“Why are you here, Simon?” she sighed finally, as if she had just lost some kind of argument with herself.
Simon pondered over his response for a moment. He could simply say that he was taking a walk after dinner and juststumbledupon her by accident. That would be the moreSimon-esque answer—always nonchalant, never trying too hard.
But to his own surprise, he found that he did not wish to lie to her.
“I don’t know,” he admitted quietly. “Perhaps your presence at the table was missed, and your little statement achieved exactly what you intended.”
Rachel’s eyes widened slightly at his admission, and her lips parted slightly, but within a single second, she had restored her expression to one of passivity.
“Glad to see that at least your observation skills have seen some improvement,” she replied tartly. “I would not have put it past you not to notice my absence at the table altogether.”
“You are angry at me,” Simon stepped forward.
“Not in the least.”
“Let me put it this way then.” He was not going to let her talk her way out of this. “You are being difficult on purpose.”
“Oh…” A shrug and then the ghost of a smile on her lips. “Am I, really?”
Rachel was determined not to make this easy for him.
“You seem as though you have taken something to heart,” he sighed. “I think there has been some miscommunication between the two of us.”
“Pray tell, what words did I take to heart? Because, if you have not noticed, you are not exactly a man who is keen on saying too many of them,” she huffed, now folding her arms out in front of her.
“You are my wife,” he replied. “You do not simply vanish from my presence without explanation.”
To his astonishment, she laughed.
“Oh, Simon,” she murmured, shaking her head as if he had just said something terribly amusing. “You truly have no idea.”
“Enlighten me, then.”
“I did not vanish as you so poetically put it. I simply removed myself from where I was no longer required. You are a reasonable man, and I would think that you would appreciate the gesture.”
“What rubbish are you talking about?” Simon replied, irked. “When have I ever implied that you are not required?”
Rachel held his gaze for a moment. “You did not have to say it, of course. It would be doubly humiliating if I waited around for you to say it. A hint is enough for the wise, as they say.”
“Rachel,” Simon warned, closing the distance between them now. Rachel tried to take a step back, but her spine hit the boundary of the balcony. He noticed her gulp.
“You are trying to intimidate me with your proximity,” she huffed, crossing her arms again as if to put some distance between them.
“I amtryingto figure out what on earth has gotten into you that has made you act like a recluse and go into exile,” he said through gritted teeth. “And Ido notappreciate you keeping me in the dark.”
“You made it quite clear last night that my presence—my thoughts, my feelings—were of no importance to you,” she sputtered out. “So I adjusted accordingly. You do not get to act as though you are so astonished now.”
For the first time that night, Simon was speechless.Howhad she somehow gotten the impression thatshewas unwanted? If anything, he was having to go to great lengths tostopwanting her.
Rachel seemed to interpret his silence as something else entirely, for she tried to push past him, but Simon held her back.
“I amnotletting you run away,” he said.
“Let me go, Simon.”
“I will not,” he said, his voice dangerously quiet. “Not until you stop running from me.”
He had no intention of having her disappear again, without any sort of explanation. It had been difficult enough for him today, which was another thing that surprised him.
