The Marriage Contract (28 page)

              My chest heaved like a quiet tide, as I stared at him- wide eyed. His cavernous eyes dropped to my mouth, watching as I nervously licked my bottom lip, swallowing a deep breath. My knees felt weak, as his penetrating gaze bore holes through my flesh, making me shiver like a mouse under his scrutiny.

              “Why do you like me?” My voice escaped in a whisper, as I stared up at him, my heart drumming loudly within my chest.              

              His expression softened, his lips slipping to a slight smile, as his hands gripped the handle of the door beside me. I searched his eyes for an answer, but stopped when the door swung open, allowing a burst of wind to sweep my hair over my shoulder. My locks hit his cheek, his thumb clicking open the lock on my seatbelt, allowing me to freely exit.

              “You should head inside. I’ll see you around then.” He ignored my question, readjusting his posture against his seat, his hands gripping the steering wheel.

              He stared ahead, as I got out of the car, swinging the door closed. Without a farewell, he drove through the quiet street, the back of his car- drowning within the evening fog.

              My keys jingled within my hands, as I looped it through the hole of the door knob, twisting till it clicked open. Gripping my palm over the wooden knob, I pulled, extending it outwards, as I entered inside.

              An unfamiliar scent, like that of dark chocolate- swept under my nostrils, as I closed the door, taking quiet steps through the narrow hall.

              My mind recalled Richard’s words, telling me that James had informed him that he was too sick to go to the carnival, allowing him to take his place. I bit the side of my lip, chewing the delicate skin, as I heard the sounds of a faint giggle exuding from the nearest room.

              It was a light, feminine sound, and as I stood beside the room, the giggle grew into a muffled moan.

              “Aw, James, that tickles! Please….please, stop!” The giggles increased, and then, in a moment, the woman laughed loudly.

              I stood against the wall, feeling my heart clench, as my eyes began to sting. My hands clenched into tight fists by my side- a thick lump resting at the center of my throat. The sound of betrayal rang like crystal bells against my mind, as the woman’s moans increased, begging James to continue whatever it was he was doing.             

              I felt like such a fool. I was letting myself fall for a guy that didn’t give a damn about me. He lied to me so easily, fooling Richard into thinking that he was sick…fooling me into thinking that I mattered to him.

              This was my fault for falling into a deep pool of misery. I should have known that a guy like James, with a hundred women falling at his knees, wouldn’t look twice at me. I hated men like him, men that used women like a seasonal flavor, yet it was he that had captured my heart. I thought maybe that he was unlike my assumption, that perhaps, there was something more to him.

              But of course, I was just an idiot for thinking he could ever be anything more than a womanizing pig.

              My hand clenched against the fabric of my shirt, as tears spilled freely down my cheeks. Feeling I could hold in my sorrow no longer, I walked towards the open door, standing before it.

              As I had presumed, a woman sat at the center of the bed, tangled in red, silk sheets, her head resting on James’s naked shoulder.

              She was beautiful. Her large, doe like eyes, gently closed, as her thin lips formed into a passive grin. Her short tresses rested under a dainty chin- her pixie features staring at the cream ceiling.

              My eyes stung, tears streaming down my chin, as I watched the woman smile warmly at him. James glanced at the ceiling, his long arm resting over her shoulder, as he leaned to the side, sucking at the corner of her pale neck.

              “Why would you do this to me?” My voice was weak.

              “Oh, shit! You’re wife!” The woman’s voice squeaked against the room, as she shot up, holding the red sheet up to her neck.

              My lips quivered, as tears leaked past my chin, my head suddenly feeling heavy.

              Startled, James jumped out of bed, clad in a pair of black briefs. Guilt flashed over his eyes, as he looked from the woman, then to me, as if confused on who to choose.

              Feeling my blood simmer within my veins, I stalked towards him.

              “Dory, I can explain,” he began. “Just hear me out—”

              My hand swept across his cheek, slapping him as hard across the face, leaving a stark red imprint.

              “Why would you lie to me?” I screamed loudly, gripping his shoulders. “You know how I feel about you! Why would you do this to me, James? How could you?”

              I repeated the last question over and over again till the words bled in my ears, drowning out my cries. I sobbed uncontrollably, punching his chest, demanding an answer.

              “I like you so much!” I confessed. “Why would you do this to me? Why?”

              “Oh, gosh, get a grip,” The voice came from the nameless woman, who sat Indian style on the bed, rolling her eyes. “He’s obviously bored of you. Honestly, women like you are a joke to society. All you can do is cry.”

              “Stay out of this, Rosanna!” yelled James, taking a step back.

              I snapped my head towards her, glaring coldly. I was going to ignore her, but because she was being such a bitch, I decided that ignoring wasn’t enough.

              James must have senses my next move, for just as I lunged towards her, extending my claws out, he scooped me by the middle, carrying me out of the room.

              “Just hold on,” he said. “Rosanna, you may leave. Now!”

              “Whatever,” she said. “If you need me again, you know where to call. Oh, and tell your little wife here to keep you on a better leash—“

              “You’re the one that needs a leash, bitch!” I screamed, running towards her, hoping to commit a double murder- her and James. 

              Again, his arms wrapped over my middle, as the woman slipped a barely there summer dress over her thin frame. She strutted like a runway model out of the room, and when the door clicked closed, I stomped on James’s foot.

              He groaned in pain, as I turned, glaring coldly at him.

              “Who is she?” I demanded.

              Anger flashed over his eyes, as he walked to the end of the room, grabbing a black t-shirt from the ground and slipping it on. My gaze followed his steps, as he pushed past me, walking out of the room.

              I followed.

              “Stop ignoring me! Why did you lie to me, and who is she?”

              James stood before the kitchen counter, giving me a passive stare.

              “That’s none of your damn business,” he snapped. “Alright, so I lied. So what? You know how much I don’t want to go to that stupid, ridiculous ass carnival, yet you’re emotionally blackmailing me to go!—“

              “I wasn’t emotionally black mailing you at all! I didn’t even mention it even once after you said you don’t want to go—“

              His fist slammed against the marble counter, as he stared at me with such anger in his eyes, I almost mistook him for Richard. I’d never seen James so upset before, and it was as though he’d been holding in his anger for the longest while.

              “You kept marking the damn date on the calendar,” he snapped. “I know how badly you want me to meet your family, but honestly, you’re pathetic.”

              “I’m pathetic? You’re calling me pathetic?”

              “Yeah, I am!” he shouted. “Have you seen yourself? You walk around in those childish pajamas all day, either studying while walking, or talking on the phone and walking, or even listening to the music and walking! It’s so damn irritating! Your hair is hardly ever brushed, you never wear makeup, and your clothes never match. You have no style, you have no grace, and there’s nothing about you that could ever attract a man! I felt pity for you, Dorothy. That’s all! And if you mistook that pity for attraction, then that’s your fault, not mine!”

              I stared at him, not quite knowing what to say, but only wanting the pain in my heart to disappear. As he walked towards me, I stared up at him with watery eyes, suddenly feeling small.

              I wished it wouldn’t hurt this much.

              He stood before me, looking annoyed, as he ran both hands through the thick main of his hair.

              “I understand that you don’t feel what I feel,” I whispered. “But you really shouldn’t have lied to me. I didn’t deserve that!”

              A smile graced the edge of his mouth- his thumb grazing the side of my cheek. I pushed out of his touch, taking a step back, as he smiled wickedly at me.

              “I didn’t lie to you, Dorothy,” he said. “I was sick today…sick of you.”

              His words struck like knives to the chest, killing me slowly.

              “Fine,” I said. “If you’re so sick of me, then starting right now, you won’t have to see me again. I’m breaking off this marriage! I’m divorcing you—”

              He laughed. “You can’t possibly serious. You signed a contract, Princess—”

              “Screw the contract!” I yelled. “Screw you!”

              As I walked around him, his arms gripped my shoulders, giving me a slight shake, as he stared angrily at me.

              “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he asked.

              I pushed out of his hold, standing a foot back, shooting him a cold stare.

              “I’m leaving!” I screamed.

              His face reddened, his broad chest heaving, as I ran towards my bedroom, locking the door. Tears streamed past my cheeks, as I pulled out the empty luggage from the closet, stuffing as many clothes as I could inside.

              James’s friendly eyes that I had fallen for, entered my mind, as I recalled all the times that he’d made me smile. Touching the tip of my nose, his Eskimo kiss clouded my memory.

              Loud knocks pounded against the door.

              “Open the door, Dorothy!” he shouted. “You can’t leave—you…you just can’t!”

              “Watch me,” I replied.

              “Your shelter,” he said, panting. “You’ll have to see it crumble to pieces if you leave!”

              There was a hint of desperation in his voice, as I stood from the ground, dragging the luggage towards the open window. As I stared at the ground, which was only two feet away, I was thankful to live on the first floor.

              “I’ll manage the shelter without your financial help, Mr. Bellevue,” I said. “Goodbye.”

              “Dory, wait—”

              I slipped out of the window, holding my luggage against my chest, as I ran through the streets, extending my arm towards the nearest cab.

              The yellow vehicle stopped before me, as the driver rolled down his window, giving me a slight nod. Swallowing a breath, I opened the door, pushing the luggage inside till it hit the other end of the car. Pushing through the car, I closed the door, adjusting to the center of the back seat.

              “To J.F.K. Airport please.” My voice was muffled, sounding tired, as I wiped a hand under my cheek.

              “Going on Spring break, Ma’am?” the driver asked.

              “No,” I replied. “I’m going home. Maybe for forever this time.”

Chapter Nineteen

              The warm breeze blew through the open window of the taxi, as I rested my head against the seat, my eyes closed. Licking my bottom lip, I focused on the rumbling sounds of oncoming traffic, as the lulls of pedestrians drowned through my heavy heart. Clenching my hands against the seat, feeling the thick, course leather stab into my palms, an image of a smiling James clouded my mind.

              “You know, I came to this city when I was just a little younger than you.” The driver’s voice broke through my thoughts, as I jerked up, staring at him through the front mirror. “I came all the way from Nepal. I’d left my mother, my sisters, and my fiancé, promising to bring them with me some day. New York certainly is the best city, wouldn’t you agree ma’am?”

              The man, who I now noticed had the greyest eyes I’d ever seen, smiled warmly at me, his thin lips curled upwards. I tilted my head, pressing a finger against my temple, for my head throbbed, as I looked over his bright green t-shirt that said “I love NY” in a heart at the center of his frail chest. His face was so young, much younger than mine, as a childlike spirit rested at the apples of his brown cheeks. But the fine grey at the top of his thinning black hair, gave away his age, which I imagined would be in the mid-forties.