Elnora chewed her food slowly. She seemed more interested in staring at Alice than enjoying the roast lamb she had prepared.
Alice shifted her glare from her mother-in-law to her father-in-law.
Fabian was slowly cutting his meat. He kept looking nervously from his wife to his son. Avoiding Alice’s eye.
The young woman turned her gaze on Jason, who seemed determined to stare at his plate all evening.
Finally, Fabian broke the uncomfortable silence.
“So.” he said “Last night went well?”
Alice snuck a look at her husband. His eyes remained transfixed on his plate.
“Y-yes.” Alice replied, forcing a smile.
“Indeed.” the balding man responded, not picking up on the uncertainty in Alice’s voice.
--------------------------
Alice collapsed onto her bed. The rest of the evening had been uneventful. It was strange how exhausted it had made her, despite the fact that they was practically no conversation.
Stop pretending your confused and helpless. You could have remained in control. You know exactly what is going on here. So end it. Now.
Alice pouted like a spoilt child. She hated it when her inner voice was right.
Almost as though the world was determined to bring her down, at that exact moment, she heard the familiar tap of a pebble hitting her window. And knowing exactly who it was, Alice heaved herself off her bed and opened her window.
“Stay there! I’m coming outside.” she hissed, and before Caleb could even nod in response, Alice was out of her bedroom and creeping towards the back door.
---------------------------
“I love you.” Caleb whispered.
Alice did not mimic his words.
An uncomfortable silence fell over the two people, as they sat on the grass under the stars.
Ignoring the nagging voice of common sense, that was pawing angrily at her train of thought, Alice moved closer to her ex-boyfriend.
“What made you change your mind?”
Alice was 90% sure she saw Caleb flinch at the question.
“I mean...” Alice tried, not wanting to scare the man away. “What made you come back?”
Caleb looked Alice right in the eyes.
“It doesn’t matter.” He said slowly, in a voice so sickly sweet it didn’t seem real. “I’m here now.”
The small, young woman wasn’t entirely satisfied with the answer she had been given. If it could even be called, an answer. But before she could argue, her words were blocked by a second pair of lips, as Caleb kissed her till she had forgotten what she was going to say.
“Stop interrogating me.” Caleb said firmly. But it seemed necessary for him to add, “I love you.”
Alice gazed at Caleb for a long time. Finally, she accepted what he had said. She could feel her inner guard being let down. And she knew she was close to forgiving her ‘ex’.
-------------------------
Alice paced restlessly around her bedroom. She bit her lip. She wound a loose section of hair between her fingers. She perched on the edge of an armchair. She stood up. She frowned at herself in the mirror. She bit her lip again. She sat down on her bed, and flopped down onto her back.
Alice smiled at the ceiling for a few seconds and then snuggled under the covers. She was so happy she could almost forget about being married to another man. Almost.
Her neglected inner voice was practically screaming at her. At least that’s what it felt like. Alice knew she shouldn’t have given in so easily, but Caleb was..... he was just so......... he was................
Alice sighed and squeezed her eyes shut.
“I do not have to pee.” she told herself. “I do not have to pee!”
The exhausted blonde held her breath for a few seconds and prayed that she wouldn’t have to leave her warm, cozy bed.
Dammit i have to pee.
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Alice shut the bathroom door and hugged herself in the icy air. The house was ridiculously big, it seemed silly that the toilet was so far away. The blonde shivered as she plodded bare-foot down the hall.
After finishing in the bathroom and returning to the hallway, she quickened her pace in order to reach the warmth and comfort of her bed. Before she reached it, however, Alice passed a room that had light spreading out from under the door. She assumed it was a spare room of some kind and Jason had left the lamp on.
The young woman extended an arm towards the door. But her fingers froze, hovering just shy of the metal handle, when she heard a shrill voice from inside.
“Well that’s not good enough! I don’t care about all that just get it done!”
Alice tried to pull herself away but her curiosity got the better of her, and she ended up with her ear against the door, listening.
“Get your head straight and finish this!” Elnora’s voice hissed, so full of venom and malice it made Alice gasp. Her weight shifted onto a loose floorboard and to her immense horror, it creaked very loudly under her foot.
There was a terrifying silence as Alice held her breath, torn between running for her life and staying rooted to the spot.
Maybe she didn’t hear!
No, she must have!
If i move she’ll catch me.
She’s going to open the door and see you any second.
Just run!
Alice raced down the hallway as fast as her feet could carry her. With every stride a loud thud echoed down the corridor. The panicked woman winced as her heart began to pound just as hard as her feet took turns hitting the ground.
As she reached her room, she flung the door open and dived into the shadows. For a few seconds she just lay on the floor, praying Elnora hadn’t heard her.
A few more moments passed.
Alice’s breathing gradually relaxed.
Her chest stopped heaving. But her heart was still hammering inside her chest.
She must have heard. Everyone must have heard...
A thought occurred to her and Alice jumped up and closed the door with a quiet click. She leapt, cat-like, into her bed and tugged the covers over her body.
The young woman listened intently. She waited for a particular noise. And soon enough she heard the click of her door opening.
---------------
Jason rolled over, annoyed.
What the hell is going on out there?
His ears pricked up as the heavy footsteps passed his bedroom door. In a relatively swift motion, (for someone still half asleep) Jason was out of bed and heading towards the door.
Rubbing his eyes, Jason opened his door and peered out into the darkness. Across the hall, and slightly further up, he could see his wife’s room. The door was wide open but her light remained switched off.
The confused young man stood in his doorway. He considered just going back to bed. He stuck his head further out and gazed up and down the hall. He reconsidered the bed idea, but finally gave in and wandered even further outside.
Alice’s door clicked shut. Jason mulled over the idea she had just gone to the toilet or something. But he couldn’t shake the knowledge of so many people who wanted his wife removed from their family.
Still half-asleep, the man trudged into Alice’s room.
She appeared to be sound asleep under the covers.
Reassured his wife was safe, Jason turned to head back to his room. But as he reached for the handle, he heard another door open down the hall.
Sleepily, he began to drag himself towards the noise. But he quickly halted. Jason decided he was much to tired to defend the house from intruders, in the unlikely case that there were any.
Finally, he made his way back to the room he was just in. He practically collapsed onto the bed and was asleep in seconds.
Jason was never good at getting up at ridiculous hours and remaining alert and aware of his exact whereabouts. So as expected, he didn’t even stir when a woman next to him rolled over and let out a squeak of surprise.