THE MAFIA’S MISTAKEN BRIDE

Jasmine’s POV

This is his favorite place.

His haven. The exact image of what I saw in that painting room of a boat house. I envisioned going there without even knowing it was real.

Not knowing it existed and that was Xavier’s haven. His escape from reality.

When he told me this was his favorite place, I couldn’t help but smile and hold his hands.

Since the accident and his discharge, he has been extremely quiet but I am willing to do all it takes to bring him back to how we used to be.

Xavier has never been much of a talker which is why I am not too worried. He isn’t traumatized by that event either so I am hoping he is still trying to recover, even though the doctor declared him fit and healthy enough now.

The ride back home is in extreme silence. He keeps flashing me looks and smiles which gets me curious about where else we are heading.

“I usually spend days here before going back home”, he breaks the silence eventually with a smile. “Maybe next time, we will spend some time here.”

That is all.

I wonder when he will start to express himself more.

Actually, I have been worried since the other day I confessed my love for him. It’s been a week already and he hasn’t said a word to me in return. It has me worried about what he truly feels and if what I did is right.

Without a word, I nod.

Then I remember my conclusion from last night and the decision I took. I should get my life back in shape by finding out who I truly am and where I am going.

The thought of Chicago, the thought of Aunt Rica, the thought of Mr. Moore and Andre were all over my mind last night till I fell deep asleep.

My curiosity is eating at me and I need to find out the truth. This is where Chicago and Aunt Rica come in. I need to know what relationship I have with those people and I am sure Aunt Rica is the only one who can answer the question.

For the first time in months, I wonder if she is worried about me and my absence. I don’t visit often, just like twice or three times a year and being absent for four months now might not be easily noticed by her, except of course for the money I usually send her which I haven’t done in months.

Aside from that, I have been unreachable. I don’t know how I dropped my phone and I don’t have anyone’s contact anymore, including those from the restaurant where I used to work.

Hoping she won’t be worried, I close that chapter and begin to think of the next thing troubling me.

Xavier.

We get into town and he continues to drive in silence while I watch him handle the wheels expertly. A small smile forms on my lips until it hits me again.

My worry.

I am deeply worried. About us. About him. And myself. About what is between us which isn’t defined. About what I truly mean to him. About what this will lead to.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

Xavier doesn’t seem bothered. Not bothered about not telling me what he feels in return.

I am about to say something about my decision from last night when I notice the turn he is taking.

“Where are we going?” I demand from him.

We should be heading home since he got a call which made us leave the boathouse where we spent only an hour outside, holding hands and watching the water.

He spares me a glance and only smiles, without answering my question.

My curiosity heightens and I watch out, trying so hard to contain myself and wait till we get to wherever we are going.

Five minutes later, we are stopping right in front of the registry. The same place where we got married four months ago.

I turn to him with a full-grown curiosity. What are we doing here? I almost ask out loud.

He seems to be avoiding my gaze as he turns the engine off and steps out of the car, his strong back to me.

That is a hint for me to get out too. Quickly, I do so, my head spinning with questions about what this means.

Is he here to get an annulment?

At this question, my heart skips a beat. I should be happy since I never liked the idea of being married to him but that was then. I can’t help the hurt crawling slowly into my heart at the thought of an annulment.

I can’t help but ask when I get beside him. “What are we doing here, Xavier?”

“Come”, he only says, holding my hand and walking towards the entry. A priest comes into view and he lets go of my hand quickly, strolling towards the man.

I watch with dread and from a distance, I stare at the two men conversing, attempting to eavesdrop on their conversation.

This is bad. Obviously.

Perhaps, I should tell him about my decision before he breaks the dreadful news to me. He has been acting all nice just to make me feel good but this has been his intention all along.

I should not be sad. I need to tell him my mind too.

“Xavier?” I call as I try to move closer but he signals to me to wait as he continues to speak with the man who spares me a pitiful glance.

My heart drops.

This is it. I shouldn’t have told him I loved him. That was rash.

What if he doesn’t feel the same way towards me? What if he is just doing all of this so it doesn’t seem he isn’t appreciating my love for him?

I close my eyes as a wave of embarrassment hits me.

I want to blame the moment. I said that unprepared. That was exactly how I felt but I didn’t mean to blurt it out at that moment.

I guess the thought of losing him forever made me do that. It was in the heat of the moment.

I’m not supposed to regret saying that to him but I can’t help it.

The smell of his cologne makes me know he is near me now. When I flutter my eyes open, he is standing right in front of me with a light smile on his face. The same type of smile he has been flashing at me since he got up from that bed.

Out of nowhere, he stretches a paper at me. I furrow my brows and look at the paper. It has the registry symbol at the right corner and I realize immediately that it is the same marriage certificate we signed four months ago when we got married.

Not knowing what this means, I stare at him in confusion.

He seems to get it as the smile wipes off his face and he signals to me to look at it again. This time, I look carefully, reading every single detail on it until I get to the part where he wants me to see.

Jasmine Cooper.

What?!

My name is right there on the certificate. It isn’t Andre’s.

I remember vividly that I wrote Andre’s name. Not because he told me to but because she is supposed to be the one getting married to me, not me. Besides, I wanted that to work to my advantage. I didn’t want my name on the paper and I know Xavier wouldn’t have allowed it then if I had written my name instead of Andre’s.

My hands shake.

My jaws drop.

“I told you our name is the one on our marriage certificate but you didn’t believe me so I thought it was best to bring you here and show you the evidence. What do you think?”

What do I make of this? Just a while ago, I thought he didn’t feel the way I felt. I was already thinking of leaving and here he was doing this, making me feel glittery, with butterflies sparking inside of me.

He still isn’t expressing how he really feels which is why every one of his actions confuses me each time.

Now that it is obvious we are legally married together and not because I am representing Andre, I don’t know what to feel or think.

What about Chicago? How do I tell him now? How do I tell him about the decision I made last night?

The smile comes back to his face and he embraces me. I am still in shock and I am sure tears are glistening in my eyes.

When he goes back to the man, I watch them again and after a minute, he comes back to me. Grabbing my hand so we can leave, I stand still, yanking my hand away from his grip.

He looks startled and turns back to me with a deep frown etched on his forehead.

“Are you okay?” He asks with a concern-filled tone.

I want to shake my head. I want to shout a big no. I want to cry out and ask him what all of this means. I want to tell him to blurt out what he truly feels.

But I can’t find my voice.

My legs won’t budge either.

I am on the verge of crying.

“Jasmine?” he calls and approaches. I take a step back, my hands trembling slightly, cold engulfing me.

“Xavier”, I finally say, my lips trembling.

He rushes towards me. “What’s the matter?”

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something. I was supposed to tell you last night but I didn’t see you till I fell asleep and then this morning, we went to the boat house and I didn’t want to ruin the moment and…”

I am rambling.

What the hell is wrong with me?

He is silently watching me with those intense blue eyes that do a lot o things to my body.

Closing my eyes to summon up enough courage to blurt it out, I heave a deep sigh and say. “I am going to Chicago.”

I don’t hear a word from him after blurting that out so I open my eyes slowly to see realization dawning on him and he exclaims loudly in total disbelief. “What?!”

“I need to go back to Chicago.”