Married to my suspect

I continued searching the drawers. My watch showed that over forty minutes had passed since I started the search and organization. I'd taken note of some notes with my name in it but none had been about the pen again, just business notes. I closed my eyes. Where would be better to look next? The files or his bedroom. Seeing no help for it, I started arranging the files. Even if I postponed the task, I would still have to come back to it.

I started with the papers on the table, skimming through them and organizing them into files and eventually started with the files. As expected, the documents weren't sorted by files rather by whatever file Ethan had seen when he printed or received the document from the look of things.

Organizing would take more time than I could spare so I borrowed a page from his book and started placing the documents neatly on each other, not minding the content. I picked up an empty file and sighed, placing it on the list of organized files when a picture fell from it. I picked up the picture and stared at the picture of me, a few days after Camille had taken me into the orphanage. Where had he found it or rather how had he found it? Since my adoption wasn't conventional by any means, it was obvious the parents had accepted it because of the child's plea, Camille had sealed my records and told them I had nothing. Even I, hadn't seen the records. Not that I'd looked for it.

I opened the file and, seeing that was the only thing in it, continued searching. Sooner or later, I was going to find something that would explain whatever was going on.

I tilted my head backward, weariness filling me. It was already after two am and I knew I should call it quits since I had to go to work. The three days vacation from work I'd taken felt like a week and the last thing I needed was to sleep at the office. So far, I'd found that cryptic note about me and the pen, the picture of me I didn't know still existed and a lot of pictures of both of us, mostly Ethan, back in high school and college. I didn't even know he had gotten them printed. I'd also found printed documents rambling with words of how annoying, too organized and a stuck up I was, it had filled and over filled a file. I could guess the documents were from our fights. Those had made me laugh because I'd always told Ethan he was lying when he insisted he could write a book purely about how annoying he found me. It looked like he was well on his way to publishing. I stretched, I wanted to go home and sleep on my bed. Not that I thought it could help, a man could only wish.

DANIELLE'S POV

I flushed the toilet and cringed, hoping the noise didn't disturb Eleni and opened the door, having to squint to adjust to the brightness of the room, as opposed to the completely dark toilet I'd just come out from.

"I thought you would be sleeping." I whispered to Eleni who was staring at me with a soft smile.

She shook her head. "I can't yet. Was that Jonathan?"

I nodded. "Yeah. He called to say I shouldn't wait up for him since he wasn't coming home tonight."

Eleni's eyes widened. "Because of work?" She said something else and sat up abtuptly and I arched my brows. She had just spoken to me in her language.

She flushed, her already pale skin turning red. "I said what if something happened. I'm scared." She whispered.

I got into her bed and moved closer to her and Eleni burrowed into my side. "What if he comes inside?"

I frowned. "Who?" I threw back with the same quiet tone she had asked me in.

"My husband."

"Ex husband." I corrected and she gave me a small smile. "We should just give him a nasty name. It's not like you will ever see him again."

She shook her head. "What if he comes? In my dream, he came here, inside the room. You and Jonathan was not here. He took me away. I did not find you anywhere." A sound came from her door and terrified eyes went to the door. "Is he here?" Her breath was beginning to sound faster and faster, her face a mask of fear. Almost the way she had been when I'd answered her call. I wasn't a stranger to panic that might seem unfounded to others but even then, the image she'd just painted sent a chill through me.

"Its okay. He won't come here. There's no way he will also be able to go through the security at the door since his face and name is already with them."

Her breath was still faster than usual so I pulled her closer. "I swear nothing will happen. It was just a dream. Even if he tries to come in, I will not allow anything to you."

I guess my confidence got to her because she raised her head to stare at me like I'd just grown another head.

"Can you fight?" She asked and I understood it wasn't my confidence that got to her but my perceived nonsense especially since we both knew where we stood with physical violence. We were both taking the same self-defense class after all.

"Even if I can't, Jonathan will protect both of us. You've seen him, he'll fight for both of us." I said, filled with confidence.

Her breath was now just slightly faster than normal, the panic having receded. "But he's not here right now."

I shrugged. "If I call him now that something was happening, he'll be here any second from now."

Understanding filled her gaze. "Meaning he didn't go too far, right?"

I didn't bother correcting her but I realized I had meant every word I'd just said. Even though I didn't know where he was or what he was doing, I had full assurance that I only needed to call him if I was in trouble and he would appear like my prince charming.

Eleni sighed. "I wish I had married someone like Jonathan. Maybe I can still do…" Her voice cut off. "But I'm never getting married again. You have Jonathan, there's no other him." She took a deep breath. "I'm still scared. Will Jonathan mind if you sleep here?" She asked hopefully.

I covered myself with the duvet in response. "Of course not. Besides he's not coming back, remember?"

She didn't respond but I said her head bobble in the affirmative. We stayed that way for a long while as I tried to get back to sleep with all the light on. I felt a tap on my knee when I'd almost succeeded.

"Yes." I responded silently. Sleepily.

"Are you sleeping?" Eleni asked, her voice as bright as if she hadn't been able to sleep herself either. I intentionally ignored the clock as I turned to her.

"Can't go back to sleep?" I asked her and she nodded, a sad smile on her face.

"I keep thinking the door isn't locked and anything will happen."

I knew the door was locked. I'd locked it myself when I'd stepped into the room but I simply nodded and went to check. It was locked. I surveyed the room and went to her reading desk. I tried to pull it and when it didn't give easily, I nodded in satisfaction.

I turned to Eleni who was watching with large eyes. "What are you doing?"

She sputtered. "Or what are you doing?"

I smiled comfortingly. "Even if by one way or another, someone enters this house, we have to make sure they won't be able to get this door open."

She came to join me and with deep breaths and a lot of muttered cursing, from Eleni, I guessed from her expression, as she'd dropped English altogether, we were able to put the table in front of the door. "Does that make you feel better now?" I asked as we both lay on the cold floor, wiped out.

She nodded and smiled at me. "Thank you so much. I know nothing probably was going to happen but this makes it feel like we're protected by at least something."

I nodded, studying our handwork. Someone who had about thirty pounds or more over us probably won't struggle as much to get it out of the way but if Eleni could sleep easier tonight, I would take that anyway.

Eleni stood up. "The floor is cold." She said, holding her palms out for me which I took and we went back to the bed.

I covered myself again and closed my eyes, willing it to sleep but unable to with the myriads of thoughts going through me. First, I couldn't get rid of the way Jonathan's voice had sounded on the phone. Plus, his words about his secretary being rested hit me in the wrong way, if I was being honest with myself. I knew I was his secretary and it was a job I was profusely proud of but the way he had said it…

Eleni turned again and I stopped my train of thoughts. There was nothing I could do about it anyway and there was a situation I could take care of here.

"Still unable to sleep?" I asked and she sighed softly.

"You should try to sleep. You have to work tomorrow." She said.

"How did you sleep for those days we were not home?" I asked, still facing away from her.

I felt her shrug. "I lock the door. Today is just bad because of the dream."

I sighed silently. I knew how that felt. Something that was at the back of one's mind being ripped to the forefront and refusing to leave.