WOUNDS OF silk

6. Eeva

As soon as her husband left, Sloane didn't bother to mask his feelings and try to be more socialised. Nor did he made an effort to engage with her further in their awkward conversations.

They both stayed silent. Wary. 

Stolen glances. Lips biting. Harsh breathing.

And when their gazes clash with one another, they looked the other way without acknowledging the presence of another.

Odd.

Still satisfying.

Eeva preferred his strained silence than his brooding eyes, so expressive yet burrowed beneath the layers of his prowess and poignant reminder of his past.

She could tell Sloane didn't fancy to be in her presence than absolutely necessary. He loathed to breathe the same air, she exhaled.

When Sloane retreated into the house, his actions were prompt but not rushed. He didn't utter another word or welcomed her in, he simply turned around and fled. Leaving her abandoned on the driveway.

Eeva landed in New York in less than two hours and stepped foot in her husband's property in less than half an hour and she was already feeling out of place.

She was alone and lonely.

Not long after Sloane's lean back bunched under his leather jacket disappeared through the front door, a woman in her early thirties, uniformed in a navy blue skirt and a shirt few shades lighter flew down the front steps. She greeted Eeva with one of her imposed smiles demanded while attending the guests to make them feel welcome and cosy.

Eeva was feeling none of that. Neither she felt welcomed, most like thrust into their lives. And the sumptuous house stretched before her eyes screaming money and blood and those things didn't come easily in their lives and never spelled cosy.

And Eeva couldn't count herself as a guest although she felt like one. Whether she wanted it or not, she had to spend the rest of her life here. But it wasn't the woman's fault, she was performing her duties as rehearsed and as expected.

Eeva returned her a polite smile and trailed behind her, letting her speak as she parroting the highlights of the house like a real estate agent trying to sell the house.

"Mrs Romanov, there is kitchen at the end of the hallway and the back entrance of the house. There is a swimming pool..."

"Please, just call me Eeva. If may I ask, what should I call you?" The woman swept her hand in the air in dismissal to brush away the topic of futile discussion as if it hardly mattered and started walking towards the left. 

Eeva felt like a child being shushed for speaking out of terms, so she followed her quietly around the house. For the rest of their time together, she didn't ask her anything. Mainly listening and following until they rounded the house and came to the same place from where they began.

"What's on the right side?"

"That wing belongs to Sloane Romanov. He doesn't like many visitors. Nor he prefers people to venture into his wing without his permission. Nothing you need to concern yourself of. Stay within your wing and the common rooms I showed you. You'll be good."

Eeva nodded. She had no intentions to step foot in his wing and if she could she would stay away from him. And from her husband as far as possible but she knew very well that was not even an option to consider. Not it would be her choice.

The woman immediately left after she let Eeva into a room and told her to stay and get freshen up. Eeva knew she was into her husband's wing but from the plain bedspread and lack of character into the walls. The empty closet and the bathroom stacked with sealed bottles and toiletries, Eeva knew for certain she definitely wasn't into her husband's bedroom.