The throbbing pain in my leg resonated with each step as we left the hospital. The stark, antiseptic smell clung to me, a reminder of the environment I had just left. Carden held the car door open, and I limped towards it, my movements awkward and hesitant. "Careful." he said as he stood behnd me holding the door open.
Once inside the car, an uncomfortable silence settled between us. The tension was palpable, almost suffocating.
I stole a glance at Carden, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, hands tightly gripping the steering wheel. "Why are you so foolish? You don't even know if you're hurt!" His frustrated words pierced the air, and I couldn't help but jump in my seat, shock coursing through me. I was startled.
"Don't you dare as me about how I'm feeling from now on." Carden's face wore a mix of worry and frustration. A subtle tension in his jaw hinted at an underlying frustration. "Instead of worrying about me, why don't you take care of yourself first?!" I'm fine though...I'm comepletely fine. But I think it's a big relief that it was me who got hurt and not Carden.
I turned to look at him. But why does he keep yelling at me?
We rode the rest of the way in silence.
"Look, Evelyn." I turned to look at him. His face clouded with anger. His brows furrowed, and his lips pressed into a tight line, revealing the frustration that lingered beneath the surface. The intensity of his gaze held mine for a moment before he turned his attention back to the road "The people I despise the most are those with your kind of personality."
"People who always keep things inside and are ignorant of their own feelings. Those who think that they can avoid conflict as long as they keep their thoughts to themselves."
My head instinctively shot down "But you took advantage of my personality, too. You married me because I suppress my feelings." He slammed the brakes, causing the car to jerk, and I was caught off guard by the abrupt halt. The shock in Carden's eyes as he looked up at me mirrored the surprise that rippled through me.
"You asked me to marry you because I'll be easy to handle."
"What are you talking about." he asks. Feeling the weight of the tension, I couldn't bear to stay in the confined space any longer. Despite the pain in my leg, I opened the car door and stepped out. "I'll take care of myself from now on." The cool air outside offered a brief respite from the stifling atmosphere within the car. "You take care, too, Carden." and I slammed the door shut.
CARDEN
The next day
Standing in front of Evelyn's closed door, a heavy silence enveloped the house. It had been a long night, and I hadn't seen her since yesterday. The air felt charged with the rests of our unresolved tension. Is she still sleeping?
I hesitated before knocking, uncertainty gnawing at me. I took a deep breath, my hand hovering over the door. We're not close enough to wake each other up for something like this.
I turned back around, and stepped further from the door.
EVELYN
I stood near the door. My ear plastered on the door. I heard his footsteps approach, halt, and then leave again. Is he gone? I barely dropped myself, if I ask him about his health again today, he might yell at me again. I guess my timid personality can't be helped. I limped back onto bed and fell on it.
Still, he shouldn't have been mad at someone who got hurt. And it's not like I did that for no reason. My body just moved instinctively to protect him. It's not like I was trying to save myself! I did it to save you!
"If yoou keep yelling at me, I'm going to change my mind about rescuing you. I may just ignore you." I mumbled to the pillow I had no gotten a hold on, as I shook it intensly. And for a second, the pillow had mirrored his face. Pouting. You think making that sad face is going to maje me forgive you...?
