Trapped
“Hey...”
He rubbed my cheek with his hand.
“So is he going to kill Dumitro? Is that what is going on right now?”
I pushed his hand off my cheek, completely serious. He sighed.
'It's so hard to please her. How Kries does it, I can't even begin to guess,' he thought.
I realized by his reaction, that I had offended him.
I cared for Emery, I didn’t mean for that to come across. I picked up his hand and put it back on my cheek. I looked at him with the most pleading look I could muster.
“Yes,” he whispered.
He got up without looking at me, pulling his hand away from me, and left the room. I sat there for twenty minutes thinking about what had just happened. It didn’t make any sense.
'Why doI have to pry information? Why doesn’t anyone tell me upfront? I shouldn’t have to feel bad.'
All of these thoughts swarmed in my head,
and like a beehive being messed with, I began to get angry. I threw the covers off, and set my feet down into my slippers. I went to the curtain and threw it aside.
I could see through the kitchen window that Chloe was outside gardening. I looked for Emery but didn’t see him outside. Like always as of late, I had suddenly had to desperately pee. I went to the bathroom door, and opened it. There was Emery, in the bathtub washing. Perfect I thought to myself. He’s trapped. Before he could say anything, I walked right into the bathroom and closed the door.
“I feel like this could be inappropriate.”
He was blushing and kept his hands underwater, obviously covering his manhood.
“Well, too bad. I have to pee, and unless you would like to get out, which would make you feel even more inappropriate, you have to stay there and deal with it.”
I gloated. I sat down and peed. I realized he wasn’t moving at all.
“Just because I’m in here, doesn’t mean you have to stop washing.”
I laughed. He slowly began using a washrag on his arms, keeping his eyes on me the whole time.
“Are you hiding something?”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“No!”
He wouldn’t even crack a smile.
“Then why are you being so morose about it? It’s alright. Truth is I was extremely angry with you when I came out of the room to find you. But this scenario has calmed me down. You embarrassed in the tub...was a sure fire winner,” I laughed.
With that he stood up out of the water, angrier than a bull. My jaw dropped.
“What right do you have to be angry with me?”
He steamed.
'Alright,' I thought, 'he’s going to go there, fine.'
I stood up abruptly and walked right up to him.
“You should have told me what was going on! I shouldn’t have had to pry!”
'I can be just as intimidating as him,' or so I thought.
“You are not my wife! It’s not my job to inform you, Kries has that happy duty!”
He threw his hands up angrily.
Just then, Chloe opened the door. Her jaw dropped as she saw us standing there fighting, one naked, and the other seven months pregnant.
“Get out!” we both yelled.
She slammed the door closed. We both stood there in silence for a moment.
“I wish you realized how hard I try to please you.”
He fussed with his hands, finally resting them crossed on his chest.
“I apologize.”
I turned my head away from him so as to not further embarrass him.
“I get so mad sometimes, that I even exist, and cause such issues for everyone. I don’t mean to take it out on you.”
I started to leave, and he stopped me. He pulled me into a wet hug. He placed his hands at my cheeks.
“Do not ever be mad or sad that you exist! You have made so many lives worth living. You have to take the good with the bad. You’re worth it.”
He leaned in no more than an inch away from my lips,
ready to kiss me. I turned my mouth just enough, so that I could kiss his cheek instead. I kissed it, and gave another good squeeze of a hug.
“I love you Emery, very much, and I always want you in my life. You are an amazing friend, truly. Your fiance was a very lucky woman.”
Slightly disappointed, he wrapped his arms around me in a hug.
“Thank you.”
I could hear the tone.
“You understand don’t you?”
I looked at him.
“Yes. If you had of reacted any differently to me than you did, I wouldn’t have known what to do anyways. I think that Kries is far luckier to have you than he realizes, but I in no way would want to make you uncomfortable by standing between you.”
“Honestly Emery, I don’t think anybody could if they wanted to. Come between us I mean. Except perhaps maybe Dumitro, but that won’t be for long. But if things were different, I would have been honored by your affections...Now that your bath water is cold, I’ll let you get back to it.”
I smiled releasing my arms from the hug.
“Thanks,” he smiled.
As I closed the bathroom door behind me, I felt much more at ease with Emery. I knew there was a reason he looked at me the way he did at the table the day we left, he loved me. I went and found Chloe, and apologized for yelling at her.
“All is forgiven my dear. Are you alright?” she asked.
“Yes. I was angry with Emery, and felt that we should work it out at that moment, even if he was bathing.”
I started laughing.
“He was so embarrassed Chloe.”
I laughed even harder. She joined in.
“Your courage amazes me Clara.”
She continued to laugh.
“It makes me wish Kries was here so badly. I bet you miss Alexis like mad?”
I sat down on the patio chair.
“You have no idea my dear. He is my world, and I have been in it for so long. Being here without him almost confuses me.”
She paused to remember him.
“Well, not too much longer and we will see them.”
I patted my belly. She smiled and continued pulling vegetables out for the night. We saw Emery leave the house and head out to hunt dinner.
“Looks like it’s deer for dinner. Again. Ha-ha, what I wouldn't give for some fish right now.”
I looked over at Chloe.
“I like venison. It’s a nice change. But I suppose with your cravings, you could have fish for years on end, and still want some now.”
She smiled, and continued her gardening.
“Yeah, too bad that the one thing I crave the most, I can’t have...”
I gazed out in the direction I figured Kries was. Chloe sighed; she missed Alexis as much as I missed Kries, if not more.