Love Not Included (An Arrange Marriage Story)

4

"Welcome to your new home Theora" her father in law tells her as he opens the door of the limo for her. They are at the house she and Nicholas are going to live in together.

After the wedding party, Theora had tearful goodbye with her parents, sister and grandmother as she left with her in laws to her new home.

Again Nicholas and Theora sat in the the limo alone but neither of them spoke a word the whole ride. Once they arrived Leon proudly lead his new daughter in law to show Theora her new home.

It was much smaller than the mansion she grew up in but still was quite a large house and perfect for a new couple according to Greek standards of course.

"My Nicky is such a lucky man to have you" Theora's mother in law Odelle kisses Theora on her cheek.

"Nicholas mama" he never liked being called Nicky he felt it sounded girly "and why isn't she the lucky one"

"Hush and take your wife over the threshold I'm going to film it and send to your aunties and uncles in Greece" Odelle says holding up her phone.

Nicholas dutifully picks Theora up and carries her inside. Theora feels her cheeks burn up and tries to hide it from her in laws to no avail.

"Look Odelle our daughter is blushing" Leon chuckled

"Oh dear we must leave before she turns red as a tomato" laughed Odelle. This caused Theora's blush to intensify.

"Too late" Nicholas chimed in and all three erupted in laughter as Theora bit her lip nervously and looked down.

"We must leave Odelle" Leon said looking at his watch.

"Let me show Theora around first" by which meant she would take Theora up to the bedroom.

"Fine. Theora if this man ever upsets you just give me a call and I'll straighten him out" Leon tells her to which Theora smiles. Odelle takes her up to the bedroom and shows her where she has placed all of Theora's things.

"This is all I can remember but if you can't find something I forgot just call me and I'll tell you where it is" Odelle told her

"I'm sure I'll find everything I need. Thank you" Theora kissed her mother in law on the cheek for the last time before she left.

Once alone Theora looks around the room nervously. It all felt so strange in a few moments Nicholas would come up and they would start their new lives together.
I must ask him for sometime she thought.

It didn't feel right when she didn't know him that well. Theora hears footsteps on the stairs and doesn't know what to do before settling for just standing where she was by the vanity. She hears the door opposite to the master bedroom open before it's loudly closed shut. A few seconds later Nicholas enters without even sparing Theora a glance he goes into the walk in closet and starts spewing expletives. Grabbing as many clothes as he can Nicholas throws them on the ground abruptly making Theora flinch. Once all his clothes are off the racks he starts to pick them up and take them to the room adjacent. Once he's moved all his clothes Nicholas comes back into the room staring at Theora angrily.

"Some of my stuff is left in the drawers don't touch them. I'm going to have them moved to my room tomorrow" Nicholas talks to Theora for the first time since they've met and she looks at him puzzled.

"This is your room you are going to stay here and at no point are you to come or enter my room. I did not want this" he points back and forth from himself to Theora "so don't expect anything from me. To our families and the world we are husband and wife but in this house we are strangers. I'll tell you this once and once only don't cross my path if you want to live peacefully here otherwise you know where the door is" with this Nicholas leaves the room and into his bedroom slamming the door shut.

Theora sits slowly down on the edge of the bed not knowing what to think and how to feel.