Chapter 24: Serious Talk

The nurse came in for her usual rounds and flashed her a smile while checking her condition. She noticed Maddie seated silently near her and she noticed the nurse transform completely into a different person. She became completely flirtatious and doe-eyed to her husband which currently wasn't aware of what was going on.

"Hello sir, I didn't notice you there," she said in a suddenly sultry voice. Jaiye was surprised at the sharp tang of jealousy that pierced through her chest, it was almost painful because his handsome husband could capture any woman's attention without effort.

Weren't nurses usually more professional than this. She was itching to say something but she couldn't risk showing even an ounce of emotion towards this man. She turned her face trying to hide any betraying emotions that would show on her face and busied herself with her phone. She's silently observing what would be Maddie will be going to say.

"Shouldn't your attention be on the patient?" Maddie said coldly.

A victorious smile was making its way to her face, and try to control her laughter as she might couldn't conceal it no matter what she did. So she just brought her phone closer so that it would seem like she was smiling at something on her social media account news feed.

From the corner of her eye she saw the nurse fumbling for words then she focused her attention back to her. Ignoring Maddie's scolding a while ago to her flirtatious act the nurse said,

"The doctor will be coming to check on you later." The nurse uttered in a somber tone pissed at her for some reason unknown to her. But that wasn't going to wipe the smirk off her face.

Jaiye just nodded at her and watched as she left. Almost looking like a dog retreating with its tail tucked in between its legs.

"What's making you so happy over there?" He asked scooting closer to me.

"I just saw something funny on my phone that's all," She said shrugging her shoulders and looking at her phone.

He just nodded his head and said nothing further.

"What's your favorite song?" He suddenly asked.

She looked at him puzzled. "That's an unexpected question."

"I'm simply trying to get to know my wife better. We've been married for a couple of months but I haven't known some of your favorites," He said smoothly.

"Wasn't our marriage of pure convenience?" She asked him incredulously trying to figure out something, out of her curiosity.

The question seemed to make him a bit uncomfortable but he swallowed nervously and gave her a curt nod.

"Then?? Why are you interested in getting to know me better?"

He shrugged his shoulders and simply said, "I want us to start over. Turn over a new leaf, if you may," he flashed her an unsure smile and sadness flooded over his handsome face.

She still wants to know what's going on between the two of them in the past, "Why shouldn't we just stay as we were before?"

"It wasn't a healthy relationship. It wasn't working out well for either of us." Maddie said.

Maddie had an answer to every question. She had to give him some respect for that. She still had one final question though,

"Why now? She looked him dead in his eyes.

She rendered him speechless on that one. He sighed deeply then came over and sat on her bed. Her gaze following his every movement.

He took both her hands in his, tentatively and rubbed the outer of her palms softly in lazy circles.

"When you -" he was about to say something but he quickly cut himself off. It seemed like he was hiding something from her. She hated being in the dark. But he continued, "When I got a call from the hospital, it all seemed so surreal,"

"The thought of continuing life without you made me realize that I'd better clean up my act. And soon before I lost you for real."

She didn't have words for him. She couldn't bring herself to buy the whole story. Something in her memory was tugging begging her to open her eyes. Until she remembered something at least about their marriage life, she couldn't let their relationship progress. And she knows she shouldn't dwell on the past but she just couldn't move on.

"Want to go out for some fresh air?" She asked him for completely changing the topic.

He looked at her like he wanted to say something more than the topic before she quickly told him,

"Can we please not talk about that now?"

He clamped his mouth shut then slowly stood up. "Of course. If that's what you wish." after a few moments of awkward silence passed by, then he said, "let me go look for a nurse and ask if you can go out." he didn't even wait for her reply. He simply walked out without meeting her eyes and shut the door softly behind him. Had she somehow wounded his pride or something? She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Meh, what did I know about men anyway?"