Chapter 2 Hungry bodies

Sleep cleared from her eyes temporarily as she watched him stagger, not knowing what to make of the situation or what to do about it.

He tripped over his own foot and almost fell if she had not rushed over to him to hold him, but not for long because she eventually staggered backwards under his weight and they both fell on the loveseat.

He smelled of alcohol, and she observed as his eyes drooped, and he gave her his charming smile that stole her heart.

She wondered if she had had her with for a moment, but she recalled her harsh reality. He was drunk.

Her husband never drank. She knew that for sure.

"Who are you?", he slurred, his hands caressing her face. "You are one beautiful damsel,"

Eva would not let herself be flattered by his drunken statements.

She pulled him up and tried to help him to his room. Yes. Their matrimonial room, the master bedroom, had become his room while the second room in the house was her's and David's.

He lazily followed her as she led him.

"You look like my pretty wife who hurt me,"

She felt a pang in her heart at his statement but nevertheless led him to his room, barely managing to breathe as his weight lay on her.

"Careful," she said as she walked into the room, and he almost tripped.

The room that used to be their matrimonial room. She smiled sadly as she realized nothing had really changed about it.

The room was dimly lit by a coloured bulb that served as their sleeping light. She recalled the times they had made love under that same light and cuddled.

She had not been inside this room for two years.

She could not hold back her tears as she looked around. She sniffled and turned away to prevent him from seeing her tears.

"Are you crying, damsel?", he asked her when he saw her tears glisten.

"N-no", she for some reason, found his care faintly familiar.

For two years, she had only seen His cold face, and he had remained as hard as a block.

She turned to leave. He would be back to normal tomorrow, and he would not be happy to know that she had been on there.

He had made her choose between a divorce and them living as strangers in the same house. The latter option had been the most feasible for her.

Her breath hitched when she felt him hold her back.

She felt him snake his hands around her waist and take in her scent.

"I'm obsessed with this scent," he said, caressing her cheeks while his other hand roamed beneath her nightie.

She knew she had always wished he would make love to her, but she did not want it this way. She did not want to be his drunken mistake.

She pulled his hands away from her.

"Stop, Jacob," she muttered, mustering every strength of resistance she had to stop him.

He frowned and stated at her. "Do you not love me, damsel?"

"I-I- Of course I love you, Jacob. I just -"

She stopped herself.

He pulled her to himself and wrapped his arms and lifted her up, causing her to straddle him.

"Then why don't you want me to touch you?"he slurred, his head buried in her neck.

She shivered and moaned as he placed feathery kisses down her neck.

She held unto his shoulder. She wanted so badly to resist him, but her mind gave way for her heart. Her whole being desired him.

He connected his lips with hers, and she responded to the kiss with eager hunger and passion.

In a moment, they were stripped and tangled between sheets. Her soft moans, followed by his low groans, filled the room as they explored their bodies till they had spent up all their lust.

Eva watched as he snored lightly. He had shown her body much love and care but left her soul in pains and angush because she knew that the next day, he would barely look her way without expressing disgust at her presence.

She wore her dress and slipped out of the room with tears in her eyes.

Jacob woke up and went to work without sparing her a glance or even thanking her for the painkiller she had left on his bedside table for the hangover.

Eva knew it had become normal for him to not greet her, but she had hung to the thread of hope that their escapade last night would have sparked something in him for her, too.

She sobbed as he gave her the cold shoulder and left.

Was this how love felt? Like her heart was being ripped out of her chest and stomped upon by the man who she had given it to?

With a tear streaked face, she smiled at David when he woke up and smiled.

He was her sunshine and her assurance that she still had something to hope for. She had someone who cared for her in this world of deception and temporary love.

She picked him up and twirled him around, pecking his nose while he giggled.

"Mama, you cwy?" he asked, touching her face with his small palms.

"No, baby. Something just got into my eyes," she said with a fake smile. "Let's go get you prepared for school, honey."

He flailed his arms as she undressed him, not wanting to be bathed. She laughed, picked him up as he tried running away, and headed to the bathroom.

*

Work was as usual for Jacob. He was the assistant manager in Sename's, a big car reselling company.

He had not had his peace since he began to maltreat his wife, but he had always reminded himself that she deserved it.

He was not one to forgive so easily, especially not infidelity.

He missed the days of their love and when things were normal between them. To avoid the thoughts, he had buried himself in his work, aiming to hit the seven figure yearly income.

He pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind and got to work.

Love was something that had come first in his life, but now that the love had turned sour, his ambition was the only thing he lived for.

He was as ambitious as he was firm on his decisions.

Money is power and respect. The more of it he had, the more he would be

He was working when an unsaved line called him. Not being happy about the interruption, he silenced the call and continued on his grind, but the line kept calling him repeatedly.

"Hello," he replied with a displeased voice.

"Hi Jacob," a soft female choice called.

"Yes -"

"This is Mel speaking."

A small grin appeared on Jacob's face as he recalled the woman he had met at the club the previous day.

"Oh my.. I'm sorry. Forgive my manners, Melinda," he said, tearing his eyes away from his screen as he began to feel comfortable towards the pretty lady he had been seeing around his friends for a while.

Chase, his best friend, eyed him from his cubicle in the work room.

He wriggled his brows at Jacob and winked at him, mouthing, "Spot on."

He shot him a glare and kept talking with Mel on the phone.

The call ended after twenty minutes, and Chase, who had been eying him since he started call, rushed over to him.

"Brooo"

"What is it, Chase?"

"I knew you had a thing for Mel, man. You keep saying you're married, but man, we all know you need to get laid"

Jacob frowned, "Buzz off, man. I'm trying to work here," he said dismissively

"C'mon, man. You can't be seriously tied down because of that woman in your house that we both know you are practically strangers in the same house."

"I'd rather get laid with the stranger I know," Jacob blurted out without thinking.

"You're sick, man. Are you talking about the stranger who you have not spoken to in the past? What... two years?"

Jacob sighed, unable to concentrate with the constant buzzing of Chase, who wriggled his brows at him.

"I don't have time for this," he said and stretched. "I have work to do, and I know you've got your as well. Why not let us continue this conversation later? "

The latter frowned but turned to leave anyway, not without giving him a look that said, 'This conversation is far from over'