"Ryan," Katrina complained. "I am totally capable of supporting myself!" she hissed even as she pushed his hand away, the one that was even now stretched out offering to assist her out of the vehicle.
"You heard what the doctor said, you are not supposed to strain yourself too much."
Katrina huffed as she rolled her eyes at him.
"Let me guess, you are going to carry me now,"
"If you allow it, I am more than capable" he smirked back at her flexing his muscles in a show of strength.
"No. Don't even think about it. She shoved him aside even as she proceeded to walk up the front steps of the two storey townhouse. She had never been here before, but she knew of it. The place where her reclusive husband had always retreated to. She knew that it doubled as his studio but also that it had been his sanctuary away from their arranged marriage. Now as she stood on the threshold, many thoughts criss crossed her mind. Was she the first woman that he had ever taken here or was she one among many? She quickly rid herself of those thoughts, unwilling to wallow in the negativity that they brought in. After all, it no longer mattered. Whatever they once had was now as good as dead and poisoning her thoughts with such emotions would do no good for her state of mind nor for the baby who was now her highest priority.
"What are you waiting for? Go in." Ryan encouraged even as he came in after her with her overnight bag and the rest of their shopping bags.
Slowly, Katrina walked in still feeling hesitant.
"You've never been here." She didn't know if those words were meant to be a question or a statement, but she nodded her head either way even as her eyes took in its plush interior. "Your bedroom is this way." He said to her again leading her from the cream corridor and up aflight of stairs with a polished mahogany railing. At least he had the mind to give her own bedroom, who knew what sharing a room would lead to her this time. She shook those thoughts away quite unwilling to revisit that past but the memories persisted. She had been so naive, to think that he would love her. That he had somehow overcome that obstacle that had been placed in his mind? It was just a few months ago, but Katrina prided herself in having become wiser. She would not repeat that foolishness again and as soon as possible, after they had settled this baby matter, she would give him the papers that would finally end their sham of a marriage.
"Here we are..." He said even as he pulled open one of the four doors present on the first floor corridor. The door that was on the South Eastern side of the cuboid for that was what the corridor resembled.
Katrina followed him into the room that was so unlike the rest of the house in that it lacked character. The walls were bland, painted with a bright white and apart from one blue grey wall...The surfaces within it remained bare. The bed was also white and so were the beddings and a fluffy white rug that was spread out in the middle of the room. There was also a window or a door that seemed to open out to a balcony and on the farthest corner of the room, she noticed another white door that had been earlier conceal by the white wall around it and Katrina found herself wondering where it led.
"Is that..." She lifted a hand to point.
"Yes...a bathroom and a closet." Ryan replied even as he walked over to yank it open. True his word, she followed him in to find a corridor that was lined with shelves and wardrobes and on the farthest end, there was a huge bathroom with a double sink, complete with a shower cubicle and a hot tub.
"Forgive me," Ryan said as he scratched his head nervously.
"Why, what have you done?"
He smiled sheepishly.
"It's a shared bathroom." He said pointing to the other end where another door was connected to it. "But I placed a key here." He said even as he walked over to the door. "When you are using it, you can always lock it like this." He added turning the key.
"Great to know that you won't be trying to seduce me while I am staying here, under your roof." Not that he ever looked at her that way, but she had to be sure. Katrina thought quite bitterly to herself.
"No, I promise not to do that. I want you to be comfortable here. No stress and that is a promise you." The man muttered even as he moved further away from her. "If you need anything, I will be in the kitchen making us some dinner." He smiled.
"I can help."
"No, I think you should rest. Doctors orders!"
"Ryan! I am not that fragile." She protested.
"No but you are carrying my little princess and I want her to have the very best treatment there is." He smiled widely.
"We do not even know if it is a girl or not."
"No, but I have a gut feeling about it and I already..."he trailed off just as the door bell rang and reverberated in the floor below. "Let me get that. I will right be back."
What was he going to say? Katrina wondered even as she watched his T shirt covered back retreat through her bedroom door. That he already has a son? Was that why he wanted a girl so he could have a couple? She thought angrily to herself.