He punctured the sliced apple with the fork, bringing it to Cherry’s mouth. Cherry’s fit of laughter got lost at the succulent essence coating her lips and the aroma tickling her nose. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the piece of fruit. Her eyes narrowed, puckering the skin between her soft brows. Not because Brandon was offering to feed her, but because her lips were unwittingly wrapping themselves around the delicacy as if it was a motion ingrate in her.

The passage would repeat; Brandon poking an apple and Cherry receiving it with no complaints or words. Her chews mixed with the rattling of the window beaded down by icy droplets resounding inside the lit room until the utensil got placed back on the empty plate.

Though the cautiousness that she held towards Brandon hasn’t subsided yet, the silence that shimmied between them was cordial and Cherry didn’t mind it if it stayed liked that.

“But I guess April wasn’t totally wrong about me.”

“What?”

The hand that was feeding Cherry a second ago was now caressing her face. The pad of Brandon’s thumb swiping across her bottom lip, catching the leftover sweetness of the fruit before giving it a taste himself. “After all, I don’t give this kind of service to anyone but you.”

He had done it so casually that Cherry had no time to react and when the sensations of his fingers left her skin, making way for the cold hospital air to graze it, her face flushed red and her breathing got hitched.

“That surprises me.”

“Why? Would you like some more apples?” He asked and when Cherry shook her head, placed the plate away on the nightstand next to her bed.

“I pegged you to be bristled or even hate me after my reckless behavior got me to lose our child.” She whispered, only to receive a blank look from Brandon. Luring out the chastising voice in her head, haunting her mind and telling her he was only pretending to be not angry at her, not knowing that Brandon was simply stunned as he had already forgotten about the child and didn’t know what to say.

When he saw Cherry’s gaze leveling anxiously down to the blanket that was repeatedly being smoothed down by her clammy hands, he said as he slipped his hand in hers, interlacing their fingers,

“I’m sad about the loss of our child, but I could never hate you.” Using his other hand, he brushed some hair strands behind her ear. “I’m just thankful that you came back to me.”

Though hearing his words brought a morsel of relief to Cherry, the pressure on her chest was unmovable, robbing her of her breath whenever she thought of the baby. Somehow, the touch of Brandon’s fingers was pertinent in grappling her attention to the here and now.

Noticing how her sight slid to their interlinked hands, Brandon asked,

“Do you hate it?”

She arched her eyebrow at him, the corner of her lips turning up an inch. “Now you’re asking?”

He shrugs, his fingers still messaging hers. “Better now than never. I don’t want my wife to hate me.”

Wife... that sounds so weird, Cherry thought. She never thought that she would ever be someone’s wife, but it looks like she was able to scam someone in to marrying her weird ass.

“Do you hate it? Me referring to you as my wife?” Brandon inquired, letting Cherry know she made her thoughts transparent once again.

“Why do you keep asking whether I hate something when you’re already doing it, anyway? Shouldn’t you first ask me if I’m okay with it before even doing it?”

“Then do you like it?” He probed.

“You holding my hand or you calling me wife?”

“Both.”

“You calling me wife is a bit... uncomfortable.” She answered truthfully, but hesitantly as she didn’t want her words to dismay him. Brandon nodded thoughtfully. His eyes fleetingly flickered away from hers before snapping back ones she continues, tracking the lines of her moving lips. “But I don’t mind you touching me...”

Her eyes broaden, realizing how her words must have come over, but they already took flight, their destination; Brandon. Drawing a rakish smile from him that made those mischievous eyes shine brighter than ever.

“Wait! No! That’s not what I meant! I just meant that I’m okay with you holding my hand.”

He hummed in response, the smile on his face never losing strength, telling her he wasn’t even listening anymore and already had drawn his own conclusion. Bringing out a groan laden with embarrassment from Cherry as she hid her bright red face in her hands.

“I’m an idiot.”

Brandon grins. “But you’re my idiot.” Cherry muttered something incoherently, as if telling him to cease his chatter. “A cute idiot.” He added.

“Putting an adjective in front of idiot will not make me feel any less than an idiot.” Cherry remarked, narrowing her eyes to a pinprick, sending a glare to Brandon through the gaps of her fingers.

“But is it making you feel like going home with me isn’t such a bad choice?” He asked expectantly, with his brows touching his hairline and his smile exposing the pearly white teeth behind his lips. His timber like voice taking a sweet turn, imitating a child who’s begging their parent for a candy, beguiling Cherry from her hiding spot.

“That- did you-”

“I overheard you and April talking before I came. Sorry about that.”

“You-”

“But I promise you that there’s nothing for you to worry about-” His words got cut off by Cherry’s hand pressing the words back in his mouth.

“Will you just let me talk?” She glowered.

Gently, he removed the hand that covered his mouth. “That depends. Are you going to reject or accept me?”

She cocked her eyebrow, a subtle smile present on her face. “Is that a red flag I’m hearing?” She taunted.

“Don’t worry, my red flags aren’t toxic as they became red from my undying love for you.” He wiggled his brows at Cherry and she almost gagged on reflex from this man’s cheesiness.

“I’m serious Brandon.”

“And so am I.” He retorted with a frown, irritation lacing his voice. “If you think that I’m just going to wave you off and let you go with a dumb smile without even trying to keep you with me, then you’re dead wrong. You may have fallen on your head, but not I. I know what I want.” He hooked his finger under her chin, making sure that Cherry saw his humorless eyes, freighted with seriousness and a deep desire that shot tingles through her body. “I want you, Cherry.”

It felt like her chin got stung by a hot iron and jerked her head away from the finger that acted like a vine, spreading its roots and infecting the rest of Cherry’s body with a heat that got her heart trembling.

“Are you always this brazen?” She sputtered out the question and Brandon’s smile became hauntingly sweet, creating the dust of pink across Cherry’s cheeks.

“Only when I’m determined to get something.”

Her lips twisted in a disgruntled frown. “I’m not some kind of object.”

“No, you’re not.” Brandon agrees. “You’re a prize that I want to win so badly that I’m going mad.” He brought their intertwined hands to his face peppering kisses down the back of her hand, the last kiss lasting longer before he says, “So what do you say? Will you go home with me?” The lips that were saying those words were moving against Cherry’s skin. The sensation crawling up her skin and infesting her brain, making it difficult for her to think straight.

Her lips pressed into a slight grimace, April’s words weighting her mind as she observed the clear eyes of the man who the world had claimed to be her husband. Was there any reason she shouldn’t go with him when her own best friend has confirmed his identity and has (in her own weird way) approved of him?

With a resigning sigh, she answered, “Okay.” Brandon’s eyes lit up, his lips twisting, fighting to hold back a grin. “Under one condition.” Cherry added pointedly, holding up her index finger.

Brandon nodded his head vehemently. So much that Cherry worried that his head would fall off. “Whatever it is, I will do it.”