Iris:
Kash and I stared at each other in silence for a few seconds before I scoffed and paced back and forth.
"So, you want to talk, huh?" I remarked. "And I’m guessing you’re going to accuse of why I ran away again, or why I put your children’s lives in danger by going into the East?"
I began listing his own questions automatically because I knew they were coming. This was how Lara spoke to .
This was how his sister and mother acted around . The way they snatched the children as if I were a threat to them.
"No," he replied. "I’m going to ask you how many more secrets you’re keeping from , Iris?"
Of course, he spoke in a way that made look guilty by bringing up my secrets.
"The way you shut down, the way you rejected , I’m glad I did," I told him. "I don’t think any man can be loyal to two won at the sa ti."
The mont I said those words, I didn’t know what it was about them that shocked him so much, but his expression turned distant.
"What?" I snapped. "Don’t act like you don’t understand what I’m talking about."
It only made him place his hands on his waist and stare back at , clearly more upset.
"I’ll stop staring when I figure out what the fuck you’re talking about," he muttered.
As expected, he acted completely clueless.
"I had co to you seeking help that day. I was in tears. I was afraid for my life," I hated that I broke down in front of him.
He gave a strange look, as if he was listening, yet still not understanding why I was so upset, or what I was upset about.
"I cried in front of you," I reminded him. "I told you I didn’t want to marry Luca. And I told you not to marry Lara. What did you say to ? Do you rember that?"
As soon as I said it, his jaw clenched. The folds on his forehead that had shown confusion or shock were replaced with a clear look of annoyance.
"I told you cruel things," he continued. "I rejected your love. I rejected your request. I refused to acknowledge your pleas, and I put Lara above my children."
He listed everything himself, and for a mont my jaw dropped at his audacity to rember it all and still question .
"You are so fucking full of yourself," I hissed.
As soon as I reached out to slap his chest, he grabbed my hand and pulled against him, closing the distance between our bodies.
"Let go. You already said what you had to say," I demanded, trying to free myself, but he kept holding close, looking in the eye.
"Why are you doing this?" he asked.
The mont those words left his mouth, I stopped pushing against his chest and stared at him for a few seconds before a frown ford on my forehead.
"What?" I questioned. "What did I do now?" I added while he made sure to keep close.
"You know the truth about those words," he replied. "So why are you acting like I’m the bad guy?" he comnted, still failing to convince .
I did not understand what he ant when he said I knew the truth about those words. I did know the truth. He broke my heart. What else could it be?
"Don’t look so confused," I told him. "I told you why I said all that. You agreed it was the right thing to do. And then we planned everything. Why the fuck are you blaming all of that on now?"
Now that he was speaking clearly instead of circling around it, I felt as if the ground had shifted beneath .
"We planned it?" I asked, carefully pointing at myself.
He started to release .
"Yes. We talked about how you would leave the wedding in the middle with the children so they wouldn’t see their father marry soone else," he explained.
I stared at him in disbelief.
"Kash, we did not talk about anything. I did not speak with you," I told him. "All I know is that you betrayed . Then you said hurtful things to before you walked down the aisle to marry the woman you loved more than your children."
I did not hold back, spilling everything in one breath. I noticed he did not look comfortable. He looked as if sothing terrible had just hit him.
"Wait," he said. "Iris, I need you to tell exactly what is going on."
This ti, when he spoke, he did not sound angry or ready to accuse . He sounded like he wanted to understand.
"I texted you," he continued. "The mont I said those things and hurt you, I texted you right away. I even pointed at your phone while we were standing together. I told you to check it."
For a mont, I could not believe what I was hearing. Everything around went quiet.
"There was her father in the bathroom when you arrived," he said. "He was listening to everything. I had to pretend I was choosing Lara over you. If I hadn’t, he would have caught on to my plans."
He continued speaking, but I covered my face with my hands and shook my head, unable to process the turn of events.
"We planned it all," he continued. "Then, when I didn’t find you among the people, when I didn’t see my children among the guests, I thought you were following the plan we made together. Yet you ran away. What went wrong? I want to know the truth, Iris. I want to know."
He paused and closed his eyes. Then I saw his fists clench.
"If it wasn’t you, who was I texting?" he asked.
I didn’t know what it was about those words, or the trust he suddenly showed, but the fact that he knew I wouldn’t make a plan and then run away to fool him gave a slight sense of ease, but it was not enough.
I still had to answer him. I had to tell him the truth.
"It was," I paused, taking a deep breath, "my mother. She took my phone the mont I went back ho."
When I finished, Kash threw his head back, placed one hand on his waist, and covered his eyes with the other.
User Comments
0 comments from readers