His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 20

The next morning, I invited Alice over for breakfast. I didn’t have to fill her in about the conversation between me and Sam, she already knew. We couldn’t talk about it openly since Grandpa was there too and towards the end of the breakfast, Mrs. Riley popped in with some pancakes she had made. It was just like old times, minus Sam.

I left around noon after promising Grandpa I’ll visit soon and making Alice promise she’d visit me on her next work trip to the city.

It was early in the evening when I was back home, and the first thing I noticed was that Gabriel’s car wasn’t parked. Tired after falling asleep on the couch last night, I finished reviewing the file I was told to and had an early dinner, my eyes flickering to the door and the stairs every now and then for a glimpse of my husband.

“He hasn’t been home… since yesterday. Laina finally told me and a part of my heart broke, one that I shoved back to the deepest comers of me.

I could be attracted to Gabriel physically.

But I couldn’t allow myself to care about him like this.

We were husband and wife just on paper.

Sleep came easy that night. When Monday passed and Gabriel still wasn’t home, I called Peter, my intrusive thoughts getting the best of me. What if he had an accident or something the night he left?

Peter confirmed he was at work, staying there till late in the night, barely coming home for an hour or two and that this would continue for a while. He was busy.

He wasn’t dead or dying on a highway or a hospital somewhere

Good to know.

I ignored every thought of him for the next few days. Coming home late and leaving before I wake up? He was trying to ignore me on purpose. What was he, five?

On Wednesday night, having enough of his childish behaviour. I decided to wait for him. After dinner I sat on the couch in the living room with a book I had been waiting to read for months now, but somewhere more than an hour after midnight. I fell asleep right there curled up with a blanket on the couch.

I woke up in my room in the morning.

I knew who had carried me upstairs, I didn’t have to ask anyone.

d in the room when I woke up, and all I could think of was that I wanted it

It was crazy how his scent somehow still lingered in around more often.

Thursday night, I woke up around dawn by a bad dream, I would’ve tossed in my bed until I fell back asleep if thoughts of Gabriel hadn’t made their way into my mind.

This seemed like the perfect time to catch him…

It was dawn.

never been in his room. before but I had seen him exiting it a couple times so hoping I was at the right door, I paused outside for a long few seconds and then

No response.

1/3

Tue, Jun 4 D

Chapter 20

I knocked again.

opened and Gabriel stood inside

Shirtless.

awake.” My voice was almost accusatory as I tried peaking behind his talk frame. What was he doing

blocked my vision.

5

me. Tin here

“Demand?” He lightly chuckled.

my composure up, to not let the redness spread through my cheeks as that night played in front of my mind. Did I mention he was shirtless? Not

1

for us. ‘So yes, I demand.

igiforing you, Freckles. I have no reason

c*cked an eyebrow. “So you’ve just not been home since

have anything to do

at me when you

part. You lied to me. I don’t like liars, I couldn’t be around you that night.

“That’s all?” I repeated.

“What else?”

anger in him… a part of me has really thought he was

hoped

Hope.

“You aren’t mad anymore?”

contract, who you have

knit. “So if I sleep with somebody else, that’s your business. But if

“Do you?”

“What?”

Have feelings for him?”

for Sam.” I

didn’t say

don’t have feelings for Sam, Gabriel. I feel bad that