7: Yours now

Buzz! Buzz!

The alarm woke Patrick up at the crack of dawn. He yawned and stretched out his right.

When he tried to move his left hand and body to rise, he felt a weight on his side.

Instantly, his eyes shot open. He snapped his gaze at the beauty sleeping peacefully next to him while using his hand as a pillow.

"Dreamy," he complimented under his smile. A smile bloomed on his lips, stretching from ear to ear.

He brushes the back of his hand on her cheek, admiring her gorgeous features.

The smile on his face lasted a minute long. His movements wake her, she gets startled and moves back.

Erica opened her eyes; her gaze was sharp and penetrative and seemingly able to see through to his heart.

"Darling, since you want to touch me. I am very happy to cooperate," she says with a smile.

"Who wants to touch you," Patrick scolds and turns away.

"We have slept on the same bed and spent the night in each other's company. You can't abandon me after one night," she flirts and he blushes.

Erica sits up and sneaks close to him. "I am yours now. You must be a good husband to me," she whispers to him.

His blush deepened and he continued to face away from her. They spent the night together, but nothing happened; he can't be held responsible for her...yet.

"You shouldn't say things like that so lightly."

"Then how am I supposed to say it?" She whispered the question on his skin.

Her breath was small kisses on his skin, which made him curl in nervousness.

Brazen was too little of a word to describe his young wife. The girl switched from cold to warm so quickly that he had trouble pinpointing what her exact nature was.

"I don't want to make a mistake again. So, tell me how should I say it, hubby," she took an informal tone with him.

Enjoying every bit of how her touch and the seductive tone affected him. He had the cutest realest reaction she'd seen in forever.

"Okay, I'll stop," she called it quits. "On one condition."

"W-which is?"

She tilted her head to face the ceiling to create suspense and she fell deep in thought.

"You have to promise me that I will be the only one who gets to see this adorable side of you," she raised her pinky finger forward to seal the deal.

"Why do I have to do that?"

"Oh!"

"Weren't you the one who said that we didn't have to put on airs with each other?"

Erica's expression froze. Nothing of the sweet morning they just shared was fake for her, however, she hadn't put herself in his shoes at all.

The statement he made rained on the beauty of the morning. The bright colors that had filled her eyes seemed to fade; black and white remained to haunt her with the bitter reality.

"I did say that, didn't I?" Her tone took an icy turn.

Patrick gulped and nervously shot his gaze up to read her facial expression. He found it close to impossible to tell what Erica was feeling with the stone-hard mask she wore.

"Are you a..alright?"

"Won't you be late for college?"

Patrick looked at the time on his phone. "Fuck, I am so late!" He lost his cool.

"Prince charming can curse. My, oh, my!" Erica exclaimed.

She grabbed his elbow and stopped his attempt to get off the bed. "E, I'm going to be late. Let me go," Patrick cried.

Ba-thump! Ba-thump!

Erica's cold heart pulsed as the cute way he called out to her registered in her brain, heart, and soul.

Unknowingly, her eyes softened. The urge to open her heart, unlock the possibility of love between them, and be his girl pounded at the corners of her heart.

"What is it?"

"Uhm....I..." she forgot what she wanted to say. She spaced out, images of what could be playing in her mind.

"If there is nothing then can you release my hand and let me take a shower?"

Erica blinked the daze away. "We need to decide whether we'll be cohabitating in the same room going forward or live separately," she said.

"I think separate rooms will do," Patrick answered without giving it much thought.

His fast response stilled the new feelings blooming in Erica's heart. She lowered her eyes, her fingers curled firmly on the silk bedsheet. 'He didn't even wait a minute,' her heart froze up again.

She threw the blanket aside angrily. "I agree. Let's start now," she pulled him forcefully off her bed.

"Argh," Patrick hit his leg on the edge of the bedside table. However, he didn't have time to tend to his wounds as Erica dragged him towards the door hastily. "E, slow down, will you?"

She threw him out into the hallways. "My room, unless invited in...don't let me catch you in here."

"Huh?"

Erica locked the door in his face and headed off to take a shower.

Patrick remained motionless outside her bedroom door. "What the hell happened to her? Why is she so upset?"

He tried to think of what he might have done to offend his wife but nothing came to mind.

"I should get ready for school," he dismissed the harsh scene from his mind.

He headed down to the room down the hall. Patrick had no time to enjoy the luxurious decorations in the room as he was running late.

He hurried to the closet, crossing his fingers that Seren had set in a towel for him beforehand. On arrival at the walk-in closet, his jaw dropped.

Everything from casual wear to official was arranged neatly by order of shape in his room. From clothes, shoes, watches, hats, and coats all the way to his sock drawer. It all came in his size.

"I don't know who scares me more, Erica or Seren?"

He picked his outfit for the day, opting for blue jeans, a white shirt, a blue jacket, and a pair of white sneakers.

Patrick went into the bathroom. To his surprise, all the products in the cupboard behind the sink mirror were from his favorite brands.

"Seren must have run a thorough check on me beforehand. She is lethally meticulous!"

He prepared a lukewarm setting on the shower and quickly washed away the stain and stress of the last twelve hours of his life.

The worst part of her nightmare had passed. His first night in his wife's home wasn't as bad as he expected it to be.

Fifteen minutes later, Patrick walked out of his room fully dressed and ready to conquer the day.

He was out just in time to catch Erica exiting her room. As though she read his mind, she was adorned in a thigh-high blue skirt. She paired it with a white blouse, a blue denim jacket and white boots.

"I am made of steel. I will achieve everything I have set out to do," she recited her affirmation for the day.

"E, are you headed out?" Patrick asked, hoping to catch a ride to the college.

"I am my enemy's worst nightmare," Erica closed her bedroom door and walked away, giving Patrick no attention.

Patrick shut his mouth and followed her silently. His heavy backpack full of school books was nearly breaking his back, but he endured.

"Wow, one day into the marriage and you're already rocking a matching outfit. How romantic!" Seren exclaimed. "Let's take a photo," she hailed a maid over to take the photo for them.

Seren stood next to her sister with Erica sandwiched in between her and Patrick. "Smile," Seren reminded.

Click!

The maid snapped a dozen photos before Seren was satisfied. She had waited three years to be in the same frame as her baby sister, and she left nothing out to make sure she had a ton of photos to commemorate the moment.

"I'll send the photos to both of you. Breakfast is set on the table. I am off to work, but you both can make..."

"I have an appointment at the spa and my husband is running late for school. We'll skip breakfast," Erica informed her of their itinerary. "We are heading out, bye-bye," she kissed Seren's cheek and walked out of the house.

"Bye, sister-in-law."

"Sister-in-law is way too formal. Seren or simply sister will do, Patrick," she corrected.

"Noted. Bye, Seren," he waved his hand and dashed off to chase after his wife.

"God, they are so cute together!"

"I see it too. I pray that their relationship stays innocent and loving for as long as they both shall live," her mother spoke over Seren's shoulder.

"Mommy, do you also feel that something is wrong with Erica's smile or am I being paranoid?"

"I felt it too. She puts on a great act but I can see that there is no sincerity in her smile at all. I pray that also changes soon."

Seren released a relieved sigh. "Thank goodness. I was losing my mind, thinking that I was seeing things. I feel relieved knowing that you sense it too."

"It's expected, Sese. Erica hasn't had the best life, one can't expect her heart to remain the same after all she has experienced," Claudia expressed with deep regret. "Let's just do our best to make her happy and hope her inner child can heal from all she's been through."