Something Borrowed

Chapter 23: My Biggest Fear

            When I walked into the penthouse, I was not surprised to find it empty. I glanced at the clock, scowling as I saw the time. Three o'clock in the morning. Nathaniel refused to leave; he'd been in a sour mood all evening, and then when we did leave, he was in no state to drive, so we had to wait for his town car to come pick us up, because heaven forbid Nathaniel took a taxi.

He stumbled into the apartment behind me, but I paid no mind to him. He'd drank himself into this state; he'd made it clear that he didn't want me, so why should I help him?  He hadn't hadn't spoken more than a few words since Daphne left us at the table. He was angry at me about his older sister's opinion of him.  He didn't need to tell me, his silence spoke volumes.  I had nothing to say to him, and he had nothing to say to me.

I stepped into my bedroom, irritated to find a pile of his clothes stacked in the corner of the room that wasn't there before we left earlier. Why was he moving back?  I sighed, it would be an argument for another day.  I was exhausted from bickering with him.  I plugged my phone in before stepping into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I was going to take a long bath to try to cool off, maybe by then Nathaniel would be asleep on the couch and I wouldn't have to even look at him.

As I let the water warm up I took the time to survey the bathroom. Nothing had moved since I was last here. It was eerie, really, how much nothing had changed. It was as if my home had not been used since I left Nathaniel's office before Rafael took me to Granada the first time. Even the lone pair of worn jeans still rested on the counter, stacked where I left them.

I slipped into the bath, welcoming the soft smell of lavender and peonies. When the lights turned out in the bedroom, I quietly stepped out of the tub, pulling on a nightgown and brushing through my tangled waves before stepping out into the room.

I was thankful to find the room empty. I wasn't in the mood for another argument with Nathaniel, especially after he'd been drinking. I began pulling the comforter back when I heard a loud thump in the kitchen, making me jump. I sighed, debating whether or not to follow the noise.

I slowly walked down the hall, careful not to make a sound as I emerged into the kitchen, slightly taken aback when Nathaniel was not in there. I furrowed my brow as I checked the room one more time before turning the light out, making the room turn pitch black aside from the dim glimmer of starlight. I slowly began making my way back to my bedroom, knowing this path by heart as my leg brushed against the bed.

"What did you tell Daphne?" A deep, feral voice asked behind me, making the hair stand up on the back of my neck as my eyes searched through the dark.

"What are you talking about Nathaniel?" I asked, blindly searching through the dark, trying to find his towering figure. I backed myself up against the wall, suddenly feeling anxious as I heard the shifting of the wood floor beneath his feet.

"How was your time with Rafael?" He continued.

I shifted uncomfortably, desperately searching through the dark. I didn't speak, too scared of giving my location away, although my short, shallow breaths were already giving away my location.

"You have no idea how badly I wanted to let Daniel win the night with you," he continued, making my stomach drop. "If it hadn't been for appearances, I would have let him take you just like he did back then.  You would have deserved it.  And I would have had reason to divorce you-two birds with one stone.  Maybe I should invite him over this evening, just so we can get this miserable marriage over with, don't you agree?"