Hidebound

Chapter SeventyOne

Hex follows behind me as we walk towards our apartment, now in a quiet silence but I can still feel the eyes of multiple neighbours as they watch our every move. I hurry along faster while Hex couldn't care less about the prying eyes.

Although, his vigilance doesn't go unnoticed by me. I let him continue looking for Ace Pollar as I focus on unlocking the front door, my shaky hands making it difficult.

The adrenaline from the series of events that had happened tonight had finally caught up. The anger caused by Hex, the surprise of the police, the paranoia from Ace and now the inevitable confrontation that's going to happen with Hex.

I finally get the door unlocked and step inside, Hex's hand grabs my waist as he walks in behind me but I step away. I can almost feel his eyes crawling long my back as I walk towards the kitchen without a word.

The front door is slammed shut and I clench my jaw. He had done that on purpose, either out of anger or to upset the neighbours that I'm sure are still peeking. Either way, the only thing it causes is my anger to spike.

I see him move past the kitchen out the corner of my eye as he walks down the hallway in the direction of our bedroom.

"Hex!" I shout, not loud enough to be heard outside but loud enough to grab his attention as I hear his footsteps pause.

I wait to hear his steps walk back in my direction and after a pregnant pause, they do.

He stands in the doorway, reaching his hands above his head and grabbing the wooden beam. I ignore the way it makes his arms move.

I remain silent, waiting for him to explain what he had been doing and where he had been but he just stares at me, pissing me off further.

Its late and the last thing I want to do is argue but I know if I delay the conversation until the morning then I won't feel angry anymore and he would have somehow wormed his way into my heart by then or I'd make some excuse for him, something that had been happening more than I was willing to admit.

"Well" I hold my hands out by my sides, encouraging him to speak. "Are you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?" His voice is flat and void of emotion as he retreats into himself.

My eyes almost burst out of their sockets as I widen them in disbelief. Does he think I've just forgotten everything that's happened within the last hour?

"What do you mean tell me what? Don't act stupid Hex, you know exactly what I want to know" my voice is stern and I feel like I'm disciplining a child.

He doesn't answer.

"Hex! Where were you?" I slam my hands on the island that separates us, the rise in my tone hurting my voice box.

He sighs and lowers his arms from the beam, rubbing his face with his hands.

"I was at the club, baby" he talks calmly but it doesn't help, his lie ringing clear in my ears.

"Don't lie to me!" He doesn't visibly react to my anger but I can see it swirling in his eyes. I hadn't ever raised my voice like this before, at least not at him but he hides his surprise well.

His eyes are tinged red from the lack of sleep over the last two days and the tears that had been spilt earlier this morning.

"Poppy, I don't know what you want me to say" he mutters and puts his hands on his hips, his wide frame filling up most of the doorway.

"I'm telling you what I want to know Hex; where did you go?" I speak slowly and calmly, hoping it encourages him.

All he does is shake his head without giving me any answers.

"Why wont you tell me? Is it bad? Did you do something bad, Hex?" I round the island, closing our proximity but keeping a firm amount of distance between us. I know I'll give in if I touch him.

He doesn't give anything away with his blank stare and his arms that are now crossed over his chest.

A sick feeling fills me as multiple scenarios race through my mind, most of them having to do with Ace Pollar. Is that why he called the police on us?

I don't even notice a tear falling down my face until Hex's eyes track it. I don't even know why I'm crying, I can't help it. But I guess the feelings of anger, confusion and being overwhelmed have a good hand in it.

"Was it something to do with Ace?" I whisper as I lift a hand and wipe away the tear on my cheek before it can reach the corner of my mouth.

It had become tougher since the tear fell for Hex to conceal his emotions as they bubble behind his eyes. And when Ace is mentioned I see them become ablaze and the muscles in his body tense.

"Was it?" I ask again.

He turns his back to me and laces his hands in the hair on the back of his head. For a moment I think I've hit the nail on the head with my guess but when his right hand leaves his hair and he swings it at the wall I know that it was just the mention of Ace's name that had angered him.

"Would you stop!" I yell as he paces and continues to keep his back to me. I'm glad I can't see his eyes, I don't want to fear the look in them.

There's not a hole in the wall but an imprint of his fist that had slightly indented the plaster. I know he held back but the fact that he had ruined our walls once again infuriates me.

"What is wrong with you!" I don't care that I'm possibly hurting his feelings (which is confirmed when he flinches from my words) or that the police could return with the volume of my tone.

More tears fall from my eyes with the movement of my expressions and Hex moves into the lounge room, out of my sight.

I walk over and run my hand gently over the damaged wall; a sob escapes my mouth as I breathe in.

I can hear the floorboards moving under Hex's feet as he moves in the lounge room behind me. I can't find it in myself to look at him.

I clear my face of tears and swallow the lump in my throat.

"You're on the couch, leave me alone" I mutter and walk down the hallway to our – my bedroom. I take my time, I'm exhausted but I also know he won't try and convince me otherwise knowing the mood that I'm in.

I lock the bedroom door behind me and don't bother washing my face before climbing into bed.

I can hear him moving around still and I freeze for a moment when I hear him come down the hallway but he stops half way and I picture him grabbing a blanket from the linen cupboard.

He could always sleep in the spare room but he didn't last time and I know he won't tonight.

My pillow becomes wet quickly as tears stream from my eyes, over my nose and down my cheek as I lie on side.

I can't bring myself to sleep on Hex's side of the bed even though I know it will bring me comfort.

I know there's a personal battle that he's going through with the stress of Ace and his mothers condition but why is he neglecting me because of it?

Memories over the last few months pass through my mind, things I had let go of because I couldn't be bothered arguing or questions I didn't ask because it would be easier to forget.

I cover my mouth to smother the sob that tries to escape but it ends up sounding like a strangled breath instead as the realisation that things haven't been good for a while and that I had been letting Hex get away with things for far too long.

I spend hours thinking about events over the past months that I thought I had let go of but in reality they had festered in the back of my mind. I also tried to come up with an idea as to where Hex had been all night and why he wouldn't tell me.

I know he wasn't being unfaithful, I would have felt it and his body also wouldn't have let him but the betrayal in his secrets stings deeper than he could have ever thought.