The Devil's Sweetheart

Just when Devin arrived in the dining hall carrying Leena, everyone's gaze was anchored to their position with their mouths opened and Salsa even stopped chewing his food. Despite umpteen people arrived for the wedding, many were strolling in the garden after having their dinner and only the family members were sitting over the table saving Leena from remorse at least.

Totally embarrassed to show her face, Leena buried her face deep into his embrace timidly, startling him. She elbowed him lightly so that he would understand and come up with some story to make them believe for carrying her in his arms, but Devin was in another world. There was nothing going into his ears when she was hugging him.

"How should I face them from tomorrow." Leena cried inwardly.

"Put me down, idiot. Everyone is looking at us." Leena whispered, her voice almost begging thinking he would at least comply with her wishes but Devin did not listen to her pleas and straightaway went to the table. Placing her on the chair, he settled next to her.

"Why did you lock yourself up in the room since morning dear?" Daisy asked to ease the atmosphere when she sensed Leena was feeling uncomfortable. She was happy that both are slowly getting along with each other.

"You scared everyone darling." Mark chided." If you repeat this again I will tell your Fra_"

"No! I will never do it again uncle Mark. Please don't tell him." Leena immediately begged scared that it would reach Francis's ears. He would fly to Seattle to kill her if he knows about it.

"Who is that? Is that your King Kong uncle?" Devin whispered refilling her soup bowl. He now has one top priority, to find about her family. If he had used his own ways, with just one phone call, her information would be sitting on his table on the first day he has seen her. But secretly collecting her information without her knowledge is a blatant disrespect to her trust. Just because he loves her, he doesn't have the right to pry on her. It is a just sick thought. Her trust is his respect and he will never break it. Even now he feels remorse for getting her name through other means. But he didn't have a choice back then.

"Go away, idiot. I am not telling it." She pushed him away. Did he still remember the story which I have cooked up in the flight?

"You both seem very close. What's your relationship with him?" Leah asked nudging Leena's elbow playfully. She was happy that Devin is slowly taking their relationship to the next level. Never she has seen Leena allowing a man in her premises much less hold a hand. But to her surprise, she let Vincy carry her and she did not even complain.

"We are just roommates." Leena sharply glared at him for bringing her in a contradicting situation. He is happily eating and I am the one to answer everyone's question.

"Roommates or friends with benefits?"Leena rolled her eyes at the giggling idiot.

"If you don't end the topic now, there is a flight for New York in the next two hours."

"You meanie." Leah hit her head. Even if Leena doesn't admit their relationship, Leah was sure both are going to become a couple soon. Where did this Austin go? He is always out at the most important scene happenings.

Without eating Leena was drawing circles on the plate thinking about their relationship.

"Eat it before he spoon feeds you." Leah poked her arm giggling to herself but her the foot was kicked again for teasing her.

....

After her dinner, Leena went to the room happy that she is not feeling lonely.

"Go and brush your teeth." Freshly showered, Devin entered into her room.

"Are you ordering me?" Even though she wanted to brush, after all, she has eaten twenty chocolates, Leena was too lazy to get up.

"After eating twenty chocolates, it would be a wonder if you don't wake up toothless."

"Stupid idiot. Don't you have any work other than teasing me?" Angrily, Leena went into the washroom concerned over her teeth.

"Why are you still in my room?" Coming back from the washroom after brushing her teeth, Leena asked him.

"I have something to talk with you." Clueless, Leena looked at him with a frown.

"Don't allow any man to enter into our room for the next nine days. I hate someone invading my space." He got to know from Austin that Trent has visited her just when he came back from the office. He has to keep an eye on him from tomorrow.

"Same applies to you. If I see you getting a woman into the room, You will see my wrath."

"Yes madam. I am leaving now. Sleep tight." Don't worry sweetheart. There is no space in my heart for anyone except you. You have fully occupied it.

"I am not sleepy," Leena mumbled wanting him to stay here for some more time.

"So?"

"Let's play a game. Can you sing a song?" Leena asked with excitement.

"No." His reply came immediately. She would definitely ask a nursery rhyme if he says yes.

"Then I will sing. I have a very sweet voice." Proudly brandishing herself, Leena opened her mobile to select a song. Finally, she chose Zombie the cranberries song after the thorough search but there was no silhouette of him to show off her singing skills. Leena turned to her side and found him standing near the window.

"You haven't even started, a donkey has already arrived." He stated in a flat tone.

Leena opened her mouth staring at him without getting any words to reprimand him. Should I cry or laugh? Even Francy doesn't dare to bully me.

"How about I tell a story?" Devin got an idea to play with his darling for a while.

"I love stories. Which one? Thriller or fairy tale?" She asked with excitement.

"Horror." Sitting comfortably on the bed, Devin looked at her hesitant to face. Somewhere he knew, she is scared of ghosts, and being self-centered he also knew she would never admit her flaws. But he would not leave her today. The night is still young.

"I_I love horror stories. You can start." Leena smiled acting bravely even though her legs were shaking under the blanket. She is hell scared of horror stories. But she was not ready to admit that in front of him.

"A real story." He started. "It happened ten years back. I was traveling to a remote place and my car tire got punctured suddenly. When I got down, it started raining cats and dogs suddenly and I heard many disturbing voices.

"M_ight be a dog. They have little tendency to hearing." Leena stuttered gripping her blanket in fear.

"I thought the same darling. But it's not a dog when a woman suddenly appeared in front of me asking if I was hungry. Even before I could say no, she shoved a bottle into my hands and vanished away."

"Must be water, Mr. Adonis." Leena still smiled despite her inner turmoil. You mad fellow. Didn't you have any other story to tell? She wanted to kick him down there for coming up with such a story to scare her.

"I wished it was water. But it was freshly drawn blood. I didn't mind her and went ahead in search of a hotel to stay. But there was a crematorium instead of a hotel and unexpectedly I saw a freshly dead body in front of me and the same woman which I had seen earlier was sitting on it without making any noise. But that's not the surprise."

"You want to know what I have seen?" Devin whispered creating a horror movie effect. Leena was shaking to the core. She knew it's not real, but imagining it really scared her.

"A horrific woman with no legs. Slowly she turned around and whispered into my ears, Welcome home."

"No! I don't want to hear anymore." Leena's last straw broke. She jumped into her bed shutting her eyes tightly without making any sound.

"She is literally scared of ghosts, but doesn't admit." Whispering to himself, Devin waited for her to completely sleep and tugged her under the blanket securely, and walked into his room.

....

Morning arrived and Devin woke up early to go for a jog, but his legs felt heavy to move, unlike every day. He craned his neck to see Leena's upper body lying on his legs, her body was curled into a ball without any blanket.

How did she come here? He slightly tilted her face and placed her on the bed gently. Did she get scared of the story? He immediately checked if he had any fever and to his relief she was fine. He criticized for his stupid act. Thank God, she is not having any fever.

"Did I scare you yesterday? I am sorry sweetheart. I will never do that again. Sleep tight.." He whispered kissing her forehead lovingly.