The Second Wife by Melinda Mulera (book club reads .txt) 📗

Chapter 45: Always important

I finally found a 'bedroom' though it seemed strictly clean and somewhat empty. It was still a bedroom though.

Yawning tiredly, I walked towards the bed with drowsy eyes that stung right through my skull, though I felt felt awake.

I sat on the edge of the bed and gently lay myself down, staring up at the rose-shaped bulb having right above me with some soft orange glow. Almost decorating the room with some deceiving warm light. Yet it was slightly cold.

"Just say it." I flinched in fright at Avery's voice at the door, almost not expecting it. I rose to my elbows to glance at him and he really was there, standing with a deep frown on his face.

"Goodnight Avery-"

"I could make you want me and drain you of energy." He threatened and I chuckled as I lay properly on the bed, facing away from him as I got myself under the thick slightly deep green blanket. Like the base of an endless ocean. "Iris."

"It's not good to stress a woman during pregnancy, I might miscarry."

"You will if you say so." I heard him say as I shut my eyes. "I won't tell him, Iris, if you like me more."

"What if you get disappointed?" I asked, having my back still turned to him. "What if you get hurt when I point it out?"

"I know I'm the more liked one." I heard him chuckle as his footsteps got louder and closer. "I know for a fact that your feelings for me are still there. Even bigger than the ones you have for Hazel. If I could place a bet I know for a fact that if you were mine we would always end up sleeping around one in the morning and waking up with body aches and bite marks all over." He whispered as he leaned onto my exposed ear, forcing the heat to rush up my skin. I bit onto my lip and covered my head, almost feeling warmer than I was entirely since some minutes ago. "You know I'm right. Hazel doesn't make you feel the way you want to. I doubt since your first time with him, you've never had it again-"

"Eesh, thanks for keeping our timetable, Avery." I sighed out as I threw the blanket from my head and glared towards him. "We've had plenty of it."

"How plenty?"

"Why would you need to know?"

"I bet by plenty you mean kissing him." He chuckled and I rolled my eyes as I turned from him once more. "You know, Hazel can be a little rough, I'm talking about bedroom wise."

"I'm glad to hear you two must have shared one night together then."

"Oh please, you know what I mean." I heard him click his tongue before sighing out. "The affection he had for whoever his wife was, is different. To me it sometimes looks like you're just his step sister."

"Don't ruin it for him." I said as I glared at him. "Don't try to make me hate him."

"I'm not. I know I'm being evil, spilling him out, but I should still be honest. I mean, he left me with you. I for one wasn't even going to leave knowing he lives here and has you." He chuckled as he reached down and cupped my cheek, stroking it softly with his thumb. "I actually came to steal you. Though, a man that loves you wouldn't leave you with another man he's competing with. The other will just win right? So that's pretty much useless. But I get why he left. He hates being reminded of the orange head."

"You mean Maggie."

"Hm, sure." He nodded and pouted his lips as he looked away. "Just a question, Iris, what if it's his child.... Would you go on and marry him?"

"Why ask that when that's as obvious-"

"You love me more, Iris. I know and I can see that. He pretty much knows it too. You won't accept it just because you're afraid of hurting him but it's true, right?" He asked as he glanced down at me, forcing my throat to tighten up at the sight of his eyes. "What if you marry him, wouldn't you even want to talk to me? Knowing... You have to spend the rest of your life with someone you didn't love as much as the one you left?"

"Avery please let's not talk about this-"

"It's important to think about it."

"So what makes you think I like you more!?" I snapped, feeling my own anger rise so suddenly.

He was annoying me....

"What the hell makes you think I don't love Hazel?" I asked a bit calmer when he seemed completely taken aback. "What makes you think I love you more? Lust and love are complete opposites Avery."

"I know for a fact you don't lust me, you love me." He said and I clicked my tongue, looking away. "I don't lust you too. I love you. If I did then I'd have replaced you and probably wouldn't want anything to do with the pregnancy. But I'm even hoping it's mine just to have you. The reason I'm saying you love me more is because you never turn me away even when Hazel is there. You always absent mindedly pick me. You haven't noticed but I did. Probably Hazel did too, that's why he hardly says anything."

Absent mindedly pick him?

Do.... I?

"What do you mean by that?" I asked only to notice the slight glimmer in his eyes as he looked away and down to the floor for a moment.

"Well, take for example, the day you had it with Hazel. I didn't even do much to persuade you and you easily fell for me."

"I just realised it was s mistake." I shrugged my shoulder and glanced down at my fingers. "I was just... Lost in the moment."

"You confessed your feelings for me too." He pointed out and I clenched my jaw. "You said they'd just leave right? You acted as though they would disappear. But somehow, even after I had said I didn't feel the way, here we are. You still took me back in."

"Are you trying to tell me my mistakes?" I asked as I glared at him with tears blurring my eyes, knowing too well how hurt he made me feel. How stupid. And I brought him back in. How pathetic... Right?

"No, I'm just trying to tell you what you already feel for me. I want it, I want you to love me, Iris, I'm craving for it." He whispered as he suddenly got onto the bed and leaned down as he closed his eyes beside me, leaning for my lips. I dropped my eyes down to his tender lips, trying to think about anything.

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