Their Wife

Thirty-Five

He didn't leave immediately, hesitating for a moment as he stood on the other side of the doorway. His eyes looked over me from head to toe once before lingering on my eyes when I met his. He finally left, closing the door behind him. Although he was hesitant to leave,  I could see the relief he was trying to hide at being given a moment to himself.

A loud silence followed the click and fading footsteps he left in his wake.

I was glad he didn't just grab some from the tap in the washroom. That would have ruined everything.

Asking for water was an answer that would help us both because while it gave him a distraction to focus his attention on, it gave me a chance to obtain the time alone that I needed to process everything that had happened.

Sitting straight, I strained my ears to listen to his footsteps that quietened as he got further away. Once I could no longer hear them, I counted to thirty before jumping off of the bed and rushing towards the door. This was my moment to find a place to hide away, to be alone. I knew it would anger them, but I'd be ready for it. 

I was almost at the door, an arm's length away, when my eyes caught something out of the corner. On a few loose papers thrown hap hazardously on the dresser sat a thicker, smaller square of material. A picture. One that was familiar.

A loud creak had me jumping from my skin. Startled, I looked around as my heart raced in my chest. I knew the sound could have just been those of the house settling, but after the last half-hour, I was too jumpy and ready for the worst for that to matter. I quickly grabbed the picture and bolted out of the door. 

Hopefully, when Ezra returned he would understand that I needed some space to get over what Cassius snd Axel had done and let me be. I would be fine in a few hours once I had dealt with the mess that was in my head. It was making it difficult for me to focus on anything other than the bad thoughts running through my head.

I lightly jogged down the hallway in the opposite direction from the one Ezra had gone in. I didn't have a destination in mind when I first left. My mind was solely focused on getting away unnoticed. As I continued down the hallways that branched off further into the follow, leaving behind the bedrooms, I recalled a location I had discovered and fallen in love with. 

The greenhouse.

I had stumbled upon a glass room filled with hundreds of plants one day after running and hiding from Jaxon's approaching voice that I knew would torment me. I was surprised to find the vibrant and soothing plants in the bright room built with square panels of glass. Since discovering it, whenever I had a moment to spare when passing by, I would pop my head in. I had been mindful in keeping Ezra's lesson on dangerous plans in my head, keeping my hands to myself during each visit. It was always empty when I would intrude and I was hoping the pattern would hold true for this visit as well. I just needed a moment to sort myself out. Just a moment. Once I had processed and locked everything away, I could pretend nothing happened and move on.

I walked down the hallway lined with windows while alert, passing some hallways that branched off into the twists and turns of the floor. It housed various rooms that held different and unique purposes each.

Everything seemed to be going well until I passed by a particular one of the darker hallways that didn't have any windows. When I walked past it, I felt a shift in the air.

One moment I was briskly walking to my intended destination, the next I was landing hard on my hands and knees on the ground, grimacing in pain. My knees would without a doubt be bruised tomorrow.

Before I could right myself and identify my assailant, my head was violently pulled back by my hair. My eyes watered as pain spread across my scalp in sharp pinpricks. The presence of another warmed my cheek.