Arranged marriage : Married to an unknown man

Xavier Knight

When I entered my penthouse, I heard some muffled sound. I strode into the living room to see Ariana lying on the couch and her body was shaking.

I immediately rushed to her. Her eyes were closed, she was sleeping and was murmuring something.

“No…no please …. it hurts.. please don’t… it hurts.”

Goodness, she was having a nightmare! I immediately kneeled to her level and gently shook her.

“Ariana? Wake up.”

Instead of waking up, she clung to my arm.

“Dad.. please.. save me Dad…it hurts.” She mumbled.

Her move shocked me. What happened to her? Why was she asking for help? What was hurting her? Had someone hurt her?

My jaw clenched automatically on the thought of someone hurting her.

“Ariana, wake up, it’s just a bad dream” I tried to wake her up but she didn’t open her eyes.

“Dad please come and save me.” She whimpered. She wanted her father to protect her from something or maybe someone. She had been missing her father.

I again tried to wake her up but she just kept on shivering. I picked her up in my arms and walked to my bedroom. No way in hell I’d let her sleep alone in this condition. She sounded scared. She was scared of something.

She snuggled into my chest and mumbled something which almost made my heart stop beating.

“Xavier.. save me… It hurts”

She wasn’t aware of her surrounding, she didn’t know what she was saying but it made me happy that she trusted me enough to keep her safe. And I’ll do it, I’ll keep her safe from this cruel world.

“I’m here, Ari. No one is gonna hurt you. I have got you. You’re safe.” I whispered and kissed her forehead.

As if she heard me, she stopped trembling. I felt relieved that she trusted me.

I placed her in my bed and reached for the duvet to cover her but stopped when my eyes fell on her swollen ankle.

I frowned. How and when did that happen? And why hadn’t she applied any medicine to it?

Sighing, I went into the bathroom and picked up ointment and crepe bandage from my first-aid kit.

I then sat near her and placed her foot on my lap. I applied pain relief ointment on the swollen part and rubbed her ankle for a few minutes. Then, I wrapped her ankle with the crepe bandage and gently placed back her foot on the bed.

I covered her with the duvet till her chin, she immediately snuggled into the warmness of the blanket. I was about to leave to put back the ointment in the cabinet when she stopped me by grabbing my wrist.

“Xavier, please don’t go.” She mumbled sleepily.

“I’m not going anywhere, Ari, I’m right here. Sleep peacefully.” I whispered and kissed her forehead. I sat beside her, holding her hand until her breathing became soft.

When she fell asleep, I changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt and sat on the couch near the bed, and watched her sleep. I wanted to lay beside her, cuddle her to sleep but I decided against it. I didn’t want her to feel that I took advantage of her fragile state to sleep with her in bed.

After almost ten minutes, she again began trembling. I rushed to her to calm her down. Then I decided to sit beside her on the bed to give her comfort. Resting my back against the headboard of the bed, I intertwined her fingers with mine.

When I was sick, she was awake to take care of me. I’ll do the same because tonight she needs me.

With my other hand, I brushed back hair strands from her face.

I stared at her now worry-less face, wondering what’s she hiding. I wondered what happened in her past that made her get the nightmare. From whom she wanted to be saved? Who had hurt her? Did she get nightmares more often? If so, then I’d not let her sleep alone.

“I don’t know Ari what you are hiding but I want you to know that you can trust me. I want you to tell me your fears, Ari. I want you to share your pain with me so I can take it away from you. I want you to share your happiness with me. I want you to talk to me. Please, Ari, trust me on this.” I whispered, running my fingers through her hair.

Ariana

My eyes fluttered open when I felt light directly hitting my eyes. I glanced in the source of light to see sun rays were peering from between the gap of curtains. I sleepily sat on the bed and rested my back on the headboard.

I rubbed my eyes to make sleep leave me. I turned my head towards the nightstand to look for the clock, to know the time but I got shocked when I found a different nightstand and a different clock placed on it. Frowning, I immediately studied in my surrounding to find that I was in Xavier’s room.

How did I end up in his room? Last I remember, I had been sitting on the couch in the living room. Did I sleepwalk? And where’s Xavier, didn’t he come back last night? He must not have come back otherwise he would’ve woken me up from his bed.

I immediately shoved the duvet away from my body and tried to get up.

“Don’t, you’ll hurt your ankle even more,” Xavier said, entering the room, wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt.

How did he know about my ankle? And why didn’t he say anything about me sleeping in his bed? My gaze fell on my ankle to found it wrapped in a bandage.

“Don’t freak out, I brought you here and bandaged your ankle.” He said, walking towards me. He sat on the bed facing me and placed my foot on his lap. He removed the bandage and gently rubbed my ankle with his warm fingers.

“How did this happen? Are you in pain? Is it hurting?” He asked, scrutinizing my ankle. His face showed worry.

I wanted to tell him that I had endured much more than this, this pain was nothing compared to what I had suffered. I wanted to tell him that I was in pain, not physical, but emotional.

“I slipped in the kitchen in the evening and no, it isn’t hurting,” I mumbled.

“Your ankle is swollen and red. It must be hurting, don’t lie.” He said, pinning his gaze with mine.

“I’m telling the truth, it isn’t hurting. And why did you bring me to your room? You should have woken me up, I would have gone to my room.” I said, diverting the topic.

He let go of my foot and scooted closer to me.

“I tried waking you up but you were having a nightmare, you were trembling. So I brought you into my room. What was the nightmare about?” He said, looking into my eyes as if searching for something.

My heart starting beating faster. He saw me when I was having a nightmare? Did I say something that was not meant to be heard by him? And I didn’t wake up? I always wake up when I have a nightmare, what was different last night? I never do something like that. And the most important thing… he didn’t leave me alone!

“I.. I d.. don’t remember. Did.. did I say anything at that time?” I asked, fearing if I spilled out something during sleep.

“You were asking for help at that time, you were mumbling ‘it hurts’. Tell me, Ariana, from whom you wanted to be saved? Why were you mumbling that? What or who is hurting you?” He asked.

My heart almost stopped beating. Why didn’t I sleep in my room last night? Now he’d ask many questions until he’s satisfied.

“I don’t remember anything.” I again said that. He sighed out loud.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to share it now. I won’t force you, but remember I’m always here to listen.” He said softly, taking my hand in his.

Just like that, warmness filled in my heart. No one had ever said that to me. No one was ever there to listen to me.

I gazed into his eyes to look if he was just saying that to make me feel good but no, I was wrong, his eyes were filled with determination like he was ready to listen to anything I’d say.

I don’t know what happened to him, he suddenly broke eye contact and stood up.

“I’ll go get the ointment to apply on your ankle.” He said and turned around to leave but I stopped him by grabbing his wrist.

“I’m sorry. It all happened because of me.” I said lowly, lowering my head.

“What are you talking about?” He asked. I didn’t raise my eyes.

“I saw the article in the magazine,” I mumbled. He immediately sat on the bed, facing me. He was about to say something but I took his both hands in mine and spoke first.

“Xavier, please listen to me first. I didn’t know that going out with you would create this much trouble. If I had even a slight idea that this would happen, I wouldn’t have gone with you. I’m so sorry, just because of me your image is ruined. Daniel and Sean’s image is ruined. I didn’t want all this to happen. I really am sorry and from now on I’ll never go out with any of you. Your reputation is more important than mine. I don’t want to be a burden on you. I have been a burden on my family but I don’t want you to feel like that. I don’t want you to suffer because of me. If.. if you want to shout at me then do it. But please, please, don’t be mad at me.” I said in one breath.

I was very anxious, I didn’t want him to look at me like my so-called family did. Image ruiner!

“Ari, Ari, Ari, what are you talking about? Whatever happened was not your fault. And I’m not mad at you. Why would I be? You did nothing wrong. It’s media, they print nonsense to sell their news. The one who’s at fault is Sarah, she wrote gibberish. Don’t worry, everything is fine now. Every single magazine and article has been taken down. These small things can’t ruin my reputation, no one can degrade my company or my name by pulling these nonsense stunts.” He said, cupping my face.

“And never…I mean never call yourself a burden because you’re not and will never be.” He kissed my forehead.

“I should be the one saying sorry. I’m sorry that all this happened. I’m sorry that I was unable to stop this.” He said.

My breath hitched listening to him. He said sorry. He was apologizing when he knew it wasn’t his mistake either.

I immediately circled my arms around his neck.

“You don’t have to apologize for anything because it wasn’t your mistake either,” I mumbled, hiding my face in his neck. He encircled his arms around my waist and held me tightly.

He’s so sweet. He’s not like Andrew or them who always made me fear them.

I respect him a lot. He’ll always hold the most important place in my heart. I didn’t know if I was still anything for him or not, but for me, he’s everything.

I was so happy, he was there to listen to me. He was not mad at me, he didn’t consider me a burden. He again melted my heart with his words. I fell for him even more.

I mentally thanked my dad, “Dad, thank you so much for sending Xavier for taking care of me. Thank you for sending him in my life to protect me, to keep me safe. Thank you for making me strong enough, for teaching me not to break down in the lowest moment of life. I’ll cherish my moments with Xavier throughout my life.”

“Thank you for giving me hope,” I mumbled.

“Ari?” He said.

I pulled away and looked into his eyes.

“I like it when you call me Ari,” I whispered.

“Is that so?” He smiled and his eyes lit up with amusement. I blushed when I realized what I had confessed.

“Well, I like calling you Ariana but if you like me calling you Ari.. then I’ll do it too. And that’s a deal” He said. “Now let’s seal the deal with a kiss. Shall we?”

Before I could even react, he placed his lips on mine.

“Xavier, I haven’t brushed yet,” I said pulling away.

“Shhh…Just move your lips in sync with me.” He whispered and again placed his lips on mine.

And I complied with what he asked for.