Chapter 4

Flashback

"Gabriel." He opened his eyes and I can't help but smile as he wrinkle his nose.

"Happy birthday." I smiled at him and push the birthday cake in front of him.

"Elle-" his eyebrows scrunched up as his eyes searched my face. "Why are you--?"

"I want to surprise you. You are my husband and I am ought to care for you. I want to make you happy. C'mon taste it." I push a spoon on his hands and smiled at him. He stared at me before looking back down at the cake, saying. "This isn't the scene where the wife finally decided to kill her husband, right?"

His line made me smile and say a little "no" because inside, I am burning so bright of irritation for this man. I mean, can't he just say ‘thank you’ ? He's pushing my patience and making me wish that I did put some poison on the cake.

Engorged with my own thoughts, I am surprised to hear him moan, "God. I haven't taste a chocolate cake this good in my entire life..." His eyes captured mine before he pulled me in and stuff some cake on my mouth.

"Now we die together," he smiled at me with his teeth covered with the triple chocolate cake I baked.

Oh well, Mr. West. You might not mean it but I am dying to make you love me back.

•

I am dazed as the memory fade on the back of my head. Staring at his glorious face, I snap myself back to the present and to the book I am reading.

"Elle, what would you like to do for the rest of the day rather than spending it with your book?" I stared at him for a while as he leaned across the balcony, his head tilted to the view of the forest.

Glancing back at the book on my lap, I said in a shaky voice, "How does the beach sound for you?"

"The beach?" With his eyebrows raised, he turned his full attention towards me. He then move closer on the bed where I am sitting at. "Why would you like to go to the beach?"

"For the same reason as other people have! It's in the middle of the summer now and I haven't even heard the swish of the water on my feet. I want to bury myself on the sand and smell the humid air...I want to--"

"Okay. Okay. You sound like a dying patient." He strut out of the door, leaving me. I am tempted to throw the book at him but I wouldn't. This book is too precious for me.

Standing up from the bed, I pulled a sundress and a piece of swimsuit, deciding to change into it. I am halfway through pulling the dress down on my chest area when the door bolted open. There like a deer caught in headlights, my husband drown from his own drool.

"Like what you see?" I am surprised when the words escaped my mouth. I barely had the time to cover my face in embarrassment when I heard his chuckle.

"Pssh, you barely had a C which is why I don't like it that much." He laugh again before he close the door.

Oh that stupid arse! He doesn't know what he's talking about because he wasn't a woman. Puffing my chest, I am surprised when I heard his voice again. "Hey, what's taking you so long? Have you been already swimming in the toilet?!"

"Shessh!" I pushed open the door and came face first with the devil himself. "All that is coming out of your mouth is crap! If I could only--"

I momentarily stopped my blubber as I watch him change into a pair of board shorts. "Like what you see?" He quoted me and can't help but blush at that as I scoot closer to the door. "Love, you already see all this and yet you still act so shy."

"Nope. I can't see clearly in the dark. Plus, there's nothing wrong with what I'm doing. I am your wife." I stated as a matter of fact. "Everything is right with what you are doing, love." He pulled my hand and I cannot help but smirk at him.

•

ONE DAY. It's only for today and I can't believe he have given me this day to spend with him.

"Now, are you happy?" His face was almost funny but the seriousness on his voice made me stop. "Gabe, what's wrong?"

He sighed, "Nothing."

"Tell me," I urge for him but he just look down at me. He sigh before he started to walk again, “later."

"Fine." I stuck my tongue out and walked faster than him, leaving him with all the baskets and blanket on his hands. "Elle, help me with this!"

His words drown themselves on my mind as I rush unto the waves and shrieked. God, I never felt this good before.

Looking back at the shore, I spot him quickly as a hawk. He has already spread the blanket under him and is now eating a sandwich, "Gabe, swim with me!" He shook his head making his sunglasses fall from his head and to the bridge of his nose. He waved his hands that is holding the sandwich before he stuck his tongue out. "Don't be such a party pooper!"

I ran out of the ocean and to the shore only to pull him up but it was no use. He was far stronger and heavier than me. "Gaaaaaabe, please?" I pulled his shirt and mocked a cry but he frown at me and resume his date with the sandwich. "Fine then, if this is your idea of spending the 24 hours you sacrifice for me-fighting and screaming-then so be it. I hope you are happy." I turn around and scowled at the crowd who was watching us.

I am about to dip my toes on the water when someone rushes over and tackled me. "Ummph" My throat constricted as I unexpectedly swallowed the seawater. With my burning eyes, I struggled to keep lose but it felt like someone is holding me down. I was about to scream for Gabriel when I am pulled out of the water and heard him, laughing.

"What's funny?" I look around only to bump my head with someone, "ouch." I push my damp hair away from my face and saw him there, his eyebrows furrowed as he massage the side of his head. "I thought you don't want to--"

"I was kidding back there though you're face looks funny once you realized that you are almost dying." His laugh sound so irritating to me that I can't help but look down at my feet. My nose flared as I let him finish his sentence, "So you are the one who push me? God, Gabriel! I almost drown..." I shook my head at him and tucked a stray hair on my ear, "You thought it was funny? To see me panicking and trying to call you for help?"

He stopped laughing and turned his attention to me, "Elle that's --"

"No. I thought I was dying-b-back there and you just did that for fun?" The tears I've been trying to hide flow freely down my cheeks. I was about to walk out from the unwanted attention of the crowd when I felt his arms wrapped around me. "Let me take a break for a while." I pushed him off me and walk back to the shore.

•

It was almost midday when I decided to leave the shade and find for something to eat. Gabriel was nowhere to find and I decided not to drag him on my food trip. I'm mighty fine without his obnoxious behavior.

I am threading through the crowd of tourist when I found a hotdog stand. I ordered two jumbos and a fruit shake to go with it. Pulling my wallet from my handbag, I paid for the food and started to walk. It was quiet at first then, I heard the crowd laughing. I curiously stared at them and realize that it was me whom they are laughing about. My dress was now split in a half, showing my cleavage and a bit of my breast. Blushing, I tried to cover myself with the drinks and two hotdog jumbo's on my hands. I hurried back to the shade Gabriel made for me back at the shore.

"Look at her body, God she look like she wanted to have sex with me, mate!"

"That was embarrassing"

"I wouldn't dare to walk around like that."

"Can you even imagine how small her tits are?"

"Sheesh, she must be so desperate to find a husband to walk around like that!"

"I would be displease if she was my daughter"

And then I felt his presence. His arms provided warmth all over my body as he shield me from the curious crowd. Muttering something on my ear that I cannot comprehend, he carried me back to the car and closed the doors.

"That was so embarrassing! I'm so sorry, Gabriel. I ruined this day." Staring back at me, he huffed. Turning the engine on, he put the car on reverse and sped away from the beach.

It was silence before the storm and I could feel it. His heated glare on me when he is looking at me, his fist tightening around the steering wheel. I know that he's angry at me. He is ashamed of me.

The tears flow freely down my cheeks as I tried to wipe it off with the hotdogs still on my hands. Then all that I could hear is myself as he slowly pulled over on the side of the road before cutting the engine.

"Shhhh," he pulled my chin up and kiss the sides of my face. “You didn't ruin this day. I did. If I didn't play a prank on you, you won't be angry and walk off alone. It was my fault. I should've been there with you. I was too confident on myself that you could handle yourself but I didn't realize that you are a woman. That you could be fragile even though sometimes you act like you are not." He dried the tears on my face with his shirt and smiled at me.

"I won't allow this day to end like this. How does ice cream, pizza and Wall-e sound for you?"

“Wall-e?”

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