Your Ivy Grows

Chapter 49

Fun night?

FUN NIGHT?

My body locks up at the sound of John's voice like a marionette puppet with its strings pulled taut. The words rattle around in my head while I try to make sense of what I'm hearing.

I'd been planning to fall into bed and replay the entire magical day over again until I slipped into sleep. Instead, I've walked into a nightmare I can't wake up from.

Move.

I need to move.

My body won't cooperate with that command. A shiver runs through me, which is fitting, given how the temperature in the room seems to drop twenty degrees at his words.

While my legs won't move, my head does, swivelling enough that I can see into the living room and my body trembles in fear at the sight of John. He's sat in the armchair facing towards the stairs, an almost empty glass in his hand. The light of the moon coming in through the window is enough to make him visible, but his half-shadowed image is haunting.

"It must have been fun if it's kept you out till..." John pauses, flicking his wrist up to illuminate his watch and reveal the true depths of my deception. "Almost 3am."

He's glaring at me, nothing but pure loathing and fury in his eyes. He studies my face intensely, as though he'll find the answers he wants there.

He won't find any and I won't hand them over easily. Even if I wanted to, my body doesn't seem to want to do anything more than keep me frozen at the foot of the stairs.

I'd always assumed my body would instinctively go into flight mode when needed, or even fight if necessary. Why had I never considered this third and much scarier option?

Why hadn't I stayed in that bed with Bucky, safe and happy?

"Where were you?" His voice is colder than I've ever heard and, trust me, I've heard it when it's glacial. He's a bomb about to detonate and I'm standing in the blast zone.

"WHERE WERE YOU?"

He roars it so loudly I jump and that little jolt finally wakes my body back up and I realise I can move. And I don't plan to waste the opportunity.

John must have some sixth sense because he reads my intentions before I can fully implement them. He launches the glass he's holding at the front door with such force that it explodes. Glass shards go flying in all directions as I flinch back, raising my arms to protect my face.

John is on me before I can even try for the door again. His hands wrap around my forearms, fingers digging in as he slams me back into the wall.

"I asked you a fucking question, Alex. WHERE WERE YOU?" He's enraged, spittle flying from his mouth like a rabid dog as he shouts in my face, his nose inches from mine

The stench of alcohol on his breath is so powerful it makes me feel ill. I'm transported back in time, watching my father knock back drink after drink, knowing that with each one he becomes more dangerous.

"Let go, please," I say in my most soothing tone, trying to calm him down enough to protect myself the only way I know how. "You're hurting me."

"You're hurting me," John mocks in a poor, high-pitched imitation of me.

Despite his obvious derision, he acquiesces and lets me go. But he places himself between me and the front door, reaching behind him and turning both locks for good measure. My stomach sinks even further as I realise getting out of here may just prove impossible.

"You're hurt? How do you think I feel? We'd barely made it to our seats on the plane before we got word that the intel wasn't worth shit. Imagine my surprise when I arrive home to find my house empty and my wife nowhere to be seen. I waited for you. For hours. It would seem I've afforded you far too much freedom in this marriage, Alex. But don't worry, that'll change."