Forced Vows

Coffee and doughnuts

“Why... should I tell... you?” I snorted in disbelief trying to be the one in control this time and trying to get the thought of him killing someone out of my head. I folded my arms. “Is it so you get good publicity? Evelyn saved his poor helpless wife’s life?” I tilted my head trying to keep eye contact. Evelyn returned the stare with an equally calm expression.

“Oh, I made sure this won’t go in any newspaper.” Evelyn stated and leaned a little closer, his voice getting colder. I narrowed my eyes at his approach, (to show how not intimidated I was).

“Ah yes, I mean people might think that you’re I don’t know... cheating on me?” I spat, Evelyn didn’t reply. “Did that hit a nerve?” I asked slowly flashing him a charming smile, another silence in which Evelyn glanced away for a while.

“You think I purposely had you kidnapped...” Evelyn said quietly still not looking at me for a while, his voice quiet. After a minute his eyes slid back to me where I was debating if that was what I did think. “I knew you thought I was a lot of things Hazel, that badly I didn’t think you thought about me”. He paused and leaned back for a while staring straight ahead then fixing his eyes on me, this left me in a very... let’s just say awkward position...

“Well, when somebody cheats on you, you don’t exactly think positive thoughts about them.” I replied tying to lean away from his stare. “In fact, most of my thoughts are lists of different ways of trying to murder you.” Again no reply. Evelyn just looked as if he was deep in thought. I stood up to make a dramatic exit which would probably result in some doors slamming or something. Mid standing up I had been pulled back down by Evelyn.

“What?” I growled.

“Well let’s just say you haven’t answered my question.” He replied quietly.

“I... don’t care. Ask your girlfriend she might know.” I snapped, a little childishly I admit but... ah well. Evelyn stared at me for a while; he honestly looked a little lost.

“That’s... ridiculous Hazel.” He sighed finally before running his hand through his hair again. Another silence followed in which I prevented myself from bursting out another ‘immature’ reply.

“I don’t have a girlfriend.” He finally sighed, I snorted in reply.

“I’m sorry, have you married?” Before he could stop me this time I strode away. I didn’t hear him leaving the room for another ten minutes which he spent staring at the wall opposite him.

There was just one bedroom in the hotel and I didn’t plan on spending the night with Evelyn, for obvious reasons. Once he’s walked out of the living room I managed to slide past without as much as glancing at him. I let the pillow drop on the sofa along with a duvet I had bought for myself. Evelyn stood in the doorway for a minute or so before deciding there was no point in trying to convince me to do anything and walked away.

With the light switched off I stared at nothing but the dark. Involuntarily my heart started speeding up, my eyes were only just adjusting to the dark and I could almost feel myself still underwater, the water choking me. I pulled the duvet tighter around me trying to get comfortable.

I was underwater again. My vision was blurry, my hands failing around me trying to grasp anything around me. This time there was no Evelyn, there to pull me back up; instead some hands forced my head deeper down. I woke up gasping. My hands were trembling, the duvet was on the floor and my heart was only just calming down.

Tears began pouring down my face for the umpteenth time. I couldn’t control it. The dark didn’t help either. I curled up staring at the wall, I wouldn’t go to his room, this was his entire fault in the first place. Somehow I shifted back into sleep.