ALANA

94

ALANA

The footsteps seem to be just curving the stairs when Ares finally gives in, his face contorting into anger as he bares his teeth, lifts me up, hauling me over his shoulder and carries me into our room, slamming the door shut.

"Put me down." I hit his back making him place me back on my feet. I huff.

Ares pulls the belt on the robe, pulling me with it towards him, and ties it tightly around my stomach while maintaining eye contact.

"Never test me like that again." He growls at me. "They could have seen you in- in this." he spits, looking down at what I believe is a very sexy robe.

"Atleast someone would have." I shrug making him tense up.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean." He grits out.

"Nothing." I say to him, brushing his arm with my body making sure to press myself against him unnecessarily, sensually walking away, feeling his eyes on my back. I smirk. I am mad at him, so I can make him suffer a little. Or a lot.

I stop just inside of the closet, where I know he can still see me, and drop the robe, my naked back to him. I hear take in a sharp breath and smirk. He is too easy.

Pulling up my panties, I take my time picking out a dress, going on my toes and arching my back to get the one I finally decide on. It's black and flowy, goes down to about mid thigh, maybe even lower.

I slip into it, turning around and finding my husband rooted to the same spot I left him in, his mouth slightly parted. Surprisingly.

I slip on a necklace and some bracelets, taking advantage of Ace sleeping in. Ares finally snaps out of whatever trance he was in and spits a string of cusses under his breath. I roll my eyes.

"Alana I am serious. I do not want you walking around like that again." He says as I walk out of the closet. I just shrug. "I don't have time for this, I already am running behind because of dinner and that distraction you pulled me away for last night-"

"What a meal and kissing your son goodnight for less a minute? What are you doing that requires your every seconds attention?" I ask him. His tongue pokes out through his cheek.

"What's with the secretive behavior?" I ask again.

"That is not what we are talking about right now. the robe-"

"Ares, calmati, no one saw, I just wanted you to snap out of your douche mood. Clearly it did not work." I say, his eyes darkening again.

"Stop testing me on this." he says angrily. "That dress is too short, change." He says again. I almost think I heard him wrong.

"What?" I laugh a little. "I'm sorry are you joking?" I ask him. He has never asked me to change before. My husband is possessive and I love that about him but he is not insecure in my choices or his. "What is the matter with you?" I ask, my eyebrows knotting.

"Nothing is, when I ask you to change a dress, you fucking change." He raises his voice again.

"No, you have never asked me to change before and I am not going to without hood reason." I say, my tone is getting a little pitchy. Still not yelling.

"It is too. Fucking. Short." He says. "Now change." he seethes.

"No." I simply state.

"Stop trying to defy me." Ares growls stepping closer.

"Then stop being impossible I need to breathe!" I finally snap. "God, it's like you're holding something against me and I have no idea what! You were perfectly fine at the restaurant yesterday then a couple calls from work and your mood switched up so fast I still have whiplash! You didn't even notice that you left me and Ace waiting in the car for almost an hour, and you didn't even offer to tell me why?" I say to him. I know I am raising my voice but it's like he isn't hearing me if I dont.

I take a breath.

"When have you ever let work effect you so much that you act so distant and short with me?" I ask him. "Honestly Ares, it's scares me that you wo-"

"Does anything not fucking scare you." he rolls his eyes sarcastically. That felt like a punch to the gut. I blink several times, trying to justify why he said that.

Because I am scared of everything and jumpy.

I feel tears prick my eyes.

"Don't fucking do that Alana, I am doing the best I can under the circumstances-"

"What circumstances? Just tell me, if I know what is making you act like such an a-"

"Don't curse at me" he shouts making me jump.

But he can curse at me?

We hear the door to our room open and Ace waddles in, rubbing his eyes, his teddy pressed to his chest. My heart rate picks up. I don't want him to see us argue.

"Daddy? Awe we playing a game?" he asks confusing me a little. Oh because our voices are raised. Oh no.

"No Ace. Go back to your room." He dismisses the baby making Ace frown.

"But I-"

"Ace, go to your room, now." Ares' voice raises and I see tears spring to my baby's eyes. My own eyes sting at that.

"Don't you ever, scream at my baby like that again Xander Moretti." I glare up into his eyes, giving him the iciest look I came then shove his shoulder, hoping I knocked some sense into him.

I quickly scoop up my baby in my arms and leave the room.

Asshole.

"Mommy?" Ace whimpers making it hard for me to hold back my own tears. But I have to keep them away for Ace's sake.

"It's okay honey, daddy is just being not very nice right now, but that's okay, he has his problems that he needs to solve. And we do not need to worry about that, because guess what?" I ask him, brushing away his tears after I set him down on his bed.

"Wot?" he asks sleepily.

"You and me are going out and we're gonna go see all the animals!" I squeal making his eyes widen.

"A-All of them!?" he shouts making me laugh.

"Sí, we're going to go to the zoo! All of your favorite animals are going to be there." I tell him.

"Cool!" he jumps up and down in excitement. "Can we get milkshakes too?" he asks and I tell him yes.

Ace loves animals. He just has an obsession with watching them move around. When he was a little younger, he used to chase around squirrels. It was hard to teach him to stop.

He's been to the zoo once before when he was about 18 months old, Ares and I took him. But I don't think he remembers much of that. I think it will be the perfect distraction and it will take up our entire day which works perfectly since I don't want to see or speak to my husband at all.

My heart hurts. I thought after years of being together we figured out what stings the other and what to avoid saying even in a heated conversation. I just don't understand what happened. If it's a work thing then I really hope it blows over soon.

I just want my loving husband back.