Eve..
I groaned as I opened my eyes. I was still sitting in the same position as yesterday night. These days I tend to fall asleep in the wrong places. I could do better. I sound pathetic.
I sighed deeply and got off the floor. My whole body was aching and looking at the brown envelope on the floor, I was reminded about my ordeal yesterday. I know it’s wrong to be conclusive but my mind could only go to Alice. She’s the only one I know who likes Jason but I don’t think she hates me enough to bear ill intention towards me so maybe I’m just being paranoid.
I checked the time on my phone and I realised it was pretty late in the morning which meant I might be late to the horse riding I promised max. I limped into the bathroom and took off my clothes. I had a warm bath and brushed my teeth. I texted Ethan about the place we would be visiting since the whole reason for the hangout was for the two of them to forgive each other or whatsoever.
I dressed up in baggy jeans and a big bright pink top. There were clothes to change to at the stable anyway because it wasn’t like anybody would keep clothes in their houses for horse riding except they live in a castle. I chuckled at my own top. I styled my hair and wore black boots. I looked nothing like someone who is going to the stables anyways but I wasn’t really in the mood to dress up and my body ached all over. I limped to the dinning and met Jason there eating with a look of discomfort on his face.
“Take your time to come downstairs.” He commented.
“Good morning.” I said not to have a comeback for his rude remarks.
“Where did you go yesterday?”
“Why were you late?”
“Do you think it’s nice to stay out late as a married woman?” Jason asked sternly.
“I didn’t mean to stay out late and worry you, I’m sorry.” I said quietly as I stood by the fridge.
“Uhmm..” Jason seemed like he was out of what to say since I apologised immediately.
“I wasn’t worried about you. I just don’t want you to spread the wrong idea about me because my reputation affects my company.” He said and I felt a pang in my heart. I thought that deep down in that cold heart of his, I would be able to thaw my way through and at least make him worried but it seems like that’s impossible on my part.
Silence took over and I turned to the fridge. I opened it and took a bottle of water and chugged down the entire bottle.
“I’ll let you be there.” I mumbled quietly as I made my way out of the kitchen.
“Wait.” Jason said and I stopped in my tracks.
“Yes?” I said with hopeful eyes as I turned to face him.
“Are you not eating breakfast?” He asked with raised brows.
“I’m not hungry.” I said quietly.
“But you didn’t have dinner.” He said quietly but I heard him anyway.
“Are you going somewhere?” He asked to scrutinise my dressing.
“Yeah.” I replied.
“Where?” He asked.
“I’m going out with Max.” I said quietly.
“Max…” He said with gritted teeth.
“Who is Max to you?” He asked and I raised my brows in confusion.
“Excuse me?” I said with my voice laced in confusion.
“Are you dating? Is him being gay a facade for you both to hide your relationship?” He asked and I frowned.
As arrogant as usual!
“Max has a boyfriend and he’ll be there too. If you think I’m lying, you can come along, I’ll send you the location.” I said I was already tired of his interrogation.
“So you’ll be third wheeling?” He scoffed and I sighed. Is he bipolar or something?
I ignored the rest of his rude remarks and left the kitchen and the house all together.
When I got outside the gate, what happened last night was on replay and I felt scared to walk down to the bus stop so I called a cab with my phone. After waiting for five minutes, the closest one to Jason’s mansion arrived and I got inside. I sat inside trembling in fear that the driver might be the helmet man of yesterday and might kidnap me.
Maybe I should have just stayed home, I thought but this was my chance to help Max and Ethan get back together.
The cab dropped me off at the intersection where Max and I had agreed to meet up the night before and I saw him waiting there with a pout on his face.
“Did you wait long?” I asked as I stood in front of him.
“Yes, I thought you cancelled.” He frowned and I pulled him into a hug.
“Sorry, I overslept.” I said and he smiled.
“Let’s go, but let’s grab breakfast first, I didn’t eat because I was too excited.” He said dragging me to a restaurant just up front.
We entered the restaurant and it seemed like a decent place.
“I always come here whenever I finish horse riding, they sell amazing food. More so, it’s Korean.” Max said and kept rambling about how they have a branch in South Korea and his favourite south Korean boy band have eaten there and it’s an honour for us to be eating there.
The food soon arrived and it wasn’t something unfamiliar since I’ve visited my fair share of Korean restaurants thanks to Max’s obsession.
“This is our signature dish – ox bone soup. It replenishes the bone, it would be good for you, I noticed you were limping earlier.” The waiter smiled at me and I smiled back and thanked her.
“You’re limping?” Max asked and I shook my head.
“But she just said you were limping.” Max said and I sighed.
“I fell down and hurt my ankle.” I said and Max looked unconvinced.
“Are you sure?, Or did Jason…” Max said and paused as if rethinking what he wanted to say.
“Did he hit you?” He moved closer and whispered into my ears.
“Oh no!!!” I said immediately.
“He has never hit me before, he might be an arrogant jerk but he doesn’t hit women.” I said defending Jason.
“Are you defending him because he’s your husband?, Eve, you have to tell me if he’s maltreating you, you can’t let him trample over you just like that.” Max said and I gave him a sad smile.
“I promise to tell you if anything is wrong.” I lied.
“Okay, enough talk, let’s dig in before the food gets cold.” Max said, pouring his rice into the soup and eating it.
I picked at my food because I indeed had no appetite. Thankfully, Max was too caught up in the delicious taste of the food that he didn’t notice me picking at my food.
After we were done eating, Max paid for the food and we took the bus to the stables.
“You have to be filled to the brim to be able to ride a horse.” Max explained to me what he called ‘the basis of horse riding’.
We entered into the stables and I saw Ethan seated waiting for us as expected. Max had not noticed him yet because his back was turned to face Ethan as he was talking to me.
It wasn’t until he bumped into him that he turned and saw him. They stood there staring at each other with an unreadable expression until Max turned to face me and dragged me out of there.
When we stood at a far distance from where Ethan was, Max began to talk.
“Did you invite him here?” He asked and I nodded.
“Why?, I thought this was a friend’s day out.” He frowned.
“I lied, I’m sorry but knowing you, you’ll never talk to him again, you’ll keep postponing the conversation until he loses interest in you.” I urged him to reason with me.
“If he loses interest then he wasn’t serious about me in the first place.” Max huffed.
“You and I know that’s not how the human mind works.” I said frowning.
“Okay, fine, what do you want me to do?” He asked and I smiled.
“Talk to him, I’m sure he has a lot to say and apologise for.” I said and he nodded.
“Fine. I’ll talk to him but only because I don’t want your effort to be wasted.” Max said and turned, walking towards where Ethan was. He took his hands and they went to God knows where.
I smiled as I went to check out the horses. I didn’t know how to ride and I wasn’t really interested in learning but this was my best shot at helping Max and Ethan make up.
I looked around the stables and I saw different kinds of horses with different colours. There was a particular horse that drew my attention, well, it was a young horse anyways. I walked towards it and took a carrot from a bucket that was lying around filled with lots of carrots.
One way with kids was to give them a treat and animals are not any different. I walked towards it and it was probably scared because it was still very young.
“Here.” I said putting my hands forward with the carrots in my hands. I could swear I saw a spark in his eyes as he collected the carrots with his mouth and began to mulch on it. I smiled as I began to hold a conversation with the horse who neighed in response as though it understands me.
“You shouldn’t be here.” Someone said and I turned to face the said person. It was an unfamiliar person that I had not seen before. He seemed like he worked here judging from his dressing.
“I’m sorry, I was wandering around and this little one here caught my eyes.” I said and he smiled but it soon vanished as soon as it came.
“She’s a bit sensitive, It’s surprising to see her open up to someone.” He said and It dawned on me that I had thought that the horse in question was a male.
“You thought she was a male, didn’t you?” The man in question chuckled and I frowned. I might have done that but it was wrong to laugh at me and make me feel embarrassed.
“Oh, I’m not laughing at you.” He said as if he read my mind.
“I’m laughing because I had an argument with someone about this because she looks like a boy and they thought I was joking.” He said and I still frowned, not finding it funny as I couldn’t understand the conversation or where it was going.
“I have to get back to my friends.” I said moving but he dragged me into his hands. We stood there in each other’s embrace before it registered in my brain what position we were in.
“Excuse me.” I said leaving his embrace.
“It’s wrong to startle a horse from the back. It could hit you or push you away.” He said sternly and I nodded.
“Sorry for pulling you like that.” He apologised and I nodded with a smile. What a gentleman I thought.
“I’m Eve.” I said introducing myself since he seemed like a nice person and it wasn’t like we would meet again anyways. It wouldn’t hurt to make a friend instead of sitting and waiting for the two love birds that I have no idea where they’re or what they’re doing.
“Nice to meet you Eve.” He said smiling.
“I’m Mark.” He introduced himself and we shook hands.
“So do you work here?” I asked an obvious question.
“Well, yes, but just for a while.” He said, still smiling.
“What about you? Where do you work?” He asked and I shook my head.
“I don’t work.” I said sadly.
“Why?” He asked.
“My husband wouldn’t let me.” I said and he scoffed.
“A man who holds a woman back from being independent, tsk..” he hissed.
“No, It’s not like that.” I tried to defend Jason.
“It’s not?” He asked and I nodded.
“I just…” I paused, unsure of what to say. I’ve never spoken with Jason about working before so I don’t know if he would indeed not let me work but from the amount I make just by being his wife, wouldn’t it be greedy to work?
“It’s fine if you don’t wanna talk about it, I won’t pry into your private life, I just wouldn’t let my wife stay at home if she doesn’t want to.” He said and I nodded. He seemed like a nice man. We walked out of the stable to the court where I hoped to find Ethan and Max and I found them but they were not alone.
“Jason..” I mumbled when I saw who it was that was standing beside my friends who were nothing but composed.