𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 | ✓

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩 𝟐𝟓

He's sitting on the other side of the room, his head in his hands. I frown, "What's wrong?" my voice strained and quiet, still thick with sleep. He looks up at me but I don't recognise his expression —or maybe a little —. I'm confused as to what's happening, I don't know if he just got bad news or — oh, god, his father?

"Luka, are you okay?" I push, trying to wake myself up more. he scoffs with an unamused smirk on his face, "You tell me." he replies, his voice bitter, before gesturing towards the coffee table, like that's enough for me to understand.

I rub my eyes a little before reaching over for my phone on the table and checking my notifications, still confused.

A few missed calls and some unread texts stared back at me from the screen. Somewhat between the time I had fallen asleep and a phone call around the usual time of my panic attacks.

ah shit.

I don't know what to say, I'm frozen. My lips parted, but no words came out, and I can feel my heart pounding in my chest.

Did he read my text messages?

"You got some texts last night, along with a phone call," he states, his tone flat and unimpressed. "Funny thing," he adds as he stands from his chair, I don't look up at him, my eyes stay fixated on the black screen. "You wouldn't believe who they're all from."

This isn't how he usually is. It's not totally unfamiliar but I haven't seen him act like this in a few years. Passive aggressive, and ignorant. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little intimidated. Part of my brain begs me to explain myself while the other part says I should leave, I've seen how bad it gets when he's this type of angry.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, my voice shaking slightly.

He approaches me, and I can feel the anger radiating off him, as well as another familiar strong smell. But before I can even process that thought, he snatches my phone from my hands. he holds it up, displaying the chain of messages in front of my face. "These texts," he talks through clenched teeth, "they're all from your 'husband' the one you claim not to care about."

I nod innocently, slowly looking up to meet his eyes. Cold and distant, a little darker than usual. His jaw clenches, as he unexpectedly and aggressively throws my phone back down on the couch beside me, causing me to flinch.

He turns his back, running a hand through his hair. "It's not what you think," I quickly assure him, my voice barely above a whisper. It's true. It's nothing. It's a friend checking up on me, it's completely innocent.

But he just shakes his head, turning back towards me from his desk. "I feel like we keep having this same argument, Vivienne." He breathes out, pinning me with a certain look that sends a pain to my chest.

"What else is going on that you haven't told me about?" He asks, Though it seems more like an accusation than a question. I shake my head slightly, looking up at him. "What, are you guys serious now? That's cute." he chuckles in anger, his tone laced with snark as he throws yet another accusation in my face.

"When have I given you a reason not to trust me?" I ask, swallowing the knot in my throat. I can hear the pain in my own voice. "Hm, I don't know," He replies, bringing his thumb to his bottom lip as if he's thinking, "Maybe the day you decided to marry another man?" he raises his voice slightly,

I stare at him from the couch in disbelief, feeling a pang of betrayal. "That's not how it is, and you know it."

The room falls silent as he leans against the desk behind him, crossing one foot over the other with his arms folded over his chest. "You overreacted before giving me a chance to talk," I mumble, situating myself on the couch. "Oh, of course, It's my fault isn't it." He raises his voice again, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"Stop yelling at me, and let me talk." I yell back, but that only pisses him off more. He drops his hands, banging one against the desk beneath him. I flinch again.

I don't know why he's being like this. Well, maybe I do, but I sure as hell don't want to believe it.

he's sober.

"I don't necessarily want to hear how you're the victim and how it's all my fault." He breathes out in frustration, and the room falls silent as pinches the bridge of his nose. Finally giving me the chance to talk.

"I didn't say it was your fault," I eventually breathe out, the breath coming out shaky and irritated. "Why are you even being like this?" My voice is kept quiet, trembling as I talk.

He exhales while gripping the bridge of his nose with one hand. He doesn't say anything, and there is a little period of silence before he breaks it with a chuckle and murmurs, "I should've seen this coming," his voice low with a tinge of disbelief.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I spoke, my voice trembling with a mixture of betrayal and disbelief as I gathered to my feet, standing up off the couch. He remained silent, his lips tightly sealed as he shakes his head, brushing past me and disappearing down the hallway. My question hung in the air, unanswered and ignored.

As I sat in the stillness of the room, my hand instinctively reached up to my forehead, feeling the tension that had built up in a matter of ten minutes.

What is going on?

Just as I closed my eyes to take a deep breath, the sudden sound of my phone broke the silence. I reached for it on the couch, my eyes scanning the message from Ryder. He's home early.

I pocket my phone, before turning and scanning the room for my things. I'm not staying here to argue, I've seen how this ends, and I'm not doing it again.

Luka suddenly appears in the hallway again, his teeth clenched in frustration as he questions me, "Who was that." I remained silent, refusing to add fuel to the fire. He'll just blame me for leaving for Ryder, when I'm leaving because of him.

I picked up my coat from the floor and turned to face him. "I'm leaving," I said firmly, "You need time to calm down." I add, picking up my bag. "It was him, wasn't it?" he asked again, his voice laced with anger.

I looked at him with a mixture of sadness and frustration. "Let it go," I said softly, "I don't want to be here when you're like this, Luka." He glared at me, his eyes dark with anger. "Fine," he spat I have work to do anyways." With a cold look, he brushed me off and strode towards his desk, settling into his chair.

I suck in a deep breath, staring at his back before eventually making my way down the stairs and out the front door. He'll calm down eventually, but he won't while I'm around, not when he's like this.

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AN/word count - 1800