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Octavius walks toward the table and picks up the remote, turning on the TV hanging on the wall opposite the furniture, and my jaw drops when I see our faces flashing on the screen. It’s on mute, but I read the headline.
Just in.
Another bachelor ties the knot: Octavius Reed married his longtime girlfriend, Isla Evans, in a private ceremony.
“What is this?” I exclaim in shock and barely resist groaning in frustration. Why is this newsworthy anyway? Especially on the freaking TV.
Longtime girlfriend, let me laugh at that.
“Another question.” He sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. “Florian must have done what I asked.” He winks at me. “My best friend is nothing but efficient.”
“Why would you do this? I thought you’d keep a low profile.”
“Two reasons.” He goes to the bar and picks up a glass. “First, the fucker needs to learn a lesson. You don’t go against me and win.” He grabs the whiskey and pours himself a generous amount before putting it away and dropping some ice cubes in his drink. “It’s better to attack him right away. This information will drive him insane. Insane psychopaths act recklessly, and this might play in our favor.”
Well, when he puts it this way…
“Second and most important reason, you’re my wife, and I want everyone to know it.” He shakes his glass a little and takes a sip while my heartbeat speeds up at the satisfaction pouring from him. “You’re mine. People need to understand that there will be consequences if they try to mess with what’s mine.”
“You sound like a caveman.”
“Don’t give a fuck, kitten.”
Pinching my nose and praying for patience, I walk farther into the room. “This marriage is temporary.” The glass pauses midway to his mouth and alarm bells go off in my head. However, I still continue, “Hopefully, we can catch the Church Killer with this stunt. Otherwise, it was all for nothing.”
“I changed my mind.” I blink. “I prefer your questions because this kind of talk pisses me off.” He drinks more of his whiskey while thunder echoes in the sky. It’s pitch-black outside, so despite the heat wrapping around me, I decide against going out on the terrace. The last thing I need is the rain soaking me up in this dress. “In case I haven’t made it clear, let me amend my mistake. This marriage is permanent. Till death do us part.” He toasts me and finishes his drink. After placing the glass on the bar, he slides open the terrace door, the fresh air mixing with the rose scent floating around us.
Too stunned, I stay speechless for a second and shake my head again. “What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said.”
I want to argue his rather scandalous point because it makes zero sense. How he expects me to accept that without questioning him, I have no idea, but I’m mentally exhausted.
So for tonight, I’m going to ignore it. No one keeps me down for long, anyway.
He’s a born predator, and what do predators love the most?
The hunt.
I’m his little prey that’s resisting him, so I’m difficult to catch. The minute he thinks he has, his interest will disappear, and he’ll want to get rid of me.
Even to my own ears, this psychological analysis sounds like bullshit to cover up the fact that some part inside me welcomes his claim and cherishes the idea of staying married to him forever.
I’ll need therapy at the end of all this.
My gaze lands on one of the books, and I pick it up from the table. “It’s about Troy.” I look at him as he steps outside while the rain slows to a drizzle, but he doesn’t seem to care. In fact, he stares into the darkness as if he expects to see someone out there. “Do you find Homer’s work interesting?” My heart pangs painfully because the last person I discussed this epic poem with was my mom who could talk about it for hours.
“I find it fascinating.” He snatches a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket and lights one of them up, taking a greedy pull. “It’s tragic and beautiful at the same time as it showcases human vices in all their gritty glory. While giving the gods humanity.”
Since the dress is killing me, I sit down and reach out for the mug, welcoming the hot liquid down my throat. “In what way did it give gods humanity?”
“The whole war started due to vanity. Three goddesses, Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera, competed for the title of the most beautiful. Paris got assigned to pick the winner, and since Aphrodite promised him love, he chose her. She forgot to mention the woman was married.”
“He could always say no once he found out.” The Trojan prince was selfish, and I don’t like the goddess getting the heat for his choices. I bite into a cookie and mull over his words. “Humanity is usually associated with something good, though. This hardly paints gods in a good light.”
“I beg to differ. Even if we know our strengths, we still sometimes crave appreciation from strangers who mean nothing and have no value in our lives.”
“I guess.” I never thought about it this way, but come to think of it…yeah, it’s the perfect poem to see all sides and how it all led to tragic outcomes for many. “My mom used to read it to me a lot.” I’m shocked I'm sharing this with him right now. “She had a lot of favorite characters.”
