His Toxic Addiction
Chapter 173: He Was Mute.

Chapter 173: He Was Mute.

Arissa stirred her soup while staring ahead absentmindedly. Nicklaus haven’t come down for breakfast which made her doubt if he was still home.

Last night was confusing to her. She had felt a new wash of feelings run down her spine when she hugged him in silence as they listened to the rain.

She even regretted letting him go back to his room. If she had known he would leave for work so early after going away on an eight days trip, she would have hugged him to herself all high long.

She felt a deep special connection with him last night and she wondered if he had felt it too. That weird feeling, had he also felt it?

But even if he felt it, what would she do? She was sure of herself, no matter how long she stays with him, she wouldn’t feel anything for him but surprisingly, right now, she sees herself in love, no, to be on the safer side, she better use the word like and not love.

She sincerely likes every little thing he does.

When she laid on him last night and listened to his heartbeat, she felt satisfied. What’s with all these? They weren’t even two months old yet and she was beginning to feel this way. Where was her old self?

She released a deeply frustrated sign which finally caught Mrs. Wyatt’s attention. The older woman dropped her cutleries before focusing on the lost being beside her.

"Dear," she called softly to which Arissa replied with a turn of her head.

Mrs. Wyatt’s older hand landed softly on Arissa’s shoulder and with eyes filled with care, she said," You haven’t touched your soup."

Arissa gave her a light nod before facing her soup, "I want it to get a bit cold before I dig in," she lied.

"Okay," Mrs. Wyatt nodded but saw through the lie.

Maybe, Arissa had forgotten but the girl told her about her dislike for cold food so, why the sudden fondness if there wasn’t something bothering her?

However, she said nothing and turned to her breakfast. Little by little, the girl is becoming open with her and she would not love to spoil that relationship by trying to dig in.

When Arissa feels free, she could talk to her.

But it wasn’t up to a minute when she cast a side glance at Arissa and released a sigh upon seeing the girl haven’t still touched her food.

"That was Nicklaus’s favorite," Mrs. Wyatt tried to start up a conversation. Maybe, she would eat while talking as the conversation might help her let go of her burden.

Arissa turned to Mrs. Wyatt with a questioning look, "Why was?" she grabbed the past tense used.

Just as Mrs. Wyatt prayed, she caught Arissa’s attention as the younger woman stared at her with all glaring curiosity in her brown eyes.

Mrs. Wyatt smiled, "He stopped eating it after three months," she replied and Arissa’s face turned confused.

Three months? How was it his favorite if he had only loved it for three months? Her lips parted to say but she shut them up.

She can’t be so interested in his life, mostly not with these strange feelings growing in her.

Consciously, her palm rubbed her flat stomach with all affection. Though she have taken the flushing pills, she could not help the baby fever that covers her timely - which was abnormal.

Right now, she felt like a normal lovingly wedded wife - with her ring finger empty - expecting her first baby.

’Dear Lord, what’s happening to me?’ she asked her inner thought still rumbling her belly softly. Nicklaus wasn’t the man of her dreams - she meant he could be but she doesn’t want him to be.

She doesn’t want this kind of love story for herself. She wants to court her future husband for a while, also, have her wedding at a rooftop or a beach, and live away from torments with a small family and not some forced marriage turned to love. That sounded unreasonable.

Mrs. Wyatt continued, completely clueless about the battle Arissa was facing with her thoughts, "He usually ate it with garlic breadsticks," she gave out an awkward laugh.

She added almost immediately, "I don’t even know what he likes anymore. He goes further away as the seconds tick_" she trailed off before putting a scoop of soup into her mouth.

Arissa faced the woman before taking her hand off her stomach. She tried not to ask but something kept her deeply invested in his past.

She felt like she was walking on a threadline around him and she felt his past could help her - help her do what? Why does she feel like she wants him to be transparent with her?

Yet, before she would stop herself, the words left her lips, "How was Nicklaus like as a kid?"

She would have fought harder not to let those words out but she couldn’t. Right now, he was the only thought she has.

But suddenly, Mrs. Wyatt froze.

Arissa raised a brow when the woman did that, and not only that, her face fell at the question. She blinked, ’Aren’t all mothers ought to be happy talking about their kid’s throwback?’ she thought

Well, all mothers but not her mother because that woman never knew if she had eaten or not as a child. Arissa still wonders if that woman breastfed her, but Mrs. Wyatt, doesn’t look like that kind of mother so, why the sudden sadness?

"Trust me, his childhood isn’t some cute story you would love to listen to," Mrs. Wyatt dissuaded her.

Arissa’s interest was piqued by Mrs. Wyatt’s words, "Why do you say so? Did he do bad things as a kid? Did he hang out with addicts?"

"I wish he did all of that," Mrs. Wyatt said, "Nicklaus was a lonely kid," she chuckled sadly before fully dropping her cutleries.

"He also sulked a lot. Being that lonely and always quiet, we had an extremely tough time raising him. He had no friends as no one wanted to associate with the mute ice kid_"

"He was mute?" Arissa cut her off with a surprised voice.

"Yes he was," Mrs. Wyatt affirmed.

During the period they first adopted him, he wasn’t able to speak, he was mute for a year and three months before saying his first word to them.

With how he acted and expressed himself, she knew he was traumatized back then and that was why she did everything she could to make him feel loved.

It wasn’t until two years ago he opened up to her - but she did not tell Arissa all of these.

Arissa’s brows furrowed, "How long was he unable to speak?"

Mrs. Wyatt took a short pause as she reasoned if Nicklaus would appreciate her sharing his story or not. But with a shrug of her shoulder, she decided to go on.

Whereas, it was his wife she was speaking to and some stranger.

Parting her lips, "For about a year and three months. He was almost eight when he began to speak again," she shared.

Arissa sat up straight as if she had been laying down all this while. Why eight years? Does that mean he can talk before turning mute? If so, what happened to him?

She immediately felt strange, ’Just don’t call me Klaus,’ she suddenly remembered his words, and her lips bit her lower lip.

Interested in the tale, "How was he able to speak again?" she found herself asking.

Mrs. Wyatt released a pent-up breath. This story was too heavy for her to share but since it was Arissa asking, she could spare the light details for her.

"I just had to bond with him," her voice was tired, showing she was tired of the topic already - even if she was still willing to answer.

Arissa took notice of the change in the woman’s voice but still, she went on and asked, "How were you able to bond with him?" there was a hint of gewgaw in her voice.

She noticed the topic was a sensitive one to the lady but she doesn’t know the next chance she would have to talk about this and surely, Nicklaus won’t tell her about himself. So, she has to use her opportunity.

Mrs. Wyatt took in a shaky breath over the question. She kept silent for a while before saying, "I just showed him all the love I have. I was an active listener whenever he needed someone to listen or talk to and as time went on, Geal came into his life and helped me bond more with him_ I think that’s enough,"

Arissa’s jaw dropped, "I_"

She trailed off when she saw Mrs. Wyatt close to tears but she still wanted to know more about how they bonded, why did Mrs. Wyatt end that way?

And why was she about to cry?

Mrs. Wyatt immediately turned back to her meal and it left Arissa speechless. Seems the topic was more sensitive than she thought.

.....

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