Recklessly Bound

Chapter Seventeen

When I finally manage to get out of the dress and undo my hair and makeup, I get ready for bed, without bothering to take a shower. Once on the bed, with the lights turned off, I let myself get developed in the beauty of darkness and silence. It doesn't take long before my mind starts drifting off, thinking what Ethan is doing right now. Is he in bed? Is he thinking about her?

True to his words, however, I find him gone in the morning. The bedroom he's been using last night, is the one next to master bedroom for sure, except the opposite bedroom to the one I used to use. I guess that is a sign for sore eyes. Or a signal. I try to be indifferent to his action, knowing he's doing this partially because he wants to save my family if not considering he's getting more than half of our company for free.

Just as I finish with my brief breakfast, the phone starts ringing,

"Oh, my dear Evelyn. I have thought that boy better than to ditch his honeymoon. I am so sorry to hear that Ethan has become a rogue and is choosing business over spending time with you," Mary goes on and on about how her son is mistreating. Little does she know that this is just a small fraction of what he's doing. If anything, I think he would rather be alone on a cruise than having to spend his time with me.

"Oh, no, it's ok. I understand. I mean, it's kind of normal—sacrificing everything for a company. You should know that by now," I note.

"Of course, but I just wanted him to be happy. I should have talked to him before I planned that vacation. I mean, the time I spent on it," she wails.

"Mary... mom, please, don't beat yourself on it. I'm really ok with it. We talked about this last night and he has promised that he would make a little time off, so we can go. But you know what? Why don't you and John take this time as an opportunity and go have a little vacation? You both sure deserve it. Especially after what you've done for us." I try to reason with her, so she would get off the topic of her son's mischievous.

"Aw, you're an angel. My son doesn't deserve you." He sure doesn't.

I spend the entire day—as it was supposed to be the day that I couldn't feel my leg or walk, reading scripts and highlight the important and long dialogues. He doesn't come back, even at night as I get ready to go to bed. Is he spending the night at his mistress' house? Is he warming her bed, ravishing her body, and taking his pleasure?

Well, none of this matters. I am supposed to be an ice towards any emotions.

"So, he hasn't come home since yesterday?" Angelic asks as she dangles her feet in the water, the next day.

Since I was getting bored, staring at the walls of the empty house, I called up Angelic and we start making use of the big pool.

She sips on her strong alcoholic juice, "that sounds terrible. I don't want to add salt to your wound, but you already know that. What kind of assh*le leaves his bride at home?" she splashes water across her to show off her anger.

"At least, he's being respectful and keeps his affairs out of this house," I remark.

"Cheers to getting this big house out of every miserable thing," she raises her glass and clicks to mine.

After a lazy afternoon and some snacks, Angelic has to leave. I call a cab for her. When I arrive at my bedroom—that's right, it's mine from now on until I'm kicked out at least—I dry myself with a towel and then take off my bikini. Tired of swimming and just too drunk to dress up or even shower properly, I just drop on the bed naked. Lazily, I cover my body with the blanket and just doze off.

Somewhere in the morning, I wake up, with a dry mouth. I blink a couple of times, trying to realize what has woken me up. That's when I feel the hot gaze of someone behind me. I turn sharply only to find Ethan standing in the doorway, frowning down at me. I look down and find myself naked. NAKED?