HAPPY FOREVER AFTER

“So how did you and my brother meet?” Alexa asked.

“Ermm.. We met some months ago. February to be precise. We have a mutual friend and we met at his place.”

“How serious are you guys?” Alexa asked.

Emma smiled. “You don’t beat around the bush do you?” she asked.

Alexa laughed. “It’s better to say things as they are. Don’t you think? You know we’d all want to know that. I’m just really curious.. Daniel says I talk too much but I don’t care”.

Emma laughed then she nodded. “Just like your brother,” she said. “Daniel and I met in February, but we got together just two months ago,” Emma said. Trying to be truthful.

“I kinda work for him too. And I’m guessing he hasn’t told you a lot about us… So I think it would be better if you just ask him…. If you wanna know how serious this thing is. I hope you understand.. But I don’t want to… You know..”.

“I understand,” Alexa said. “It’s just that the last time Daniel brought a girl home, she turned out to be a gold digging bitch. She cheated on him and really hurt him”.

Emma sighed. She didn’t know how she felt about discussing this with Alexa. She wished Daniel would return to the room.

Alexa continued. “She may have liked Daniel, because who wouldn’t? But she liked his money more, and she tried to trap him into marriage. Good thing he saw just how horrible she was before they got married. Did Daniel tell you about her?”

“Yeah he did. He got really hurt I guess. He told me she cheated. I have been through the same thing, so I understand. When he told me about it, he looked pissed. Like he was going through the whole thing again”.

“You seem nice, Emma,” Alexa said. “And my Mom and I want Daniel to meet someone. I think he gets lonely sometimes. Even if he won’t admit it. He needs someone. Someone who loves him for who he really is. Someone who isn’t just after him for his money. I just don’t want to see him get hurt again. So if I seem like I’m asking a lot of questions, or talking too much, it’s because I’m just looking out for my brother”

“I understand,” Emma said. “And I love the way you look out for him. One thing I can tell you is that I truly care about your brother. And that I won’t intentionally hurt him”.

“Good.” Alexa said. “I liked you immediately I saw you”.

Emma laughed. “Why is that? You’re gonna tell me you see through people?” she asked.

“Duh… Because I like to think I’m a good judge of character…” Alexa said.

Emma smiled. “Well, I like you too,” she said.

—————

“The food was delicious. Thank you, Lana” Emma said to Daniel’s mother.

“Oh, thank you dear”.

Emma liked his family. Everyone was friendly to her, and they all seemed happy to have her there – everyone except Daniel’s brother Jared. He had arrived with his family later that evening and he was the only one who didn’t seem to want her there.

He stared at her throughout dinner with a you don’t belong here look. He ignored her through out dinner even when she tried to start a conversation with him, and she caught him staring at her in a weird way.

Emma tried to ignore the way Jared’s attitude made her feel. Lana was showing her around the house. She followed Lana into the kitchen to help with the dishes.

“You have a lovely home,” Emma said. “Did you and your husband build it together?”

Lana smiled and walked towards the sink. Warmth tugged inside Emma. She shoved back. She didn’t know if feeling honey about this place was a good idea. She and Daniel were pretending, his brother hated her. He kept looking at her like she had some other reason for being there.

But what bothered her more was the pretend thing. How would they feel when they realized she and Daniel weren’t actually together. They were so nice to her and she hated lying to them. Because no matter how what Daniel said, that was exactly what they were doing.

“No, actually,” Lana replied. “We moved in here after my husband died”

“I’m sorry, Lana. Daniel hardly talks about him”.

“Oh I understand that,” Lana said. “He misses him. I do too. It was Daniel who…”

“Did what?” Daniel’s voice came from the doorway.

Lana smiled. “I was just about to tell Emma that you bought this house. And I don’t think you should interrupt like that. It was rude.”

Daniel laughed.” Alright, sorry I interrupted. I will be in the room, Emma”

————–

“Your brother doesn’t like me, does he?” Emma asked Daniel later when she returned to the room.

She slipped into the covers with him.

“Why do you say that?” Daniel asked, pulling her closer to him.

“I’m not stupid, Daniel,” Emma said. “I know he doesn’t. He kept giving me these weird looks and he hardly spoke to me.”

“Maybe he was just tired, it was a stressful journey for him. He said so”

“That’s not it” Emma said. “You know what, just forget it”.

“Relax babe. I can talk to him if you want” Daniel said.

“No. No” Emma said. “It doesn’t matter. We will be leaving soon anyway. And I hate it even more because I have to lie to your mom and sister… I don’t care what you say but it’s true. They have been so nice to me, and I repay them by lying to them. They love you so much, Daniel. They just want you to be happy. But it’s fine. We will go back to our lives soon so there’s no point really.”

She buried her face in his chest, wondering why it bothered her so much that a member of his family didn’t like her. It reminded her so much that she was in love with a man who had no idea. Who wanted nothing to do with relationships.

“Fine,” Daniel said, but he decided to talk to his brother the next day.

“I like your mom, she’s so nice” Emma said after a while. And Alexa too. She’s so funny”

Daniel laughed. “Of course you would like Alexa, you two have a lot in common..” he said.

“What?” Emma asked.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

“Being stubborn” he said and Emma laughed, her breath tickling him. “And challenging and fighting me about everything I do.. Or say”.

Emma laughed again, but her body was stiff, probably still upset about this thing with his brother. He thought. He removed her head from his chest and brought her closer. He kissed her hard, pulling her under him, pressing her into the mattress. It was a demanding, possessive kiss, and he didn’t let her up for air until she’d softened and begun to respond. And then he released her mouth only to feverishly yank at the buttons of her pajama top.