VERTIGO

VII

• Serephina •

I forced my eyes open, irritated at the twittering of the birds outside the window.

It was our final day here in town, as yesterday was Vinny's wedding celebration and a grand affair that was indeed. A grand affair with more than half the continent in attendance.

Silas and I played the happy couple, posing for photographs, laughing, kissing - a pretence I enjoyed playing. The beauty of this charade was that my husband and I could fall in love again. The way he looked at me took me back to first time he told he loved me, it took me back to the first time he had made love to me, to the first time I knew I had found a home within his arms.

Incredibly pathetic as it was, sometimes throughout the night I would feign sleep and shuffle closer to my husband; most of the time he would gently push me away, but sometimes - just sometimes - he would hold me close to his chest, so close I could hear his heart beating erratically, practically threatening to pounce out of his ribcage, as he would play with my hair.

And then I would wake up.

Alone.

But not today it seems, I thought to myself as I watched my husband asleep beside me.

Slowly, I got out of bed, pulling the sheets over him as I headed to the ensuite, showering quickly.

As I buttoned my silk shirt, I glanced over at Silas who was still fast asleep.

After applying some light makeup and tying my hair up into a high ponytail, I decided it was time to wake Sleeping Beauty up.

"Silas, baby," I whispered, running my fingers through his thick, dark hair as he stirred a little. "You need to get up, we have to leave soon."

"Five more minutes," he groaned into the pillow as I perched onto the bed taking a seat on his sleeping body. "Serephina, get off of me. You weigh the same as a baby hippo."

"That must be the extra weight from the baby. I'm pregnant."

"What the fùck?" He yelled, bolting up and sending me ass first to the floor.

"Oh, good, you're awake." I smiled, standing up, rubbing my now sore ass. "Your suit is behind that door."

"That wasn't funny." He snapped, getting out of bed, his morning wood proudly on show.

"I thought it was hilarious," I smiled, handing him a towel as he continued glaring at me. "Oh, do lighten up, we'll be home in no time and you'll be able to do what you love most - torture people."

"If you're not careful I'll torture you," he grumbled like a brat under his breath.

"Oh, honey, you do that every day anyway," I responded calmly as I watched the expression in his eyes change.

Choosing to ignore my comment, he walked past me into the ensuite as I heard him switch the shower on.

~

An hour later, we were finally ready.

"We look like Bonnie and Clyde," I laughed as I caught our reflection in the mirror with Silas clad in a dark suit and crisp white shirt, and I dressed in a black silk shirt and white pants.