Chapter Thirteen

I’ve been sat in a heap on the floor for what feels like a lifetime, was it so easy for Greyson to believe I am that way inclined.

The only answer I could come up with was yes it was he knows nothing about you, this whole situation is a mess, a mess that I’ve gotten myself into and will now have to get myself out of or live with.

I drag myself up from the floor and into the shower, while I’m doing so, I constantly remind myself this is just for one year.

The feeling’s you think you have for him in those small moments aren’t real.

He’s not a nice guy.

He won’t ever fall for you.

This is just business.

Those words become like a ritual to me, I repeat them over and over in my head and even into the next morning and I remember how id told myself this as we descended the stairs to the event only this time, I won’t forget them the second he shows any sort of kindness.

I’m reciting my lines in the kitchen making myself some toast when I hear footsteps behind me, I try my best to ignore them not wanting to see who has just come in the room.

“Is there any I can get for you dear?”

Relief washes over me as I realise its Beverly.

“No thank you, Beverly, I’ve got this how about you sit down, and I’ll make us some tea”.

She nods and takes a seat at the breakfast bar.

“Although could I have coffee dear, I’ve not found someone who can make me a good cup of English tea since my husband passed”.

“You’re in luck Beverly, I lived in London my whole life and tea is my speciality “

She flashes me a smile and then pulls a small tin from her pocket.

“In that case, you’ll be wanting these “

To my surprise, she hands me the familiar square teabag that can only be Yorkshire tea. I laugh and pull out some mugs.

“You really carry these with you all the time?”

“Yes, dear wherever I go, My Husband was British you see, and tea reminds me so much of him that it’s hard to part ways with his favourite so once a month I head to a little store just down the way that has a British section”.

“You’ll have to show me it someday”.

“I surely will its where if got that chocolate you asked for “

She gives me a wink and I take a seat next to her; we spend the next 45 minutes drinking tea and she tells me all about her amazing life and how she ended up looking after her grandchildren. We laugh with one another; she makes me feel incredibly at home.

I tell her how lucky they are to have her and if I’m half the woman she is at that age then I will count myself lucky.

Our conversation is cut short by the sound of someone coughing to make their presents known, Beverly back goes straight up, and she looks at Greyson then her watch.

“Oh, goodness is that the time I’m so behind on my work today. Good Morning Greyson”

She scurries past him to start her day, even though it’s a Saturday and she should be with her family. Wanting to avoid his gaze I stare down at my plate and cup aimlessly wishing I had bought my phone with me, then I realise it’s the perfect excuse to leave.

It’s in my room ill just put the plate and cup in the dishwasher and silently exit. Standing up to execute my plan I pick the stuff up and walk around the opposite side where Greyson is stood.

He makes me jump when he goes to grab them, causing me to drop them on the floor so both items smash around my bare feet.

“Oh, shit Gen doesn’t move, I’ll get something to clean it up”.

His voice is smooth and soft but remind me it is not real. He bends down on the floor and starts to sweep up the fragments.

“I’ll move out of the way one second”.

“No don’t move you’ll cut your feet”.

As soon as he says it, I feel a sharp jab in the bottom of my foot and red splotches begin dripping on the white tiled floor.

“AHH Fuck that hurt”.

I Fall back onto one of the stools lifting my foot to look at the sharp piece of porcelain sticking out of it. I pull out the shard and more blood start seeping.

“Oh god that’s not good “

I stare down and all the blood my stomach doing flips and my brain going fuzzy, yet I’m fixated on it and cannot look away.

When I next open my eyes, I’m laid on my bed and someone if touching my feet, my first reaction is to pull away, but my leg is yanked straight.

“Keep still Gen this cut is really deep”.

My mind registers the voice and Greyson is sat at the end of the bed and at-home medical kit beside him cleaning the blood off my foot.

“What are you doing?”

What are you doing that’s a stupid question he’s obviously cleaning your foot scramble for more words to stop me from sounding like a complete idiot?

“I mean I can do that myself”.

“I’ve got it besides you still look pale after passing out “

That explains why I’m on the bed, what is it with my awkward situations and Greyson always bearing witness to them.

A short while later my foot is patched up.

“You shouldn’t walk on that Genevieve it’s deep and I think the pressure will make it bleed again if you use it too soon”.

The one thing I wanted to do today was avoiding Greyson and now I’m stuck inside with him all day.

“I can’t stay here all day I have plans”.

The words come out of my mouth before I’ve thought about them.

“What do you mean you have plans, where are you going? “

His brow creases as he speaks.

“I wasn’t aware I had to tell you Greyson, this is just business isn’t it so unless you have some party, I need to accompany you too then I’ll be going out”.

“Well, you shouldn’t go, you’ll just do more damage”.

His protest about me leaving just anger me.

“Why do you care what I’m going to be doing? You made your opinion of me last night pretty clear “

There they were the sharp daggers that had been filling my mind now poised and ready aimed at him to take back.

“You can’t keep doing this Grey, your cold with me one moment, warm the next and last night was the tip of the iceberg. I agreed to marry you and for the world to see I will be the devoted wife but inside I think we should stay apart. I don’t need you to pretend to care about me when no one is around. It is not part of the contract “

He tries to move closer to me on the bed, but I move away, remembering what I told myself this morning mentally repeating it over and over.

“Gen... “

His face looks confused like he doesn’t know what to say, most people would apologise for last night, but he won’t I’m sure of it. So, I remind myself again he’s not a nice guy.

“Please let Jack know where you would like to go and I will supply you with a card, the amount requested has been put on it”.

He grabs all the medical items off the bed and then leaves without saying another word closing the door behind him, proving I was right about him all along.

Pulling my foot up so I can take a look and the cut I can see Greyson has put on some kind of fancy looking plaster and there is no more blood.

I stand up and the small amount of pressure I put on it does hurt but I power through not wanting to prove him right that this shit is painful.

Heading over the to the wardrobe I throw on some clothes and grab my jacket and a pair of comfortable trainers, I know Greyson told me to get Jack to take me, but I fancied a walk seeing as I didn’t have any plans to actually go anywhere.

As soon as I step out of the building the crisp air hits me and fills my lungs, I decide to take a look around my new neighbourhood. There are a few new stands and liquor stores after a couple of blocks I feel my stomach growling as the smell of delicious food fills my nostrils.

I chase the smell and found myself outside a little bakery, there is a que for takeaway, but the eat-in option is clear, so I wait as soon as I get to the front I’m greeted by a small woman, she asks me if I’m eating alone and she gives me sad eyes when I say yes.

Once I’m sat down, she brings me water and a menu and after I browse for a few minutes she comes to take my order.

“I was drawn in here because something smelt amazing what was it?”

“That was my grandsons famous chicken sandwich it’s not on the menu, do you want one “

“Well, I don’t want.”

Before I can finish, she has bellowed for her grandson to come over, a tall, dark-haired man whose biceps are fit to burst out of his shirt.

She tells him something in what I can only assume is Italian and then faces me again.

“I told him to go make two sandwiches, he will eat with you he has to have a break and no woman as beautiful as you should eat alone”.

I try to protest but she waves a hand at me wanders back off, I feel my cheeks blush at the thought of eating food with aa random stranger at the request of his grandma.

“Here Nona said this one is on the house”.

He places the two plates down and takes a seat in front of me watching for her to get busy again.

“I’m sorry about this, my Nona told me if I don’t eat with you then she will never forgive me, you know grandmas”.

He chuckles and takes a bit of his food.

“It’s no trouble I don’t mind, she doesn’t seem like someone you’d want to mess with “

Just I say that we both turn to see her glancing at us then returning to looking busy when she spots us looking.

“I’m Gen”.

“Nice to meet you, Gen I’m Luca”.

I go to says something, but I’m so distracted by how good this food is that a small moan escapes my lips in its place.

“AHH you like my creation”.

I and he proceed to tell me what’s inside as we both finishes eating.

I end up spending the rest of the afternoon in the restaurant with Luca his Nona never interrupts us and leaving us to talk. I learn so much about him and his family restaurant and it’s a welcomes distraction from the past 48 hours.

Before I realise the day has turned to night and Luca and I have been here all day. I say my goodbyes and promise to visit again when his Nona pulls me in for a hug practically crying at how well we got on.

Luca walks me outside the shop and once again apologises for his Nona. I head back the apartment smiling, I know that Nona has other ideas about Luca and me but honestly, it feels good to have a friend considering it feels like I’ve lost that bride with Alex, at least for now.

Once I get inside, I take off my coat putting on the hanger and untie my shoes, I see instantly a red splodge on my sock, and I curse internally that he was right.

I’m about to head off to my room when I hear his voice low panicked as he spins me around to face him.

“Where the hell have you been, I’ve been calling, and you didn’t pick and you. I also told you to take Jack and you just outright ignored me!”