It took a little longer than I had planned for this chapter to come out, and for that I'm sorry!
On the bright side, it's the longest one so far.

Be sure to leave feedback! :)

- xoxo, Crys. (08.28.16)

"Picture Perfect"

Chapter 7

Darien sighed and let out a deep breath as he turned the corner, stepping into the bedroom he shared with his wife. He hadn't slept in the same room as Serena for a couple of weeks now, but he wouldn't go as far as removing all of his belongings into a separate room, for fear that Annabelle would notice.

They were experiencing one of the roughest patches they had ever had as a couple, but his heart would break if Annabelle ever found out. He wouldn't be able to handle her knowing this side of him. He couldn't handle breaking his daughters heart over the way he was now treating her mother. From his perspective, he wasn't wrong, his actions were justified; but there was no way anyone else would see it that way.

Contrary to what people assumed, before Darien's parents had gotten into their car accident and passed away, much like himself and Serena, they didn't always get along. His father had a terrible temper, and his mother purposely provoked his fathers bad side. They fed off of each other in the most awful ways. Though despite their dysfunction, Darien loved his parents as if they had no flaws.

But once he got older, he began to understand the toll that it had taken on him; growing up in a dysfunctional household. That type of environment conditions you to be either the abuser, or the victim of abuse. Neither position being healthy for either party. He didn't want his daughter to have to witness what he had as a child.

Sighing once more, Darien removed his blazer as he stepped into their shared closet. He took note that Serena had obviously gone shopping while he was out confronting Christina with Andrew earlier that day; the price tags dangling from the sides of various dresses, blouses, and bottoms giving that way. Serena believed in retail therapy, and seeing as the day they had had so far, he was going to let her have this one. Her spending habits would be a conversation for another day.

Money wasn't an issue, they were wealthy, but it was Darien who made all of the money. Serena didn't work, but she had no problem spending money. So this would just be ammunition for their next argument.

Grabbing the nearest empty hanger, he hung up his blazer, slowly heading back to his office. It was 2:30pm, his daughter would be arriving home in the next half hour. He wondered if she would ask him why he hadn't been there to tuck her in last night, or why he hadn't been home this morning, either. If he was lucky, she had already forgotten. That, or she would be too excited from seeing her father home before she got home from school, to even care to question him.

A half an hour had gone by, and Serena remained slumped pitifully on the floor, back against their fridge, head in her hands. She didn't know who her husband was anymore; he was so full of aggression and hatred that she couldn't recognize the man she vowed to spend the rest of her life with anymore.

The man that left her sobbing on their kitchen floor was not the man she fell in love with, he wasn't the man she married; her Darien would never do the things this man had done to her. Darien looked at her with love, and admiration. The man she shared a home with now, looked at her with only loathing and indifference.

Serena wanted so badly to ask him what it was that had broken him so terribly that he had changed so drastically, but she was terrified to do so. Raye was absolutely correct, when she stated that Serena needed to talk to Darien. They needed to put their animosities' out on the table, and they needed to communicate about what was bothering the two. Darien was bitter, and hateful. Serena was heartbroken, and scared.

Wiping away her tears, the blonde forced herself to get up. Annabelle was due home shortly, and she still needed to clean up the shards of broken glass still littering her kitchen floor. Frowning, she grabbed the unopened bottle of Merlot and placed it back into the cabinet. Quickly grabbing a broom and dustpan, she carefully swept up the broken wine glass, making sure to get even the tiniest of shards, leaving no strays behind. The last thing she needed was her daughter, or worse, Darien, stepping on left over pieces. She'd never hear the end of that one.

Serena glanced at the chrome clock hanging from their kitchen wall, and was shocked to find that it was now 2:55pm; Annabelle's bus would be arriving in approximately five minutes to drop her off. She hadn't meant to spend so much time crying over Darien, he certainly didn't deserve her tears.

Hurrying up the stairs and into her bedroom, Serena quickly changed into something more appropriate - a pair of jean shorts and a plain v-neck tee, before slipping on a simple pair of flip-flops. She was in no mood to put on her standard slacks or blouse.

She could see Darien inside of his office, with his phone glued to his ear, peering out of his window, in the direction their daughters bus would come in, as she made her way back downstairs and out the front door. Darien really, really loved their daughter. More than anything in the world. Serena used to be his everything, but now it was Annabelle. That didn't make her jealous or mad though, she had matured so much so that she was grateful over how much Darien loved their daughter.

As she approached the sidewalk entrance gate beside their driveway, right on time, Annabelle's bus appeared. Serena smiled at she watched her daughter exit the bus and wave goodbye to all of her friends. She had taken after her mother, and was quite the social butterfly.

"Mommy!" her daughter exclaimed, excitedly making her way over to her mother.

"Hi, angel! I missed you so much." Serena said lovingly as she crouched down to her knees, embracing her daughter into a hug; before grabbing her backpack and heading back to toward their house, hand in hand.

Upon reaching their home, Serena wasn't surprised to see Darien patiently waiting at their front door, his eyes avoiding her gaze and focused on Annabelle.

"Daddy!" Annabelle squealed, shrugging out of Serena's grasp and running towards her father. "You're home!"

Darien smiled widely, knowingly opening his arms to catch the most precious girl in his life, as he knew all too well the leap she was about to make into his awaiting arms. "Hey, princess," he murmured as he pecked her on the cheek. "I'm so glad you're home! I was beginning to get lonely without your smiling face."

Annabelle laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Silly daddy, you still had mommy here to keep you company until I got home!"

Serena now looked at Darien, who was staring back at her. He smiled at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I know, and mommy's great company, but I missed my little princess!" It was all show for their daughter.

'Could he be anymore condescending?' Serena thought angrily. She wasn't the least bit impressed with his act. She knew he no longer enjoyed her company. It hurt her to see such a loving look in his eyes, as he looked at their daughter. He clearly still had love in his heart, just not for Serena.

"Annabelle, honey," Serena interrupted, making her way around them and into the house. "why don't you tell daddy what you did in school today? I'm going to make us some lunch, okay?"

"Okay, mommy!" she chimed, watching her mother make her way to the kitchen from over her fathers shoulder. "Oh, daddy! We read a new book in class today!"

"Really? What book?" he questioned, truly interested in hearing about his daughters day. He had already closed the front door behind them, and was making his way into their large living room, with his daughter securely in his arms.

"Uhm… I can't remember the name of the book, daddy, but I remember some man named Doctor Zues wrote it!"

Darien laughed lightly, "Is that so, sweetheart?" he hadn't the heart to correct his daughter, and explain that the author had really been Dr. Seuss.

Annabelle shook her head 'yes', feeling triumphant for remembering the writer. "It was about eggs and ham." she paused, a distasteful frown forming on her lips. "Daddy, I don't think I would like green eggs and ham… I think they would be gross, I prefer mommy's."

"I don't think I would like them much either, Belle's." using her nickname, he carefully unwrapped her arms from around his neck, and positioned her to sit in his lap, as he lowered himself onto one of the three couches in their living room. "I think I would prefer mommy's too." That part wasn't a lie, he actually did enjoy his wife's cooking. Becoming a stay at home mom had given Serena some time to practice her cooking skills, and he wasn't disappointed.

Serena stood silently, leaning against their kitchen counter, overhearing her husbands conversation with their daughter. She couldn't help but giggle at her daughters mispronunciation of Dr. Seuss, and it had made her smile when Darien didn't correct her. He really was a good father, like he was just born to be one.

Darien was a different man around Annabelle; he was the man Serena married. The original Darien. But Serena wasn't going to let his paternal side cloud her judgment. He was that man for their daughter, not for her. A half an hour ago, his hand was around her neck, and that was something she wasn't willing to just forget about.

"I don't know what's happened to him…" she murmured quietly to herself, tears rising in her eyes.

Shaking it off, Serena swiftly moved to their pantry and their refrigerator to grab the ingredients for her daughter and husbands lunch. She hadn't much of an appetite, given her escapade with Darien, and her early lunch with Raye at Lita's. She was just going to make them their usual daddy - daughter snack; a simple grilled cheese sandwich, but with american cheese and provolone cheese.

For whatever reason, it was their tradition whenever Darien just happened to be home to have lunch with Annabelle. It took Serena less than ten minutes to make them, so she couldn't complain. She liked simple dishes; that meant less mess to clean up.

Grabbing a knife out of their silverware drawer, she cut both sandwiches into triangles, before placing them onto two plates, and making her way out into the living room where she could still hear her daughter telling her father about her school day.

"Lunch is ready," Serena said, as she approached the couch her husband currently occupied with their daughter, handing them both a plate.

"Now, what do you say, Annabelle?" Darien gestured to their daughter. He took pride in teaching his little girl proper etiquette.

"Thank you, mommy!" Annabelle chimed, smiling at her mother.

"You're welcome, baby." Serena mused, leaning down to kiss her on her forehead. "If you two need anything, I'll be in the kitchen cleaning up." she explained before making her way back into their kitchen, ready to tackle the frying pan and spatula she had just used. Easy clean up.

Darien had spent the last 45 minutes bonding with Annabelle after they had finished their lunch, and he could tell by the glossy look in her blue eyes that she was tired, and that meant she was ready for a nap.

"All right, little miss," he softly murmured lovingly into her ear, as he picked her up to cradle her in his arms, "it's time for your nap." she was half asleep before he even reached the stairs.

Darien briefly passed by their downstairs study on his way, and saw Serena look up from the book she was reading, nestled into a comfortable arm chair in the corner of the room. "Nap time?" she seemed to mouth to him. He nodded simply, answering her unspoken question, and continued on his way up the stairs and into her bedroom.

It was effortless for him to pull down her duvet cover and balance her in his arms at the same time. He then carefully laid her into bed, pulling the duvet back up to cover her small body. She was almost completely out, slightly shifting position to get comfortable.

Darien brushed a few loose strands of jet black hair out of her face, and caressed her right cheek. "Sweet dreams, princess." he whispered, leaning down to kiss her left cheek. "I love you."

Turning to leave, he faintly heard the sound of running water begin, so instead of going back downstairs, he turned toward his bedroom, curious.

Reaching their bedroom, he realized that Serena had gotten in the shower while he was putting Annabelle down to nap. Their bathroom door was cracked half way open, and he could see the steam beginning to build.

'I haven't had the chance to shower today,' he thought to himself, as he opened the bathroom door entirely now, before making the decision to close it behind him.

Darien saw his wife's naked figure in the foggy glass of their shower door, and felt something inside of him spark, so he quickly undressed.

"Do you mind if I join you?" he said without thinking, as he opened their shower door and took a step inside. He felt odd asking the woman he married if it was okay to shower with her.

"Darien!" Serena screamed, startled by his unexpected presence.

"Shhhh!" he said, putting a hand over her mouth. "Annabelle's sleeping now."

Serena instinctively flinched at his sudden touch, most likely due to their encounter earlier that day. Darien had noticed, and dropped his hand from her mouth.

"You couldn't shower in another bathroom, really?" she snapped, regaining her composure. "It had to be this one?"

"Well, this is my bathroom, so…" he shrugged, grinning viciously. They still used the same bathroom, even if they didn't always sleep in the same bed. It was habit more than anything. But normally they had used it at separate times, not together.

Serena glared at him, trying hard not to take notice of his naked body. She was still very physically attracted to her husband. He was built like a God, after all. What was she going to do anyway, tell him no? To get out? She didn't want to see his temper flare anymore than it already had today.

"Fine, whatever." she mumbled, quickly rinsing her hair of the conditioner that was still in it. She had been in the middle of washing her hair when Darien suddenly interrupted her. "Switch spots with me." she said, pouring soap onto the loofah she now held in her hand.

Darien obliged, switching positions with her, so that he could wash his hair, and she could wash her body thoroughly. He took note of the shape she was in. She was a little skinnier than usual, but still attractively fit. He hadn't noticed her weight loss before. Truth was, it had been months since he had seen his wife naked.

Neither spoke as they continued their shower; they had switched once more, so that she could rinse off, and he could lather his body in soap. Shortly after, they swapped places again, so that Darien could rinse off, and she could shave her legs.

He watched silently as she ran a razor along her long legs, it seemed she was in a rush, too much of a rush toward the end. He barely had the time to react when she sliced open the skin on her left calf during her last stroke, and nearly plummeted to the shower floor. It wasn't just a simple nick from the blade, she had actually sliced her skin. The sight of blood had always made Serena uneasy and very light-headed.

Already knowing what was about to happen, he quickly wrapped his arms around her from behind, catching her fall. "Take a deep breath." he said as he felt her strength give way, leaving him to support her body entirely. She was on the verge of passing out. Some people just couldn't handle the sight of blood, especially if it was their own. "Deep breath in, deep breath out." he coached her, tightening his hold on her so that she could focus more on listening to him and staying conscious.

He felt her chest rise and fall with each command he gave her, and he felt her slowly regain her strength shortly after. She was capable of supporting herself now, so he released his hold on her.

"Don't look at it, I'll get a bandage." He went into Doctor mode, turning off the water and stepping out to get a first aid kit from underneath their bathroom sink.

Serena did as she was told, and didn't look down to see her injury. She was so stupid, she had been rushing to get out of the shower and away from Darien. If she had taken her time, this wouldn't have happened.

He came back, first aid kit in hand, with a towel wrapped around his waist and handed her a towel. "I need you to sit on the counter so that I can bandage it." He said now emotionless; Darien was a lot taller than she was, and he wasn't about to get on his knees for the woman.

Wrapping the towel around her damp body, she stepped out of their shower and made her way over to the counter, before hoisting herself up onto it. Every hair on her body stood up as he took a hold of her calf and lifted it so that her leg was straight out, before proceeding to disinfect and bandage the wound. He was meticulous and swift in his actions.

"Thanks…" she whispered, barely audible, as he finished aiding her.

He felt her eyes on him, and avoided meeting her gaze; instead he looked passed her, with an impassive expression. "Be more careful next time. I won't be here to do this for you. You're a grown woman, Serena." he said, gesturing to her now perfectly bandaged cut.

Before she could say a word, he was already moving away from her and on his way out of the bathroom, into their bedroom, no doubt to put clothes on. She stared at the spot where he had been just moments ago, confused as to what had just happened. His actions were kind, but demeanor cold.

So, how did we like it?
Chapter 8 will be posted in the next few days, I promise!

As always, thank you for reading, and don't forget to review/leave feedback.

- xoxo, Crys. (08.28.16)