SHE'S MY WIFE

Chapter 26: Miss Me?

Max had been acting weird ever since he came back. For three weeks Emilia had watched him and if she didn't know him, she'd think he was having an affair. He snuck around whenever his phone rang, was jumpy every time she approached him and even avoided having long conversations as if he was scared he'd give something away accidentally. He was acting like a guilty person and she wanted to bang his head against a wall. She was also fed up with his behavior and was ready to confront him. Whatever it is he was hiding, he'd better come out with it or she would kick his ass.

The appearance of that man at the park had put her on edge. She couldn't worry about him and her husband too. Although, to be honest, she was worse than Max. Turning on her security cameras hadn't helped her anxiety in any way. She jumped when the door banged or when the motion sensors detected unusual movements outside. Mostly it was just Doug who liked creeping in to avoid Max's sour mood. She'd asked him always announce his arrival whenever he showed up so she wouldn't accidentally stab him thinking he was an intruder sent by Lisandra. That conversation hadn't gone down well because she couldn't tell him everything and now he only dropped by to bring groceries and see Gaby.

Even from miles away, Lisandra was ruining her life, forcing her to distance herself from her friends because she didn't want them tangled up in her mess. Doug had been a rock when she needed a shoulder. There were times the guest room had been his room so he could look after Gaby and give her time to sleep. Even with his busy schedule, he still came home and cooked for her, ensuring she wouldn't starve. But now she had to push him away so he wouldn't get hurt. He'd appeared in her life much later when she'd thought her life would be quiet and peaceful. Who knew that bitch was just bidding her time before she attacked again?

"We need to talk" Emilia said gravely, stopping in front of Max. He was in the living room watching a sports channel but judging by the way he started when she spoke, his mind was miles away.

"About what?" he asked running a hand through his hair. She looked at the ruffled mess, remembering how pissed she was when Zander had taken after his father. He was a constant reminder all those years and at some point she thought fate was taunting her and telling her she'd never forget him. She'd even attempted to dye his hair but Sawyer had caught her in time, asking her to snap out of it.

"The secrets you're hiding. And don't even think about saying you're not hiding anything from me. I know you Max"

"I'm not sure this is the right time to tell you anything"

"I don't care. Mel is looking after Gaby so we're going to sit here and put everything on the table. When I say everything, I mean everything. Not just the things you think I should know and keep the rest for later"

"Em, it's not that I don't want to tell you. I do, God, you have no idea just how much I want to. But your reaction is what's holding me back. I'm not sure how you'll take it"

"Don't worry about that. I'm sick and tired of living like this. Since you came back you've been distant and I haven't tried to shorten that distance because I didn't want to come clean either. But I realize by doing this, Lisandra is winning. We're slowly drifting apart Max"

"That's a bit of an overstatement, isn't it?"

"Is it though? We've barely spoken. You're always busy talking on the phone with God knows who. Every time I walk in, you either leave or hung up. Since I'm trying not to be insecure, I haven't asked who is on the other side"

"Hey, we talked about that. You have no reason to feel that way"

"That's easier said than done. You can't convince me one second then turn around and be sneaky the next and expect me to be okay. Who have you been talking to Max?"