you know I was still here?” I queried while gradually lowering onto the sofa with his assistance. I shuffled backwards and sank against the cushions.
“I called Spencer, only after several unsuccessful attempts to call you, of course. Luckily for me, he knew you were still here,” he informed me gruffly before storming into the kitchen where the cabinetry wore the wrath of his foul mood. Cupboard doors crashed, a glass scraped loudly, and the fridge door slammed shut. Twice. With a drink in hand, his heavy footsteps marched towards me soon after.
“Here, drink this,” he grunted thrusting the tall water-filled glass into my hand.
Not wanting to argue, I gratefully took it relishing in the relief the icy cold brought to my parched throat as I washed it down.
“Better?” he asked, thumping onto the sofa beside me and slipping an arm around my back.
I nodded and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “Much, thank you.”
“Good,” he said, exhaling a cleansing breath sharply. Taking the empty glass from me, he set it down on the small occasional table beside him before slumping against the cushions and tugging at my waist, prompting me to shuffle closer. I obliged him by drawing my feet up and curling into his side. I let out a content sigh as he kissed the crown of my head before continuing his explanation. “Spencer also happened to mention you were working on a unique project…”
“Our house,” I whispered hoarsely. “I was drawing up our house.” Fresh tears pooled, spilling over my cheeks.
“Hey, what’s going on?” He cupped my cheek and turned my head, alarm etching his frantic gaze and voice as he compelled me to look at him. “Did something happen? Was it Emmett? Did he come here again?”
“No, it wasn’t him.”
“Well, what’s upset you then? You were content this morning, what’s changed?”
My lower lip began trembling uncontrollably. “….My mother.”
A vicious growl flared from deep within Ari’s throat. “What did she do?”
“She came here just too purposely berate me.”
His strong jaw clenched as he spoke tightly, “What did she say to you?”
My cries turned into full-blown sobs as I miserably repeated each horrid word. Inevitably, my distress became Ari’s and winced as a sharp pain lanced through my bicep as his fingers began digging into my upper arm.
“Ari, you’re hurting me.”
His darkened gaze dropped to his hand. “My apologies, I didn’t realise…” His arms fell away from me as he sat forward, flanking his hanging head between his hands.
I instantly felt empty and lonely.
“I’m lost for words, Teddy. Most of all, I’m tired! Tired of this never-ending drama with your fucking mother and Emmett! It’s sucking the life out of us! When will it ever let up?” Scrubbing at his face, Ari turned his head to look at me. His gaze so thunderous, my stomach flopped from the fear alone as I attempted to read between the lines.
“And before you go flying off the handle at me, I’m well aware that you too are tired of it all. I’m also well aware that none of this-,” he dispassionately murmured, waving a hand, “- bullshit is any of your doing. Will there ever be any semblance of normality for us? At all?”
“I’m beyond tired, Ari; I’m exhausted!” I cried. “Their mental games are exhausting. But right now – what can I do? Until there's enough evidence to lock them away, I’m powerless to stop them! I just wished I understood what drove my mother to treat me so abhorrently. And Emmett’s insidious obsession with me, that I’ll never understand either. But I’m over torturing myself trying to find out!” I pulled my knees up, hugging them tightly and cried some more. Something else I was tired of doing. “Can we just go home, please?”
Running a hand over his face, Ari broodingly answered, “Yeah, sure. After today, I need a stiff drink.”
I sensed the indifference the moment he hauled me off the sofa, his body language, in particular. His hold usually made me feel warm and protected from the world, but how could it when it too, like the tone of his voice and the way he looked me felt distinctly wooden. Also noticeable was the significant gap between us – a sign telling me he was there, but only in a mildly physical sense, just not emotionally, breaking my heart.
Shutting me out when the tough got going had become an annoyingly bad habit of his lately, and it was seriously starting to piss me off. Chiefly after his recent apology and an unequivocal promise, there wouldn’t be any more outbursts or selfish brooding.
Everyone let me down in the end, why should Ari be any different?
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