|Rude awakening.|
"What the--"
Duke spluttered, quickly sitting up to take stock of his surroundings after being soaked in cold water.
It was now morning and he could see the sun shining through the yellow drapes as a straight faced Malisha stood before him with a water jug in one hand.
"I always wanted to do that." She told him eventually.
"What is wrong with you woman?" He exclaimed, shaking himself like a wet dog.
"What is wrong with me?" He could feel the double question marks on that one. "Really?"
"Fine, I'm sorry." He replied, wiping the water from his face. "I guess I deserved that."
"Yea, that and much more. How do you ask me to let you in and the first act after that is hurting me?" She asked, sounding outraged.
"I'm sorry Lisha." He said again, this time scratching his head. "I know this is getting old but I was jealous."
Malisha gaped at the infuriatingly good looking man that she had come to love and she drew out a defeated sigh.
"Jealous? You know what? You are right. That is getting old." She told him, taking a seat on the drier parts of her bed.
Duke then went on to tell her about their conversation in the car and how it had sparked his jealousy. He also revealed all the events that had followed, some which of she already knew about while the rest were news to her.
"Wait, you had me spied on again?" She asked, staring at him incredulously.
"Not really, just your phone records."
"How is that any better?" She cried wanting to feel angry, but too exhausted and emotionally drained to do so.
"I am sorry my love, I know I should have said something, or better yet asked about Ryan."
"Yes, you should have, but I really can't blame you."
Duke looked at her as if she had grown an extra head or something.
"Why? I thought you would be mad. Like really mad at me."
"I was, but it went out with the water." She told him grinning.
"Very funny."
"No, really,and you know why I do not blame you?"
He looked at her curious.
"Why?"
"Because..." she furrowed her forehead as she struggled to find the right words to express what she was feeling.
"Because, I should have told you when you asked about the blushing. I was starting to fall in love with you, but i was too embarrassed, scared even, that it would make me look vulnerable and you would hurt me, but as it turns out, I ended up hurting the both of us through my silence."
"Wait...you love me?" he asked, looking dazed as he tried to make sense of her words.
"Did you hear anything else I said?" Malisha asked, smilingly.
"No," was his honest reply. " I kind of zoned out after you said you loved me." He added, chuckling.
"You are insufferable!" His fiancèe said, swatting his arm playfully.
"Ouch! Quit hitting me woman!"
He retorted and Malisha laughed even more.
"I still can't believe that the General kept Ryan's calls a secret." She told him, sobering up and Duke began to withdraw within himself.
"Honestly Lisha, what is the deal between the two of you?" He finally gathered the courage to ask.
"What are you talking about? There is no deal between the two of us. I had a crush on him, we were in a relationship, he did what he did to me and abandoned me. So there. Nothing!" She replied, looking agitated.
"What do you mean by he did what he did?"
Malisha groaned. She seemed to have been doing that a lot, lately.
"What I mean is that we may have been in a relationship, but i was not a consenting party to the action that led to Thomas' conception."
He gawked at her and she looked away embarassed before adding.
"Don't get me wrong, I don't regret Thomas, but it is not how I imagined starting my journey into motherhood."
"I'm sorry Malisha, I didn't know." He replied sincerely.
"It's okay." I reassure. "Plus it not like I am forthcoming with that kind of information."
"I understand." He said again, pulling her into a hug. "So what do we do about him my love?"
"Honestly, I do not know. I guess my plan has always been to cross that bridge when I get there." She mumbled into his chest.
"Okay. Just don't forget I am always here for you. You do not have to go it alone anymore."
Malisha smiled pulling away.
"Thanks. So, you did not tell me. What did the General say about not telling me."
Duke took a stray strand of her hair and started twining it around his fingers.
"He said that he figured that your life was finally on a good course and he did not want to disrupt it with that kind of news."
M
alisha sneered.
"Like he cares."
"He does Lisha. More than you know.He just doesn't know how to show it. You of all his children are as hard headed and stubborn as he is and he doesn't know how to handle it most of the time.But deep inside him, i know he cares."
"Okay...if you put it that way." She pouted.
"You know I'm right."
Malisha tsked and walked out of the room and left him behind, cracked up with laughter.
She got him a fresh shirt from her brother's old collection and they were finally able to join the family for brunch.
After brunch, Alfred arrived with a new set of clothes and Duke changed before leaving for his house, which left Malisha alone to field curious questions from the rest of her family.
"Is the Phaedra moving in now?" Minerva started, meaning it as a joke.
"Yea, he can't wait until after the wedding?" Mishael weighed in, in a tone that implied that he was serious than Minerva.
"It is not like they do anything." Her mother came to her defense and the conversation got awkward.
"Yea and I am not a man." Mishael sneered and Mishpa sniggered,while the General flipped his paper to another page.
"Really Mishael?" Malisha said turning to face her older brother.
"Lisha, don't get me wrong. I just don't want to see you getting hurt again."
Malisha understand what he meant, but everyone else didn't.
As it was, he was the only one there, apart from Duke now, who knew the details of the circumstances that had led her to be alone with Thomas. It was he who had seen all her hidden tears and had also been there to comfort her when everyone else hadn't.
"Look Malisha, everyone here maybe too intimidated to face him, but i am not."
The General cleared his throat in protest, but Mishael ignored him and went on unhindered.
"I do not care if he is the Phaedra or the highest general. I am your big brother and it is my duty to protect you. I will be damned if i do not do exactly that!"
With that he picked up his coat and car keys and left the house huffing and puffing fire.
"What was all that about?" Minerva finally asked. It was not just her, everyone was looking at Malisha, silently waiting for her answer.
"Nothing." She said and exited the room, before anyone else could protest.
Later that evening Duke called her and she finally got to know where her brother Mishael gone off to in his hurry.
Apparently, Duke had been accosted by a raging Mishael who threatened to string him up if he ever made the mistake of making his sister cry.
"Seriously Lisha what was all that about."
Malisha grinned into the mouth piece, loving her overly dramatic brother and his antics.
"Well he's just my brother being my brother." She replied, nonchalantly.
"I guess then I should change the number of those not intimidated by my position from two to three. Right?"
"That would be an accurate observation and imagine, he is your future general!"
She heard him groan.
"Apparently, I have been banned from going into your room. I am also not to kiss you or touch you in any inappropriate way until we say our vows and are officially married."
At that, Malisha burst out laughing.
"Good ,coz this thing of waking up to find you in my room is getting old."
"Aah! You don't say?"
"Duke!" She tried to scold him, but her laughing got in the way.
"I love how you say my name." he told her softly, his voice caressing her ear.
Her chest fluttered as her heart swelled with so much emotion it felt like it would burst.
"So, this is how it feels to be in love? To love and be loved back."
Malisha sighed and closed her eyes even as words escaped from her lips, unbidden.
"And I love you Duke."
He paused for a moment before he finally spoke up, his voice laden with much emotion.
"I love you too. So much. It is like a dream come to true!"
Malisha smiled into the receiver.
"You are not worried that Mishael will catch you whispering sweet nothings into my ear?" She asked, cheekily.
"Oh, they are not nothings and nothing would stop me from telling the woman I love how much she means to me."
"Okay...good night lover boy."
"Malisha!"
He scolded, attempting to sound tough and Malisha couldn't help giggling. Finally he chuckled and blew her a kiss.
"Good night my love. Sweet dreams."