Page 63 of Fractured
Rose comes in with breakfast, setting our trays in front of us. She takes my lid off and smiles at me, and I tell her thank you. This time my breakfast is a simpler fare: one poached egg with toast on the side with fresh fruit. I smile and grab my fork, stabbing a half-cut berry, shoving it into my mouth and smiling at him.
Alexander smiles back and picks up his cutlery, cutting into his ham, shoving a large piece into his mouth. We eat in relative silence. He tells me he has meetings today and that he’d like to have dinner with me this evening. I agree, since I’ll be working in my studio most of the day.
I sit, sipping my coffee as the dishes are cleared. Alexander pours himself another cup. He puts his sugar in and leans back in his chair, one hand braced on the armrest.
“If you have a few moments before returning to your painting, I’d like to show you the library. I know you were briefly there with my mother, but you’ve never spent much time there. I’d like you to feel that this house is yours as well as mine. You don’t always have to stay in your bedroom.”
I just look at him and blink. He’s actually letting me roam the house?
“Where is Sasha?”
“Off.” is his only reply.
Alexander places his cup on the table. And, like last night, he extends his hand to me. I put my cup down and put my hand in his, standing up. He links our fingers together and we walk out of the dining room, heading towards the library.
Once inside, he brings me forward to the shelves, showing me various books by various authors he thinks I’m interested in, offering to get me anything I need. He would be more than happy to order the books and get them delivered. He takes me over to the desk. This is where I can set myself up as an office if I so choose.
Alexander stands on the opposite side of the desk, smiling. I trail my finger on the edge of the desk as I walk along, looking at the walls. I look back at him.
“Does this mean that I get to go back to work soon if you’re giving me an office?”
His face creases into a hard expression, and he puts his hands on his hips and tilts his head down, looking at the floor. He lets out a heavy puff of air.
“Not yet, Isabella.” He says it’s so low and quiet, like he’s trying to pacify a child so they don’t have a tantrum.
White Knight to D2, he moves one space back
I know I shouldn’t ask, but something in me just cracks.
“Why?”
Black Knight to C5. A bold move.
Alexander’s face crumbles, his jaw is pulsing as he grinds his teeth. He looks up at me, his tone getting darker.
“Because you can’t right now.”
White Pawn to F3. A block to my advancement.
I tilt my head to the side, my eyebrows coming together inconfusion, and I just stare at him because I don’t understand.
“Why Alexander? What have I done? My career is everything to me.” I say, softly.
For the briefest of moments, I can see remorse cross over his face before his eyes turn dark silver and he puts his finger on the desk and leans forward.
“Because I said that’s why, and I don’t want to hear any more about it.” He snarls.
He walks around the desk and starts heading across the library towards the door, leaving me there confused and angry as well. For some reason, I feel bolder than I should be.
Following a few feet behind him, I humble myself to almost beg. “Could you not just answer me why? I have done nothing wrong. I’ve done everything you’ve asked of me.”
Black King to E8
I turn to the desk and rub my forehead, trying to fight back the angry tears that threaten to fall.
“If I don’t return to work soon, Professor Daniels is going to fire me. He’s already looking for a replacement.” I look back over at him. I hate myself for being weak and asking, but maybe I can make him see this is important to me.
Alexander stops, his back stiff, his hands fisted at his side. He turns those silver eyes at me and my insides shake. The anger rising in him should have made me stop talking.
