His Ex Wife

Flashback

They reached the top of the small hill Mariella’s house was located on, the road was all worked up in new and undamaged cement, leading to this entire view of the city of London. Lights filled the skyline for both of them, Mariella was instantly mesmerized. Her left hand was still tightly held by Iyan and strangely, as they had been walking up the hill, he had been caressing her hand with his thumb slowly, in a very caring gesture. Mariella had not withdrawn her hand from his grip.

He had even asked if she was feeling cold again or if she wanted to get back but she had nodded a ‘no’. She had gotten kind of lost and with Iyan’s total attention on her, she had forgotten about her father and that haunted mansion whose slave she had been for so much time.

“Have you ever been up here?” Iyan asked as he watched her face go from neutral and worried to carefree and happy. She was so happy to see the lights.

“No, obviously not. Had I known this is what exists here, this spot would have become my regular hang out place,” she looked at him, her eyes glowing with the joy.

He chuckled softly, “Okay what do you like better? City lights or stars?”

“You’re actually asking me that?” she laughed in return and both of them sat down cross legged on the wide road. It was the end of the road right then, reaching the top of the hill. No vehicles would be coming therefore, that remained clear.

“Yes, see if I like a girl and I want to take her out someday, I should know what she likes first, shouldn’t I?” he asked her, raising an eyebrow.

Her stomach turned again- butterflies! This was literally happening a lot lately, specially in Iyan’s company.

“I see,” she said, not reacting to what he said, “Who is this lucky girl you want to take out to a date then?” she asked teasingly before shifting her focus on to the gaspingly beautiful view in front of her.

Iyan chuckled again in response to that, he noticed her body language; her shoulders lay relaxed now and her body was not tensed anymore like it had been when she had just opened the gate in front of the mansion.

someone,” he said shifting his gaze away from her and to the view

I realized I have never even asked you this but you’ve never had a girlfriend before?” she turned

been through family friends and cousins and all of them had gone for the

and she knew this fairly well that had he been Italy, he would have been the hot topic in her school for all the girls. “Lying

a dramatic pause, “But, you know I want to do a lot in life, so much that I don’t think I have the time to play the games most people play at our age. Liking, dating, having sex, moving on and this vicious cycle that repeats…it’s too cruel throwing yours and someone else’s emotions like this. Not to mention, it’s

watching just him now, her attention had been long drawn from the

mean other than the guys and girls of our age?” she

a lot and I don’t have many expectations from someone I would date in the future. What I really meant to say is that I don’t want to waste time- time is precious commodity- and I don’t have the patience for the whole dating then breaking up and all over and over again. If I’ll be with someone, I’ll invest myself fully and completely with her and just her. She would deserve all my time. Not a question about

all the words Iyan said and then smiled at him in response, “The one you’ll choose to

looking at the view again. It was probably the first time that he was sharing his thoughts with someone like this, without any fear

of girl do you

“I

in her eyes was clearly not going to go away until

his throat, he continued, “Well, I just want her to be my really good friend, our understanding and humor, level of maturity could match. She’s attractive or not, doesn’t matter, she’s skinny or chubby, doesn’t matter either, she has a bad past or not, none of this would matter to me more than herself. I don’t expect some princess for myself, just an ordinary girl for an ordinary guy like

a guy like him one day and live happily ever after with him- only, the reality is too distinct from fairytales, we don’t have wishing wells that will grant

me! Tell me how many sexy Italians you have hooked up with,” Iyan smiled at her

revulsion as she thought about the repugnant sight of her actually hooking up with any guy at all, let alone an Italian. Her nose scrunched up in disgust as she looked at Iyan, “I have not hooked up with anyone! Actually I haven’t even

she had literally taken his small sarcastic comment to literal

I’d gotten just inches close to you in front of your

together in pure annoyance, this was plenty to drive up her nose. She passed him death glares as he continued