Page 45 of Vile Emotion
“Parents can be fools.”
“Come again?” Alaric asks and I know that I’m no longer going to back down. I almost want to keep what I’m about to say to myself but he deserves to hear this.
“I said parents can be fools. You did what needed to be done for your brother that you loved so much so for your father to act like you had no right, is nonsense. You had every right just like you have every right to tell him not to come see your son now. You’re protecting him.”
“Are you paying me a compliment?”
“I’m not trying to stroke your ego, Alaric. What I’m saying is he’s wrong and you’re right. That’s it.”
“Ah, it's because you’re my wife, right?” He asks.
“What do you mean?”
“Seems that’s your reason for being so fucking bold all of a sudden now. You’ve said it about three or four times while in this car ride.”
“Is that going to be a problem?”
Alaric doesn’t say anything but from his side profile, I see the smirk forming. The one that comes with consequences andissues. I’ve seen him use that smirk on me when he first told me that I had to go home with him after I was released from prison.
A dark, sinister feeling makes my stomach drop as it wraps its hand around my throat tightly. I can’t breathe but at the same time, the only thing he’s really physically doing is tapping his hand on his steering wheel.
“A problem is nothing to someone like me who always has a solution and will remain a step ahead of you, Juliana. You couldn’t beat me on your best day. Now, think about how we’re approaching everything as soon as we step back into town.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’ll figure it out, wife,” he says with emphasis. “You’re smart as hell.”
32
The rest of the car ride home was silent and I needed it to be. It can’t be time to think about what Alaric and I are going to talk about in the car but instead it's about how I’m going to have to stand firm on what I’ve said to him.
He told me to figure it out and that I was smart as hell but it’s not that easy. Either way, I’ll do it. I’ll make sure that I remind myself that a problem is nothing to me even if I’m faking it.
We reach the house that feels like I haven't seen it in years but it really hasn’t been that long. I take a deep breath before stepping out of the car.
As we head in, I grab Alaric’s arm and he stops, He turns to face me with a raised brow and he no longer has to say anything for me to know what he’s asking me for or rather, it’s his harshwhat…
“What are we going to do about my so–,” I stop my words and correct myself quickly. “Your son?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you want me to still raise him?”
“Was that ever a choice you thought you had?”
My mouth opens but nothing comes out so instead I opt for the safest thing possible between us, I nod once. Alaric doesn’tmake any movements to keep walking and he keeps looking at me, this time it’s my turn to wonder what the hell he’s looking for.
“Yes?”
Alaric chuckles as if I’m a comedian and it really has me wondering how much I answer or say that makes him laugh. Does he think I’m funny or is he just looking to get on my nerves so that way I can say something to him and he could further threaten me with something else.
“You’re laughing?” I ask.
“I am. I do that sometimes.”
Before I can retort, there’s a beep that gets Alaric’s attention and his attention is back on the gate. He’s no longer smiling, his face looks both sad yet mad, something I didn’t think was possible.
Turning to face whoever brought that expression out of Alaric, my eyes stumble upon someone that I’ve seen in the media once. It was a long time ago but I remember her face. She was his best friend and ex but they stopped talking to each other when he got married. That’s what the tabloids said and now I wonder if that was the reason or if it was his attitude. Did he cheat on this girl with Carmen? The timeline was so close too, according to the media.
