Chapter 283: Chapter 283

"You- ho-w?" Ava stammered, not even sure what she was asking, and then her eyes settled on Shelby. Shelby’s slight indifference on the matter told Ava a lot. Shelby had changed in a not-so-subtle way from the ordeal. Ava continued looking long and hard at her friend, and then she broke into a wide infectious smile!

"Badass! Me love it!"

Murray also turned to leave the room, and a rare amusement look crossed his face.

’We’ll have our hands full with this one,’ He thought.

"I never liked that bitch anyway! I also know without a doubt that she will dig her own grave as you have said. That aside, let’s just sit back and enjoy the show!" Ava winked and then slinked out of the room. She was so excited, as if she had just won the biggest prize in a lottery. Count on Ava to show such excitement about something like that.

Just as the door closed behind her, she popped back in,

"I’ll get out of you love-birds’ hair on this! Just be careful. You just woke up, and we do not want you slinking back into a coma because of those intense emotions I see brimming in your eyes!"

Shelby shouted at her as Ava jumped back mischievously and then closed the door behind her, leaving only the couple and their children.

This plunged the room into a serene and comforting silence.

Ian and Shelby stayed close, silently enjoying each other’s company. Their presence together was an unspoken connection.

Shelby settled back into Ian’s embrace, wiggling a little until she found the perfect position.

"Do you want me to step in?"

Shelby shook her head,

"Avril’s nature is like that. She will dig her own grave, so why do I have to let us dirty our hands?"

"My wife is the best! She even knows how to read people now!"

Shelby nudged Ian in the ribs.

"Awww!" He feigned a hurtful response, knowing perfectly well that with his build, there was no way Shelby’s action could hurt him.

"What was that for?" He said, feigning weakness, even as he tried to keep the smile out of his voice. Ian was ecstatic about every action and Shelby’s inaction. After spending days with her comatose, every single action from her reaffirmed that she was truly back with him.

"You knew that Avril had feelings for you, right?"

"I had no control over that?! Besides, I did not even notice until Mum pointed that out! I would never put you in harm’s way!" He replied helplessly, his tone firming up at the end.

Shelby tilted her head slightly as if to confirm his words, and then she asked,

"Why aren’t you asking me what happened back then?"

"I already know enough from the cameras to deduce everything...." Ian whispered against her ear and dropped another kiss there.

"There is one thing that I don’t get. Why did you follow them? I. know that Brianna is your friend, but she has repeatedly shown that she had ill thoughts about you."

Shelby was quiet for a few minutes before she started in a very quiet voice,

"You know? She was not like that at the beginning when we met. Despite the fact that most women shunned me because of jealousy and many other emotions, Brianna was not like that, no matter how much that is surprising now.

With time, I could see subtle actions from her that were undesirable. But Brianna has always been at the top and she was raised that way so I thought that she looking down on us was okay. I loved the idea of that friend. No matter how badly Brianna acted, she was always my friend.... Most importantly, I knew of her crush on you. She basically idolizes you and ...."

"Don’t tell me you regret marrying me?"

"Never!" Shelby replied firmly as her voice raised a notch.

"You were the only one that I could call mine, and I would never share, not regret! Ever!"

Ian tightened his arms around her at that.

"However, I still felt guilty towards Brianna. She is someone who had always gotten what she wanted, and I always gave way to her because she was my friend but this time, I wanted to be selfish and that compounded that guilt. You could say that I wanted to verify if a tiny bit of my friend from that time was there, but her actions confirmed it for me...."

Shelby stopped as if thinking back to that day, and Ian let her be.

"I may have been silly once or twice because I craved that connection, but with you, our children, my brother and even Ava, .... In fact, the whole new family that I have now, I have no use for such friendships with strings attached to them. I will live for myself and be selfish for myself because I know that my family will always have my back!"

Ian held her even closer as if trying to comfort her, but he noted that Shelby had not mentioned her mother in that list, and that made him even happier because Ian knew that, like Brianna, Clara was also not worth his wife’s time.

"Be selfish all you want and deal with whoever tries to harm you. I’ve got your back and will do anything for you, my love!"

"Even if I hurt someone?"

"Even if you do more than hurt... I will always have your back. Trudge forward and shine. Do not worry about the troubles you make in your wake. Know that I will never let anything happen to you ever again!"

Those warm words made Shelby’s heart flutter, and she nestled deep in his embrace, relishing that protection.

"I have always been used to doing things on my own, so I want to say this: Thank you for coming for me, Ian. I had all but lost hope at that time."

"There will never be a need for gratitude between us, my Elfin...."

Ian’s gaze said it all, and no words were needed for him to express how he felt at that moment for his beautiful wife.

Even though he felt the need to tell her that there were other powers at play at that time as well, Ian did not have the heart to ruin that mood. That was a conversation for another time. Besides, his wife had just awoken barely a few hours, and he wanted to spend more time with her before all those grim details were unearthed.

A few moments later, Ian felt a surge of happiness as Shelby reached up and planted a sweet kiss on his jaw.

Someone’s heart was beating wildly in the silent room just from that fluttering touch, and he felt no shyness from that because it was only his wife who could elicit such from him. It felt like he hadn’t been touched by his wife in ages, and he was swept away by emotions. He gently placed her small palm in his larger one, their body heat mingling and bringing them both a sense of comfort.

He rubbed her fondly with his other hand, relishing in her warmth. Only Ian truly understood the deep sadness that overwhelmed him while she was away. She was physically with him but spiritually not.

She blinked almost innocently as if she had discovered a new trait about her husband.

"Were you worried? I’m s-"

Ian hush whispered, feeling himself swell with even more emotions.

To Shelby at that time, Ian looked lovely as well as pitiful. A strange combination that was even stranger on such a large man.

Ian’s mouth started getting dry, and his gaze fluttered,

"What is it?" She asked innocently,

"I want to kiss you so bad...." Ian sounded so gruff that it temporarily startled Shelby.

"Then what are you waiting fo-"

She never got the words out before Ian tilted her head and met her lips in an upside-down kiss as he sat behind her.

His mouth was scorching hot as was hers, and he ate her mouth as if that was the last time he would ever get to do that. Ian offloaded all his pent-up emotions and frustrations from the time that she had been out into the kiss, and she received every bit of it.

She missed him as hell. Trapped in that supposed dreamland or wherever the heck that was, all Shelby could think of was getting back to this sweetness that Ian always elicited with his kisses. In a place that seemed to be without time, Shelby had craved for her husband’s warmth. She craved for that unique bond that she shared with her husband. She craved for only him.

She raised one hand and twirled his long hair in contention as he kissed her senseless without holding back and even without a care that the children were in the room.

Ingrid and Gabriel said simultaneously from the bottom of the bed, and Ian cursed in his head. ’Why do these two always have such bad timings? I should have let Murray send them out?’ Shelby chuckled as Ian had used their mind link to say this.

’These kids are becoming too much of a stumbling block.’ He warmly deepened the kiss for a moment before gently and reluctantly letting her go.

"Ingrid?! Why won’t you let me see too?"

Gabriel exclaimed as Shelby turned to see Ingrid covering his eyes with her tiny hands and closing her own eyes. Ian nodded in satisfaction, thinking, ’She’s a sensible one’ and pulled Shelby closer, kissing her blond hair.

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