Danny

I switched off the phone and turned to return to the room but I bumped into Clarissa right behind me. I was startled by her presence. Her intense gaze with her hands folded across her breasts confused me, and I swallowed hard.

"Hey, you should be asleep. W...what are you doing here?" I stammered, forcing a smile on my face.

She ignored my question and took a few steps further, her gaze fixed into my eyes, making me nervous.

Could it be that she overheard my conversation with Barry? I thought and my eyes widened in shock.

"Clarissa," I called in a gentle voice, thinking of the best defense to give, but she interrupted me before I could finish.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked, and I paused. I furrowed my brows, staring blankly at her beautiful hazel eyes.

"What?" I asked, and she threw another step further.

She was so close that our faces were just an inch away from each other. I began to breathe hard, and I knew my breath was all over her face, yet she didn't blink. Her eyes fixated on mine.

"Why did you change? Why aren't you beating me anymore? Why did you have to force yourself on me? I'm your wife, it's not like I would deny you sex. Why did you humiliate me by bringing women to our matrimonial bed? Why?" She asked, and I swallowed nervously.

Looking deep into her eyes, I could imagine the pain she had been going through. But how do I take responsibility for a crime I wasn't guilty of?

I was speechless and nervous at the same time. My lips quivered as I tried to speak, and after a short silence, she nodded her head and turned back to the room.

Seeing her leave without getting an answer hurt me. I felt like I owed her that explanation.

Have you ever cared about someone so that you begin to see them as an egg? You hold them tightly across your chest so they don't fall and crack their shell.

I called out to her. "Clarissa," and she stopped and turned around halfway. I gasped softly and swallowed the contents of my throat.

"You want to know why I hurt you so much. I did a lot of things to you, things I'm not proud of, and I'm sorry. I can't take them back but I can be a better man this time."

"I can be the man of your dreams if you let me one more time. This feels awkward to say, but it's the truth. I love you, Clarissa."

"And that, it frightens me. I was scared of you. The moment I saw you, I saw my weakness. I saw vulnerability. You hold more power over me than you can possibly imagine."

"For that, I became scared of letting you in. I had to hurt you to protect myself, but I know that was selfish, and I'm sorry. Please, forgive me," I spoke from the depth of my heart.

At that moment, I had no idea if it was me talking of just something that Barry would say if it were to be him.

She paused and faced me fully. Her eyes filled with utmost surprise and she plodded towards me.

Her cold, unblinking eyes bore into mine, turning my blood to ice as I began to tremble on my feet. My heartbeat increased. I felt something I had never felt for a very long time: fear.

My goodness! What? Am I truly scared of Clarissa?

I watched as she stood before me, looking at me with intensity. The silence in the house became a sharp weapon, cutting through my nerves.

She touched my cheek and leaned closer to my face. I felt stuck on my feet as I watched her like a stiff pole.

"Is this your first time in love?" her soothing voice asked, and I nodded slowly. She gasped and pulled back her hands. I watched her eyes trail over my body and she swallowed.

"From now on, don't ever lay your fist on me. Secondly, don't ever lie to me about anything at all. I want to know everything. Everything about you. That's what makes us a couple," she spoke in my mouth, and I nodded again.

She retreated with her back till she collided with the door and I stood still, staring at her as she entered the room and closed the door gently, leaving a slight open space.

She peeped through the space, and a chuckle spread around her face, exposing her dimples. She gave me a wink and shut the door, and I imagined that she wanted me to follow her.

As the door closed finally, I felt like the weight of pressure was lifted from me, and I gasped for breath. I realized that I had been holding my breath for a long time.

I noticed that I had a tremor on my legs. I exhaled and wiped my eyes, and water filled my fingers. I looked at my palms and froze in shock.

I wiped my eyes again and saw unshed tears on the back of my palms. My eyes widened in shock as I stared at my tears right before my very eyes. How is this possible? Did I shed a tear? I am ElDrago, I cannot be weak.

Did Clarissa see my tears? I thought, and my heart raced at the moment.

My palms grew clammy, and I wiped them on my trousers, a clear sign of my unease. I've never been this nervous over any woman.

As I entered the room, my breath came in short, shallow gasps, a physical manifestation of the anxiety welling up inside me.

I darted my eyes to the bed, and behold, Clarissa was lying naked, with her standing breasts pointing towards me, and her seductive eyes devouring my self-confidence.

That moment, I recalled her words just now. I just promised her that I would never lie to her again. How can I make such a promise when my whole existence in her life was based on a lie?

"I can't do this," I said in a whisper, and surprisingly, she overheard me. She chuckled and climbed down from the bed, cat walking towards me seductively.

I wanted to step back and leave the room, but I felt glued to the ground. I couldn't move. My jaw dropped staring at her as she walked towards me.