Bed of Lies (ON HOLD)

XXXI

WARNING: CHAPTER CONTENT MAY BE TRIGGERING.

"I was talking to him." My hand shakes as I wave it backward to the man who'd been my company. I don't know why I'm so nervous. My heart quakes in my chest, my breath falls shallow, and my voice sheds its confidence.

Tony traps me in his focus as he draws imminent, not paying any mind to the stranger hanging suspiciously close to me. "Who is he?" He stops when he is near enough to touch me, which he does. My body warms from the inside out when he drags a knuckle down my cheek and aloft my fuller lip. "Answer me, Isi." He adds when it becomes apparent that no words would be leaving my mouth when he was keeping contact with me like that.

"We just met when I was out to take some air," I murmur, feeling incredibly stupid that I did not even know the name of the person I'd been holding a conversation with since.

"Hey, man. I'm Matthew." The man shuffles forward to speak for himself with an outstretched arm. He and Tony are virtually the same height. It explained why I found him so engaging in the beginning. I shift my observance to my husband, who has his lips twisted in a tight line and his eyelids lowered in a glare as he looks down on the offered hand, making no move to accept it.

"I'm Tony. Her husband." He belatedly says, though not without contempt and still not stretching his hand as courtesy would have had it.

"Okay..." he mumbles, retracting his initiated shake. It's so awkward I want to shoot myself in the foot simply so there's a distraction. "It's nice to meet you. Been talking to your wife, and she's a sweet person. It was fun having a discussion with her." He glances down at me and winks cheekily, and all my brain registers is that he's making things worse.

If only he'd stop talking and zip up his mouth. Tony might combust from rage with how we are headed, and the problem with that is I'll be the target of his wrath immediately we leave. There's everything to dread about that coming to pass. Having him mad at me is like having the whole world against my very existence. I don't imagine there's a living soul who would not loathe being held in that position.

Anger sparks in Tony's eyes, and I shrink into myself. As if he realises what effect he's having on me, he slings his arm around my waist, pulling me into his embrace, so my head is pressed into his chest. It could be that he's doing so only to make a statement before the man he deems a threat, but I don't care because his tender clasp consoles me, and that's all that matters at the moment. There exists no form of solace better than being in Tony's arms, and I muse insignificantly that someday, I want to die there.

"Thank you for your compliments. I know my wife and how amazing she is. You do not need to enlighten me of them as if I am unaware." These are the biggest lies ever spoken in history, but I stay silent and let him continue with the deceit.

"Are you sure you're aware of her qualities?" The smooth voice taunts, and I gasp into the lapel of Tony's suit. What was wrong with the man? We didn't get to have a long enough conversation for him to be able to judge my character accurately. Why was he so bent on defending me when he did not even know who I really was, and at the expense of turning Tony irate?

"What the hell do you mean by that? Are you the one who married her?" His muscles tense below me, rigidifying his entire body. When his grip around me hardens, it does so to the point of stinging and evokes a small whimper from me.

"Sorry...I'm sorry." He whispers into my hair, freeing his grasp, and fireworks erupt in my stomach, leaving tingles darting up and down my being. The world brightens, and all abruptly is well. I bend my hand into a fist roosted on his belt as I stifle the urge to cry tears of joy without stopping and laugh maniacally like cartoon witches all at once.