My grandfather passed away when I was young, and I couldn't remember him at all.
My mother died during my birth, and he followed soon after her. I wasn't sure how my grandma survived losing her husband and her daughter so close together. It was another reason I wouldn't let her lose me.
"He would beam whenever he looked at you. He adored you so much." I loved when she spoke about my grandfather. Her entire face would light up, and the love she had for him was evident, even after all these years since his passing. I longed for a love like that someday. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but one day I would find it. I would just have to endure this arrangement for a while and cherish the time I had left with my grandmother. Life seemed to be about living day to day at this point.
I reached over, handing her back the ring box, and she placed it in her bedside table. "Your grandpa got me that ring because he wanted to see me happy. It's what he always wished for his family. It's a beautiful ring that he worked so hard for. And to me, it's a symbol of the purest love and devotion." She smiled at me, and I couldn't help but wish for that kind of love and happiness.
I knew she wanted me to be happy. Happiness was all she and my grandfather had ever wanted for me. It was a bitter truth to accept, as this wedding was a pretense. I would be miserable.
"Life is about being true to yourself and finding the love you truly deserve. It's too short to live any other way." She rested her head back on her pillow, and I could tell she was tired and probably needed one of her medications. She was right, though. Maybe I could soak up as much genuine happiness as I could before I walked down the aisle to my predetermined fate.
Getting up from the bed, I went to the bathroom, retrieved her pills, and filled her glass of water. Placing them next to her bed, I leaned down and gave her a kiss.
"I'm so happy you're marrying someone from here. I missed you terribly when you were away at school."
"I'm not going anywhere, Grandma. I promise."
Dr Davies....
I was losing my composure, I thought to myself, as I watched a visibly pleased Ms. Riley leave Mr. Peterson's law office, which was located in the center of town. Not ten minutes later, I saw Mr. Peterson exit his office, place a bag in the trunk of his car, and turn, spotting me sitting on my motorcycle. I stared at him, and I could tell by the look on his face that the rumors had already reached him.
He straightened his suit and began to walk towards me.
He thought that because we were in the middle of town and he was a lawyer, I wouldn't physically confront him.
He was mistaken. Normally, I wouldn't.
Not over something trivial or petty.
But Sheryl was more than that, and she was definitely worth my single night in jail.
Though I couldn't monitor her that night if I were. I didn't like the idea of not being able to keep an eye on her if I wanted to.
I sounded like a stalker, but I didn't care. If protecting Sheryl and showing up in opportune places kept her out of another man's hands, he could label me whatever he wanted, and I would wear that title proudly.
"Can't you go to another district if you need to engage in casual encounters, Dr Davies? I've never known you to involve yourself with the local women."
My entire body tensed at his words. Did he really just speak about the woman he was going to marry like that? Not only that, but he himself had just been involved with a local woman.
But that was nothing new.
I never understood the men who pursued women around here. Everyone would just be connected in some way at the end of the day. Not something that appealed to me.
"I've never allowed Ms. Riley to engage in inappropriate behavior with me in the back of a public establishment, no matter how much she might have hinted at it. So it seems I'm not the one seeking casual encounters."
I knew we weren't talking about Ms. Riley, but I wanted him to know I was aware of his indiscretions. He hadn't truly been with Sheryl because she was still innocent and waiting for me to have her fully.
I didn't know what was going on with these two, but things weren't making sense. I didn't see a woman like Sheryl allowing her man to be unfaithful, so maybe she didn't know, or maybe she didn't care.
She didn't seem like the kind of woman who just wanted to be kept and made into a little trophy.
I might have thought that when she first walked into my office, but the woman I had comforted this afternoon was nothing like that. She was different, no matter how this situation appeared to be.
His eyes hardened at my words. It seemed Mr. Peterson thought he was the only one Ms. Riley was interested in. No, Ms. Riley simply sought out anyone with influence.
I might not be as flashy with mine as Mr. Peterson was, but I made a good living, and that was something someone like Ms. Riley could easily detect.
"Stay away from her," Mr. Peterson said, the smugness he first had now completely gone from his words.
"Who are we talking about here, Mr. Peterson?" I baited him, because I wasn't entirely sure. He didn't seem too bothered when he was warning me off Catherine, but one comment about Ms. Riley and his tone completely changed.
"My intended—"
I was off my bike before he could finish the word. There was no way I could bear to hear him call her that. Absolutely not. I had him by his suit jacket, lifting him so he was eye level with me.
"Dr Davies Miller. Let him go."
I felt Dan's hand came down on my shoulder, and I released Mr. Peterson with enough force to send him falling to the ground. He was lucky the doctor showed up.
"I'm pressing charges!" Mr. Peterson shouted, picking himself up off the ground and dusting the dirt off his suit.
Dan let my shoulder go, shaking his head at me. Damn, I should have had better control. There was no way Dan wouldn't have me disciplined after I just confronted his soon-
to-be (or so he thought) brother-in-law.