My Husband Is My Savior (ON HOLD)

Chapter 5 (Repeat)

"Hm?" I answer, too tired to form any other response.

"Derek? What's with that voice? You can't possibly still be asleep." Christine says, her tone instantly taking on the sound of a mother's. "It's a quarter to twelve. You'll sleep the day away."

"Well, last I checked I'm an adult and can sleep how ever long I want." I release a sigh as I roll over onto my back and finally open my eyes. I squint as the invading sunlight makes them burn. "Why are you calling?" I ask a bit harshly, as my eyes adjust to the light.

"Oh, right." She mumbles, her motherly tone dropping away. "I thought we could meet for lunch. I've only had the chance to see you once since you've been back."

My first instinct is to say no and go back to sleep. Having a lunch date with her isn't something I've been meaning to plan or ever wanted to do. Seeing her hasn't even made my list of priorities. I said I'd give our relationship a chance, but I have so much on my mind right now that she's the least of my worries.

"It's my treat." She adds when I don't answer.

As much as I want to refuse, I can't. There's no doubt she'd call Arabella and tell her my response. I'd get in trouble with Arabella and I'd have to listen to her lecture me about how important this relationship is and how I should work through my feelings. I'm feeling annoyed just thinking about it.

"Okay, fine." I answer. "Just give me a couple minutes to get ready, okay?"
"O-okay." She stammers. "I'll be there in thirty. How does that sound?"

"Yeah, sure. See you in thirty." I hang up and toss my phone beside me on the bed. I stare up at the ceiling as I try to come up with the strength to get out of bed. If my mind wasn't so filled with thoughts of working for Gavin and keeping up this lie with Arabella, I'd have been able to sleep last night. The last thing I need is Christine wanting to work on our relationship.

I roll out of bed and start on my daily routine. I move through the steps slowly, everything seeming to take up too much of my energy. I pick out a pair of ripped jeans and a white t-shirt to wear. The buzzer sounds as I slip on the clothes. I slip on my shoes and grab my phone before heading outside.

Christine waits by the door. She wears a blue dress that stops just above her knees. Her black heels put her almost at my height. A pair of sunglasses serves as a temporary headband for her long brown hair. This must be her lunch break.

"Hi." She says with a large smile. She hesitates as she wraps her arms around me in a hug. I stand stiffly trying to fight the urge to push her away as my skin crawls. This is what mothers do when they see their children, right? I should try to get used to it. "How are you?" She asks as she finally releases me. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

"I'm tired." I answer honestly. "Can we go? The faster we get this done, the faster I can go back to sleep." I don't wait for her response as I head to her silver Ford. I hear the faint sound of a sigh before the click of her heels follow me.

After a quiet drive, we arrive at a small diner. The parking lot is surprisingly crowded, despite it being the middle of a week day. We head inside and I keep my head low as we follow the hostess towards the back of the diner.

"Here you go." The hostess says, stopping at a booth. "Enjoy." As she leaves, I notice a man already sitting at the booth looking through the menu. He wears a grey suit that makes the grey in his dark hair more noticeable. He sets the menu aside and looks at us. Realization hits me as his green eyes lock with mine. His face has thickened and aged slightly over the years, creating more wrinkles around his eyes.