My Wife, My Man?

Chapter Seven

"All I wanna do is find a way back into love." Haley Bennet & Hugh Grant

The house was too quiet. That was something Perli found odd as she got out of the cab later that evening. She felt exhausted, her body beaten down by the heat of the day that had burnt her skin. Through the large window, she noted the darkness that engulfed the house. The only source of light was that of the laptop that lay on Jack's lap. He appeared focused on whatever he was doing with his eyes narrowed, brows knitted, and lips held in a tight smile. With that look, he had managed to appear angry, but wasn't that how he always looked?

Ignoring the sudden uneasiness of her heartbeat at the sight of him, she carefully unlocked the door. Upon entering, she immediately switched on the light.

A soft groan escaped from Jack's mouth at the immediate brightness of the room. He had grown comfortable with the dim light of his laptop. Rubbing his eyes, he blinked repetitively to adjust them to the light. He didn't know how long he had been sitting on that chair, stuffing himself with work. Most of the work was supposed to be done only after his honeymoon, but who could blame him, anyway? Working was among the few things that controlled his ugly habit: his compulsive drinking. It was something his family and friends often complained about. He was a young man, yet had a drinking habit of those who were twice his age. Often, he got drunk, and then would indulge in acts which he wouldn't vividly remember, but whenever flashes of those memories came, he regretted them.

"Hey," Perli greeted him. She sounded and looked unsure of the word that left her mouth.

He simply smiled at her, a sort of acknowledgment of her casual greeting. He then put down his laptop on the coffee table on his right. His surroundings looked messy.

Perli gave a quick observation around the room. It was like a child's playground: the pile of papers and empty glasses on the floor and a few on the table. She frowned at the sight of the mess; she disliked being in such a messy place. Her frown quickly vanished as she noticed him staring at her with elevated brows. He looked like he was expecting her to say something.

She cleared her throat. "I am sorry I took so long to come back," she found herself apologizing to him, unable to keep eye contact. For a man who was just a few years older than she was, he sure knew how to intimidate her. She continued speaking, "I for-"

"No need to apologize," he interrupted her, shaking his head, "you came back, didn't you?"

Perli didn't know whether to feel relieved or suspicious by his calmness. She raised her gaze to meet his eyes. "Have you eaten?" She asked. Not that she cared; it was simply her attempt to make small talk.

"I'm not hungry," his reply came through a murmur.

"Okay..." Her smile was awkward. "By the way, thanks for your credit card," she quickly added, walking towards him and handing the card to him. "I couldn't remember your pin, so I just used my money instead."

"Oh... Did you have fun, though?" he asked, trying to put a bit of a cheer in his tone. He couldn't.

"Yes..." she trailed off, rubbing her nape.

Something must have happened, the thought glued itself to her mind. She found Jack's sober and sad behaviour so odd. She wasn't used to that, and, for reasons unknown to her, didn't like it.

"Okay," she whispered to herself, feeling awkward at the silence they both brought. "I will just put these upstairs and fix us some dinner." With a heave of a sigh, she turned on her heels to dash up the stairs; however, stopped from her act when he called her name. "Yes?" She turned to face him, a nervous smile plastering her face.