Chapter 15

Lauren

I winced and rubbed my eyes when I felt a slight burn on my face. I opened my eyes to see it is the sun directly hitting me on my face. I got up and sat on the bed. My hands instantly shot up to hold my head when I felt a sharp  pain in my head.

I groaned holding my head and looked around. My eyes visibly widened when I realized that I'm not in my room.

The sunlight in the room allowed me to see the grey curtains and dark shaded colour bed I'm in.

Where am I?

Why is my head aching?

I looked around still holding my head and suddenly realized that I'm in Ethan's room.

Ethan.

He wouldn't mind sending me to hell if he gets hang of it.

I jumped up when I suddenly heard a phone ring. I looked around and saw my purse laying on the bedside table.

I took that purse and fished my phone out.

My eyes instantly widened when I saw a bunch of calls from Alice. I instantly answered it, when my phone rang again.

"Seriously? Did you die?" her mad voice filled my ears.

Will she ever stop saying 'Seriously'?

I don't think so.

"What?" I asked her confused.

"I've called you like a thousand times. Did you just wake up?" she asked me, and I nodded. When I realized that she couldn't see me I muttered a 'yes'.

"Go and check your social media once. You are everywhere on the internet." She said and to say that I'm shocked would be an understatement.

"Why?" I asked dreading the worst.

What did I do last night?

"I can't explain it, Lauren. But I've to admit you were funny as hell last night. I'm proud of your dad jokes." She said in a playful tone before hanging up.

I looked down and tried to remember last night.

I bit my lips when pieces and bits of last night were coming together.

I opened my social media and I blinked when I saw a video of mine posted. I clicked on it.

"Hello everyone. Wait I've to be professional, ladies and gentlemen. I'm Lauren. Lauren Kingston. Have anyone of you met my husband, Ethan? He is, as many of you know, the coldest person in this world. Not because he is some ghost or something."

Why am I giggling like a teenager in this video?

"Wait let me tell you another joke."

Lauren, don't open your mouth!

"Does anyone know why pirates can't finish alphabets?"

But that joke is funny...

Why is my humour so broken?

"Because they are lost in the C. Yeah, I got that from the internet."

Did I really have to say that?

"I know that was a very bad joke. But does anyone know how Ethan and I got married? Why did we marry? We married because..."

I took a sharp breath when I heard my next words. Did I reveal anything last night?

"Because we love each other and he is the sweetest person to me.

What?

Did I say that?

I sighed in relief when I realized that I didn't spill any tea.

"That was a very good speech Lauren, but we have to leave." I saw Ethan coming toward me in the video.

Oh no. He looked dead mad here.

Why didn't Ethan kill me yet?

If not yet, he would do it now.

I have to think about my last wishes. I have to even write my will to pass on.

But I've nothing to pass.

I groaned and rubbed my head when another pain shot in my head.

I clicked the comments of the video to see what everyone else was thinking of me.

'What did I just watch?' A person commented.

'Is she the one Ethan married?'

'Who is she?'

'She is not funny at all.'

'Ethan Kingston could do much better than her.'

'Stop hating on her. she's cute.'

'I agree her joke isn't funny. But she is at least pretty.'

'I already hate her.'

'Why did Ethan marry her, she isn't even pretty.'

'Is she drunk?'

'I love her'.

I blinked my eyes reading all the comments anxiously.

Not only that, I just found out that my followers have increased by couple hundred thousand and the numbers are still increasing.

I heard footsteps coming and I glanced at the watch to see it is eleven in the morning.

Didn't he leave for office yet?

I quickly got down from the bed and looked around clumsily to hide.

I didn't want to face him. at least not yet.

I always knew I was a bad drunk but never realised that I'm the worst.

I quickly sprinted towards the curtains hiding behind them and shut my eyes tightly.

Someone opened the door and I made no sound thinking he would just walk away leaving me alone.

But of course, he didn't.

He pushed the curtains aside and I instantly felt sunlight on my face.

I slowly opened one eye and quickly closed it when I saw him in front of me.

"What are you doing here?" he looked at me like I had grown horns.

"I -I was hiding from the sun." I instantly said what came first to my mind.

He didn't look convinced but didn't press it.

Hiding from the Sun? Really?

"I brought you some medicine for your headache." He said opening his hand revealing the medicine in his hand along with a glass of water.

He isn't angry at me?

Still, in a daze, I took the medicine from him and gulped it down with some water.

I looked up to see him staring at me intensely.

He took the glass from me and placed it on the bedside table.

"Ethan, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do anything I did last night I did-" he interrupted me by standing in front of me.

"I know." He began.

"Some press reporter sneaked into the party last night and shot your video don't worry he is already caught." He spoke and my eyebrows furrowed.

Why isn't he mad at me.

It's not like I want him to be mad.

"Aren't you angry with me?" I voiced out.

"You didn't do anything that horrible. So not much." He shrugged walking away and I followed him.

"Seriously?" I asked him surprised.

"Do you want me to be?" he countered.

"No." I exclaimed quickly.

"Aren't you late to the office or are you just waiting for me to wake up?" I asked her raising my eyebrows with a sly smile.

He stopped and turned towards me.

"Don't flatter yourself." He said and walked away to his office.

I shrugged at his walking form before walking to my room to shower.

But why am I in his room?

It must've been me throwing a tantrum to sleep in his room.

But why would I want to sleep in his room?

I shrugged still in deep thinking, before walking away.

***

After showering, I dressed in some blue jeans and a white Tee. Thank God for the medicine, the headache is better now.

I was brushing my hair down thinking about a picture I'd seen in Ethan's office a day before.

The picture of two little happy children smiling at the camera stuck in my mind.

The tension of getting caught opening that drawer and the unanswered question of who the girl in the picture is too much to handle.

I pushed that thought away taking a deep breath and tried calming down.

I walked out and saw Ethan sitting on a barstool at the kitchen counter. I walked towards him and looked around to see Kate, as she should've come by now.

I frowned when I didn't see her.

"Kate isn't coming for a few days." He said looking at my frown.

"Why?" I asked.

"She is going to have shoulder surgery." He answered and I nodded.

I sat on the barstool beside him and turned towards him.

He was dressed in T-shirt and sweatpants. This is the most casual look I've seen of him till today.

He looks as handsome as he looks in suits.

In a way, cooler too.

When he raised an eyebrow only then did I realise I'd been staring at him.

I cleared my throat and turned feeling embarrassed.

He placed some waffles and some juice in front of me.

"Did you make it?" I asked him digging my spoon in it.

"No. I ordered it because there are no groceries in the house." He said looking at his phone.

I nodded my head eating my waffles until a thought flashed in my brain.

"Why don't we do grocery shopping?" I asked him turning toward him.

"I'll ask someone to pick up them. I don't need to do that myself." He answered me.

"But, why can't we do it? It will be fun." I said pouting.

"No. I'm busy." He spoke.

"But it doesn't take much time" I said looking hopeful at him.

I could go alone. But I dint know why I wanted him to come with me.

"Please..." I tried and he eventually sighed.

"Fine." and like always I gave him a big smile and like always he just ignored me.

***

He parked the car at the grocery store and got down. I mirrored his actions and we both entered in.

I looked around and my eyes sparkled when I saw the 'snacks' aisle. It looked like all those foods were waiting for me to come and buy them.

I snickered to myself at my thought.

Listening to me, he turned towards me. Shaking his head, he ignored me after a moment and walked toward the grocery aisle.

I rolled my eyes at him but followed him.

He picked some dairy products, eggs and other grocery items.

I picked up vegetables randomly into a basket till he stopped me.

"Don't you even know how to pick 'fresh' vegetables and stuff?" he asked me folding his arms.

Is there any specific way to pick them too?

I didn't know that.

I gave him a cheeky grin and he started picking up fruits and vegetables.

Soon we finished grocery shopping and I dumped all types of snacks in the cart. I raised my eyebrow when I saw him shaking his head with a small smile on his face, looking at my snacks in the cart. As we were leaving, I picked peanut butter honeycomb ice cream and caramel brownie ice cream.

I contemplated picking Maine blueberry ice cream but eventually picked it too.

He raised an eyebrow looking at my hands which held three ice creams.

"Are you seriously going to pick three Ice creams at a time?" I frowned.

"Yes, I do it all the time." I shrugged.

"But don't you think the other ice creams will melt before you finish one." I smiled at him before answering.

"Ah, Kingston, I see you're not familiar with my talent. I can do it. Let's go." I said trying to say it in an accent and it turned horrible.

I felt him roll his eyes behind my back but followed me.

I cleared my throat annoyed when I saw the cashier was ogling Ethan who was standing beside me.

She snapped out of her thoughts and handed us our bags. He took them from her before I could help him.

"Here, let me help you," I said trying to take a bag from his hand.

"Sure." He said smirking at me before handing me ALL three heavy bags.

I looked up at him with a blank face and he just smirked even more.

I looked down at my hands which are trying hard to manage bags and ice creams. I gulped involuntarily and he just gave me a laugh.

He shook his head before taking them all from me.

"I'm kidding." He said.

He left chuckling and I couldn't deny the fact that this was probably the very first time he laughed at me. not smirked nor fake laughed, but actual laugh.

A soft smile graced my lips at his action and I followed him.

***

We are right now in the car and I'm eating my third ice cream. Which is a caramel brownie.

"Do you want some?" I asked for the second time since the ride.

"No." he said looking straight.

He is wearing his sunglasses so I couldn't see his expression.

"Can I ask you a question?" I started.

"No." he didn't even spare me a glance.

You know I'd still ask right?" I asked him and he turned towards me.

"I know better." He agreed, widening my smile.

"So, what did I do Last night?" I asked dreading the answer.

"Well, apart from your infamous speech, your fish dance, your wrestling challenge with Ryan's bodyguard. Nothing much." He finished by giving me a smirk.

"Oh, also include your fish dance and your 'out of the world' jokes." He added and I sighed eating my ice cream.

Fish dance? I thought that was going to be between Alice and me only.

Guess not anymore.

I kinda feel bad that he might be embarrassed because of me.

My mother used to be upset at me when I didn't 'behave' at any of her or dad's parties.

My father never said a word anything to me, but my mom didn't stop showing how I embarrass her.

In a way, she was right.

It's not like my mom always hates me or anything. It's just she is little controlling towards me and wants to make me perfect in everything.

But, that's the catch, a thing like 'perfect' doesn't exist. And I don't want to go against her because it could hurt her and I'd never want to do that.

Someone snapped fingers in front of my face bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Earth to Lauren," he said.

"Yeah," I said tucking my hair behind my ear.

"I think someone earlier just said, 'Kingston, I see you're not familiar with my talent. I can do it.'" he mocked my words from earlier.

I looked down to see my ice cream almost melted.

My mother's thoughts completely distracted me.

"Well, at a time like this, you just accept it as a juice and drink it." I said with an accent looking at him and he just shook his head.

I shrugged completing the ice cream.

"See, I didn't waste any food." He just squinted his eyes before giving me a smirk, fluttering my heart.

Get a grip, Lauren.

Why am I getting different vibes coming from him since morning?

Usually, I get only cold behaviour, but today he is sarcastic, witty, laughing, and everything other than angry.

Did something happen last night?

Why do I feel like our relationship's dimension has scooted a little more towards a positive edge?

I remember the day at my parent's dinner, I thought my hatred for him had decreased to something like eighty percent.

But just sitting with him and talking without any fights has decreased that to forty percent.

And a new positive feeling which makes me want to spend some more time with him has raised.

Maybe this newfound positive feeling of mine towards him is the foundation of something special?

Maybe for beginners, FRIENDS?

Author's notes

Hey,

I've had my semester finals this week. So I couldn't write anything.

They are finished now.

So, please vote, comment, and share.

Bye