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She stiffly nods once.
“So sheisin there?” I ask and she shakes her head.
“Just, please go. We’ll see you at breakfast when it’s served at nine— You know, a normal fucking time for people to wake up?“
“God, you’re almost as annoying as Esperanza.” She doesn’t even answer me, just slams the door in my face. What the fuck did I do to her? I shake my head, exasperated, and twist around, about to head into my room until Barth clears his throat, and I jump back.
“Fuck, man. Don’t scare me like that.”
“My apologies, I didn’t know you were so easily frightened.”
“Usually, I’m not.” I rub a hand over my chest. “What’s up?”
“Did I hear you’ll be down in the theater today?”
“Yes, it seems like it.”
“I just wanted to offer to be on post there with you.” I shrug my lips downwards, looking at him curiously. Usually, I just pick someone random to help. This is an interesting turn of events that he seems more interested in being around us since the girls have joined.
“That’s fine, yeah. Why not?” I press my lips together, forcing a grin.
“Great.” He turns around and marches off. I watch him, a little confused, but not too concerned about it because his life doesn’t concern me. Especially not when this whole Espie situation is throwing me for a loop. I thought after kissing her, she’d be into everything. It’s not really going as smoothly as I hoped, and it does have to go a lot smoother than it is now, to ensure I can break away from this death sentence of a life of marriage to her.
* * *
At breakfast,I wait in the dining room, watching the chefs lay everything out for us, watching the doorway for Espie. It’s the dumbest shit ever, but I have to show her more than she already knows. According to her, I’ve been a dick. I prefer the term, independent or not easily manipulated. But to each their own. Either way, I have to get her to want me again.
When her and Olive walk through the doors, I stand up and pull out a seat for Espie. She entirely ignores me and sits on the opposite side of the table, whispering back and forth with Olive like I’m not even here. I hide my aggravation, clenching my jaw tightly until it pops as I sit back down.
“How did you both sleep?”
“I barely slept.” Olive bites, and I blink at her dramatic comment.
“Well, good thing, we’ll be relaxing and watching some of your favorite movies today.” She only raises her brows as if to say ‘whatever’, and Espie serves herself some food, not even glancing my way.
Fucking infuriating.
“So, Esperanza, did you sleep well? I heard people usually sleep better when they’re being held.” I crookedly grin as her eyes flit to mine, rage burning behind her greens, and I still love fucking with her. Damn, I wish there was a way to break our contract by pulling shit like this. She just makes it too easy.
“I didn’t hold her last night, weirdo.” Olive curls her upper lip as she butters a large blueberry muffin. Espies shifts her slightly parted jaw, shaking her head at me before mouthing ‘Fuck you’. And I breathe a laugh through my nose before taking a bite of my omelet.
The rest of breakfast, Espie is quiet, while Olive tells no one in particular about the first movie we’ll be watching. Barth hovers nearby the whole time, seemingly more invested than Espie and I combined. They end up talking, kind of giving each other looks that curdle my stomach before I can finish my food.
After breakfast, we head right to the theater. On the way down, Barth lets the chefs know where we’ll be all day by chatting with the head cook on the intercom. Espie is ahead of us all, like she already knows the way, and I guess she does. But it’s just annoying because it’s like she’ll do anything to get away from me.
Olive and Barth are really hitting it off, and I wonder how long they’ve been hitting it off. I try my best to ignore it, brushing past them as we walk into the theater. Espie is already seated in the middle section, center of the theater. I climb the steps and shuffle to her row, sitting right next to her as she watches me with annoyance.
“Hi.” I lean in and whisper when I’m seated. She rolls her eyes just as Olive and Barth enter, spotting us and climbing the steps.
“Actually,” I raise a hand for them to stop. “I think my fiancée and I should have this row to ourselves. Why don’t you take a couple of rows down?”
Olive cocks her head and Barth doesn’t oppose, watching her from the corner of his eyes. She continues to look at Espie, like they are talking to each other non-verbally somehow, and then she shrugs before pointing a finger in my direction.
“You win this time,Mick Jagger lips.”
“That’s not really an insult.”
“It is to me.” She turns around and Barth leads her to another row.
