Breakfast
Sitting at the small table for two, Zorah was lost in the sights, sounds and smells of the city around her and oblivious to the fact, Icaro couldn’t take his eyes off her. It was why she jumped when he reached out a hand to brush flaky pastry off her bottom lip causing him to laugh aloud.
“Are you so nervous of me?”
“No. It’s simply so beautiful here, I’m lost in it. Some of these buildings look hundreds of years old yet there are small children playing over there. I feel like we’re watching something from another era.”
He smiled, “you could be right. This is an incredibly old city. How is your pastry?”
“Good.”
“You have chocolate on your lip.”
She reached for her napkin and began blotting it off and giggling. “I’m worse than those kids.”
“You enjoyed your breakfast. There is no shame in this.”
“I’m covered in crumbs,” she brushed it off her chest. “I’ll need to be hosed down at this rate.”
His laugh made her smile again. Everything felt easy and relaxed, and Zorah considered if she let herself forget the past only for a few moments, she felt good. Could it really be as easy as trying to forget the violence of the prior weekend? Sitting here in the quaint, romantic little corner of the world with hot coffee, warm pastries, and the gaze of an attentive man, perhaps it could be.
“What are you thinking?” his quiet voice interrupted her thoughts.
“I like it here.”
“Do you?”
“Very much.”
“Would you like to explore more this morning or return to the villa?”
“Can we?”
“Of course we can.”
“Aren’t you terribly busy? With work? You’ve been working so hard for the last week or so.”
“Zorah, I’m on leave. I have been since our wedding day. I’m on my honeymoon with my wife. My intention has been from the moment I slipped a ring on your finger to bring you back to my home country and show you where we are from. I have kept,” he enunciated the word, “busy because it was evident you wanted space from me. All of my jobs and assignments have been delegated out to allow me time with my wife.”
“Icaro, there were days last week you worked upwards of sixteen hours. You were in the barns at the crack of dawn and then in your office until after midnight, breaking only for meals.”
“I asked you multiple times if you wanted to spend time with me and each time you declined. I found things to do which would keep me from wallowing in self-pity.”
“Self-pity?”
“Yes. I’m feeling deeply sorry for myself.”
His words sounded playful, but Zorah could hear the undertone of truth to them.
“Why? Everything which has happened was your own doing, Icaro. What right do you have to be pitiful.”
“None. I have no right.” He said simply and sipped his cup.
“Are you going to do this forever?” she asked quietly staring at the shiny butter knife on the table. There were bits of chocolate and pastry on it from where she’d cut her breakfast and it dawned on her despite the dirt, there were still glimmers of shining metal under it all.
“Do what, my love?”
“Agree with everything I say?”
“Not in the least. However, in this instance, you are correct. There is no point arguing a point when it would be wrong and foolish to do so.”
“I guess.”
“You are beautiful this morning,” he changed the topic. “The sun has given your hair a glow like shiny brass highlights. You’ve been enjoying the sunshine here in Sicily.”
“You’re changing the subject.”
“I am.”
“Why?”
“I do not wish to argue this morning. I want peace between us Zorah, even if only for a short while.”
“I don’t want to argue either. I’m simply trying to understand.”
“What do you want to understand?”
“You kept so busy at the farm to stay away from me because I didn’t want to spend time with you.”
“Yes. What is confusing on this matter?”
“Sidonia said if she went and spent time like I did, Vodingo would have been up her butt all the time chasing her until she forgave him. You’re not doing this with me.”
“Do you want me to encroach on the boundaries you’ve set and to disrespect your words when you say no?”
“No.”
“Do you want me to be an asshole like my cousin and tie you to a bed and force you to listen to me?”
“No.”
“Neither do I want to do those things. What works for their relationship isn’t going to work for ours, Zorah. I might be a murderous bastard, but I do listen, and I can learn. Since we’ve met, has there been anything you’ve asked of me, I disregarded and repeated my actions on?”
“No.”
He tapped his forehead, “because I learn. Unlike my stupid cousin who thinks it’s okay to tie his wife up to force her to listen, he didn’t realize what he did was drive her to get a massage from another man who put his hands all over her. She is booked for a massage here in Catania at a local spa, arranged by her mother-in-law. Do you know why she does such things?”
“To get back at Vodingo.” She already knew this was the truth.
“I do not want a relationship of war games, Zorah. Sidonia might like the excitement of being chased all over the damn city and carried around like a sack of flour on his back, but you are not her and I am not him. If you say no to me, I will damn well respect your words. If you ask for space, I will give you space. Do you know what my favorite part of last week was?”
“No.”
“When you allowed me back to our bed to hold you. You let me there because you wanted me there. I would much rather have my wife want me at her side than forcing her to be there.”
“But you forced our marriage.”
“If I could go back, Zorah, I would have done it differently. I took the fact you were quiet and mild-mannered to mean you would go along with whatever I wanted, and I would spoil you rotten and you would love me regardless of my shit, and we’d live happily ever after. I was a selfish fool, and I was wrong.” He sighed, “I would do it all so differently.”
“How would you do it then?”
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