Page 13 of The Marriage Agreement (Agreement)

“She’s not sleeping here tonight.” My voice was firm as I headed towards her bedroom. She came out in my brother’s T-shirt and no bra.How fucking close are they?Seeing her so relaxed in Osei’s shirt upset me more than I would ever admit. Her braids were pulled into a messy bun on top of her head. I was almost positive she had no panties on under those leggings. No fucking way was I allowing her to spend the night there. She was quiet as Osei talked nonstop about their favorite restaurant. It was clear they’d been there several times. I laughed along with him, even as I realized I needed to chip away at some of that closeness. Jealousy is an emotion I’d never experienced before now, and I do not like it at all.

Our ride home was quiet. All I could smell was Osei on her. She had showered with his toiletries, and I absolutely disliked the smell of another man on her. It didn’t help that she was wearing his shirt. It all irritated the fuck out of me.

Now, she’s in our home. I didn’t get much out of her, but I sense she likes the unit and the décor, most especially her room. Though she had her back to me, even as my eyes were trained on her. I want her to be comfortable and happy living here with me, but I’m also realizing that it's an uphill battle.

Why would she think I would ever let any man touch her underwear?I don’t know how I felt when Osei mentioned he would get that done. I’d asked him to let Paula do it and follow the movers to my place and have her arrange everything for her.

An hour after pacing in my bedroom, I went to check on her, only to find her bedroom door locked.Oh no, she didn’t.I unlocked the door and moved towards her bed. She’d left the closet light on. I stood at the foot of the bed and watched hersleep.My God, she’s beautiful.I moved closer to the bed and kissed her forehead. She stirred, and I tiptoed back out and locked the door. No point in letting her know I snuck in despite the lock.

I slept happy, knowing she was in my unit. When I woke up the next morning, it was clear she’d left. Her bedroom door was wide open. I controlled the annoyance building up in me at the fact that I didn’t see her before she left.

I call her, and to my utter surprise, she answers.

“Hello.” Her soft tone cracks my armor.I'm happy she answered, but now I'm at a loss for words.

“Return home after meeting with your lawyer. There’s a lot we need to discuss,” I state, regretting how forceful my voice sounds.

“Okay.” Before I could say another word, I hear a masculine voice in laughter saying, “Got ya.” And her voice responds, “Eww, Kai, don’t put those stinky lips on me again, especially when I have no idea where those lips were last night.”

“You love me,” the male voice replies.

“Do not,” she responds, and the line disconnects. Does my blood pressure rise? Abso-fucking-lutely!

I bottled up my emotions and head to work. My dad is feeling better this week and plans to make an appearance today.

My day goes nothing as planned, with my dad making more demands and changes to things I’d already set up. The only good thing is Dele’s ring is delivered, and the deed changes to have her name on our home are sent to me. I signed it without question, and her signature is also needed. I take both items home when I notice it’s after seven pm.

I dash out faster than I normally do because my soon-to-be wife just might decide to head to work again, and I won’t see her. I get home to find Dele singing and dancing with Osei and Paula laughing alongside.

I watch her carefree and happy as she sings, laughs, and dances to the beat. I’ve heard the song before; it’s some afro beat tune that Osei plays all the time. Please don’t tell me, they have a song. It's a good thing Paula is here, because I sure as hell feel like punching Osei for how close he is to her and how casually he touches her. Dele is getting down and twisting her hips to the beat when she sights me looking at her. She stops right away and taps Osei, who turns off the music. Paula is now fidgeting with the dough. Guess I’m the party pooper.

“Can I speak to you alone, Dele?” I say to her, shooting my brother a glare. She nods, just as Osei says, “Hello to you too,” in a snarky tone. I ignore him and head towards Dele’s room. I know she’s following me. The moment she steps in, I close and lock the door. I notice her eyes widen in fear, her lips tremble, her hands begin to shake, and her chest heaves like she’s about to go into shock.

Fuck!I quickly unlock the door and open it wide. She doesn’t look at me but makes a brisk move closer to the door, like she’s about to run.What the fuck happened to her?

“I would never hurt you,” I say in a gentle tone. “I wanted to speak with you alone, without the noise or Osei coming to interrupt.” She starts to relax but won’t leave the door. “I brought your ring.” I take the box out and open it. She moves a tad closer and leans in to look at the ring.

“It’s beautiful,” she says in a soft murmur. I take the ring out, dropping the box. I extend my left hand to her. She’s hesitant, but slowly, she places her hand in mine. The moment our hands touch, a shocking wave passes through me. I know she feels it, too. I slip the ring on. It’s a perfect fit and looks beautiful on her slim hand. She quickly withdraws her hand, and I watch her admire the ring.

“I can’t wear this at work; it looks very expensive.”

“Wear it whenever you're not at work. Once I put your papers in, you might be watched, and it’s best you always have the ring on.”Dare I make her believe I’m not claiming her as mine?

She nods, but I doubt she’s convinced by my lie. “I had the deed changed to include your name.” She gasps, quickly covering her mouth with her hand, and I have to control the urge to kiss that mouth. Getting a hold of herself, she relaxes.

“You didn’t need to do that,” she says, looking at me in awe.

“I want to, and I didn’t want anyone second-guessing our marriage.”

“Thank you.” She comes in and closes the door, drowning out the music and Osei’s laughter. As relief washes over me that she’s comfortable enough to be alone with me behind closed doors, I realize something happened to her, and I intend to find out who hurt her.

“How was the meeting with your lawyer?”

“He said everything looks good and is fair, so I signed.”Yes!

“How much is his fee? I can have the money sent to him.”

“It’s free; he did it as a favor to my friend.”

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