His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 74

GABRIEL (continued…)

That night, I called Sophia for the first time since arriving home I went in for a quick shower, and called her while getting dressed for bed. She picked up, but seemed so distant… like there was something playing on her mind.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Freckles?” I asked for the fourth time in that one conversation. I am still seeing you tomorrow, right?”

“Hmm..” She buzzes a little sleepily, but mostly she was just distracted. “How’s your work emergency thing going?”

“Bad,” I reply, truthfully. Alister had colorectal cancer. I was planning on picking Sophia up tomorrow, but instead, I’d have to take a trip to his doctor. To tell her this was on the tip of my tongue, but only the promise I had hastily made to my grandfather before leaving- the one to not tell this to anyone until he tells it to my grandmother in person this weekend- stopped me. Besides, Sophia just lost her Grandpa to cancer. I doubted she wanted more cancer news, “Why do you soundl so busy?”

“I’m not. I was just almost asleep when you called.”

“Oh, sorry, Freckles.” I say with no remorse, a sihall smile making its way to my lips. I needed to hear her voice.

“That’s okay.” She stays quiet for a few seconds before adding, “Are you at home?”

Tam

“Are you going to sleep now?”

‘Soon, I tell her, yawning.

‘Hm. Okay. Goodnight, Gabriel.

“Goodnight, Freckles.”

I miss you, I wanted to add, but didn’t, partly because it was too cheesy, more than I’d ever been, and partly because she disconnected the call so quietly after I said goodnight, you’d think her hand was burning from holding the phone.

I conclude I was thinking too much into it.

bed- it was my sanctuary all these years, which was why I never even asked Lily to move in wi me. But now, it

be able to sleep tonight, I realise, not

picked up my laptop and quietly left to my office; might

a truck when Freckles told me she wasn’t coming back home, that she needed a few more days to bask in the memory of her grandfather before she could leave her hometown,

feeling that something was

I’d done this too many times before Freckles entered my life to worry about it now. I talked to her again in the morning, told her I was at work, and made sure she was okay.

me.

1/3

There

at home and collecting my

famous oncologists in the country was based. He knew my grandfather because Alister called him for a second opinion on

the first stage, where it would be easy to control preferably without radiations that would

I called Sophia, who didn’t pick up. I waited minutes, but my heart was beating louder with every passing second. So, I called my grandmother, who told me

said work. The lie sat

night.

he passed his hand through his

would be okay. He had explained the treatment plan, and been honest

myself good with

back home. If she doesn’t, I would go to her tomorrow and bring her back with me whenever she was ready. I toy with that idea while playing with my phone

eyebrows furrowed. “What’re you

track you down since you wouldn’t pick up my calls.” She

toneless.

“You called?” I blinked.

her shoulders, “But if I did,

I would’ve told her that my grandfather did call from her phone and I did pick up the second

silent.

across her face was quick, and she

you doing here? How did you even know I was here?” I ask, and then it dawns.

here when I overheard him

blink my annoyance