Chapter 16: CHAPTER SIXTEEN- NO YOU CAN'T!

~GREY’S POV~

Few steps outside the room and I heard her voice. She was on a call. I followed the voice to the kitchen and there was no evidence of the food she was preparing earlier. My heart squeezed with guilt again as she cleaned, she was only trying to be a good wife.

“I’m sorry.” I heard Leila say.

My lips pressed into a firm line as my wife bent over the sink. She tucked the phone between her shoulder and ear and rinsed out the pots. My jaw clenched when she laughed at something the person said.

Was it the guy at the office?

“I’ll make it up to you, I swear.” She sighed again. “What if I spend the night? It can be like old times.”

The person must have refused, Mira’s shoulders sagged. “Don’t be like this.”

I walked over to her at that moment and tapped her. She held a finger up and returned to the call.

“He’s here, I’ll call you back.”

I folded my arms on his chest.

“Who was that?”

“Lisa,” She answered.

And I could tell there was a thought going through her mind

“A guy?”

She shook her head. “A girl.” She moved away from the sink to arrange the dishes into the cabinet. “Lisa’s my best friend.”

~MIRA’S POV~

Blood roared in my ears, I gripped the sink behind me to steady herself. I was still trying to come to terms with the events of the last hour. The shrimp pasta was prepared using my family’s old recipe but I would have to eat the food alone when he wasn’t home. Or take it to Lisa’s house as a peace offering.

Grey kept asking questions and was probably thinking of what we spoke about over the phone.

We had been talking about having a sleepover, the only form of apology my friend would accept.

Grey took a seat at the dining table and I joined him.

“I’ll be going to her place in a bit. Will you be okay on your own?”

It was normal for me to spend the night at my friend’s for sleepovers and girls night out. Being a remote worker, Lisa always wanted my company. Plus, I had missed Pinkie, Lisa’s cat.

“You’re not leaving.” his voice rang out.

I waited for an explanation but got none.

He couldn’t stop me from going to see my best friend or could he? This whole relationship was complicated. If I disobeyed, would he punish me at work?

Fixing him a look, I asked, “Why not?”

The doorbell rang and grey left me to attend to it. Minutes after he had gone I was still staring at the door. Different thoughts clouded my head.

Grey and I barely talked, my presence would make no difference.

He returned with a bag that had the logo of a food company and I helped with plates and he dished the food. We dug into our meal using the chopsticks until I could no longer hold my questions in.

“Why not?”

Grey looked up from his food, he moved his shoulders in a careless shrug and I slammed my hands on the table. His brow shot up at my behaviour and I hid my hands under the table.

“She is my best friend, Grey.”

I didn’t want to be part of the population who forgot everyone that mattered to them after marriage.

Still Grey said nothing until he was done eating while I played around with my food, giving up on it very soon.

“I’ll be travelling tomorrow, you can go then.”

He could have told me that earlier.

“Finish up your food.”

Questions burned on my mind but I remained silent. If he wouldn’t tell me about the trip, I wouldn’t ask either. A regular wife might have asked for his destination but Grey treated me more like a staff. I rolled my eyes and mumbled an apology when he caught me.

Once I was done with my meal, I scurried out of the dining room. I heard the faint call of my name but I ignored it. On entering our bedroom, I got my laptop and nightie and made her way to the guest room. Grey liked to used the study after dinner, and fit some unknown reason I didn’t want to be in the same place with him.

The screen of my laptop came to life, seconds later, my friend’s face came into view. I waved and Lisa waved back. A white cat jumped on Freya’s lap and the we ladies laughed. Pinkie was an attention seeker.

“She’s always wanting to be noticed.”

Lisa rubbed the cat’s head. “Always.” Holding pinkie up by its front limbs, she said, “Say hello to your aunty.”

I made a face at the cat. “My husband is on night shift, are you coming?”

My friend’s blue eyes pierced her. Patrick, her husband was working two jobs until he could find someone willing to take a risk on his crazy innovation. He was barely home whereas Lisa spent most of her days indoors. My best friend had complained a lot about her husband’s tiring work hours but she didn’t love him any less.

I wanted to be there for my friend but it would upset my husband.

“Tomorrow.” I bent my screen as I prepared for a lie.“My husband wants us to spend the night together before his trip.”

At the mention of that word, Lisa sat up. Pinkie ran off to a corner, leaving us alone.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about him earlier on and you had to know about him because Micheal came.”

Lisa pulled her blonde hair into a bun. “It’s fine.”

It wasn’t. Lisa had every right to be mad at me. At Lisa’s wedding, We had joked I would repay the favour by being the chief bridesmaid at my own edding. It was funny back then.

“Have you two done it?”

It took a second for me to get it. My eyes grew wide and I shook my head.

Lisa laughed. “Is he a good man?”

Grey was a lot of things. Calm. Calculated. Quiet. Thoughtful. Kind, sometimes. “I think he is,” I said.

My countenance changed and I rectified my slip by saying, “He is. He’s a good man. You might know him.”

Lisa had to know him. She was really updated and she once based on making research and investigations.

“Really, what's his name?"

“Grey Anderson!"

Lisa’s jaw unhinged and she shook her head slowly as if it would make my words go away.

“You’re kidding? The Grey Anderson?”

“Yes, you know him right?"

"Babe, did you hit a jackpot?”

I was confused.