Our Loveless Marriage

Chapter 4: Swimming

-Nathan-

When I returned from New York, I knew Megan would be there to “greet” me. Not that she came running to welcome me home, but I knew I couldn’t avoid her any longer. Yet, what I hadn’t expected was that when I walked through the house toward the master bedroom, I didn’t come across her. Upon arriving in the bedroom, I noticed it was untouched, and none of her things were there.

I had already claimed this room, and it was nice to see I wouldn’t have to argue with her over it. So, I put my bag filled with clothes on the bed, and that was when I heard the loud splash. I walked over to the balcony, opened the glass doors, and then saw someone emerging from the pool.

It was Megan. Wearing a white bikini, her long dark brown hair wet and dripping down her back as she climbed out of the pool. My little wife certainly had gotten a darker shade being in the Bahamas, and for a moment, I found myself staring. Maybe that was because the thing she called a bikini could barely categorize as one. It looked so tiny on her curvy body that she was pretty much on display to everyone.

I shook my head and walked down there, and out through another set of glass doors in the living room. Megan had thrown herself down on a deck chair with a book in her hands while she dried off in the sun.

“I see you have made yourself at home, little mouse,” I remarked.

Megan whipped her head to the side so fast it had to hurt.

“Y-You’re back,” she stated, discreetly taking the towel lying at her feet and covering herself.

Oh, so she didn’t want me to look, but didn’t care about the bodyguards walking around the premises or maybe the hidden paparazzi just waiting to get a good shot at my wife’s body, I retorted internally.

“Yes, and you should go get dressed. My grandfather will come for dinner,” I reminded her.

“What?”

“Yes, so you better hurry,” I replied, taking a step back, ready to go shower after the long journey home.

“Nathan! Hold on,” she called out, and I heard her scramble to her feet.

I slowly turned and saw the little mouse walking over to me with a determined look on her face. She held the towel tightly around her as she tilted her head to look at me.

“We should talk,” she proposed.

“Should we?”

She nodded.

“Later,” I replied.

“No. Now!”

I just turned around and started to walk away, but I could hear Megan following me.

“I mean, we are both trapped in this marriage, and while it was such a cruel thing sending me on our honeymoon on my own, I am willing to look past this, so we can make it work,” she informed me.

“Make it work?” I inquired, turning around, surprising her, and barely giving her any time to stop, so her face almost collided with my chest. “What do you think this is? A real marriage?”

She shook her head.

“Of course, I know it is not,” she admitted. “But I... I need to try to make it work, so I won’t feel like I am being suffocated.”

“Don’t worry, little mouse, I won’t be around much, so you go do whatever you want to do. Take another vacation. Make some more friends,” I remarked.

“Have you been keeping track of me?” she inquired.

“Millions of people keep track of us both. Remember who our families are.”

“So, you would rather just send me away, than even give it a shot?”

“I don’t know what you mean. Neither of us really wanted this, so I don’t see why we should try to make anything work.”

“Nathan!” she exclaimed, annoyed, looking like she wanted to pull her hair. “I am not asking you to actually try to feel something for me. I am asking for us to... find common ground.”

“Why?”

“To make this marriage tolerable!” she yelled. “Right now, it is a nightmare for the both of us! Don’t you see that?”

I shrugged, and she groaned, irritated.

“Why can’t we just try?” she implored.

"Because that would mean I actually gave a damn about this marriage, and I don’t."

"It would mean you actually gave a damn about me," she said, sounding almost desperate.

“I don’t.”

“You’re a j*rk.”

“Been called worse,” I replied and turned around.

“You know I might just go on that vacation!”

“Have a nice trip! Just remember to be ready at eight. My grandfather really wants to see how happy we are,” I called back, not even looking at her. “Oh, and your parents are coming too.”

“My parents?” she shouted, scared. “Why didn’t you warn me?”

“I did. Just now.”

“Screw you!”

Her words or anger didn’t mean anything to me, and yet as I walked into my bedroom and over to the bathroom, I couldn’t help but wonder why Megan even wanted to try to make this work. Couldn’t she see it was just better if we stayed clear of each other and only acted like we cared once we were out in public together? Her family certainly needed something to take their eyes off the older sister, and my grandfather needed to be convinced I was actually ready to settle down. All we had to do was act. Why use more energy on this stupid marriage?

I quickly stripped off my clothes and went into the warm shower, washing the journey and the woman seated beside me on the plane off me.

I know. I was no saint, but this wasn’t a real marriage, so what did it matter anyway? Answer to that. It didn’t. Nothing about this marriage mattered, and with that thought, I quickly washed my hair and body before leaving the bathroom in only a towel, going over to my closet and finding a clean white shirt and some dark blue pants, together with some nice black shoes.

Just as I was putting on a watch, my phone made a sound indicating I had a notification. I went over to take it and saw a suggestive text from one of the women I had enjoyed spending time with, yet I removed the notification, not even bothering to reply. My grandfather and Megan’s parents would be here soon, and I had to convey seriousness about this marriage, which meant no risqué texting for tonight or any planned encounters. I wasn’t sure how long my grandfather was going to stay, but I couldn’t risk him finding my behavior suspicious.

I left my bedroom, and just then, further down the hallway, Megan appeared, and for a moment I wasn’t sure who I was looking at. She wore this tight, dark red dress with long sleeves and black heels, and she had put her dark brown hair up into a ponytail. She looked very elegant with a hint of provocative too, and I had to admit, I was surprised someone who was called a mouse could dress up to look like that.

Megan was fastening some small golden earrings when she noticed she wasn’t alone in the hallway. She turned to me, her eyes narrowing a little, and I walked closer to her, indicating that we had to put on a smile as we went to greet her parents and my grandfather.

“What?” she inquired when I stood in front of her, not understanding my message.

So, there was a little fire in her after all, I mused. I actually thought she would be really quiet and not even dare to speak back to me.

“Smile,” I suggested.

“Don’t tell me what to do!”

Okay, that made me smile a little, and I walked closer to her, so she was almost trapped between me and her bedroom door.

“We need to pretend. I am sure you wouldn’t want to let your parents down, right? They are depending on you to make this ‘work’.”

“But you said—”

“It is just for tonight,” I reassured her.

She sighed and crossed her arms, which tightened the material of her dress around her ample breasts, momentarily diverting my gaze.

“Fine. I can smile for tonight,” she acquiesced, bringing my attention back to her eyes.

Just then, we heard the doorbell ring, and I quickly stepped back before holding out my hand. She sighed and pushed off the door, starting to walk away, and I went to walk beside her before I put my arm around her waist and rested my hand on her hip. She tried to swat my hand away, but I leaned down and whispered, “Just for tonight.”

She sighed, defeated, and we both quickly put on a brave smile as we went to open the door together, greeting her parents, my grandfather, and, to my surprise, both my mother, brother, and his wife.

“Shane,” I acknowledged. “Wasn’t expecting you tonight.”

“Well, I wanted to see how you’re handling married life,” he replied, patting my shoulder and acting like he hadn’t come here to stir up trouble.

Though I was happy to see that my mother had decided to come anyway. She didn’t leave the house much after everything with my father, and I had been certain she wouldn’t come tonight, but she had surprised me, and I went to kiss her cheek, which earned me a sweet smile.

“Now where is my daughter-in-law?” she asked.

Megan came over to me after saying hello to her own parents, and she smiled sweetly at my mother as I grabbed her hand, intertwining our fingers. It felt strange. I didn’t usually hold hands with anyone. My mother hugged Megan, and the two of them seemed to be genuine as they greeted each other. Hopefully, the night wouldn’t be a total disaster then.