Betrothed for Rejection

Chapter 34: The BeachHouse

~An Hour Later~
Anxiety had my stomach in bundles, despite Adrian's squeezing my hand as he drove towards the New temporary home we were to stay in.
The sea breeze seemed cool and welcoming at the same time as we arrived at Adrian's beachhouse. It felt good being here.
The front porch had a small swing on the side making it look extremely cosy. White fences guarded the place and the wooden doors made it look refreshing, from our bungalow. It wasn't that I hated it, in fact I loved my place, but due to recent events the place didn't feel like home anymore.

I walked in as Adrian conversed with Cade, my bodyguard, that's right, Adrian asked for a bodyguard for me; could my life get any more dramatic than this. This felt too much like a typical spin-off of Fifty Shades of Grey to be honest.
Rolling my eyes at my own dark thoughts I felt a warm embrace, as Adrian placed our bags and came behind me, "You have been quiet, what's going on in that pretty little head of yours?"

"Mmm... Nothing, its rather cosy over here".

" It is, I remember coming here as a kid, this was my grandfather's. Things were quite different till he was around".

I turned towards him, his eyes were solemn, he loved his grandfather, that I could tell; from what I had heard from Auntie, his grandfather loved Adrian the most in the family, but sadly he was martyred a few years ago before our marriage.
Being in the army had toughened him throughout the years, yet Adrian was the only one he had a soft spot for.

"Adrian... shh..."  I said running my fingers in his hair to soothe him, he looked devastated and suddenly he hugged me tight, our bodies melding as one.

The room suddenly turned rather hot, as sparks emerged between us. I wanted to console him, make him feel at ease, to know the layers of facade this man, this beautiful man was hiding behind, his eyes usually were distant, but today, they spoke great volumes, dilated in two stormy ocean blue orbs, Adrian stared at me with vulnerability.

"How... How can you forgive me so easily, I hurt you so much".

Oh Adrian if you only knew.

I gulped.

"It's in the past, you got misguided yourself, we all have been".

Adrian looked at me with a feeling so raw and pure, it felt like a flame lit within his eyes drawing me closer to it like a moth.

His fingers encapsulated my chin, then moved up tracing my jawline till they engulfed behind my neck to nape of my hair.

"You amaze me Ailey Vittorio...."

I hear his words in a trance, the urge to kiss him becomes stronger, as I lean up to kiss him, he pulls back, wait what- " Ailey.... don't take this the wrong way, sweetheart, but we shouldn't commit to something you are not ready for".

"Huh what?"

"I don't want to pressurize you.... or make you feel obligated to be with me just cause I am your husband". He replied with a note of what- disgust; he didn't have to sound so rueful, i tried to fight the blush of embarrassment as my cheeks reddened; I didn't want to show him the tears that were about gather in my eyes due to shame.

To my surprise he lifted my chin, kissing away a traitorous stray tear on my cheek.

"See somehow I keep on hurting you.... I want to make things better, to make sure you are safe, happy, but I say the wrong things or make it worse for you, Ailey, love, I never intended to hurt you, I am so sorry..."