Yours Truly ❁ n.k.h

• chapter fourteen •

"Hi, I booked a two o' clock session with Normani?"

My heartbeat seemed to echo in different places of my body, but namely at this moment, in my ears. It reminded me of the sound of waves crashing - it was the only thing comforting me. It was the pinch I needed to realize that this moment in time wasn't a dream or a figment of my imagination.

That voice, twenty feet away, was my wife.

The whole ordeal caught me so off guard that I didn't know whether I wanted to run, hide, or take the blows that we're guaranteed to be delivered.

While Thomas was busy getting her information and directing her on where to go when she was done, I was furiously cleaning my chair and trying to steady my breathing. It's been nearly a month since I seen my wife, and honestly that timing might not even be right. All I know is it's been so long that when I smelled her perfume, it felt like greeting an old friend.

Fuck.

I would've never thought that facing the woman I loved most in the world was the most difficult thing to do. But being able to turn and look Dinah in the eyes was a moment I knew to be engrained in me forever.

The look she gave me was one similar to my dream. It was blank and void of emotion. Almost as if she couldn't believe that I was there, and didn't want to believe it either. And I understood, because I felt the exact same way.

"Hi." I breathed. The hairs at the back of my neck were on edge.

She stared for a beat or two before looking down, pressing her bag closer to her side. She brought a hand up to smooth her ponytail. I watched her wipe a lone tear and move to take a seat on the chair near me.

"Hi. So... This is where you've been?"

My eyes couldn't help but roam all over her to take in her appearance. It was hard not to focus on the fact that she was wearing one of my sweaters.

A stab of guilt twisted in my gut. "Yeah."

The silence that crossed between us was probably the most uncomfortable one I've ever experienced. It seemed that we both didn't know what to say first. I didn't want to make a scene in the middle of the shop and knowing Dinah, she was only seconds away. I knew needed to steer the situation away from here before it got bad.

"Did you, uh, wanna step outside?"

She was looking at the floor. I could see this heavy expression of confusion and anger all across her face. Instead of nodding, she just stood, gesturing for me to lead the way.

The fire in my chest was burning bright and I didn't know what to do with it. It was hard to ignore the looks thrown my way from Sawyer, Thomas, and Gary but I did. This day was bound to happen at some point. It just sucks that it was today and here of all places.

I held the door for her and stepped into the Spring air full of fog. I walked us a little ways up from the shop to curb wandering eyes.

My hands were so fidgety, I think I moved them from place to place on my body a billion times. I just didn't know what the fuck to do.

Dinah set her bag on the ground and crouched beside it, dropping her head into her hands. It wasn't long before I could hear her sobbing into her sleeve.