Asher nodded. "Alright." He hesitated for a moment. "You don't have to stay home all the time you know. You're allowed to go out if you want." He said softly. He didn't want her to feel trapped. Likely she would no matter what he did, simply because of this marriage, but he wanted to give her as much freedom as possible.
She looked him up and down, tilting her head. “I can go out? You’d let me?” Her parents never let her leave the house without an escort… she was surprised that he was so willing to let her go.
“I can go for walks in the morning right? You wouldn’t mind?”
He nodded. "Yeah. I don't want you to be trapped here. That's no way to live. You can take walks, I don't mind. Just be careful, and don't get hurt." He told her gently. "If you want mace or pepper spray, just in case, I can get you some." He looked over at the piano again. "If you need anything, just let me know."
She tilted her head and looked up to him in curiosity. He was kinder now, less cold towards her. She noticed that he looked at her more. “Thank you, I think some mace would be good to have.” She murmured, smiling up at him softly.
He nodded. "Alright. I'll pick it up for you later, then. I actually have a meeting I have to get to in an hour. It should only last about an hour or so, and then I'll be back." He ran a hand along the piano again, fingers lingering against the white pained wood. Peri helped me pick this out… He shook the thought off quickly.
She nodded gently and watched him with sad eyes. She wasn’t who he wanted… the person he wanted was dead. She couldn’t be someone he could love.
Arabella silently left the room, not wanting to disturb him. She flopped onto the couch and groaned loudly.
Asher sighed softly, and went upstairs to their bedroom to get ready, changing into a suit and combing his hair again, quiet. I wish it didn't have to be like this. Arabella should have a chance to fall in love with someone, not spend the rest of her life stuck with me.
(How do we want their relationship to change? Like how fast?)
Arabella groaned softly again as she sat up, looking around with sad eyes. The house was nice and her husband was handsome and rich. She had everything a girl could ever want but… she felt empty.
What good was material value when you had no emotion or love behind any of it…?
(I’d say amount as fast as you’d like it. We can take it slow or we could jump right in)
Asher finished up, brushing his teeth, then headed out to the car. He didn't need a chauffeur, preffering to drive himself wherever he needed to go. It was only when he needed to show off that he would use a chauffeur to get places.
Arabella stood when she heard his car pull away. She watched through the window as he drove off, growing saddened to be left alone again. She moved to their bedroom and pulled her art supplies out, grabbing a new canvas and setting it all up in the living room.
She loved to paint and was quite good at it.
Asher kept driving. This meeting would be…well. It could get very awkward, and very, well…just not the type of meeting he preferred to go to. Was that sad? That he had preferred meetings? He sighed. It probably was.
Soon minutes had passed and the female was asleep on the couch, covered in dried paint and clutching her cleaned art supplies to her chest. The painting she had just finished was of a landscape she had seen when she was a little girl. It was the one she had grew up with and loved it so.
Asher was in the middle of the meeting, arguing vehemently. "No, we are not doing that!" He exclaimed. God, i hate this. I'd rather be home. I don't want to be here. He thought.
Arabella slept for hours. And she probably would have slept for hours if her phone didn’t go off. She lifted the screen to her tired face, groaning when she realized the text was from her father. It was a long list of rules and expectations he had of her. Most were ridiculous rules… You can’t wear shorts, no eating too much, keep your manners in check, no painting, no reading fiction, no talking bad about the family name, no messing up this marriage, no complaining, no not taking care of her husband… she hated it all… but the one she hated the most was the text explaining how she was only there to please Asher. If he wanted something she would give it to him without hesitation. She really didn’t like that rule…”
Asher had arrived home late, tossing off his jacket as he came in. He groaned as he raked his hands through his hair, stretching. Hot tub. Hot tub would be nice. He thought. Yeah. Get in the hot tub. He headed to the bathroom, then paused. Should he ask if Arabella wanted to join him? She might appreciate it.
By the time he had gotten home, Arabella had cleaned up her stuff, the painting laying on the couch. She was in the bedroom, having already cleaned herself up and was now wandering around in a pair of comfortable pajama shorts and a tank top. She wouldn’t listen to her father. She was at least free from him.
Asher came into the bedroom, and looked over at her. "I'm about to get in the hot tub, if you wish to join me." He said to her, going into the closet and closing the door as he changed into swim trunks.
She blinked and nodded. There was a hot tub?! Had there always been one? She dashed to her closet to change into the small bikini top and bottom she had bought for herself. It was comfortable and still covered her so she liked it. “I didn’t know we had a hot tub.” She called to him as she exited her closet, wearing a shirt over her swim suit so she stayed warm until in the hot water.
He smiled slightly, coming out and grabbing two towels from the bathroom. "We do. It's this way." He handed her a towel, and led her through the house. He headed out to the back, and pulled the cover off the hot tub, putting his towel to the side.
She held the towel close to her chest, following him quietly and sheepishly. She felt a little awkward but was still excited nonetheless. The second he had the hot tub cover off, she had thrown off the over shirt and set her towel aside. She slipped into the water with a soft gasp, loving the warmth that rose up her whole body.
“It feels good…” she murmured softly, sinking down to her shoulders.
Asher nodded and smiled, slipping into the tub with her. "Mhm. I like getting in here to relax after a stressful day. You're welcome to use it whenever you want." He said, turning on the jets and leaning on them with a contented sigh.
Arabella's eyes fell closed as the jets hit her tense muscles. She hummed, knowing for certain she was going to be back here. “Thank you. I do enjoy a good soak. This feels wonderful!”
Asher smiled slightly, closing his eyes. "Yes." He said simply, relaxing into the jets. "And you don't have to worry about someone seeing you in here." He said to her. "So you can wear whatever you want in it, whether that's nothing, or a full length dress." He said, mouth twitching in a small smile.
She blushed lightly and looked down at herself with a soft laugh. “Nothing? I don’t know if that would be appropriate.” She murmured, leaning back and looking up at him. He was still somewhat taller than her even when sitting.
Asher shrugged, eyes still closed. "Just a suggestion. You can do whatever you want." He said with a soft chuckle, arms laying along the edge of the tub. He was shirtless, and his hair was messy. He didn't look like the polished businessman at that moment; just a man relaxing.