Page 71 of Invisible Bars
Imanio stared for a beat, his expression unmoving.
“Unconventional husband.”
I almost laughed—almost.
Yeah… with an extra name, unstable moods, and a kill count you probably lost track of.I wanted to add.
“Well, b-before we do this, we need some rules,” I stated, squaring my shoulders. My voice wasn’t loud, but it was firm.
That was the part where I needed to feel like I hadsomesay inmylife.
Imanio reclined in his chair slightly, arms draped over the armrests like a king listening to a plea. His face didn’t show much, but his eyes narrowed just a moment—intrigued, maybe even a little impressed.
“I’m listening.”
His tone was cool, but not dismissive. It was the kind of tone that made me feel like whatever came next better be good—like he wasn’t the type to entertain nonsense, but he’d entertainme—for now.
"First, n-no touching. We’re not doing any of thatlovie-doviemarried couple stuff… ever."
Another tic erupted.
“Smells like a lavender goddess. C-Can’t relate to dirty depression diva anymore.”
Imanio gave a slow nod. "Okay."
But the way he said it? It wasn’t agreement; it was clearance—more likeI hear you… but that’s just what you’re saying right now.
"Second, I still want to keep my own room… with a lock… arealone. And you don’t get a key.”
A quick tic followed—my nose twitched, and I whispered, “Booby trap bedroom. Brick to the kneecap.”
Imanio chuckled—not mocking, just entertained.
“Alright. Done. Next.”
The tone wasn’t aggressive, but it carried that unspoken“Mm-hmm. Go on and finish lying if you want.”
“H-How long will we have to stay married? Surely t-this is just something temporary… until you can trust me, right?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows?” he answered casually, but there was an edge to it— adangerouskind of calm. “You might find that you love it here. The space. The quiet. You might stop counting the days and start building a life.”
I stared at him, mouth open.
“Y-You really think I’m gonna just settle into this like some t-twisted fairytale? Like… I’m gonna wake up one day, ha-happy to be your little hostage housewife?”
He hunched his shoulders with that same maddening calm in his eyes.
“I’ve seen stranger things happen. Comfort has a way of rewiring people.”
“Comfort?” I scoffed. “Y-You callthiscomfort?”
“I call it controlled peace… Better than the chaos you left behind.”
I flinched at that. “Blow the confetti; it’s a felony fairy tale! Damn it!”
I slapped my thigh with the flat of my palm, breathing hard. My body twitched again, that time with a frustrated snort I didn’t mean to make, like my nerves were trying to beat my voice to the punchline.
“Y-You don’t know what I left behind!” I finally said.
