“What? I’m not moving out of our bedroom.”
“Yes. Yes, you are.”
He took the clothes from her but shook his head. “No, that is not what I meant.”
“Neither of us can sleep in the same bed without touching each other. I choose not to be teased by what I cannot have. Ergo you will be sleeping in the guest room.”
“But that is not what I want.”
“Tough.”
He stared at her like she was the unreasonable one. She didn’t care. She was just done.
“Get out, Alexandros. I need my rest.” She placed her hand protectively over her stomach, not even a little ashamed to pull the pregnancy card.
She’d had two difficult pregnancies and very little in the way of accommodation for them.
She’d spent so long not giving in to her own limitations for his sake and the sake of peace between them, but she was done with that too.
For once, Polly was going to insist on what she wanted, what would be easiest for her.
His male pride and ego could go hang.
He’d promised her he wouldn’t let his mother, or sister, come between them, but here he was doing just that. All the anger that Polly had tamped down for five years of marriage was sizzling through her bloodstream like lava, the volcano of her fury so close to eruption, it was all she could do not to scream.
“You said we get along in bed,” he said, like that should explain everything.
“And you said you want to give that up to focus on other areas of our marriage. I guess we’ll see just how good you are at doing that, won’t we?” she asked with a snide tone she wasn’t proud of, but neither was she shouting at him.
So, there was that.
He drew himself up like her words had firmed his resolve. “Yes, we will.”
“Well, then…” She indicated the door with her hand.
He frowned. “We can still share a bed.”
“No, we cannot. You want no sex. I want to sleep alone. Deal with it.”
“Polly you should not take this as a rejection.”
“Don’t worry, that’s not how I see it.”
“I want to say that’s good, but your tone implies it’s not.”
“Alexandros, I’m done talking. Please leave.”
He opened his mouth but then shut it as if her words had finally registered and he had decided to respect her desires.
With a final look at her that she could not read and didn’t really care to, Alexandros turned and left. He was back moments later to retrieve the pile of remaining things he’d need for the morning that she’d gathered.
She waited until he was finished in the bathroom before going inside to take her evening shower, ignoring his quiet good-night as he left the room.
If a few angry and pain-filled tears mixed with the water, there was no one else there to see.
Alexandros flopped to his side, missing his wife’s form in the bed next to him more than he would ha
ve expected, even though this sleeping arrangement was not what he’d been angling for. After all, sleeping on his own in the penthouse wasn’t something new for him. But he could not get comfortable.