Page 11 of Claiming His Wife
He reached out his hand and met with hers halfway.
“Jonathan. You can call me Jon though.”
“John Doe,” she teased, prompting a weird look on his face as he attempted to understand the joke.
He then burst out and started laughing seconds after, prompting a loud laughter from Kalilah as well. After that initial meeting, they would see each other frequently and exchange pleasantries.
Those pleasantries turned into him offering his help whenever she needed something that required muscle. That was the start of a friendship that had blossomed into more, and emotions became more defined. They would go out frequently to movies together, and he would always assist her when she delivered meals to the homeless population.
He had done everything right. Courted her with patience and guidance, while supporting her through troubling times. She’d struggled to understand her own emotions, and what exactly was blooming between them.
Nine months after solidifying their relationship, which they waited a whole year before starting, Kalilah had confessed to him that she was legally married. Surprisingly, he had taken the news rather well, and she was happy he didn’t judge her for it. And now she was ready to go all the way with him, but she didn’t have it in her to sleep with someone else while she was still legally married, let alone accept a proposal.
She knew she wanted to be with Jonathan, and not even the grueling experience from her first marriage would deter her. She believed in love. Her friends Daria and Ray were happy together. They’d met during the first semester of University, and although Daria was a single mom who had a young daughter, Zoey, with an absentee father, Ray didn’t seem to mind one bit. He loved Daria, and since Daria’s daughter was a part of her, he had easily fit in with the pair. That was one of the reasons Kalilah didn’t return to Canada sooner. She had attended their wedding and the lovebirds couldn’t be happier. The last she spoke to Daria, they were in the midst of Ray legally adopting Zoey. Kalilah believed that she deserved a bit of that happiness too.
Her phone rang, knocking her out of her reverie. She dug into her handbag for her phone and finally located it. She smiled as she spied the caller’s identity. It brought calmness to her heart, and she answered the phone immediately.
"Hello, angel." The husky baritone washed over her like warm chocolate on a cool day.
"Hi, darling," she replied, and her lips twitched with excitement.
"So, how’s dragon hunting going?" He teased. Kalilah smiled at that; those had been her words.
"One down, two to go."
He chuckled at that.
"I have good news and bad news. Good news is that I’ll get the annulment with no issues.” She was confident about that. “Bad news is I may be here longer than I originally planned."
"How much longer?" All the lightness had dropped from his voice
She told him that it could possibly be over six months. She wanted to have wiggle room in case the paperwork took longer to finalize.
"I can only imagine the legal hassles you’re going through,” he sighed. “I wish there was something I could do to be of assistance. Maybe I could come up there to offer my emotional support?” His voice filled the car interior.
“I appreciate the offer, darling, but I told you already that this is something I have to do on my own. I got myself entangled in this mess, and it’s up to me to get myself out.” She sighed; her exhaustion apparent. She loved the fact he offered to help her every chance he got, but she wanted to solve her marriage problems herself. She decided to change the topic, so they spent the remainder of the call discussing trips they would take in the future, as well as a possible date for their wedding.
"Is something the matter, Miss?" Owen asked after she ended the call with Jon.
"No, Owen, everything is just fine," she replied, except it wasn't. She had just lied to her boyfriend. Okay it wasn't a lie, just an omission of what getting the annulment would entail. On top of that, she couldn’t seem to shake the yearning that had risen in her at Finn’s closeness.
She felt dread rise at the possibilities of what could happen over the next few months.
She wanted to tell Jonathan about the offer Finn had made, but he would not understand.
Convincing him to allow her to come to town alone had caused their first colossal argument.
He'd only backed down when she explained that she needed to do this alone to reclaim her life. She had also promised to keep him in the loop about everything. Even then, it was obvious he didn't understand her desires, but knew he had to let her do things her way. Those moments made her respect him even more.
The car finally slowed down, and Kalilah’s attention was drawn to the window. The gates opened and the car went down a long driveway, and past acres of perfectly manicured gardens. Her mother had not lifted one single finger in the creation of this masterpiece. She had only dictated her choices and had her father sign the appropriate cheques. It was magnificent, and she hated it.
The house itself reminded her of her father; large, imposing, and dripping with arrogance. If buildings had attitudes, this one would be smug.
Owen opened the door and Kalilah descended from the car before trekking up the stairs that led to the main door. It swung open on oiled hinges before she got there, and she was met by her first familiar face since her return (Well, she had met Finn, but he didn't count).
"Hello, Bates." Kalilah would have liked to be less formal in addressing him, but her mother frowned on fraternizing with the hired help and that had stuck with her.
"Hello, Miss. Might I take the liberty of saying you look to be in exceedingly good health." The trite words were delivered with twinkling eyes.
