"Get up, lad."
The next morning William woke up to the sound of these words spoken to him by Harvey Scott. He rubbed his eyes trying to drive the sleep away and in an instant, he was up. When his vision cleared, he grinned at Harvey recalling the events of the night.
"What's wrong with you boy?" Harvey threw him an upset look. "I can't help you with your ridiculous problem if you keep behaving like a mad man."
William's grin dropped and his face heated up with embarrassment. "Yeah..uh...I am sorry."
"Get up. Eliza isn't up yet. You can use the bathroom."
William's ears perked up at the sound of Eliza's name.
"She is here?" William beamed, a part of him was beyond excited to meet her but he didn't know how to explain that emotion. He had never been excited about anything related to Eliza and these new sensations were alien to him.
"Don't even think about it," Harvey warned. "Stay away from my daughter."
William felt offended by that statement. He got up to stand facing Harvey and puffed his chest out as he put his hand on his hips. He looked Harvey straight in the eyes while the latter did the same. He wanted to appear intimidating but Harvey just shrugged, so he dropped his hands and took a step back to lean against the wall.
"I have told you, sir, I don't have any other intentions," he said. "She is my wife and as much as you want to not believe it, it's true."
"How long were you married?" Harvey's question took William by surprise.
"A year and a few months, sir and we are still married, not were. We celebrated our first anniversary on June 4th."
He saw Harvey's breath tighten as he said it.
"I just asked you how long you were married. You don't have to go around throwing dates here and there. It's risky for people to know their future, so keep your words to yourself. Choose them very carefully when speaking," Harvey said. "Now go and take a shower. I have kept some clothes in the bathroom for you. I will bring you breakfast."
William nodded and rushed out of the workshop.
***
When William stepped inside the house through the backdoor, he finally took the view of Eliza's house. The kitchen consisted of a moderate area; it was covered with decorative tiles around the walls and the floor was of marble. The counter was attached to the wall and nearby, there was a small sink. The tiles were black but the marble flooring was white which gave the kitchen a very elegant look. He was impressed. The design reminded him of his wife. She had a fascination with decorating their home too.
He stepped into the hall, the one he was in yesterday, and observed that the house didn't have much furniture or any other decorations but straight ahead of him, there was a wall filled with shelves of trophies and certificates. He wanted to take a closer look to see who they belonged to but he remembered Harvey's words. He had no time to waste; he had to hurry.
He climbed up the stairs and walked straight to the bathroom, crossing the room to the right like he did the previous night. However, this time he stopped. He looked at the closed door and wondered for a moment if it was Eliza's room. He wanted to take a look, just to see a glimpse of his future wife in her teens. He stepped closer, focusing on every noise, to keep in mind if Harvey was down. When he didn't hear anything, he slowly turned the knob. Fortunately, the door was open.
With a deep exhale, William pushed it open, just an inch. He could see a bed but that didn't satisfy his vision so he opened the door further until the bed was in his view along with the little figure in it. The room was of a purple shade. The walls were filled with posters of movies and shows that Eliza had always been crazy about. There was a desk and a wardrobe, along with a mirror on each side of the window which was to his right and at the left side was the bed and in the bed lied she who made his heart race.
He couldn't see her face for she was turned over. One arm underneath her head and the other outstretched. Her brunette hair was spread all over the pillow in a tangled mess and he felt a sudden itch to smooth them out with his fingers. She was wearing a black top that revealed a smooth layer of the skin of her belly and his throat parched at the longing to touch her. The lower part of her body was covered with a pink blanket.
William stalked her like a creep and then, she made a sudden movement, stretching her arms out and she was about to turn when he heard heavy footsteps downstairs and instantly pulled the door closed.
Harvey was downstairs. William cursed his luck and pushed open the bathroom door, stepping in. After the door was securely locked, he stripped off his clothes and turned on the shower. The warm water made him relax just like the previous night. His muscles loosened up and he felt a little relieved.
Where had his life brought him? No matter how much he tried to be calm but it was impossible to be calm when everyone and everything was so close and yet so far.
He wanted to be with Eliza. Listen to her unnecessary musings, talk to her, fight with her, feel her, taste her.
He tried to push her thoughts away but it wasn't working. As much as he always denied it, he did share a bond with her. She was his wife. He had made vows with her, halfheartedly, but still. He promised to be with her and now she was gone or more like he was gone and yet she was here, in the room outside and he wondered what she would do if he stepped into her room and placed a kiss on her lips. The Eliza he knew would go crazy with that kind of affection from him but this Eliza...he didn't even know.
He remembered the day when Eliza was sleeping when he came home in the evening. She had one of his books in her hand and she had fallen asleep with her head resting on the headboard of the bed. She was wearing her plain, white dress and peace surrounded her. He had gone for a chat with Charlie Devon who asked him for a prequel to 'The House Of Time'. Charlie wanted to know more about the ghost in the prequel; he was sure that it would be a bestseller and wanted William to think about the offer for old times' sake. William was lost deep in thoughts all the way home but when he saw Eliza lying like that, a sly smile took over his lips. He opened his watch and took out his wallet from the pocket of his jeans and placed it on the small bedside table. He then took the book from Eliza's hand and she woke up at the sudden movement.
"William," she gasped as he picked her up in his arms and carried her towards the bathroom.
"William," she called his name again and he captured her lips with his to shut her up.
He didn't want her to talk, just scream his name which she would be doing soon.
He pushed open the bathroom door with his elbow, still exploring her mouth. Laying her slowly in the bathtub, he put a small peck on her lips and turned on the shower. The warm water poured over them and Eliza smiled at him, pulling him close to kiss him again. Her hands struggled to unbutton his shirt and he helped her by ripping his shirt off and throwing it across the bathroom. His hands travelled to the zipper holding her dress together and in one swift movement, he pulled it open and her dress fell off her shoulders, exposing her luscious curves and the hidden treasures underneath. He made her stand up with him, letting the dress fall to the bathtub and pulled her directly under the shower-head.
"Hey, slow down." She laughed as the water hit her hard and made her close her eyes. He smiled and pushed her to the wall, trapping her body with his. The heat between them was raw and needy. Her breasts brushed against his chest sending sparks of euphoria all over his body. He leaned in, brushing his lips to hers and trailing his tongue over her neck.
She looked at him with intense passion and bit her bottom lip as she glanced at his lips. He moved closer, teasing her as his lips escaped her mouth and instead landed on the back of her ear.
She moaned and tried to pull him but he grabbed hold of her hands placing them above her head as he trailed kisses down her body. Finally, he returned to her lips, but this time she didn't open her mouth for him.
"Open your mouth," he ordered her.
She smiled but kept them shut.
William smirked. "Fine. I will take care of it."
He grabbed her by her knees and lifted her against the wall. Her ankles locked at his waist and she gasped. He got his opportunity and took her mouth in his, this time no-one stopping him from getting what he wanted. Eliza smiled against his lips and he smiled back.
They did have a bond. A bond that he couldn't explain.
As the shower water drenched him, William's mind was occupied with Eliza's memories until, very suddenly, he found blood rushing to his groin. He looked down and was infuriated.
"Fuck!" he cursed and turned the shower knob to cold water.
It was going to be hard to get rid of Eliza's thoughts if he stayed this close to her. He had to find a way to go back as soon as possible. He closed his eyes and let the cold water wash away his arousal.
He needed to go before his heart started to play cruel tricks on him.