THE MARK

I fathomed I would wither into a slumber fast with this lullaby charm beside...huh? He is not here! No wonder I woke up. My senses might have speculated his absence. I roll to the other side of the bed, and the desolate expanse smirks at me. I acquit a long yawn, smoothing the eye logs from my eyes with my right hand.


His clothes are not dispersed on the floor where they were either. The floor is crystal clear. Did he leave already? Before I imprint my feet to the floor, something hooks my sight from under the pillow. A note!

You are so beautiful when you are sleeping. I dream of permanently waking up with you by my side soon.

I love you❤ XX


My heart pounds with ecstasy, and I joyously spring from the bed to go clean myself up, but before that, I decide to catch just a brisk glance at the grin on my face in my dressing mirror. The thought of us living like this permanently arouses the batterflies in my belly. The glee is just too much. That will be the start of our happy ever after and I can only imagine the glee, the pleasure, and the contentment that life will bring.

Well, I look just as I anticipated - glittering like the morning star, but damn these ridiculous eye bags. I would be gleaming much more if it weren't for them. I try to scour them with my hands, but... Wait a minute, something glitters on my left arm, cutting the my mission short.


I hoist my hand up, my eyes running there in haste and confusion.

A ring on my middle finger?! Not just any ring. A diamond ring, perfected fitted on my middle finger.

I plop my hands from my face, scowling at the shining jewel. I am awestruck and blown at the same time! My breathing stops, and my heart forgets how to function for the first time as I gawk at the ring. I am going through an erratic catastrophe of a solvent of emotions right now.

He put a finger on my ring? What does this mean?

As I continue fathoming about his gesticulation and fondling with the cute ring, his lanky figure emerges from my behind, marching slowly to me. I don't turn, but I keep my eyes glued to his dashing figure through the reflection in the mirror until he halts his strides behind me.

His eyes plunge to my hands, a sweet satisfied smile spread on his lips. "You like it?" He hoarses, though so low. Were it not for him being this close, his tone wouldn't have made it to my ears. He slopes his chin on my shoulder, his pheromones warming up my face.

Do I like it? I am already tearing up from all the glee and disbelief. "What...does this mean, Damian?" I mumble, my voice barely an inaudible whisper.

He swaddles his arms around my belly, embodying me to him in a much possessive way. Our eyes lock in the mirror reflection. "I have marked you, Ellie Marrie Riccaford! You are mine. Mine alone!"

Okay. I know this feels all confectionary. It is candy. Of course, I love this gesture. It means that I am officially his. He is mine solely and officially. But I am getting a bit apprehensive and perplexed here. Isn't he moving too fast? I mean, we haven't even gone out for our first date, nobody knows about our affair except Grace, and now, boom! Out of the blue, I am engaged? Come on!

Wait a minute. He didn't even ask me. Well, not like I would have given him a contradicting response, but you know that feeling of seeing a Gree god on one knee and popping the question would have hit differently. Sigh!

I spin in his possessive arms, facing him - these eyes of his that depict, what? Fear? Well, he already engaged me so he has nothing else to worry about. I'm now officially his girlfriend, but only the two of us know. Weird! But he still has this weird look?

"Aren't we going too fast?" I ask, and his grip on me tightens, as if disseminating a message to me.

"I don't think so. I am just marking what's mine. I am possessing what is rightfully mine and sending a memo to the world that this goddess, belongs to someone. She is off-market and off-limit. I want to know that I have at least given you some assurance of my love and how serious I take this, Ellie."

I explore his eyes for a moment, his whole facial utterances in extense. What's obscured by this curtain of fear that I am seeing in them? I feel fortunate that he wants me to be his even if that means engaging in my sleep. I have no room for anybody else apart from him. He knows that I am with him and no one else. But why does he look this insecure? I might not be able to flip through the profundity of this look, but I am certain there is something deeply hidden in them. I feel it.

"With or without this ring, Damian, I am all yours. I surrendered myself to you a long time ago. Why do you seem, so insecure?" I implore, resting my hands on his chest.

"I am afraid of the time that this love will be put to the test. I don't want to lose you, Ellie!" He whimpers with his eyes closed, and for the first time, I feel his hands tremble on my hold, making me tremble too.

Deep! A moment of silence.

He is shutting his eyes tight, and I am miserably and desperately endeavoring to peek through their tightly shut walls, but obviously, erring miserably.

I cup his face, nuzzling his cheeks in a gamble to soothe him into opening his eyes which he does after a while. They have a tinge of redness in them. I never knew I could make him this weak. Is it me, or something else?

"I Am not going anywhere, Damian. I love you. Only you, Damian Almeda, and I don't want to love someone else apart from you. We will surpass all the curveballs that life may throw our way," I assure him, gazing into his darkening eyes.

He breathes out heavily. "Will you still love me the same if you learn something from my past that you wouldn't like? Maybe, a side of me that you still don't know?" He implores.

Huh, past? Does he have a dark past? How dark is it? Was he a drug lord? An assassin? A rapist? A swindler? "Were you a criminal?" I query, and he smirks bitterly.