Chapter 35: Your to-be-wife is an alien
"Come back please..." Dylan pleaded as he firmly hugged Isabella, not giving her a chance to escape his embrace.
Isabella giggled as the tiny stubble on his chin tickled her cheeks and neck. "It is only a matter of 3 more days..."
Dylan shook his head, indicating his dissatisfaction as he cling onto her. Bianca had convinced Isabella to stay with her for a while before moving in Dylan. But he so badly wanted to have her for himself all the day.
"My to-be-husband.. I will compensate for this after getting married. Okay?" Isabella huskily whispered in his ears. Dylan's eyes lit up as he soon as he heard this.
"Really? I need a very generous compensation." Dylan demanded.
Isabella playfully bit on his shoulder and meaningfully looked at his eyes, giving him all double-meaning thoughts.
"Fine. Be careful then." Dylan relented. 3 more days right? If he manages to survive these 3 days, his sufferings will after that. Hehehe.
Isabella bid her goodbye and went into Bianca's home. Dylan saw her going in and only then did he leave from there.
As he walked to the subway station, all his thoughts were on trying to picture how their life might look like a couple of days.
He bought the ticket online and took a seat after catching the train. There was a constant smile etched on his lips. Mundane things started to look beautiful.
It was only when he was two stations away the studio apartment did he start feeling those dark vibes again. He couldn't word them out exactly. It was just a strong intuition, telling him something not-so-good is nearby.
And he was proved right. As the doors opened at the next station, a neatly dressed woman in formals walked in and took a seat beside him.
"Hope you don't mind me sitting here, gentleman" The woman smiled, her bright red lipstick heavily contrasted her ghostly pale face.
Dylan felt his throat tighten. He had almost forgotten about her. Almost. But that eerie sensation had been lingering ever since he first saw her—on the street after the welcome party, then again at the café where Isabella worked.
She wasn't a coincidence.
The woman smiled as she took the seat beside him, as if settling onto a throne.
Dylan didn't bother with pleasantries. "What do you want from Isabella?" His voice was steady, but his muscles were tense, prepared for whatever came next.
She tilted her head, amused. "Oh, it's not me," she said, casually inspecting her nails. "Someone else is interested."
His jaw clenched. "Who?"
Her smirk deepened. "Now, where's the fun in giving you all the answers?"
Dylan swallowed his irritation, forcing himself to stay composed. But his mind raced. Who was after Isabella? And why?
As the irritation and sense of danger heightened, a slight ache throbbed in his chest again. He ignored it, determined to get answers from this woman first.
"Who are you?" he questioned, the ache in his chest increasing. He also heard the announcement that the train would arrive at his station soon.
"I am a nobody. But I am not the one your should be concerned about." saying this, she took out something from her purse and slipped into Dylan's shirt pocket.
"Don't keep throwing it away. Finding this ugly thing is a boring job for me." The woman smiled merrily, like a child using her charm to convince her parents to fulfill their whims.
But to Dylan, the smile was full of malice. His hand went to his pocket, not wanting to keep anything given by this woman. This time he didn't get surprised looking at the ring back.
What surprised him was that the woman was no longer there in her seat. It was empty, and cold, as if no one ever sat there.
Dylan let out a shaky breathe as he stepped out of the train. He thought of going back to Isabella and checking on her but the ache in his chest slowly increased.
Finding it hard to breathe, he sat down on a nearby bench. He had previously visited the hospital to see if he had any illness, but the reports came out normal.
Ring.. Ring.. Ring.. Ring...
His mood lightened up a bit when he saw Isabella calling him. The ache too slowly started to subside.
"Princess.." Dylan spoke softly. He smiled when she asked whether he reached safely.
"Yes princess. I am still at the station. I have to walk back now."
"Hm okay."
"Isabella... Do you remember the lady who asked for your name in the cafe?" He asked, trying to see if she had encountered the woman again.
'Which woman?'
Dylan sighed as he leaned back while rubbing his chest. Seems like she doesn't even remember that woman.
"Nothing. Just remember, if you see a pale faced lady, with bright red lipstick, avoid her. And if you feel someone is following you or something is not right, call me, okay?" Dylan instructed.
"I am fine princess. Don't panic. Just remember that okay." Dylan assured her before starting some casual talk as he walked towards the studio.
"Love you too. Bye."
Dylan disconnected the call as he locked the room door behind him and flopped on his bed. His chest pain was gone, but he now felt someone watching him and listening to him. It didn't feel threatening, but still weird.
His eyes fell on his backpack and he reached out to get the coin Isabella gave him years ago. Holding it in his hands, he gently caressed it with his thumb. Had Isabella been here, he would hug her and stay in her arms for a while to calm down. But this was fine for now.
A gentle smile made it's way on his lips. For Isabella, the coin was the only connection between her and her parents. But she didn't think twice before giving it to him. It was enough to show how much he meant to her.
Dylan sat there in the silence for the small space when he heard the sound of keys juggling and the door squeak open.
Isabella opened the door and found him sitting quietly.
"Why are you here?" Dylan asked as he stretched out his hand to hold hers.
"You keep talking weird things on phone. How can I not come and check on you, idiot?" Isabella scolded and gave a light slap on his cheek.
"Is my wife worried about me?" Dylan asked, elated by her arrival. Isabella sighed looking at him.
"Stop playing around. You are fine right?" Isabella asked again. She got scared when Dylan started about all those weird things on the phone.
"Yes princess. I am fine. Really." Dylan assured, feeling bad for worrying her. Isabella nodded and then her gaze fell on the coin in Dylan's hand. She had almost forgot of this coin.
"You still have it with you.." Isabella whispered, as she leaned her head on Dylan's shoulder.
"How can I not keep this?.... This was my reminder that my princess is still waiting for me." Dylan said sweetly. There was no flirty or playful streak there. He said it from the bottom of his heart.
Isabella couldn't take away her eyes from him. Probably because she knew he would be hers forever, he looked he more handsome and lovely to her.
"Isa?.."
"Hmm?"
"You always believed that your parents will find you right? Don't you want to wait for your parents before getting married?" Dylan asked out of nowhere.
Isabella gaze became distant as she thought about her parents. She didn't remember their faces anymore. Except for their names, and that they loved and pampered a lot, she didn't remember much.
"Do you think they will find me?" Isabella asked, her grip on his biceps tightening. Dylan didn't reply.
"It's been a long time since I came here right? I honestly don't remember what they look like anymore. Do you think they also f-forgot me?" her voice cracked at the end.
She had strongly believed that she wasn't an orphan for almost all her life now. She was scared of that belief being broken one day.
"How can anyone forget such a cute little sunshine daughter? No one abandon such a bubbly and handful naughty little thing like you." Dylan said adoringly, not wanting to see her sad.
Isabella just let out a forced smile. Who was he kidding? She grew up in an orphanage along with many other abandoned kids. They were all cute and little sunshines too. Didn't their parents still forget about their existence?
Dylan understood everything going on in her mind without her words. He gently made her lay down with her head in his lap.
"What's on your mind Isa?" He gently asked as he massaged her scalp.
"Nothing actually. I am actually glad that even though I was lost, I remember being loved, pampered and protected." Isabella smiled, feeling better after saying this.
Then something clicked in her mind and her attention went back to her to-be-husband.
"Your to-be-wife is an alien. What will you do if one day I have to go back?" Isabella asked jokingly. She didn't plan on going anywhere leaving Dylan. But Dylan's heart almost stopped imagining a day like that.
"Then I will follow you. You might have seen two worlds, but I have seen my entire world in you. I cannot belong anywhere else."