𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐟 𝐖𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐈𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞

CHAPTER 03: RYAN

I couldn’t stop replaying John’ words while driving home. Pretend to love her. As  much as I didn’t want to, I knew that was the only way to dig up the information. Rose wasn’t the kind of girl who’d tell her deepest secrets if you gift her diamonds. I’ve tried that, it doesn’t work. I’ve gifted her branded bags, jewels, dresses, every girl dreams of getting but she doesn’t accept any of my gifts.

She doesn’t want gifts, idiot. Finn’s voice echoed in my head from when I told him about this and how pissed I was. She wants to be loved by her significant other but you can’t do that. Hell yeah, I won’t. love becomes people’s weakness and I won’t let that one emotion become my weakness.

I needed to find a way to get that information out from her. I was getting pissed day by day. I didn’t want to take John’s advice because I knew I wouldn’t fall in love with her but by pretending to love her, I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. I didn’t give two shits about people’s feelings, I hurt people all the time. But in Rose’s case, I couldn’t hurt her because I promised her dying father that I won’t hurt her and second, if I try to hurt her, I had Bree coming after me with death.

I turned my key inside the key hole and turned the doorknob after hearing the key unlock the lock. I entered the house. I lived in a luxury house, it was a double story one unit with a guest room, kitchen, dining hall, living room downstairs and bedrooms upstairs. Although, I made one of the bedrooms upstairs my office and the basement was my gym area where I usually went to squeeze out my anger and stress of the day. But since I’ve gotten married, I don’t do that a lot because thanks to Rose, if I’m not present in a room, she starts panicking the hell out. She even called the cops once till I came upstairs and saw her talking to the cops.

She expects me to tell her everything, where I go, what I eat, what I do. I don’t do that, that’s my business and she has no right asking me about it. Of course, if Finn was here, he would’ve given me an unsettling response for ‘being ungrateful’. I didn’t want anyone checking up on me, especially not Ro-

“You’re home.” The soft voice echoed in the living room as I placed down my bag, the smell of roses surrounded the room.

Somehow, just like her name, she smelled like Rose, she almost looked like it; tinted red lips, a shade of pink on her cheeks and always blooming.

“Yes,” I answered, placing my hands in my pockets, taking her in. she stood by the dining hall door, she wore a beautiful pink dress which went down to her knees. Her hair was tied in a messy bun—which was not new, she always had her hair tied up in a messy bun when we were at home, it showed her perfectly drawn collar bone. Her green eyes locked with mine. She was the perfect girl people talk about in books and somehow I wasn’t attracted to her at all.

“Dinner’s ready,” she spoke again, her voice light and soft “you should fresh up, I’ll take out the food.” After a beat, I nodded, took my bag and went upstairs to my room.
Most husbands would help their wife set up the table—even help them cook food, give them small pecks on their cheeks, foreheads, lips which would give their wives butterflies, ignite their love. I’ve been called a horrible husband for not doing those things—by my sister. She still expects me to show my love to her best friend, well, sadly I won’t be doing that. She expects me to love her but I don’t. I respect Rose, I respect her boundaries, we have kept our boundaries.

I suggested to have separate rooms but I got a kick in my leg from Bree for suggesting that. I see why, all couples share beds. I’ve shared my bed with Rose for 10 months and there are nights where I stay awake because she moves closer to me in her sleep to a point we were almost cuddling.

My shoulders tensed at the memory, she was so close to me when I opened my eyes the next day. She was using my chest as her pillow, she used me as a teddy bear, I was surrounded by her rosy scent. I didn’t let that little cuddling session last long. I carefully got out of bed and she had no idea we almost cuddled.