A Little Bit Married

Speck of Red

"Are you f*****g crazy?!" Sylvia screamed, as an attendant ran over to bring her a towel.

She looked up at me, her eyes and mouth wide open, her chest heaving. Gray pulled me back into him, but I threw the nug down next to her, letting it shatter to pieces at her feet.

"You are f*****g crazy, huh."

"I am," I said, my eyes darting across both of hers. "I guess that is the only thing that can match you."

She started to cover the distance, but Gray got between us, his body shielding me.

"What happened to professionalism?"

"Professionalism?!" She yelled, her eyes wide. "You saw what she did to me! That crazy b***h was..."

Gray's hand suddenly wrapped around her neck, and the words immediately stopped tumbling oit of her mouth. Her eyes widened as she slowly covered the small distance between them, his eyes darting across both of us.

"You know, the ring isn't really the only reason I came here."

"Gray."

"Samantha," Gray said, his voice low. "Reign your sister in, or I will not hesitate to take this establishment too."

"You can't do that to me, Gray."

"I can, and I will. Just hope that I don't have to."

She swallowed hard, her chest heaving. "Gray."

He slowly let her go. "I will be back in two weeks for the ring."

"Does she know that you have a child with me?!" She screamed after us, her chest heaving. "A three year old boy with your pretty grey eyes and my blonde hair? A mini version of us that you are trying to be nothing but a deadbeat father to?!"

Gray met my eyes before he turned back to Sylvia. "She knows now, and you are not wrong. I want to be a deadbeat father."

"Gray!"

He didn't reply as he pulled me out of the establishment. We didn't stop till we got to the car, and we sat in silence for a long moment, my eyes focused on everything but him.

I struggled to organise my thoughts. Technically, I shouldn't even be angry at this. He had this child before he...

Wait.

I turned to him, and he had his eyes on the steering, his body tense. His eyes were cold and unblinking, and he seemed braced for whatever I would say.

"So she is Samantha's sister?"

He nodded, but said nothing.

"The child is three years old, Gray."

"He is."

"You were with Samantha then."

"I was."

"Gray!"

He closed his eyes and swallowed but said nothing still.

"Don't you want to explain to me? You cheated on her? You had a child with her sister and refused to take responsibility for it?"

He didn't say a word but slowly pulled up the glasses and pushed the ignition button.

"Answer me, Gray."

"I will take you home."

"No. I want to know the truth. We both know you didn't just bring me here to get me a ring. You wanted it to come out? Well, then it is out. Why are you saying nothing?"

"I have nothing to say to you, Angeline."

"Why?" I asked, hot tears stinging the back of my eyes as I struggled to breathe through the pain I relt. "Because I am not really the wife, and you don't feel like you owe me anything? Because I am just a mismatch? That speck of red in your black and white? Because I..."

"Bbecause I don't want to lose you."

I stopped talking, my chest heaving, my mind stretching as hard as it could in order to understand everything. Gray was not that kind of man. Gray would never be that kind of man.

He slowly met my eyes. "You are right. You are the speck of red in my white and black. You are right that I didn't want to have to be the one to tell you myself. You are right. You are a mismatch."

My heart dropped, and I felt tears run down my cheeks. "Then why would you take me home?"

He shrugged and turned away. "When I woke up this morning, I said, thank you, God. That I am awake. That even though you weren't in bed, I knew you couldn't be that far. You are the speck of red. The stubborn rose blooming in my snow."

"Stop doing this," I said, my voice shaky. "Stop making me melt for a man who keeps tearing off shades of him that I could have sworn he never had!"

"I know," he said, "but we are culprits of the same kind, aren't we, Angelilne? You are making me melt for a woman who would never accept what I truly am."

"f**k, Gray."

"I didn't cheat on Samantha. Especially not with Sylvia. I swear to you. I swear on f*****g heavens, Angeline."

"There is a child!" I screamed in exasperation. "How else would there be a child who is old enough to date back into your relationship with Samantha if you didn't cheat?"

He said nothing still, and I turned away, breaking into hurt tears. For a long while, he said nothing, and I just sat there, crying into my palm. I don't even know why it hurt. But it hurt.

"I will take you home," he said simply and started the car again.

I was leaning back, my eyes blank, my mind completely warped by the time we got home. He parked the car close to the fountain, and for a long time, we sat in silence again.

I slowly sat up, then turned to him. "Can I perhaps sleep on the couch from now on?"

He sighed. "We have enough rooms."

I nodded, then opened the car door and got out. I had just gotten to the door when a guard came up to me. He was holding a large bouquet of roses with a card.

"Ma'am?"

I turned to him, my brows furrowed. I immediately turned to Gray, who had gotten out of the car, too. It was definitely from him, and I started to wave it away when he came up behind me.

"Who are those from?"

I turned to him. "They are not from you?"

He raised a brow and, without answering, pulled out the card. He opened it, and I quickly leaned to read what it said.

"To my love, Evangeline."