Chapter 61

My tongue felt limp in my mouth. After a few seconds dragged by, I croaked out a quiet, "I had to... pick up something from the... the shop."

He eyed my flushed face, then his gaze slid down to the bag I clutched at my side. I thrust it behind me reflexively.

His voice dropped to an even lower octave. "Really now? I want to see what you picked up."

My fingers flexed over the strap in my hold. Thoughts ran haywire in my mind, my anxiety ratcheting up. I settled with a stuttered, "I can't--I can't show you."

Silence stretched the air. He stared down at me for a long while before he turned and left, disappearing into the section that housed the rooms.

I saw less of him for the rest of the day, and our conversations were limited. The next day, he left for work at the break of dawn. A gloomy feeling settled on my chest as I stood and set about my day. The feeling intensified when I went over to the living room and saw what was on the dinning table.

Flowers.

Going down to the table, I pick