Falling For Her contracted Husband

Third Person POV

Amanda stood there, her hands trembling as she finally mustered the courage to face the Ocean. Her voice wavered as she began.

"Ocean, I didn't want it to come to this... I didn't want any of this, but I had no choice." She swallowed hard, her tears already welling up as she looked into his eyes, hoping he'd see the turmoil she had been living with for weeks. 

Ocean's jaw tightened, his arms crossed as he stood rigidly in front of her. His silence was heavy, pressing down on her like a weight she could no longer bear. She took a shaky breath and continued.

"It was my mom. She—she said we didn't have time, Ocean. We owed a huge amount of money. My family... we were drowning. Mr. Blake—he was the only one willing to help, but his condition—" Her voice cracked, and she stepped closer, desperate for him to understand. "He said he'd pay the entire debt, only if... only if I married him."

Ocean's eyes widened in disbelief. "Amanda, what?" His voice was low but laced with pain, and he took a step back as though her words physically struck him. 

Amanda grabbed his arm, trying to stop him from retreating further, her words spilling out in a rush. "I couldn't tell you! I knew you were working on your project, trying to build something for your future, and things were already hard enough for you. My mom... she kept telling me I could change everything for my family if I just... if I just agreed to marry him. She said it was my responsibility, Ocean! And I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to tell you because—because I was so scared."

Her tears fell freely now, and she cupped his face with trembling hands, forcing him to look at her as she choked out.

"Can't you see? I love you, Ocean! I've always loved you! Everything I did—every single thing—it was because I didn't know how else to fix this. I didn't know how to tell you without breaking us."

Ocean closed his eyes for a moment, his expression twisting with anguish before he pulled away from her touch. His voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a blade. 

"You think this makes it okay? Amanda, you hurt me. You lied to me—again and again. Don't you think I deserved to know? Don't you think I would have helped you if you'd just told me?"

She shook her head vehemently, sobbing as she tried to explain, "I couldn't, Ocean! I couldn't burden you with this when I saw how much pressure you were already under. And my mom—she made it sound like this was the only way. I thought if I could just handle it on my own, if I could protect you from it, we could come out of this okay."

Ocean let out a bitter laugh, running a hand through his hair as he stepped further away, leaving Amanda reaching out to him like a lifeline slipping from her grasp. "Protect me?" he echoed, his tone filled with disbelief. 

"Amanda, do you even hear yourself? You're not supposed to face things like this alone—not when we're supposed to be a team. You shut me out completely, and now you expect me to just understand?"

She crumpled to the floor, her tears soaking into the carpet as her voice broke into a whisper. "I didn't know what else to do, Ocean. I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I could fix everything..."

Ocean's expression softened for a brief moment as he watched her breaking down, but the hurt still lingered in his eyes. He crouched in front of her, his voice gentler now but still firm. 

"Amanda, I would've done anything to help you. Anything. But you didn't give me the chance. Instead, you let this mess build up, and now... now, I don't know how we're supposed to fix this."

Amanda looked up at him, her face streaked with tears, desperation etched into every line. 

"Please, Ocean," she whispered. "Don't give up on me. On us. I love you. I swear, I love you."

For a long moment, he didn't respond, his conflicted gaze locked on hers. Finally, he let out a weary sigh, his shoulders slumping as he whispered.

"I don't know if love is enough this time, Amanda." 

He turned to her, his voice calm but edged with something sharper. 

"I know what you're doing, Amanda," Ocean began, his gaze piercing as it met hers. "You don't love the man you married. You did it to make me jealous." He paused, watching as her lips parted in surprise, but she said nothing. 

"But you know what's funny? I did the same thing. I married Sky to get to you—to make you see what you threw away."

Amanda's face twisted with conflicting emotions, her hands clenching the napkin in front of her. 

"Ocean, I—" she stammered, but he raised a hand to stop her. 

"I'm not proud of it," he admitted, leaning back in his chair. "But I need you to know I've always liked you. And you can't just waltz in here and pretend none of this happened, Amanda. We made choices. We're married now. This—whatever you're trying to do—it's not right."

Amanda's breath hitched as tears welled in her eyes, but she didn't back down. "Ocean, listen to me," she pleaded, her voice trembling. 

"I know I messed up, okay? I know I hurt you. But I want to make it right. Let me make it up to you. One date. Just one. My treat."

He shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "We're married, Amanda. Both of us. This isn't some fairy tale where fate brings us back together."

Her gaze turned defiant, though her voice broke as she spoke. "Fate is exactly what this is, Ocean. It's playing a cruel game with us, putting us with people we don't even love."

Ocean glanced away, his jaw tightening as he ran a hand through his dark hair. He didn't answer immediately, the air thick with tension. Before he could muster a response, a soft, familiar voice broke through the charged silence. 

"Ocean?" Sky's voice was gentle but laced with concern as she stepped into view, her delicate features lit with worry. Her gaze flickered between Ocean and Amanda, her brows knitting together. 

"What's going on here?" 

Ocean's shoulders relaxed slightly as he turned toward Sky, his lips curving into a faint, reassuring smile. 

"Babe," he said, his tone softening as he closed the space between them. He cupped her cheek for a brief moment before letting his hand fall. "What brings you here?" 

Sky's eyes darted to Amanda for a second, her presence clearly unsettling, before she refocused on Ocean. 

"You weren't back yet, and I got worried," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I just wanted to check on you." 

Amanda folded her arms across her chest, her lips pressing into a thin line. The air between them felt heavy, charged with unspoken words. Ocean, for his part, seemed torn, his eyes briefly meeting Amanda's before he turned his attention fully to Sky. 

"It's fine," he said softly, wrapping an arm around Sky's shoulders as though shielding her from the weight of the moment. "Let's get out of here." 

Sky nodded, though her gaze lingered on Amanda for a moment, curiosity and unease flickering in her eyes. Ocean's grip tightened slightly as he led her away, leaving Amanda standing there alone. Her eyes burned into their retreating figures, her fists clenching at her sides. She didn't move, not immediately, but her expression betrayed her thoughts. She was confident, perhaps even certain, that she could pull Ocean back into her orbit. This wasn't over—not by a long shot. 

Later that night, as Ocean and Sky drove home, the tension from earlier lingered like a shadow. Sky's silence was unusual, and Ocean couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. "You've been quiet," he said finally, glancing at her as he navigated the dark, winding road. 

Sky shifted in her seat, her hand resting over her arm where a faint bruise was beginning to form. "I'm fine," she murmured, though her voice wavered slightly. 

Ocean frowned, his grip tightening on the wheel. "You're hurt," he said, his voice laced with worry. "What happened?" 

"It's nothing," Sky replied quickly, brushing off his concern, but Ocean wasn't convinced. 

His mind was a storm of conflicting emotions as they neared home. Amanda's words from earlier echoed in his head, stirring doubts he thought he'd buried. He glanced at Sky again, her quiet resilience tugging at his heart. Should he give in to Amanda, if only to make things less complicated? The thought made his stomach twist, but the confusion remained, an unwelcome companion. He didn't know what to do. Not yet.