18: Fan girl

...

"This is it?"

I surveyed the room and nothing changed aside from the impromptu projector light flashing against the empty wall of my bedroom.

He carried me back to my room and deposited me to the edge of the bed then he started moving things inside my room.

"Yes. Just sit down and relax." Marcus continued whatever he was doing in front of the laptop he quickly set up on the floor.

"I don't understand. What's going on?"

"There." He sat beside me on the edge of the bed and pressed some buttons on the remote.

The lamps were off and the only source of illumination we had inside was the light coming from the projector screen.

"What is this?" I turned to him and tried to see his face.

He ignored my question and instead adjusted the blanket covering my legs.

"Are you cold?"

"No."

"Do you want some milk? Dessert, perhaps? Or a little not-so-midnight snack, maybe?"

I rolled my eyes.

"No. No. And no."

"Good." Then he increased the volume of the speakers and turned to the screen.

I couldn't take my curiosity anymore.

"Are we watching porn?"

Marcus coughed and suddenly burst into a loud laughter.

"Where the hell did you get that absurd idea, lady?"

The knot in my forehead became deeper.

Stupid idea!

I was thinking about something else when he said that he knew a way on how to make me less hate him. My hormones were expecting something else, obviously.

We're husband and wife inside a room all alone, right?

What are we supposed to do, then? Play chess?

I thought he was setting me up to some prelude to something more explosive and steamier later on.

Ugh! I am dead!

"I don't know. Why the heck will you come into my room and set up this projector? If this is the way you'll make me less hate you, then bad news, Mister. You are not by any moment getting any closer there."

He ceased laughing and looked at me with a serious face.

"Let's leave that thought outside this room, lady. We do not need those lame stuff, I'm telling you."

I blushed.

Good thing, it was dark so he couldn't see me.

What the heck was wrong with me?

Naughty dirty mind!

He clearly set the boundaries between us.

I was clearly expecting something else and I expected way too far!

Damn it!

Marcus moved closer and stared at my face as if he was trying to find something hidden in it.

"Why Missus? Are you disappointed nothing steamy and hard will happen tonight?" He teased, gently wrapping his arm around my waist.

"Piss off, will you?" I moved away. "You're acting like a perv, again!"

He chuckled then drew me closer. His chin rested over my shoulder.

"I can be one if you want me to be one. Just say the word, wife."

His warm breathing brushes against my sensitive ear.

There he goes again.

That very unfamiliar excitement building up inside me simply because of his mere breathing against my skin.

The blood surged up to my face.

"Stop! Or else---"

"Or else?"

I turned away. "Never mind."

He pinched my cheek then let me go. "I never knew you got this side, Missus."

"I never knew I married a pervert, either."

"What made you think we'll watch porn then? I never insinuated anything close to that, darling."

I sneered at him.

"Forget it, okay? Let's just move on and imagine it never happened."

"But you want something to happen." He prodded.

"Shut. Up."

"Fine. I remember I said that I'll make you hate me less, didn't I?"

"You're not even getting close to less, mind you."

"We'll see."

He gave me one last amused gaze before he pressed the play button.

"Hi Marcus! My name is Ruth Therese Hamilton, and I am your number one fan!"

…

"And when at last I find you, your song will fill the air. Sing it loud so I can hear you, Make it easy to be near you. For the things you do endear you to me, ohh! You know I will…"

As the last strum of her fingers hit the strings and the music stopped, the woman put down her ukulele, excitedly grabbed the man's neck who was sitting behind the camera and gave him a searing kiss on the lips.

"I adore you, my most favorite daydream!" She said lovingly as she clung her arms around his neck and smiled at him from ear to ear.

He gave her a delighted smile, wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back passionately.

"Oh! Marcus!"

The man reached for the camera behind them without breaking their kiss but he hit the stand and the camera fell on the floor.

The camera's angle showed the couple's lower bodies standing on the carpeted floor.

She let out a fit of funny playful giggles as she sat on the floor and reached for a piece of cookie from a jar. "Hungry, love?"

He dashed away and grabbed the camera by one hand. "Stay there for a second. I'll devour every bit of you once I get rid of this." He impatiently turned the camera over. "Where's the damn switch?"

She broke into a good laugh as she watched him peevishly worked his hands on her camera.

"Love, come back here. Now." She demanded as she stretched her arms to him. Her eyes were overflowing with desire.

"Gotcha!"

And then the video went blank.

Ruth slowly turned to the man silently sitting beside her.

"That was all me?"

Marcus raised one of his eyebrows.

She bit her lips. "How was that even possible?"

She was his stalker?

Did the video say that she was the president of his only legit fans club?

She was his fan girl?

How could she shame herself like that?

Seeing her old self as he claimed her to be her made her totally speechless.

War-shocked was an understatement.

Those videos and photographs she saw chronicled her ten-year one-sided love affair with Marcus.

She couldn't believe it!

If the earth could open wide, she wished it would eat her all up at once.

The 15-year old blonde girl she saw on the blank screen looked exactly like her.

It was her, no doubt!

She was younger. She was full of energy. She was amped to conquer life and Marcus.

He was her only world!

She looked amazing at a very young age. Their styles were different, though.

She was rather a bit stylish, sophisticated, really really blonde, and had the loveliest voice.

Not in a million years she imagined herself having such talent.

Damn! She can definitely sing!

Now she understood the song. It was her song for Marcus. She dedicated it for him.

She was a devoted head over heels in love fan girl.

How could she not changed after all those years and ended up married to him?

The Ruth ten years later was even full of confidence, a lady of elegance, finesse, and conviction. She was determined and unstoppable. She grew up as a classy, headstrong woman.

No wonder Matthew, pretending to be her then husband, told her when they first met that she stalked him until he gave in.

It was all true!

For the past decade, she was his fan girl.

For the past three months, she was his wife.

Her hard work paid off.

Indeed, she is the only Lady Ruth Therese Hamilton Hughes.

How could she all do that?

She clutched her heart and felt it. She tried hard to find their connection. It must be somewhere in there. It was pounding like crazy. It was throbbing and erratic which means that he could be saying the truth yet she cannot understand why her mind was having a hard time accepting it.

"I told you, I will make you less hate me."

Her lips parted. Her face was flooded with disbelief.

"I was in love with you for ten long years."

He nodded pragmatically.

"And you ignored and rejected me all those years."

"Yes. I was a jerk."

"I think you still are."

He sighed.

"So, you believe me now?"

"I have loved you that long?"

"I guess."

"I wasted my life loving you all this time?"

He pressed his lips.

"Then how could I forget everything about you so easily?"