Page 34 of Claiming His Wife
Kalilah plopped down on the couch, hard enough to scatter the nest of cushions Kaiya had set up around her, and it earned her a glare.
“I see you’re determined to be a thorn in my side.”
“Puh-lease!” Kalilah snorted down at her and looked at the screen diverted her attention “I know better than to bother you when Jude Law is right in front of you, I swear you lose all control of yourself.”
“I do not,” Kaiya feigned annoyance.
“You’re practically drooling.”
“Shut up,” she retorted, and launched a pillow at her sister. Kalilah rolled as far as she could and snagged her own cushion as she escaped. She launched it at her sister, then quickly picked up another to bop her on the head with considerable strength.
Squeals, screams, and threats tore the morning calm apart. Anyone who opened the door would find the two girls, all grown up – but then, that was debatable from the way they were acting – having a vigorous pillow fight. Kaiya was racing in circles, launching multicolored cushions with careless aim that had them landing in every direction, while Kalilah was in hot pursuit and aiming more carefully. The two crashed in front of the TV, the elder tackling the younger and proceeding to tickle the snot out of her.
“Stop, just stop! Before I pee on myself,” Kaiya said.
“Pheew! Proving to you who the boss is around here is hard work, Yellow, but someone has to do it,” Kalilah exhaled in a noisy gust as she slid to the floor beside her sister.
“You cheated,” Kaiya protested weakly.
“You’re just saying that because you lost.”
“You’re just being a pain in my behind because your mind and your heart are at odds right now.” Kaiya retorted. Kalilah winced and looked at her sister before looking away.
“That obvious, huh?”
“Only because I know you, silly.”
“Good God, I should have just stayed away and returned after the annulment was finalized,” she groaned.
“And miss all this?” Kaiya asked cheerfully.
“You’re right, I definitely didn’t want to miss showing you who is boss.”
Kaiya stuck her tongue out at Kalilah.
“Seriously though, I’m glad you came home, no matter how much misery you think you’re feeling. I’m happy you are here. I might sound selfish, but what’s wrong with wanting to be happy? Sometimes you just gotta deal with what you’ve been served by fate. Considering everything you’ve learned since you’ve returned, I think you should definitely explore things with Finn. I don’t want you to do something you may come to regret.” Kaiya was on a roll.
“I still have Jon to consider. I don’t want to hurt him.”
Kaiya elected herself as the voice of reason.
“First of all, wouldn’t it be better for both you and Jon if you sort through your feelings first, before fully committing to each other? You told me how sympathetic he was when you confessed your marital status to him. That speaks to how understanding he is as a human being. Secondly, you’re married to Finn, and it’s totally reasonable for you to want to make sure that there are no lingering issues between you two.”
She thought of everything her sister was saying, but was still uncertain as to how to proceed. It was true that Jon was understanding, but everyone had their limits. She’d known that coming back for the annulment would be difficult, and she had prepared herself for every ploy they would’ve thrown at her. What she hadn’t seen coming were the romantic feelings for Finn, feelings she thought she’d buried a long time ago.
It complicated things.
Her phone chirped and saved her from having to respond. Kalilah scrambled to find it before it stopped ringing. It was a message, from Jonathan. At her sigh, Kaiya leaned closer to look at the screen then burst out laughing.
“You’re in deep shit.”
“Oh, shut up,” she retorted finally, as she scrambled to her feet and stomped out of the kitchen with her phone in hand. The strains of laughter followed her all the way to her room. Even the slammed door didn’t cut it off completely.
CHAPTER 10
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER…
Finn’s reflection in the mirrors that lined the hallways in Kalilah’s building showed a man who looked happier than he had felt in years. He felt like he’d just gotten a new lease on life. His blue eyes glowed with excitement over what his future with Kalilah held. It had been a few days since he saw his wife, and he missed seeing her smile. He pressed the buzzer for her door and waited.
