Key To My Heart

33. "Is Anastasia jealous?"

(985 words)

*ETHAN's POV*

I woke up the next morning to find my bed empty. I sat up straight, alarmed. Where's Anastasia? I aggressively pushed the covers off of me and strode towards the door.

"Good morning, husband." Her lovely voice spoke from the kitchenette in our room. I turned my head towards her and felt relieved.

"Good morning, wife." I greeted her back as I walked up to her, capturing her lips with mine in a small, loving kiss.

She smiled brightly at me. "I was making coffee for both of us. The cook is making our breakfast downstairs."

"Sounds great." I said and she returned to preparing our coffee.

"Do you have to go to work today?" She asked.

"Absolutely not. It's our first day of marriage, how can I?"

"Thank God. I thought my workaholic husband would want to go to his office." She remarked, unscrewing the lid of a jar.

"That's what the old Ethan would want. This Ethan has found someone he loves way more than his work." I told her, grinning at the end.

She giggled cutely and grinned back at me. "I wonder who that someone is."

"Oh you know her very well."

"Do I now?" She played along.

"Yes," I replied, grabbing her face. "Her name is Anastasia Ethan." And then I pecked her delicious lips.

She blushed slightly and pushed me away. I watched as she poured tempting looking coffee into our coffee mugs. Every little movement of hers was beautiful and fascinating to me.

"You're a kind person, aren't you?" I said, out of the blue, I know.

"I suppose," she laughed. "Why are you saying that?"

"There are some words I can't get off my mind." I replied, my eyes piercing through hers.

"Which words?" She asked, handing me my coffee mug and sitting on one of the bar stools and I did the same, taking my place in front of her.

"You have to believe in yourself if you want to succeed. How can you excel if you keep telling yourself that you're a failure? Tell yourself that you can do it. Take a deep breath and begin your speech as if no one's watching. Give it your best shot. You're only a failure if you don't try again."

"Uh huh.."

"They're really beautiful words, aren't they?"

"Yeah. Did someone say that to you?"

"Yes, a girl did." I told her.

"Uh huh." She said slowly and I squinted my eyes at her.

"Is Anastasia jealous?" I asked, cocking up an eyebrow.

She snorted. "No, Ethan. Why would I be jealous?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe because this girl's words have had a huge impact on my life." I saw her eyebrows crease for a moment before she made a neutral face again.

"That sounds nice." She commented dryly. Damn, my jealous baby.

"You know, she's the reason I tried to keep excelling in life. I think I owe my success to her pretty much. If she hadn't encouraged me that day, I would've still been that scared, failure person."

"Why are you telling me this?" At this point, she sounded kinda angry.

"Do you want to know who she is?"

"No." She replied, coldly. I wasn't able to reply because a maid knocked on the door with the message that our breakfast was ready. I headed downstairs with an upset Anastasia. I guess I shouldn't have done that.

We ate our breakfast in an uncomfortable silence. Anastasia was tense. "Your mom showed me your baby pictures the other day." I broke the silence.

"Okay."

"They're adorable."

"Thanks."

"They reminded me of someone." I remarked and waited for her response which never came.

I took a deep breath. "Would you like to see my baby pictures?"

"Sure."

"Great. Quickly eat your breakfast and I'll show you."

———

*ANA's POV*

I didn't want to admit it but I was very jealous. Why did Ethan even have to bring this mystery girl up all of a sudden? I so badly wanted to know who she was, but I kept trying to pretend that I was cool with it. I was obviously failing.

"Okay, so, obviously I was a handsome child." Ethan said, arrogantly as he searched for the photo album.

"Right."

"Why so cold, Anastasia?"

"I'm not cold, I'm warm. The temperature here is just fine." That was obviously not his question.

He chuckled. "You're really cute."

"Uh huh."

"Found it. Come here." He said, sitting on our bed and patting the spot next to him. I sat there and tried not to have my body touch his. Okay, I was making it obvious that I was mad. But Ethan wrapped his arm around my neck and opened the photo album.

I looked down at the first photo and my heart skipped a beat. Oh God. This boy... this face... I...

"Are you okay? You look upset."

"I'm so stressed."

"I'm a failure."

"Ethan?"

"Yes, love?"

"Did you attend Primary Arts and Sciences school when you were little by any chance?" I asked him, my heart drumming in my chest. I could feel adrenaline flowing through my veins. Is this really possible?

"Yes, I did," He whispered huskily in my ear. "And I met this little girl named Anastasia there."

Tears welled up in my eyes. "So, we've actually known each other when we were just, I dunno, 4 or something?"

"Yes. Isn't it amazing? It's definitely fate. We were always meant to be together."

"I can't believe this." I said as tears started escaping my eyes. If I'd already met my husband-to-be when I was little, why did Aaron have to enter my life?

"Hey, why are you crying?" Ethan said to me in a soothing voice as he massaged my left shoulder gently.

"I don't know, I'm just overwhelmed by this."

"Dry your tears, love. We have a honeymoon to plan."