Bed of Lies (ON HOLD)

XXX

We don't talk until the day of the event. Tony goes on a one-day business trip, which I do my best to quell my suspicions about, and arrives a few hours before we are to leave. He uttered single-word answers to all my questions, not bothering to give a shit about whether I wanted more from him.

When we headed out with him by me in the backseat, he'd appeared as if a gun was held to his head. Till the assigned driver brought us safely to our destination, he stayed silent, lips sealed.

"We will head up to the hall." He vocalizes his first sentence to me after giving instructions to the middle-aged man who carried us to the party.

"Yes," I mutter, not sure if I should link my arm through his or if he'll bite my head off after letting out one of his angry roars. I decide to keep to myself, not in the mood for any disgrace. I've started up the winding stairs to the massive building when he taps me on my elbow.

"Didn't you come with me? Why are you going alone?"

I press my lips into a thin line, paying no mind to my lips that are wet with gloss. I hate when he does this: gives out mixed signals. Can he just make up his mind about what he does or doesn't want? I'm so frustrated and rundown by his indecisiveness. But I won't blow out my musings because I don't want to pick a fight when we're outside in public.

"I assumed you would prefer us to go like that."

"Or maybe you thought to do that as you don't want anyone to know who you came with." He snatches my left hand forcefully, and I wince at the stretch in my shoulder's socket. That was not a pleasant feeling. "Maybe your intent is to show off yourself since you're dressed so sexily."

Oh, now he comments on my outfit? I didn't imagine he'd paid mind to the black sleeveless satin dress with a treacherous slit and an inbuilt, soft corset that'd pumped up my breasts, so their gleaming swell was visible above the V-neckline. Didn't think he'd looked twice at me when he'd had his head buried in everything else to avoid giving me a single drop of his attention.

"Whatever you say is your business. I'm dressed to impress myself. No one else. I don't care about being sexy to anyone. So, maybe, now would be a good time for you to get off my case."

"You say all that, but you can't deceive me, Isi. See, you're not even wearing your wedding ring." His thumb scrapes the empty space where a band should be permanently situated.

"You're not wearing yours either!" I growl, ripping my hand from his grip. "Let's not be hypocrites today and just enjoy the night, hmm? It would be better for us not to make a scene like some barbarians. Remember, the damage will be to your reputation, not mine." To reiterate my point, I add, "I have none!"

"When this event is over, we will have a talk, Isi. A very long one." He anchors an arm to my waist, securing me to his chest so tightly that it feels like I'm being crushed into a wall of concrete and tar. My spine shoots up straight as I sniff out the ire in his tone and demeanour, but I choose to not give in to him. I'm tired of doing that. I've humoured him far too long.

"Good. Because there are some things I need to get off my chest too." He's not the only one who knows how to threaten others. I can be worse than him if I want to be.

He springs forward after letting his scowl deepen to show his disapproval. I match his stride, keeping my facial expression as plastic as a doll's, relapsing into a safe space inside my head. We enter the first floor with a gentle swing of the door where a live band performs, keeping some guests on the dance floor.

Tony forges through the crowd, saying hi to a few people while introducing me to no one. I don't care. I don't need to know more people. His actions wouldn't even have registered in my mental records if not for the reality that he's deliberately ignoring me out of spite. He wants me to cower behind him, to grow cold without the warmth of his heed. I've been silent all through, but he must have anticipated my continuous muteness as a reaction to this unfairness.