A Loveless Marriage

Chapter 17

Natalia’s POV

I was listening to Andrew so keenly to understand Magnus’s situation. Trust me, it was a shock to me to know what Magnus was dealing with, because a person who has that much dominance, ruthlessness, arrogance, and attitude, can he face something like that? I was literally shaken to the core, but what made me more shocked was the cure for it which Andrew had found.

I mean, I agree he is his friend, but Magnus is not a science experiment. He keeps changing girls to get a reaction from his body. At first, I was trying to understand, but listening to Andrew’s ideas I got frustrated and commented, “All right, so that was the worst idea.”

He was shocked to listen to me and was taken aback before he asked, “Means?”

I took some time to recollect myself and described to him, “It is not how things work out. You can’t bring the sexiest girl on this planet in front of him and expect that he will pound on her like she is the prey he is waiting for.”

“Are you doubting my abilities as a doctor?”, He asked, getting offensive, and I understood that he was not less than Magnus and wouldn’t take criticism gracefully, so it was my time to use my words wisely.

“I am doubting your ideas, which make no sense at all.”, I said, and he inquired, “Then what do you think? What should we do?”

I told him, “Take it slow. Genophobia is a condition and the fear of intimacy. Of course, he will obviously get intimate with someone special for him, then how can you expect a random girl to be his cure.”

He was silent, and I knew I was on the right track, so I continued, “I understand he has limits. He has those boundaries which he doesn’t want anyone to cross, but there should be a person whom he trusts and gives her permission to surpass those boundaries.”

I thought for a while to find the right words and added, “I just believe in this condition he should be taken care of like a child, showing him that it is possible. He should be comfortable with his partner. He should be ready to be touched.”

He nodded, and I continued, “With your stupid ideas, you are just trying to excite him by sending girls to him, but his problem is not that, Andrew. Think from a different perspective too.”

“I think you are right.”, He finally said that, and I said proudly, “I am always right. Okay, I am going now. Magnus will be home anytime, and we have to decorate our home for Christmas.”

With that, I took Xenia in my arms properly and was about to step out when I heard Andrew, “Natalia” and I turned around to look at him and heard him, “Will you try to do that?”

“What?”, I yelled and forgot to react. I was standing at the door and was thinking about whether to step out or get in again because my one decision could change the aspect of our relationship.

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Natalia’s POV

It took us forty minutes to reach home. Xenia and I went to the park in the afternoon and their meeting with Andrew was too long, and it was already five in the evening. I took Xenia inside me and found Magnus standing in the hall. His hair was messy, his shirt was folded, and he was looking handsome like always. I never knew that I could love a person to this extent that I would forget all his bad deeds just to be with him.

Yes, sometimes I may sound stupid, and he may sound like a big red flag, but trust me, love knows no such things. It just knows how to love and that’s what I do. I was busy admiring him when he noticed me and walked towards us and I came out of my thoughts and asked, “Hey, you are home.”

“Yeah, just came a few minutes ago. Where were you?”, He asked, taking Xenia in his arms, and we walked inside talking, “Ohh we went to the park and met Andrew. Then he took us for a treat.”

He listened to me and suddenly stopped and looked at me. I was about to apologize if I crossed my lines again, but he shocked me by saying, “Okay, I am happy to see you guys back to normal.”

He looks divine while smiling.

“Let me take Xenia to her room.”, I nodded and told him, “Yeah, I am coming with your coffee.”

With that, I went to the kitchen and started thinking about what Andrew and I had discussed.

“What are you thinking?”, I asked myself and replied on my own, “It’s not something which you can’t do. He is your husband.”

“I am just helping him.”, I said and asked myself, “But what if he felt that I am taking advantage of his condition?”

“Well, how’s that possible? You are helping him.”, I answer again.

“But what if what we are thinking doesn’t end well.”, I thought and found a solution too. “Then apologize.”

I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn’t realize it when I reached Xenia’s room with coffee in my hand. I was standing at the door when Magnus called me, “Natalia, what are you thinking?”

“Nothing.”, I said, and entered the room and gave him coffee.

He asked again, and finally, I found an answer, “I was thinking could you help me with the decoration of the Christmas tree?”

“Yeah, sure.”, he said and replied, “Thanks.”

After that, we got busy playing with Xenia until she was tired, and we were ready to decorate the Christmas tree. We both went into our hall and found a perfect spot near the full-sized glass window where we decided to place our tree.

Well, it was not easy, Magnus and I struggled a lot, but thinking about Xenia and her playing, we chose that place. Once it was decided, we brought a ladder to decorate the tree from the upper side, and we decided to decorate it with name balls. There were balls with everyone’s name including, Magnus, Xenia, Sophia, Andrew, and I.

It was a moment to remember because, slowly, I was having a place in this family. Now, I have some people in my life whom I can call my family, and I am so proud to have them in my life.

I was admiring a beautiful member of my family when I heard, “Natalia, give me that red ribbon.”

I passed him the ribbon, and he asked, “That ball too.”

I gave him it, and he asked me the next moment, “How’s it?”

I looked at the tree and the ball Magnus was showing to me and murmured, “Xenia, looks cute.”

With that we went on with our task, passing things and decorating our house. However, I was busy noticing that he was touching me effortlessly. I mean there was no hesitation which Andrew discussed with me.

“f**k, he is touching me like I am not a girl.”, I was lost again unless Magnus told me, “Let me grab the lights from the store room.”

While he was gone, I was looking at the tree and found it was not perfect. He was somewhat falling, “Why do I feel this tree isn’t straight.”

With that, I went on the ladder to check, “Let me fix this.”

I was checking the tree and found it was stuck, which was making it feel like it was falling. I commented, “Ohh it’s stuck there.”

I was trying to make it stand straight and was unaware of the fact that the ladder was also slipping. I was so busy that I didn’t realize that my top was stuck in something and the next moment I was in the air and I heard Magnus, “Natali-” and I screamed, “Aaaa-”.

I was waiting for the pain to come but nothing like that happened. I opened my eyes and found Magnus staring at me. He asked, “Are you okay?”

I was in his arms.

Looking at him, I forgot to react, and he asked again, “Natalia?”

“I am okay, Magnus.” Finally, I replied and he made me stand on my feet.

“Thank god.” He commented and suddenly turned serious, “Who told you to do that? Can’t you wait for me?”

“You could have hurt yourself.”, He continued, and I did what was needed which was to apologize, “Sorry.”

“Why was I worried?”, I heard him murmuring but chose to ignore it and thought, “Why did I feel something different?”

Magnus was on the ladder again, and I thought in my mind, “f**k. Andrew wants me to help him, but who would help me?”

Finally, in a few minutes, the tree was ready and Magnus commented, “Done.”

We both looked at the tree and at the same time, my alarm started ringing indicating the food was ready.

“Dinner is ready. Please come.”, I said to Magnus, and he nodded, “Yeah.”

Magnus and I were sitting on our respective chairs and were having dinner when my phone rang, and I looked at the text.

From Andrew: “Are you ready?”

I replied: “Maybe.”

From Andrew: “All the best.”

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Third Person’s POV (Same Day At Night)

After dinner, Magnus and Natalia retired to their room, and it was time to implement Andrew’s plan. He didn’t tell Natalia except to dress nicely to sleep, which of course she didn’t understand but didn’t say anything. She just changed and retired to sleep and trust Andrew for once.

At the same time, Magnus was sleeping in his room and was shivering with cold. Although he takes care of his health, the cold is something that he can’t manage, so he wakes up at midnight and murmurs, “Why is this room so cold?”

He stood and went near to the blower and spoke, “Is the blower not working?”

“I think the blower has broken down.”, He concluded and started rubbing his hands and added, “I will die of cold here.”

“Let me go to Xenia’s room.”, He thought and left his room.

When he reached there, the room was filled with darkness and there was a blanket on the bed. Without thinking for a second, he slipped inside the blanket and thought, “It’s good.”

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The Next Day

Magnus was sleeping calmly in Xenia’s room. He was sleeping like a baby and was in no mood to wake up anytime soon. But soon he heard someone calling his name, “Magnus?”

He ignored that and hugged Xenia, slept again, and heard again, “Magnus?”

“Hmm”, he finally responded, and he heard Natalia, “Please move.”

The sleep he was enjoying suddenly got interrupted, and he looked at the source of the voice and found Natalia with him in bed.

His eyes were glued to hers. She was wearing black nightwear and her boobs were popping out. He was so engrossed that he forgot he was looking at her more than required.

Suddenly, Natalia shook him and he apologized, “Ohhh s**t. I am so sorry.”

“I thought, Xenia.”, He said, looking at the bed, and Natalia moved her hand to the cradle and said, “Xenia is there.”

He turned around to leave but suddenly stopped and asked, “Hold on, what are you wearing? It’s too cold.”

“Yes, but the blower was on, and I wanted to wear it.”, She replied hesitantly, trying to hide her cleavage from him.

“Really?”, He asked, and she nodded.

“Okay.”, He commented and left.

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Magnus’s POV

I went back to my room and fell on my bed. My room was filled with sunlight, so it was warmer than last night. I tried to close my eyes to sleep, but suddenly I saw Natalia and sat up.

I won’t deny she is so beautiful. If we met in different circumstances, I would have fallen for her. But not like this, I can’t get her out of my mind.

“f**k, what is wrong with her?”, I said with frustration and stood looking at myself in the mirror and asked, “Who wears these revealing clothes in winter?”

I took a few long breaths and went into the washroom and turned on the geyser.

But surprisingly, the water was still cold, and I yelled, “What the hell is wrong with this?”

“It’s also not working.”, I tried to turn the geyser on and off but had no luck.

“Why?”, I slapped my forehead and thought, “What to do now?”

After thinking for a while, I concluded, “Again, I will have to go to Xenia’s room.”

I waited patiently so that Natalia left the room with Xenia and I didn’t have to deal with her again. After thirty minutes, I left thinking, “Natalia must have left now. I should go and take a bath.”

As soon as I entered, I heard Natalia laughing and saying, “No, Xenia.”

“Wait”, She was giving a bath to Xenia, and she was trying to lift water in her tiny hands and throwing it to Natalia.

I was enjoying the view since I rarely get to see these moments. I clicked a few pictures of them and entered the washroom, “Xenia” and stopped her, saying, “Not like this baby, do it like this.”

With that, I filled my hands with water and started helping Xenia. She was giggling at seeing Natalia.

“Magnus no.”, Natalia was trying to stop me, but Xenia also joined me, and she turned to her “Xenia.”

“Wait, let me show you.”, she said, and soon we were throwing water at each other.

“Here”, Natalia was guiding Xenia to throw water at me. Then I made her turn to Natalia, “Here”

“Here.”

Soon, Natalia and I were fully drenched in water and that’s when I realized she still hadn’t taken a bath. I removed my eyes from her and took Xenia in my arms, saying, “Okay. Okay, done.”

“Bath time is over, Xenia.”, Natalia commented, and we took Xenia into the room.

While Natalia was helping her to get ready she asked, “Magnus, why are you not ready yet?”

Finally, she asked something which I could answer comfortably, “I think there is some problem with my room’s electricity supply. Neither the blower is working nor the geyser.”

“Ohh, I will call the electrician today and get it checked.” She said, and I nodded saying, “Thanks. Let me take a bath first.”

“Yeah, sure.”, I heard her and went inside the washroom to take a bath.

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