I scowled. “They can’t be that stupid.”
“It’s not stupid, it’s just different. I’m not saying all men, but I’m saying our men need direct, straightforward communication,” Kallie insisted. “This is how Charlie works, and this is how you work, too, so why are you trying to go against your own wiring?”
I wasn’t sure. All of this was just a theory, so I wasn’t sure if I could believe this was true. We weren’t together anymore, so it wasn’t like I could test it out. I wanted more context on exactly what was inside Charlie’s head.
And I really, really wanted to talk to Ivy. If anyone was an expert in this kind of stuff, it was them. I wished I had a nonbinary perspective on all of this, someone who wasn’t firmly in either camp, but could see both sides.
Yet I was convinced that mine and Ivy’s friendship was over, too. So it wasn’t like I could ask them for advice.
I sighed, putting my chin in my hand. “Okay, let’s say I’m the real dom. But if we’ve had this backwards the whole time, how are we supposed to fix things now?”
“You need to make up your mind.” Kallie tied her hair back. “Then he’ll follow your guidance when you tell him to. That’s what a submissive does.”
“Great, so it’s all on me. That’s not a lot of pressure.”
“Charlie isn’t going to make a move one way or the other until you tell him which way to go. He’s waiting on you.”
“Why do I have to do all the work of figuring this out? It’s not fair!” I complained. “He needs to pull his weight, too.”
“That man isn’t going to breathe unless you tell him which way the wind blows,” Kallie said. “And sorry, Ava, but I don’t think you’re the kind of girl who’d be happy being with a man who didn’t worship the ground she rolls over. Obsessive guys begging for a treat is your type, and if a real dom showed up and tried to boss you around, you’d have him crawling on his knees in five seconds flat, because no one can be head bitch around here except you.”
That much was true. “But nobody likes being controlled, even if they get off on it. I don’t need to domineer his every waking moment.”
“You can’t nag him or overpower his free will. You have to make your desire known, clearly, then wait for him to react and see if he’ll follow you,” Kallie said. “So do you want to stay married, or get divorced? Because we’re all waiting on you.”
“If I go through with acting like this, I’d be worried about violating his consent. I never want to do anything to him that he’s not absolutely willing to do, in the bedroom or otherwise. I don’t want to force him back into this marriage if he doesn’t think there’s anything left for us.”
“You aren’t forcing him to do anything by asking,” Kallie said. “If he wanted to leave you, he would’ve signed those papers by now, but they’re still sitting in his drawer. He’d rip them up today if you told him to, or he’d put the ink onto the paper if you said to sign them right now. It’s up to you.”
“This is a divorce. It’s a big, complicated decision. Can’t he think for himself?”
“Not when he doesn’t know how to live without you,” Kallie insisted. “You can get by without him, Ava. I know it, because even though you’re suffering you’re still surviving through your heartbreak and carrying on with life. He’s just lingering.”
I stayed quiet for a moment, and Kallie said, “Did he tell you that he’d sign the papers if you asked him to?”
My voice got very small. “Yes.”
“There you go.”
I crossed my arms and sat back. “So, what? I go back to bossing him around, and it’s going to fix our marriage? It can’t be that easy.”
“I don’t know. Maybe.” Kallie shrugged. “It can’t hurt.”
This could be the only way for us to get back to a good place. If I took control and started steering our relationship, we might have a way to work through things.
But did I still want that? I wasn’t entirely sure.
“This might be something to consider. But it’s not like I can talk to him about this,” I said. “We’re so far apart now, and there’s no time to work on our relationship with what’s going on with the Warden. We don’t have long to figure out how to stop him before we’re backed into a corner.”
Kallie huffed. “You can work your relationship around your princess duties. Charlie’s not the only one you’re dominating.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
The door banged open, and Rishi yowled a greeting as Marcus returned.
“I got enough for all of us!” Marcus cheered as he distributed the drinks. “Blueberry Blast for Ava, Tropical Mango for me, and for my pretty princess, Cherry Chocolate.”
“Thank you, babe.” Kallie took her drink. “Marcus, who’s the leader of our friend group?”
