Orla had already changed into one of Callan's T-shirts when she got to the penthouse. The heat that trickled from the overstuffed wedding dress was annihilating and she just had to get rid of it.
She didn't bring any of her things to the penthouse and she couldn't walk around naked too, she had to come up with something. Donning Callan's yellow and less expensive T-shirt was the perfect solution to dying in her wedding dress.
The shirt was so long it reached her knees and swallowed her hands. She took her cat in her arms and crouched on the divan, anticipating the presence of her newly wedded husband.
"I didn't come with your food, Betty." She groaned, rubbing her cat's fur. "I will make sure to get it for you tomorrow."
Betty meowed and rested her head on Orla's legs, responding to her that it was okay and she understood her.
Orla smiled, relieved Betty was fine. Her fingers were still on Betty's fur and her lips stretched in a smile when the door to the room yanked open and a strong manly scent she'd recognized just in three days she'd been with him, followed.
She shut her eyes, gripping her cat tighter. It was their wedding night and she'd heard about the things that happened on such nights.
She avoided Callan's gaze when he walked in, but she knew he was unmoving, and his gaze was burning her skin even with the distance that separated them.
"You should get some sleep, Betty." Betty squawked at Orla’s words. Orla smiled at the cat as she unfolded herself from the divan.
"That's my shirt on you," Callan's voice was soft yet lethal and cold at the same time. He took a step closer and she took two steps backwards. "I told you not to touch my things without my consent. Didn’t I make it clear enough for you to understand?"
"I wouldn't have, but, but—" her words failed her. Sighing, she lowered her cat on the tiles and looked away from Callan. "The wedding dress was stuffy, I was suffocating and I just had to get rid of it." She tried to put herself together, but she couldn't.
Callan marched forward again. The faint sounds his footsteps made sliced through her like a knife was pierced directly into her skin. Trepidation gripped her, her hands were shaky as he neared her.
She wanted to run, run far away from him, but there was no room for that. She took one more step back backwards and her back met with the cold wall. Shutting her eyes, she stayed there, waiting for him to do whatever he wanted to do to her.
"I know you are dumb, but not too dumb to know that I do not want this marriage." There was about a three-inch distance now separating them.
Orla nodded her head, holding in the words that almost left her mouth. I do not want this either but she dared not say them out.
"Do not touch when I don't ask you to touch, that's the first rule." He said, jerking his finger up to the ceiling. "Do not pry into my business, stay far away from me, as far as possible, that's the second rule."
Orla bent to pick Betty and rubbed her fur as Callan spelled out his rules. She was uninterested in whatever he was saying and only wore his shirt because was stranded.
She had no business with him, and even though they were married, that wouldn't change anything about her aside from the fact that she'd be living with him.
"Stay within your lane, Orla." He stared into her eyes. He had more rules, plenty of them to give out to her, but he chose not to say them out now. She didn't seem bothered about the whole rules thing and it irked him.
"Can I go?" Orla asked, her voice gentle and almost lacking its pitch. She was tired, and not ready for ranting. She just wanted to sleep with Betty in her arms.
"There is a renovation going on in my house. We will leave as soon as the work is done, but for now, we are staying here because it's closer to work and…" He paused, she didn't need to know about all those things. She just had to obey whatever he told her to do. "I will set out my other rules later, for now, I am exhausted and need to take a rest."
Orla didn't say a word, her fingers and eyes were on Betty. She was glad she brought her along with her.
"I want you to know that I take every one of my words seriously and it won't go down well with me if anyone goes against them." He looked at her, she was fiddling with her cat's fur.
Orla was dejected, she understood that Callan hated her but she hadn't expected him to be so mean to her on their wedding day. When she figured out there was nothing she could do or say, she resorted to playing with Betty's fur, at least that little action calmed her nerves.
"I hate pet animals, you should keep this far away from me and when you want to sleep, you can make sure of the couch or sleep on the tiles. I do not care how you want to sleep, but I won't let you come close to me on the bed."
Orla sighed, her eyes flickering around the room. She wondered if his body would fill the king-sized bed. If he slept and sprawled his body all over the bed, there would still be a large space for her tiny body.
Callan wasn't a gentleman after all. She remembered she had glimpsed a small room earlier, so she put it forward to him.
"There is a smaller room in here, can I make do with the bed in it?" She asked in a low voice.
"I see you've already surveyed the room." He scoffed, walking towards the vanity table. "Do whatever you want but do not go against my rules."
Orla sighed again, relieved he didn't talk about sex or whatever couples do on their wedding night. She scooped Betty in her arms and scurried out of the room, heading to the smaller room adjoining the bedroom.
She folded herself on the bed and placed Betty by her side. She was befuddled and didn't know what to do or how to behave in Callan's house.
It was just their first day together and he was already mean to her.
She thought of the many harsh behaviors that would come from him as they lived together and she couldn't just decide if it was going to be better than her father's mansion or could be worse.
She let her thoughts consume her until she closed her eyes and met with sleep.