Chapter 35: First Love

Theo suddenly chuckled, breaking the silence that had been hanging in the room since he dropped those heavy words. "Just kidding..." Daisy pouted. "What is this? What do you mean by that?" She sounded calm, but deep down, her heart was racing. The smiling, flirty Theo standing in front of her was acting nothing like the man she knew. "Nothing," he replied casually, walking past her and heading straight to the couch as if he hadn’t just shaken her world. His eyes landed on the phone, and a slow smile spread across his face. "For now, let’s block that bitch. She’s the reason for everything," he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. Daisy, thoroughly confused, followed him. "Who?" "Someone who can bring me out... and also pull me back in." He smiled again and pressed a button on the phone. "Finally, I’m getting closer to freedom." "Ah..." She was starting to get a sense of what was happening. She’d heard of something like this before, but the thought scared her—what if she was wrong? For now, she decided it was safer to stay quiet and observe. "You know..." he began, his voice softer now, "I never really had much desire before. I used to come out just to protect him, enjoy my time, and crawl back in when I wasn’t needed anymore." He took a step closer, closing the space between them."But this time... for the first time, I have something that I want." Daisy blinked, unsure how to respond. "So," he said, a slow smile tugging at his lips, "since the night is still young... What do newlyweds usually do behind closed doors?" "Sorry?" Her eyes widened, caught between confusion and unease. "How can you switch from that to this so fast?" Her hands moved uncertainly in the air as she saw Theo approaching. "What’s on your mind, huh?" he murmured, leaning in close to her ear, his breath brushing against her skin. "I meant... we could talk all night. Get to know each other better." His tone was playful, but something about the way he said it made her heart race for all the wrong reasons. "Let’s start with your name..." He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, the corner of his lips curling. "What’s your name, baby?" She gulped, her throat suddenly dry. "Ha... ha... ha... Theo, don’t joke like that. How could you forget your own wife’s name, hmm?" She took a small step back, her smile strained as a rush of adrenaline shot through her. "My brain’s not cooperating right now, you know..." Theo said with a crooked smile, but there was something strange in his tone. "Or maybe I never told you about my condition... hmm?" He leaned in, close enough that their noses nearly brushed. Gulp. "Hmm... you told me something before, about how you have..." She looked down for a few seconds, swallowing hard, trying to guess—gamble, really—but then their eyes locked the moment she raised her chin. "You’re being weird," she added, laughing nervously. "Like... super weird." "Hm..." His head tilted slightly, studying her. "You’re nervous. Why?" "I’m not... You’re just... too close," she said quickly, stepping back. But before she could move farther, he wrapped an arm around her waist. Her body stiffened, heart pounding as she tried to squirm free. "This is strange, isn’t it?" he murmured, now eye-level with her. "As husband and wife... what does ’too close’ really mean?" His words should’ve sounded flirtatious but they didn’t. They felt like a test. She quickly waved her hands in front of her, flustered. "I mean... it’s just... I just woke up, and I didn’t like the way my breath smelled, okay?" Her words tumbled out in a rush, desperate to explain anything to make this feel normal again. "Really?" Theo didn’t even flinch. Instead, he tilted in closer, their lips just a breath apart. "Surprisingly... I didn’t smell anything. Even from this close."1 His tone was calm like he wasn’t trying to reassure her but instead, observing. Daisy swallowed hard, her heart hammering in her chest. Her instincts screamed that something was off, but she forced a weak smile anyway. She really didn’t like to include herself in trouble and at that right moment, she was questioning why she was helping this weird Alien in front of her. But he didn’t move. Instead, he watched her with quiet interest, not out of fondness or love, but something colder. Analytical. As if she was part of some unsolved riddle. "I need to confirm something," he muttered. Daisy raised her eyebrows, uneasy. "Sorry? What is it?" A faint smirk touched his lips. "Just wondering... how far someone can go to pretend a marriage is real." Her heart skipped. "What... Do you mean by that?" He tilted his head slightly, his voice low and almost amused. "I mean, standing here, with you flinching every time I move closer... doesn’t exactly scream wedded bliss, does it?" Daisy opened her mouth but had no answer ready. He was reading her too easily, and it made her feel exposed in a way she hadn’t prepared for. He stared at her for a long beat, then asked quietly, "Are you sure you’re my wife?" Her breath caught. "What kind of question is that?" she said, forcing a shaky laugh. "A fair one, I think." He took another step forward, gaze never leaving hers. "Because... just three months ago, I remember this man..." he tapped his chest lightly, "Was drowning himself in work. Every single day. No parties. No friends. No hint of a woman anywhere in his life." He tilted his head, as if truly puzzled. "So tell me... where did you come from?" Daisy’s throat went dry. Then she blinked hard. ’Come on, brain... think...’ Half a minute passed. Then, with a sudden spark of reckless confidence, she gave a tiny hop and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I guess what you told me before we got married was true..." she said with a nervous smile. "You even forgot your first love?" Her eyes met his, steady now, bluffing but bold. "I’m your first love, Theo Kingsley." Yeah, this Elias is flirty and psycho combo...hehehe...