Stolen Hearts

Chapter 17

A month had passed since Sarai and Quincy last saw Cassius. They sat at their dinner table, the room filled with a silence thick enough to cut. Sarai finally voiced the question that hung in the air, "Don't you think it's weird? Cassius just left, without a word. Right after that night at the club."

Quincy leaned back and looked at Sarai, his eyes thoughtful. "I didn't see it coming, but I'm not surprised. Cassius always pulls away when he starts to feel too much. It's his way of dealing with things."

Sarai let out a sigh, deep and weary. "Did his feelings for that woman drive him away? I barely talked to her, but she was awful, hateful actually."

Quincy, with a gentle tone, shrugged and replied, "Sarai, it's hard to say. She definitely had an impact on him and it's clear she affected him deeply. Does this unsettle you? Does it concern you how much another person could influence him, especially someone who we both agree was not a positive presence?"

Sarai seemed taken aback by the question. "Are we talking about feelings now?"

"If you're comfortable, We can," Quincy offered, his voice soft, inviting.

Sarai exhaled, the breath seemed to carry the weight of her worry. Her gaze fell to her hands, studying them as if they held the answers she sought. "I'm content with us, Quincy," she began, her voice a tender whisper, "You and I, we have something great especially after figuring out our problems. But Cassius... it feels like he's a part of us too, in his own elusive way." Her fingers tightened, knuckles white. "It pains me, this wall he's put up. It's as if he's locked himself away in a fortress and thrown away the key. All I want... all I've ever wanted, is to understand him, and enjoy time with him."

"I hear you," Quincy said, his voice low but steady. "Cassius... he's like a book we can't put down, isn't he? Always leaving us wanting to turn the next page, to know what's going on in his mind. I've felt that pull, that longing to understand him, for so long, even before we were anything to him."

"And now?" Sarai asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Quincy paused, his eyes meeting hers in a moment of vulnerability. "I have feelings for him, Sarai. It's hard that he won't let us in. But I can't be mad. Because if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have you."

Quincy hesitated, the silence stretching between them. His gaze met Sarai's, his eyes swimming with a raw, unguarded emotion. "Sarai," he began, his voice a soft confession in the quiet room, "the truth is, I have feelings for him. For Cassius." He swallowed, as if the words were a revelation even to him. "It's challenging when he keeps us at arm's length, when all we want is to be there for him. The pain is palpable, like a physical entity in a room we're all sharing." His gaze never left hers, the intensity of his emotions reflected in his eyes. "Without Cassius, and the intricate journey that led us to him, I may never have found the strength to communicate my true feelings with you. I want you, and I am committed to making our marriage work. I was scared, and accepting a part of me that I had previously overlooked. For that, I am truly grateful."

Sarai rose from her seat, her movements gentle, almost cautious. She moved towards Quincy, cradling his face in her hands, and looked into his eyes. Taking a deep breath, she kissed him, a soft, tender gesture that spoke volumes.

Pulling back, she held his gaze, her voice barely a whisper. "Quincy... I'm terrified to voice this, but do you think the three of us could ever work? Because I feel there's more at stake here than just our... sexual appetites."

The room fell silent, the ticking of the clock echoing across the space. Quincy's eyes bore into hers, his hands coming up to gently hold hers against his cheeks. His voice, when he finally spoke, was hushed, weighed down with the gravity of his words.