___________________________..."Rowan is looking at me weird today," I told Zoe as I joined her at the bar after almost two agonizing hours of socializing as the host. "Oh well, in his defense, you are doing the same. So pot calling the kettle black?" A snicker left her lips and I did not appreciate the look that she was giving me. The look that screamed, 'You are in denial and you know it.'I was not in denial and there was nothing to be in denial about in the first place. One annoying thing about Zoe Wilkins was that she liked to overanalyze things and make others the guinea pigs for her social experiments. It's fun when you watch her do it to someone else but it was not that fun when you were on the offensive side. "I have no idea what you are talking about." That is all I managed to say. But then I decided to worsen the situation by sputtering out, "I am just playing the part of a happy wife on her anniversary.""Then maybe he is simply acting the part of the loving husband w
__________________________..."It's that easy for you?"And something in me broke.."Easy?" There was warning in my voice, warning for him not to disrespect me with words as such. But this was Rowan we were talking about. He was as stubborn as ever. He was not backing down either. "Yeah. It must be so easy for you to end this marriage and move on to the next." There was fire in his eyes but I doubted it could hold a candle to the burning inferno inside me"Oh trust me, it isn't going to be as easy as it was for you to move from girlfriend to girlfriend while being married to someone else." I spat out. He flinched. But I wonder why. He did not flinch or hesitate before doing everything that he had done in the past two years and yet when he is confronted with the truth, he flinches as if he never meant to do any of it and is being falsely accused of sins he has never committed. He didn't say a word after that. And all of a sudden I was counting every second of the rest of the so
____________________________..."Okay, tell me now. Tell me why it's like this." Rowan sat on the edge of the table, swaying back and forth. He was drunk. So was I. It reminded me of what happened the last time we both were in the same room drunk. Don't go there, Rory. But why not?We are married, aren't we?I should be able to think whatever naughty and inappropriate thoughts I want to think about my husband and the love of my life. I have a legal document that says that I have the right to do it. It's called our marriage certificate. Then why the hell am I trying to stop myself when I should not be? God, my head hurt!"Tell me why," Rowan said."Ain't nothin' but a heartache..." I sang."Tell me why," He sang back."Ain't nothin' but a mistake...""Tell me why...""I never wanna hear you say...I want it that way." I sang at the top of my lungs with a drumstick as my mic. "Okay, you had your concert. Now tell me the truth." Why does it seem like Rowan is much sober than
___________________________ . . . I mean, even in my drunk state I knew how bad this was going to be. So why am I so surprised? Maybe because I was staring at the face of my slumbering husband, and the many love bites on his neck and the long nail marks on his shoulder. I sighed. We had one hell of a night, didn't we? This should not have happened. We were in the master bedroom, the room from which I had kicked this man out. The audacity of the little bitch to carry me here instead of his own room. I am convinced that he was completely sober, and making a point by doing it. How the hell am I supposed to do the walk of shame from my own room? Where am I supposed to even go? What a bloody mess of things have I made? Rowan stirred in his sleep and I stilled, willing him to stay asleep until I figured out what to know, though it did not look like there was anything I could come up with. But then again, when have things ever gone my way? He woke up. He fluttered his l
_________________________...~ ROWAN KELLER ~"What could have I said wrong?" I thought out loud as I iced my nose."You must have said something really really dumb if a pacifist like Rory went and head-butted you." Ashton could not help but snort out loud at the end.My dumb best friend had been trying to be supportive about the situation. But he could not help but crack jokes and laugh like a hyena every time he looked at me.It was not funny. But I knew that me getting riled up would only have him laughing harder."Well, you are not telling me exactly what happened. You both had sex. That's progress. But what else did you talk about?"I did not want to tell him about Aurora's feelings for me. Not when she had gotten that mad about me wanting to give our marriage a chance even though she had admitted to loving me. Could I blame her? Umm... No. I was the biggest dick to her for the longest time. It was a wonder why she had even agreed to go on with this farce with me for this lon
___________________________..."I don't want to be here." Ashton hissed."Why? You hate us or something? You hate my sweet Rory?" Zoe gasped dramatically as she threw both her arms around me."Funny." Ashton huffed and then turned to me. "Don't believe a word your husband tells you. He is a liar. Pathological liar."He turned to stick his tongue out at a glaring Rowan and then quickly turned back to me."Except what he told you in the morning. About the marriage. Trust me, he meant every word."Zoe chuckled and I gave her a look. As if my life was not complicated enough, I was being subjected to this right now."So Zoe, what do you do for a living?" Ashton asked after clearing his throat."I am a travel vlogger." Zoe shrugged. "I have a Youtube channel with my ex-boyfriend.""On and off boyfriend." I corrected."It's done for real this time." Zoe insisted."Sure." I nodded.She gave me a look which I returned with a sugary sweet smile."So Zoe, you must take great pictures right?"
___________________________..."Rule number fifty-six in life - When you are trying to woo your wife, do not ditch her for your ex-mistress." I gave Ashton a look. "Mistress?""It was an extra-marital affair. You may call her ex-girlfriend all you want but she was nothing more than your mistress." "Okay I get your point. But hear me out, I did not see it coming and Rory just left without saying anything, trapping me with that woman." "You could have run for your life." Ashton rolled his eyes. "I would have."I didn't have anything to argue with that. He was right, I should have run for my life. But I waited behind to hear what Ophelia had to say. First, it was about how hard her life had been lately and how much of a douchebag her present boyfriend was. I saw no reason to leave. She was keeping me and Rory out of the conversation and I sat there just checking the entrance over and over again wondering when Rory would reappear with Ashton and Zoe in toe. They never did. They had
_________________________...The bright light of the early morning sun filtered into the room through my curtains.I moaned as I tried to get my hands on the string that would close those blinds but my movements were restricted by strong arms. Again.What?I wriggled in his arms, dread filling the pit of my stomach.Did we do it again?"Relax. We did not have sex." He murmured not opening his eyes."You sure?" I asked, just to be safe.All I got in return was a chuckle. He pulled me closer to himself and placed his lips on the side of my head."Just sleep.""What time is it?" I asked."Why does it matter?" He asked finally opening his eyes."We need to go to work.""Honey, we are the bosses. We determine the time of our work."My face heated up immediately. Honey?"Yeah honey, what else am I supposed to call my wife?" Did I say that out loud?"You don't have to say it out loud for me to know what you are thinking." He replied to that as well. I squirmed under his arms, trying to