no sense of time as she refused to look at her phone which was deserted upside down on the now sparkly clean coffee table- to clean both the dining and living room.