The Hourglass (UNEDITED)

Chapter 15

Jace checked the time on his watch and shook his head, it was 11 o’clock at night. He needed to go home and stop Katherine from leaving, he didn’t have the energy to go on another goose chase looking to apprehend her in whatever town she landed. He drank his scotch, his third glass, which was wavering his faculties now.

“Mr. Swinton, you’re still here? Where’s your wife?” Jace turned around to look it was; Mabel, Gunther Littleridge’s wife.

“I think she went home,” he answered tiredly.

“All by herself? That’s not good, she didn’t look well. She’ll do bad for the baby if she’s not getting proper rest.”  Jace closed his eyes, scratching his head.

“What baby?” he inquired, downing his scotch and banging it down the table. Mabel was taken aback. Did she hear correctly?

“Surely Mr. Swinton, you’re not suggesting that you don’t know of wife’s pregnancy?” commented Mabel, astonished. Jace frowned; this woman didn’t know what she was talking about. He gave her confused look.

“Mrs. Littleridge, Katherine is not pregnant,” Jace said with certainty.

“There you are darling. We need to get going. Jace, where’s that lovely wife of yours?” Gunther asked enthusiastically. Jace was still bothered by Mabel’s suggestion n that Katherine was pregnant.  What if she was right, what if Katherine was pregnant? Women can tell things after all.

“She’s at home, where I need to be,” Jace said, moving quickly now as he threw on his tuxedo jacket. He bid Gunther and Mabel good-bye without saying much more. The possibility of Katherine being pregnant sat uncomfortably in Jace’s conscience. You have to stop being a dick, enough is enough or you lose her for good, his conscience told him.

“I know, I know,” he muttered, pulling his Mercedes out into the street. He slowed down his speed just enough not to warrant a traffic ticket.

“Don’t worry; you’ll be home on time to stop her from crazy ideas of leaving. She’s not going anywhere. Katherine, baby, I will do everything in my power to make it up to you, I swear,” Jace affirmed. He made a swift turn to the right and before he knew it, he arrived at their apartment. Without wasting any time, Jace was out of his car and rushed inside the building. Once he reached their 11th floor, the key to their apartment was already in his hand and he unlocked the door.

“Katherine,” he called, remaining calm and collected on the outside, even if on the outside he was taunted by uncertainty. Jace rushed to his bedroom to check for her things. The closet drawer of the walk-in closet were opened and occupied—her things were still intact. Jace closed his eyes and let out a breath of relief, Katherine hadn’t even arrived home yet. She wouldn’t leave without taking her things, that was a good sign. Jace walked calmly to the bed and dropped to land on his back, his eyes closed.

Then he opened his eyes, got up from the bed and walked to a precious piece. On the fireplace mantle, the hourglass sat empty. Jace figured that it signified a whole month had gone by. Interesting! And so the thing on the top half was empty, no more counting time. Jace didn’t know why that saddened him. No, actually, frightened him. The crystal glass was so smooth under his palm as her caressed it, his mind on Katherine. Why did he even treat her the way he did? Was he that insatiable for power and control that he would go as far as to manipulate his wife? The only thing was Jace hoped it was not too late to try and make things right. Katherine was not like the women he used to be with; he did one thing wrong and she was gone. He feared that he might have burned his bridges this time.

“No!” he said determinedly, taking the hourglass from the fireplace mantle. He looked at it, bringing it close to his face, there was just something odd he felt every time he took a good look at it.