Love Me

Chapter Seven

I turned to the person that asked ready to say that I was staying. “Y-yes.”

What? That's not what I wanted to say.

Mr Graham nodded, leaving his seat, coming to place a hand on the small of my back and I shivered, goosebumps making their appearance on my skin.

Well that's new.

A maid came with my bag that I only managed to pack a few more things into and handed to over to Mr Graham.

“Come on, Love.” He said, putting some pressure on my back to get me to move.

I walked blindly with him, out the door, to a grey Audi parked right in front of the house. I looked back at Christopher, Hailey and Rebecca who looked like they were all planning my murder in their heads.

Like a gentleman, Mr Graham open the door for me, making sure I had settled in nicely before going to the driver's side to start the car. It was a few minutes after the ride started that realization finally dawned on me.

I was actually leaving their house, and not in a body bag. I was walking out, alive. Is this really happening?

Then I glanced at Mr Graham discreetly. What am I getting myself into? I'm marrying a person I don't know. I have to talk to him later and tell him that I can't marry him. Why? Because I don't want to marry a man that I don't know and doesn't know me.

Call me traditional or naive but I always dreamed that I would marry for love, that the man I would marry would love me and I would love him. I never imagined that I would marry a man for the sake of a contract or oven that he was supposed to marry my cousin but rejected her and chose me.

We drove in silence for a little while longer before I heard a voice. “Anything the matter, Love?”

I was startled for a brief moment before I lifted my head from the window to shake it.

“Thinking about your boyfriend?” For some reason that make me burst into laughter. “It wasn't that funny, was it?”

I stopped laughing and gave him a gentle smile, shaking my head again then turned back to the window, staring at everything we passed. There was a comfortable silence between us as I relished my new found freedom even if it was for a short while because surely Christopher would find a way to get Hailey married to Mr Graham.

“You don't talk much, do you?” That alluring British accent sounded again. I just turned to look at him while he focus on the road, still talking. “I know that this is weird for you, getting married that is. You are going to miss your home but I promise it will get better, all we have to do is play along in this silly game our parents are playing then we'll be let off.”

I thought about what he said about me missing my home as I stared out the window and scoffed silently. I wouldn't ever miss that place or want to go back. What I suffered there was enough to scar me both mentally and physically for life. Who would miss being beaten up and belittled nearly everyday?

“I mean it though, is anything wrong, Alyssa? I can help if there is.”

“No, Mr Graham.” I replied mechanically, no even looking at him.

“Nathan.”

“What?” I faced him with creased eyebrows.

“I want you to call me ‘Nathan’ not ‘Mr Graham’. For the fact that we are getting married against our wills doesn't mean that we cannot be friends.” He explained and I nodded. “I want you to feel at ease around me, I'm not going to eat you. Well, unless you want me to.”

I gave a small giggle at his comment while my cheeks flushed. “Okay. Thank you, Nathan.”

He gave me a reassuring smile momentarily and looked back to the road. Truthfully, Mr Gr- I mean-Nathan was the only person that I was at ease in his presence. He didn't seem like the kind of person that would take pleasure in hurting me for no good reason and strangely, I felt safe with him. I felt like could trust him but I didn't let myself. I didn't exactly know the kind of man he was.

A few minutes later, the car rolled into an underground parking lot and stopped when Nathan found a spot. Before I could open my door, he had done it, winking at me as I slid out of the passenger seat.

I moved to get my bag from the car but Nathan had beat me to it. I followed as he passed the front desk and entered an elevator, pressing a button that had the elevator moving to the forty-seventh floor.

“This way.” He said, leading me down the hallway.

We stopped at a door, the one leading to his house most likely. He pulled out a card from his pocket and slipped it into the slot, waiting til the light turned green before he opened the door.

His house was amazingly decorated and had a nice warm vibe to it. The black couches contrasted sharply with the white tiled floors and blue coffee table and other counters in the living room, the surely expensive plasma TV hanging on the wall. There were fresh green potted plants at the corners of the room, artificial of course but beautiful in their intricately designed pots. The walls were bare but I expected that from a man living on his own.

The kitchen was state of the art and pristine as if it wasn't a place that was used everyday. The light marble counters gave the room a modern look that fit with the rest of the house.

He stopped in a hallway, by a door and turned to me. “This is your bedroom.” Then he opened it, revealing a room much bigger than the one I stayed in at Christopher's house.

Just like the rest of the house, the walls were white. The bed had red sheets on it and a TV right in front and just like the living room, potted plants were situated at the corners of the room. The floor to ceiling glass window gave me a great view of the city below us and had nice dark curtains for when I would like to close them.

“No need to unpack, we're not staying long here. The bathroom is to your left.” I heard Nathan say. “If you need anything at all, my room is right in front of you.”

I let out a shy ‘thank you’ with a small nod before he left. Once alone, I rested my head on the glass window and sighed, trying to clear my head.

I was still confused, I had so many questions for Nathan and I don't know why I wasn't able to ask any of them. Maybe I was scared of the answers.

I wanted to know why he would choose to marry me and not Hailey who was described as every man's dream. She was a social butterfly and knew how to behave around people while I preferred to stay indoors and was very nervous around new people. She was beautiful while I had ugly scars all over and fat in places I didn't want even with the little I ate.

Obviously Hailey was a better choice for him so why go for second best?

A knock on the door distracted me from my thoughts. Nathan poked his head through, a smile on his lips as he entered. He came to stand next to me, close enough for me to smell his cologne.

“Having a hard time settling in?” I shook my head at his question, still looking at the cars on the street that appeared so tiny from where I stood. “Okay, then. I'll be out for a while, I have something to take care of. Don't hesitate to call if you need something.”

I nodded again then I remembered something. “Nathan, I don't have a phone.”

“Oh, right.” He reached into his pocket and pulled something out. “Here, I believe this is yours.”

I took it from him and realized that it was my phone. The one that I had lost the night I was walking home and was attacked. How did he get this?

“How did you---?” I began but he cut me off.

“I never ignore someone that needs help, especially when I can do something for them.”

For a moment, I couldn't say anything, it was when he was very close to the door that I found my voice. “Thank you.”

He turned to me. “It was no problem, Love.”