Consumed By Darkness

008~YOU ARE

Leah,

The week had been really hectic for me, and after what happened last night with Liam, all I wanted was a peaceful weekend to catch my breath. But the sight of Sarah, my mother-in-law standing in the hallway, unannounced and uninvited, dashed any hope of that.

"Welcome, Mother," I said, trying to sound cheerful as I stepped forward to hug her.

"Great, you are here," She rolled her eyes as she spoke, barely masking her irritation. She allowed me to hug her but pulled away quickly, as if the contact had burned her.

"That's funny, Mother. Where else would I be if not in my own home?" I forced a smile, keeping my tone light.

She narrowed her eyes, scrutinising me, but I held her gaze, refusing to be intimidated.

"Where is Liam?" She asked, her eyes darting around in search of him.

"He stepped out...to meet a friend," I lied.

I had no idea where he was. He had dressed and left in the morning without so much as a glance in my direction. It seemed as if the more I tried to confront him on his attitude towards me, the more distance I created between us.

She frowned. "Matt?"

"No," I replied quickly, remembering that she wasn't fond of Matt, even though he had been friends with Liam since college. "Someone from the office."

Sarah's frown deepened with suspicion, but she said nothing as she pulled out her phone from her purse and strode into the living room. "I should have taken Sam up on her offer to meet," I sighed, following her.

She was seated on the sofa, her phone on speaker as she dialled Liam's number.

"Where are you?" She asked as soon as he answered.

"In the office, Mother," he replied.

"On a Saturday?"

"Yes. Why did you call?"

"Hurry home," she demanded. "I'm at your house."

"You are at my place?"

"Yes," She snapped.

"Give me a few minutes," he added before the line went dead.

She sighed, setting her phone on the arm of the sofa. She turned her attention to me, her gaze racking over me from head to toe, lingering on my stomach. Her lips curled in disgust as she took in my outfit.

"Those things on your body are hideous," she spat, referring to the butterflies inked on my lower belly. "You should try dressing decently to hide them."

I was wearing shorts and a crop top, in my own home. My own home!

I bit back a retort, knowing it would do no good. Talking back never ended well with them. I sat down on the sofa across from her, distracting myself with a game on my phone as we waited for Liam.

"Mother," Liam greeted warmly, smiling as he walked over to where Sarah sat. He leaned down to kiss her cheek, but she stood up beaming as she pulled him into a tight embrace.

Her hand went to his face when she pulled away slightly, her expression shifting to one of concern. "What happened, to you? You've lost weight."

"Work. I have been busy."

She pursed her lips, clearly not satisfied with his answers. "You should take care of your health. I thought after your promotion, you'd have less work, not more."

"Promotion?" I repeated, my eyes darting between Sarah and Liam.

He never told me anything about a promotion.

"I'll go change." He announced, kissing his mother's cheek before leaving.

I closed the door behind me as I followed him into the room. He was untying his tie when I walked over and reached out, my fingers brushing against his as I began unbuttoning his shirt. I expected him to push me away, but he didn't. He merely looked over my head and allowed me to continue.

"You were promoted?" I asked softly.

He didn't reply.

"When was it?"

"Last month." He replied coldly.

I bit the inside of my cheek, trying not to think of how much his indifference stung."Why didn't you tell me?"

He shrugged. "Didn't think it was necessary. After all, it's not a big promotion."

I forced a smile. "Congratulations."

He turned to look at me, his eyes cold as he studied me. Then he pulled away, taking off his shirt and tossing it aside. "Don't say it if you don't mean it, Leah."

He stripped off his pants and disappeared into the closet. I followed behind, watching his back. The only part of him that didn't turn away from me.

"Did you get Julie's invitation to her wedding?" I asked, trying to diffuse the tension.

"Yes," he replied, picking out a new shirt.

"Are we going together?" I asked, even though I knew the answer.

He never agrees to go out with me. Even when I told him about dinner with my parents, he said he didn't feel comfortable eating with them.

"No. I have a business trip that week."

I chucked, hurt. "You weren't planning on telling me about it, were you?" I murmured to myself.

He paused, turning to me with furrowed brows and that look of irritation and disgust in his eyes that broke my heart. "What did you say?"

"It's nothing."

"Stop doing that."

"Doing what?" I asked, confused.

"Acting like you are trying to accommodate me," he snapped. "It's disgusting."

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words caught in my throat. I could feel another fight brewing, and instead of giving him what he wanted, I backed down. I smiled through the painful knot in my chest and whispered,"I'm sorry."

His eyes narrowed in frustration. "That's all you are good at. Saying sorry," he spat, grabbing his pants from a hanger and pushing past me.

No matter what I did, we always ended up fighting.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

I moved through the crowd, searching for Julie. Along the way, I ran into people I knew, most of them my father's associates who still referred to me as Miss. Carter, even though I've been married for three years. I had to correct them more times than I cared to.

Finally, I found Julie posing for photos with her husband.

"You made it," Julie said with feigned surprise as she pulled me into a hug. "I didn't think you'd come. Where is Liam?"

"He's travelling. Congratulations."

She smiled, her eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction. "Isn't my wedding just grand? Much more than yours."

I nodded, smiling. "It's isn't a competition but yes, it's beautiful."

"Julie," someone called, and she excused herself.

I rolled my eyes and sighed deeply. I didn't want to attend the wedding in the first place, especially after Sam told me she wouldn't make it because of her brother's match.

Now, I felt alone, surrounded by people I knew but had no desire to engage with. Most of them were from college and high school, people who clung to old grudges, yet plastered fake smiles while whispering behind each other's backs.

Julie and I have known each other since kindergarten, and we've never been anything close to friends. We only tolerate each other because our parents are close.

Before I even saw him, I felt it, a gaze so intense it sent a shiver down my spine. I turned, my heart skipping a beat when our eyes locked across the crowded room. The music and chatter around me seemed to fade, as if the world had paused just for us.

For a moment, neither of us moved, caught in each other's stare. His lips curled into a knowing smile, and though I couldn't hear him, I was certain he mouthed the word, "Beautiful." He took a step forward and then another, closing the distance between us. My heart pounded in my chest, a wild mix of fear and anticipation washing over me as I stood there, waiting...for him.

That night, I ended up making a mistake.