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I don’t reply, leaning back in my chair with a shrug; something shiny catches in the light beneath my desk, and I bend down, picking a diamond stud earring up from the floor where it must’ve fallen during one of our many office trysts.
Its presence causes a lump to form in my throat, burning up the length of my esophagus, and I grit my teeth against the sensation, flicking the jewelry into a trash can nearby. Jonas presses his lips together, shifting as if uncomfortable in his seat.
“Right, so where is the little wife again?”
Reaching out to the computer, I shake my head, pulling up the Massachusetts government site and double-checking that I have all my forms together before sending them to the attorney to look over. “Seeing as she won’t likely be my wife much longer, I suppose it doesn’t matter.”
Over the next couple of weeks, I steer clear of town and most every room in my house, taking to sleeping in my office in an attempt to avoid anything that might remind me of Elena.
It’s like trying to live without the fucking sun.
The one time I do go to the Flaming Chariot, Blue approaches me at the bar and practically kicks me out, citing that I’m harshing the vibe, and since he’s tending for the summer tourist crowd, he’s more reliant on tips and can’t afford me chasing away customers.
Normally, I’d probably fire him and tell him to get off the island, but instead, I just leave, heading back to the Asphodel to drink my evening away.
When I arrive, I walk around back, not in the mood to see Marcelline just yet, or to feel the weight of her judgment over the fact that I haven’t shaved in days.
“You’re starting to look too much like your jungle rat friend,” she says, referencing Jonas in disdain every chance she gets. “Lord, I hope that girl comes back to you.”
Me too, Marcelline, but two weeks and no phone call? My odds aren’t looking great.
I must’ve stood outside her grandmother’s penthouse for hours after the recital that night, fist raised and poised to strike, ready to drag her back to Aplana with me.
To Hell, where I wanted to keep her.
Still do, if I’m completely honest.
But every time I tried to knock, I remembered how little of her life has been left up to choice. Since she was born, everything’s been decided for her, and I played right into that same notion when I forced her to marry me.
Regardless of the feelings that developed after, I would never be able to exist, in semi-decent conscience, thinking hers were born out of necessity. A way for her to cope with the life thrust upon her, rather than the culmination of fate.
So, I’m giving her time.
Space—to grow, forgive, reflect.
The beauty of opportunity.
After spending so much of my time obsessing over her, determined to ruin her for any other man, and reveling in the warmth her existence inherently gives, the distance is torture.
If she doesn’t show before our days are up, then I’ll go after her. Track her to the ends of the fucking earth and beg for her to return, if that’s what it takes.
Until then, I wait.
Rounding the corner of my house, I immediately tense up, the hairs on the back of my neck rising at the feeling of not being alone; there’s a certain thickness in the air, a blockage in the wind that wouldn’t exist without another warm body to absorb the weather.
A flash of dark hair first grabs my attention, then, as my eyes sweep the yard, I notice the black clothes draped over the slender body.
Disappointment flushes my chest, and I sag forward, trying not to buckle beneath the weight of hope.
I approach her quietly, like a predator sneaking up on its prey, although she’s hardly even that to me, at this point.
“Violet.” I stop several feet away, getting a whiff of lavender and vanilla as the wind kicks up, rustling her braided hair. “What... how did you find me here?”
My sister turns in a circle, sizing me up fully before responding. “I know people.”
I frown. “Sounds shady.”
“Maybe we’re a lot more alike than I care to admit.” She lifts one shoulder in a half shrug, her big brown eyes crinkling at the corners. “I got a call from the bank the other day, saying they were putting a freeze on my account while they tried to figure out who kept attempting to make deposits on my behalf. Did you know that’s a pretty popular phishing scam?”
