His Ex Wife

Chapter 17: The Moonlight

Flashback

They reached the top of the small hill Mariella’s house was located on, the road was all worked up in new and undamaged cement, leading to this entire view of the city of London. Lights filled the skyline for both of them, Mariella was instantly mesmerized. Her left hand was still tightly held by Iyan and strangely, as they had been walking up the hill, he had been caressing her hand with his thumb slowly, in a very caring gesture. Mariella had not withdrawn her hand from his grip.

He had even asked if she was feeling cold again or if she wanted to get back but she had nodded a ‘no’. She had gotten kind of lost and with Iyan’s total attention on her, she had forgotten about her father and that haunted mansion whose slave she had been for so much time.

“Have you ever been up here?” Iyan asked as he watched her face go from neutral and worried to carefree and happy. She was so happy to see the lights.

“No, obviously not. Had I known this is what exists here, this spot would have become my regular hang out place,” she looked at him, her eyes glowing with the joy.

He chuckled softly, “Okay what do you like better? City lights or stars?”

“You’re actually asking me that?” she laughed in return and both of them sat down cross legged on the wide road. It was the end of the road right then, reaching the top of the hill. No vehicles would be coming therefore, that remained clear.

“Yes, see if I like a girl and I want to take her out someday, I should know what she likes first, shouldn’t I?” he asked her, raising an eyebrow.

Her stomach turned again- butterflies! This was literally happening a lot lately, specially in Iyan’s company.

“I see,” she said, not reacting to what he said, “Who is this lucky girl you want to take out to a date then?” she asked teasingly before shifting her focus on to the gaspingly beautiful view in front of her.

Iyan chuckled again in response to that, he noticed her body language; her shoulders lay relaxed now and her body was not tensed anymore like it had been when she had just opened the gate in front of the mansion.

“Well, there is someone,” he said shifting his gaze away from her and to the view now.

“Wait, I realized I have never even asked you this but you’ve never had a girlfriend before?” she turned to him, her curiosity on peak.

“Hm, no,” his answer was short and very honest. The girls Scott and Iyan had even come across had been through family friends and cousins and all of them had gone for the better choice- Scott. Apple of the eye of his mom…he used to think scornfully.

“How’s that even possible?” she rejected his answer. From how she saw him, he was a very handsome guy and she knew this fairly well that had he been Italy, he would have been the hot topic in her school for all the girls. “Lying won’t make you more of a saint you know,” she said sarcastically to tease him.

“Haha okay, I’m not lying, I am aware of the fact that I do get attention from…some, at least,” he mentioned with a dramatic pause, “But, you know I want to do a lot in life, so much that I don’t think I have the time to play the games most people play at our age. Liking, dating, having sex, moving on and this vicious cycle that repeats…it’s too cruel throwing yours and someone else’s emotions like this. Not to mention, it’s also a bit time consuming,” he explained.

Mariella’s eyes were watching just him now, her attention had been long drawn from the lights and the stars.

“So what do you want, I mean other than the guys and girls of our age?” she asked him, she really wanted to know what he thought of.

He smiled and hesitated for a bit, “Its...It’s not much to be honest. I don’t want a lot and I don’t have many expectations from someone I would date in the future. What I really meant to say is that I don’t want to waste time- time is precious commodity- and I don’t have the patience for the whole dating then breaking up and all over and over again. If I’ll be with someone, I’ll invest myself fully and completely with her and just her. She would deserve all my time. Not a question about that.” Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Mariella had been listening quietly, concentrating on all the words Iyan said and then smiled at him in response, “The one you’ll choose to be with will be extremely lucky Iyan.”

“I don’t know about that,” he shrugged, looking at the view again. It was probably the first time that he was sharing his thoughts with someone like this, without any fear of being judged.

“Okay, tell me something, what kind of girl do you want?” she asked, all her interest focused at him.

Iyan laughed harder at this question, “I have not even thought about this actually.”

“Well think now,” Mariella insisted, the glee in her eyes was clearly not going to go away until she had her answers Iyan noticed.

Clearing his throat, he continued, “Well, I just want her to be my really good friend, our understanding and humor, level of maturity could match. She’s attractive or not, doesn’t matter, she’s skinny or chubby, doesn’t matter either, she has a bad past or not, none of this would matter to me more than herself. I don’t expect some princess for myself, just an ordinary girl for an ordinary guy like me,” he finished.

The more Mariella got to know about him, the more she began to like him. She wished she would find a guy like him one day and live happily ever after with him- only, the reality is too distinct from fairytales,

we don’t have wishing wells that will grant us what we wish for exactly, who could know that better than Mariella herself…

“Well, enough about me! Tell me how many sexy Italians you have hooked up with,” Iyan smiled at her teasingly.

That caught her off guard, her face twisted in revulsion as she thought about the repugnant sight of her actually hooking up with any guy at all, let alone an Italian. Her nose scrunched up in disgust as she looked at Iyan, “I have not hooked up with anyone! Actually I haven’t even kissed anyone before, hooking up is still too farfetched,” she argued defensively.

Iyan broke out laughing, she had literally taken his small sarcastic comment to literal heights of seriousness.

“Chill silly! Your eyes had been wide open when I’d gotten just inches close to you in front of your house, how would you ever come to terms with kissing anyway,” he mocked her, laughing again.

Mariella’s eyebrows were now knitted together in pure annoyance, this was plenty to drive up her nose. She passed him death glares as he continued to laugh for a moment.

“It’s a matter of choice, I didn’t find anyone worthy of kissing yet!” she rebuked.

He laughed harder at that, “You know your reason does not even make half as sense as you claimed it should have in the first place,” it made him crack even more.

Mariella had had enough, she decided to get up to leave but as soon as she away from him to get up, Iyan pulled her hand tightly and intertwined his fingers with hers to hold her back. Because it was sudden and unexpected given she could not resist against his strength, she fell against his chest and her hair were now all over his face.

“Sorry,” she apologized immediately getting away from him. Embarrassed, she slightly shifted away from Iyan and stood by her will not to look up at him, it would grow to an awkward moment.

Iyan on the other hand observed her sideways, looking at how cheeks had turned to a pinkish red color. He did not want to make her uncomfortable but he could admit to the fact that he did want to kiss her passionately.

Instead, he controlled his urge and said, “It’s been a really chilly night,” and looked at the stars above. They had grown brighter by now, the moon hid behind a very big and dark cloud but it continued to gleam.

He looked back at her, she was nervous again now, he wondered what she could be thinking of. Slowly placing his hand on her pale cheek now, he made her face him directly this time and smiling at her, Iyan noticed, “Your cheeks are cold, give me your hand.”

Taking her hands, he rubbed her palms with his to create some warmth, though it seemed a bit childish but she still smiled at him. These small gestures of his were too endearing for her to forget, no one had ever done that to her, not a guy at least.

Without really thinking, she slowly leaned into him and closed her eyes, waiting for him. Iyan was not expecting that, but he could not resist further to her enthralling face in the star light. Her cheeks and nose both were pink by now, maybe due to the blush or the cold could also be a contributing factor. He gently pressed his lips against hers and slowly, he entered her mouth. Their tongues intertwined together, searching for each other like two hungry souls united- Iyan’s hand reached her back and he held her firmly and protectively in his arms as he kissed her slowly.

She melted like ice cream in his arms and for some reason, Iyan felt how fragile and delicate she was on the inside. That moment was perfect, nothing stood in between both of them, and they were both lost in their own world, too far from reality.

It was a small moment but a far too significant one for Iyan because it impacted him very deeply and its impact was going to remain with him for a very long time- he had it engraved in his mind; whatever would come forth, he would protect Mariella from everything.

Little did he know what Mariella’s fate had in store for her…