The Girl He Had To Marry- An Arranged Marriage Story

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Home

Penny was baffled by the sudden feeling: the warmth in her heart, the relief and relaxation in her muscles. She never felt this before, or perhaps she did- when her mother still lived with her. She lost her home the minute she lost her mom. Now, in the city, in this random Penthouse lobby, she felt like she was home. 

She lead up against the wall next to the elevator, taking a minute to slow her breath down. The usually nightly door man walked up to her and asked if she was okay. 

"Uh, yeah" she pulls herself from the wall, and pushing the up button. "You know, as a woman in the city at night, it can be a little scary."

The doors open, "Well, if you need anything that I can help with, please tell me."

She walks in, gives a real, pleasant smile and the doors close. Her once calm breathes start to pick up. It becomes heavier and heavier. Not from fear or anxiety, but in realizations. She once thought she had no one to care for her, but now, it feels like she has everyone. 

Before, the number of people that cared for her was one. No, she feels as though one hand isn't even enough. Even this doorman was there for her and wanted to make her feel safe. It was an overwhelming feeling. 

She stepped out of the elevator, to the door of the penthouse. She was walking slow, still processing her feelings. Penny could feel a thick lump form in the back of her throat, stuck and unmovable. Her eyes stung with wet tears that wanted to spill, but she refused to have a complete breakdown until she was safely in her room. 

She quickly unlocked the door, and pushed it open. She kicked her shoes off and swung her jacket onto a hang and in the closet. She swiftly shuffled down the hall turn towards the stairs, but she heard, "How was your day?"

There Quentin was, sitting on the dining room table with take-out boxes and bags spread across. How long was he sitting there for?  She wondered while frozen in her spot facing him. 

She wanted everything to unfreeze and go upstairs to journal and cry her feelings out, but she couldn't. The dam broke loose and the sobbing started. She dropped her head into her hands to cover her reddening face and snotty nose. She refused to look up as she heard the quick shriek of the chair against wood floor and then the tumble of said chair to the floor. 

She felt two arms snake underneath her armpits. Penny quickly moved her arms to around Quentin's neck and shoved her ugly crying face to the curve in his neck. She tried to avoid getting snot onto his casual black shirt. The stain would be hidden, but it still wasn't nice. However, getting tears on his shirt seemed better than snot. Some bodily fluids are better than others. 

She wiped her wet cheeks against the shirt, drying her face off. 

"What's wrong," Quentin ask her. 

Penny surely wasn't physically ready to say what she was feeling, but she did trying, "Th-the do-or man..." She paused, planning on elaborating further, but she just broke into more tears. 

"The doorman? What did he do? Did he say something to you? Oh god, did he touch you?" He pushed her away, in anger. She knew from the tone in his voice that it wasn't at her, but at the doorman, who didn't do anything of the sort. 

He hurried to the door, slipping on the first pair of shoes he saw that would fit. He started to mumble under his breath, "I am going to break that man's nose and then get him fire, and then make sure he can never get a job in the city again." 

This time, Penny wasn't frozen. She ran to his, rubbing her face clear of tears that were still falling. "Stop!" She grabbed his hand. He frozen and turn to face her, waiting for her to give him the next instruction. "He didn't do anything to me. He was actually really kind."