“Chaotic, but it makes sense,” I say while I stare at the journal in my hands.
I feel Lucas watching me, but I can’t move for the moment. I am too caught up in my own thoughts.
I like to keep you still, what can I say? It’s too thrilling.
“I met his parents, and they always looked at me with adoration, but also with a pity that I wasn’t aware of at the moment,” I say, feeling like I am slowly losing my voice. “At least, now I know why.”
Chapter 18
The shadows’ watch
5 YEARS AGO
“This is Anmara, my girlfriend,” Marshall said to his parents with a smile on his face.
“Nice to meet you!”
The two people in front of me exchanged gazes, then smiled strangely and took turns greeting me.
“We are so glad that Marshall finally managed to bring us a girl home. He never had such a long relationship to be able to show us his girlfriends,” his dad said, smiling with a bit of sadness, while watching me with his intense black eyes, just like Marshall’s.
I blushed because of his compliment, but a feeling of unrest got over me because of his gaze.
Marshall invited me to dinner at his parents’ house to celebrate our six-month anniversary with them. Like he said: ‘It’s the perfect opportunity for them to get to know the girl who let me borrow her heart.’
The dinner went well. Pretty normal. We shared ideas, thoughts, and we ate a delicious meal prepared by his mother, who was an excellent cook. I don’t know how her dishes could turn out this good since she was spending all day in the hospital with her patients. It seemed that Marshall borrowed one of his best qualities from her, considering his culinary skills. I was decent in the kitchen, but not as good as they were.
At the end of the dinner, the two men went to the kitchen to bring the dessert, and I remained alone with his mother, who turned all of her attention to me.
She was pretty quiet during dinner. She spoke only when she answered some questions, but I discussed more with Marshall’s dad. She looked too lost in her own thoughts.
Marshall said she often did that, and I should ignore her. She saw too much suffering through the hospital beds and was keeping all of it on the inside, not to let the negative emotion see the light of day.
But now, her gaze told me something completely different. It was full of distress.
She looked in the kitchen’s direction until we heard the door closing, and then turned to face me. She took my hands into hers, surprising me with her gesture.
“Please be careful with Marshall and take care of him,” she whispered, getting a little closer to me. “He suffered a lot and wasn’t always so… normal. He still isn’t. I like to see him smile, and I hope with all my heart that it’s a genuine one.”
Her words were already burning my insides while scaring the hell out of me.
“He’s a good guy, and I see you as a very caring girl, but I’m begging you to pay attention to everything that moves around him, ok? His eyes can…”
She didn’t finish her sentence. She quickly got back to her initial position the moment the kitchen door opened,suppressing the scared facial expression she had while she was talking to me.
I didn’t know what to do at that moment. She only nodded, like she was answering my mental questions, suggesting that I should act normal, as if nothing happened.
“Is everything alright, baby? What were you two talking about?” Marshall asked me when he sat next to me, putting one hand over mine.
“Yes, baby. We were discussing how sad I am because they haven’t accepted me at the job I applied to,” I said, making up an excuse and trying to smile.
It was true, but not for this night. I was still frustrated that the fucking firm only accepted people through nepotism. I excelled at the interview, but they still wouldn’t have me.
“As I told you before, you are more than welcome at my company. Don’t worry. You’ll find your place, my dear. People need to see how intelligent you are,” he said, smiling at me.
My heart said that I chose the right man, and I ignored the words full of pain from his mother.
PRESENT DAY
