Thunderbird - B. Bridgerton

11

Benedict is sleeping in the guest room he decided to claim as his bedroom last night, when Sofia silently enters the room.
She has spent the whole afternoon with folding and packing her husband's clothes, so that she can transport them to the closet in his new room.
Sofia and Benedict might be married only for five weeks now, but they have known each other for five years. She knows that he's a stubborn man and won't return to their bedroom any time soon.
And to be completely honest... Sofia thinks that she deserved this. It was her choice to not tell Benedict every detail about her past, and now she had to take the consequences. At least Benedict didn't accuse her of cheating and threw her out of the house. That's something she is in fact grateful for and does not take as granted.
And yes, maybe they will never be like they used to be ever again, but Sofia hopes that her husband will eventually start to talk to her again and be at least a good friend. It has been only a day since Benedict found out about Thunderbird and unlike Anthony and Colin, Sofia can understand why Benedict reacted the way he did.

„What are you doing here?", a voice from behind is asking her. Benedict is trying to sound angry, but he has still that characteristic sleeping voice of him, that Sofia heard the first time in the morning after their wedding and immediately fell in love with.
„I brought your clothes", Sofia firmly explains.
Benedict is blinking heavily, still trying to fully wake up. „Someone was really eager to get rid of me, I see", he finally mumbles.

„Ben... you know that this is not true", Sofia answers, „but I know you better than you think. I know you won't come back to our bedroom tonight, or tomorrow, so I wanted you to at least have your clothes. I promise I will personally pack your clothes again and bring them to our bedroom, as soon as you decide to come back."
„You can't talk of a comeback, when I never actually slept there", Benedict smirks and Sofia smiles back at him, relieved about his joking answer. Unfortunately, he gets serious again quickly after this. „I'm not planning on sharing the same bed with you ever again."

Sofia can feel her eyes filling with tears, but she successfully blinks them away. „I cooked dinner for you", she says instead of answering him, „I know that you love the chicken I make, so I cooked us some for dinner. You haven't had a single bite of food today, you must be starving."
„What are you trying to do? Making me forget about how you lied to my and broke my trust by giving me food?", he angrily asks.
„No! I am trying to be nice. You were nice enough to keep me at this house and now we have to find a good balance in our relationship, because whether you like it or not, we can't avoid seeing each other in the house or going to balls we're being invited as husband and wife."

„I'm not hungry", Benedict tells her.
„Of course you are. Don't worry, I won't be in the dining room. Unlike you, I had a nice afternoon tea with some biscuits. Go ahead and eat first."
Sofia leaves the room without waiting for an answer. It is not until she reaches her own room a few doors further, before she allows the tears to fall down her cheeks. But then, she hears Benedict's door being opened. The servant immediately approaches to him, asking for directions. „I want to eat dinner", Benedict firmly informs him.
Sofia feels relieved. Yes, the dinner was a little peace offering - at least a beginning - and Benedict eating the chicken is his way of telling her that everything might be okay someday.

Sofia shivers and suddenly she realizes how cold her room actually is. She goes to the window in order to close it, but then she stops in the middle of the movement. „You!" she shouts, although the man looking at her from the garden can't hear her.
Selim raises his hand, signalizing that he has seen her and waves. Come here, it means, Sofia is aware of that. She shakes her head. Talking to him is the last thing she wants to do.
Selim once again waves his hand, telling her to come. Then he points at himself and the house. Sofia understands what he's trying to say: Come outside or I'll come inside.