Hidebound

Chapter TwentyOne

"And then Banks came in, guns ready. You should have seen it" I exclaim as I wash the dishes in the sink. My back is to Hex as he sits at the island behind me. I had got home to an empty house; it was strange and I was wary to enter honestly. Normally the sound of mum in the kitchen would greet me but it was dead silent because she's still at work. I wasn't alone for long though before Hex arrived home.

I could feel his mood through our bond before he even opened the front door. It was dull, nothing there and I braced myself for him to walk through angry but it only broke my heart further when I saw the fake smile he slapped on his face once he saw me.

"I don't know how they're going to work together for much longer, one of them has got to go" I continue on, filling the empty silence of the kitchen. I can feel Hex's eyes all over me so I know he's listening but his silence is making me nervous and so I keep yapping away.

"Kevin had to step in and then Harley and Banks left" I finish up washing the last dish as I place it on the drying rack. I dry my hands with the tea towel.

"Sounds like you had an interesting day, baby" Hex says, his voice sounding fake as he does his best to not let on with what's going on in his head.

I turn around and drop the tea towel besides me on the counter as I cross my arms, my face settling into a serious expression as I lay eyes on him. He doesn't even try to hide the fact that he had been faking it ever since he got home as he drops the look from his face and the way he is truly feeling displays itself.

He sighs as he rests his palms in the sockets of his eyes and his elbows on the island. He's still dressed in his work clothes and his hands are still dirty as they rest on his face. His back is tense as he hunches over and his hair is a mess, like he had been running his hands through it all day.

I use my butt to push off the counter and round the island to face him; he leans back and allows me to take the place on his lap as I sit sideways.  His arm winds around my back to ensure I don't fall off as he grabs my hip and pulls me tight to his chest. I wrap my arm around his shoulders as I face his profile.

I ignore the smell of cigarette that sticks to him.

"Harley tell you that mum got accepted into the hospice?" Hex murmurs between us. The closeness of our bodies ensuring he doesn't have to speak loudly for me to hear him. I run my fingers through the hair on the back of his head comfortingly.

I nod as I observe him from the side, watching as he focuses on the bottle cap that he rolls along the island. "It's the best place she could be Hex, they'll give her everything she needs" I reassure him.

He shakes his head, not in disagreement but in almost frustration.

"She doesn't know what she needs" he drops the bottle cap and rubs at his forehead harshly "she doesn't know anything, she doesn't even know she's sick" he whispers. I don't say anything back because it's true; she's past the point of return. She's not getting better and the disease isn't going to slow down.

"Did you call her last night?" I ask into his ear. I hadn't felt him leave or come back to bed last night, I had been getting used to the nightly disturbance of him leaving and my mind had been ignoring it for sleep instead.

He nods as he pulls my head to his and I rest my cheek on his temple.

"Did she talk to you?" I whisper, already knowing the answer but hoping I'm wrong. He shakes his head, no.

We sit in silence as we comfort each other. My hand rubbing the back of his head as his hand grips my hip and rubs on the skin underneath my shirt that had ridden up.

"I think we should move the wedding forward" Hex suddenly exclaims, breaking the silence.

My eyes almost bulge out of my head as I freeze. Move the wedding date up? It's only ten weeks away, isn't that close enough? We haven't even got anything planned. I push the overwhelmed feeling away and focus on Hex's reasoning.