Wedding bells?
"Morning, I didn't find you when I woke up, I was worried." He said, not even addressing the elephant in the room.
"I went out to ask the doctor why Zoey hadn't woke up" I explained, he still looked nonchalant about punching James in the face, yes he punched him. I could see his hand turn red from the impact of the punch.
I had explained how I wanted to buy breakfast but didn't have any money to do so, when Lola in her nursing uniform rush to nurse her poor fiancé with a bleeding nose back to health.
"You idiot how dare you hurt my Jamie." She scolds, but when her eyes met Clayton's eyes her confidence decreases exponentially.
She helps James up his feet, and Clayton still looks disgusted at James. It was a rather territorial vibe Clayton was giving.
"How dare you punch me?"
"I punched you?" Clayton act nonchalantly, "I thought I hit a bug that was busy hovering my fiancé's face, Leah has a sensitive skin, a small bite and she might be admitted to ICU. Bear with me I am just being a protective fiancé."
His nonchalant way of speaking made me shiver with fear, how can he lie so beautifully? How can he claim me so casually when he knows he does not even want to marry me?
"Huh, fiancé? Wow, I thought Kaleah was lying when she said she moved on." Lola exclaims, "I am Lola Smith, a nurse."
Lola who was now smitten with Clayton said extending her hand for a hand shake, of course she would fall for him in an instance, he is Clayton Beckett for goodness' sake.
"Clayton Beckett."
Still keeping his hands to himself, both James and Lola sure were surprised. James had dropped his antagonistic attitude as he knew he was going against a dangerous man.
"Beckett? Oh, you are Kaleah's fiancé?" Lola says with her shocked face with was somewhat satisfying, "Cyan must have introduced you two?"
"How long have you two been together? Because she is not an honest woman, I know she used me and cheated on you." James said, making me even more angry that I already am.
"Don't worry, unlike you Kaleah is very honest, I can assure you, I am not her cousin, and I didn't not date her for the five years of your relationship." This man seems to make a good villain, "besides, you are the one who broke her heart to marry your dear cousin over there, I am just consoling her. I must say thank you, your foolishness is the one that led her to me, so, thank you once more."
He didn't wait for them to respond before taking my arm and checking the handprint James had left. I could feel both James and Lola flinch at his actions, "I didn't mean to hurt Kaleah, I was just holding her hand." James explains watching Clayton's face frown.
"I had told you; Leah has sensitive skin, you cannot just put your filthy smelly hand on her like that" Clayton was doing God's work clearly, taking my revenge for me, I would internally laugh at the stupid scaredy face they were making, "you should pay for causing my Leah's arm to swell."
He examined James who was sweating profusely before asking a chilling question, "which arm did you use? And don't lie to me, I can always get the CCTV footage."
"Please spare him, he made a mistake, Kaleah is also at fault for baiting him." Lola defends but Clayton only glares at her and looked back and James, "which hand did you use to hurt Leah?"
He hesitantly points at his right hand; Clayton only smiles before calling a doctor passing by. "Can you bring an equipment suitable for cutting off an arm, James over there woke up and decided he doesn't want one anymore."
I freeze for a moment with his words, what the hell is wrong with this man. How can he advertise that his about to chop this man's whole arm off, and why is everyone ignoring this?
"Um... Clayton," I can see him look at me with a happy face contrast to how he looked at the two, "I don't think cutting his hands is necessary, my hand will heal. Can we go check on Zoey?"
He looks at me with a puzzled face before sighing, James and Lola still looked dazed and scared and the doctor is looking at me with pitiful eyes, "you are right we should focus on our princess; doctor can stop with my previous request."
He then decided to take my hand to take me to Zoey's room. The gentleness is his arm made my heart full, Hailee is sure a lucky girl to have this man. I hope my sham marriage to him does not break their relationship.
How hypocritical of me, I know it will break them, I know she would hate me forever. He probably hates me too, rightfully so, I had been so selfish as to let his grandmother force him into an unwanted marriage.
"Are you okay?"
"Huh?" words choke me, what does he mean, why is his gaze full of worry?
"Well, I kind of butted in without warning so I worry if you didn't like it. And I also acted like a madman saying I will cut your ex's arm off. I swear that was just an act."
His worried gaze continues to pierce through me, he put his arm on my cheek gently.
"It is okay, I really enjoyed watching them panic, I wanted to laugh." Just reminiscing about me getting my revenge indirectly makes me laugh, James had never looked so pathetic.
"Thank heavens, I thought I had made a mistake."
I can feel the atmosphere soften between us, the is a comfortable silence between us. I do not feel that scared around him anymore, well I still feel a chills when he looks at me, but we just took the first step, a great first step to a better partnership.
"Leah, are you okay?"
Cyan's sweet voice is heard in the hospital ward, Clayton still wears the same shirt he wore last night with rolled sleeves, in his arms is cheery Zoey who keeps laughing in his arms.
"Oh, brother what are you doing here?"
"Well, I am the one who drove Leah here."
"Huh? Leah? Who gave you permission to call her that?" Cyan is flabbergasted by Clayton's nonchalant look.
"Did you bring Zoey's change of clothes?" I ask half-heartedly, though we managed to sleep last night we did not get much of the said sleep and my eyelids had begun to close.
"Why didn't you tell me you two needed a change of clothes as well?" her eyes looked at both Clayton who looked half-dead "There is nothing wrong with Zoey is there? Grandmother hadn't stopped worrying since you called."
"She is fine she just had a fever, the doctor gave her the needed medication for her recovery, she just got discharged so grandmother would see her soon." Clayton who had now given himself the task of changing Zoey's clothes said.
I had tried to stop him, but Cyan had prevented me from doing so, he was very gentle with the child. I had heard and known enough about this man to think that him playing with Zoey was a foreign action.
"We should head home; Leah and I need some rest." Clayton said without even addressing why he was now calling my nickname so easily.
Cyan had obeyed his request without a single protest, maybe it was because she saw how tired we looked. It felt weird watching Cyan obey orders so nonchalant, but I stand to tease her yet again.
Melisa had greeted us very teary; she had heard us struggle with Zoey last night and had wanted to help, but Clayton had already taken care of it. "I could not sleep the whole night, oh my Zoey come here. Let me look at you." Her bias towards my little sister was sure evident, but I did not care.
"I will go bath and get some rest." Clayton reminds me how tired I was, I quickly rush to take a shower and rest. I know Zoey is safe with Cyan and Melisa.
I had woken up in the evening by Cyan who had come to call me for food. I made sure I washed my face before getting ready, Cyan had made sure to tease me about the successful marriage arrangement with her brother.
Tonight, for a change Clayton had joined us for dinner, he had worn a casual fit, his beautiful arms exposed on his blue shirt, and his jeans looked beautiful on him.
"So, when will the wedding be?" it is Melisa who starts with her mischievous ways, but Clayton doesn't seem to be fazed with the question, instead he smiles before answering.
"In two months." Shaking the whole dinner table with shock, what does he mean in two months, why so quick. I mean I understand I am on a deadline but for someone who is not supporting this marriage, he should be reluctant to marry me this quick.