Chapter 5 Back Where You Belong

The house remained the same. The icy silence, the same white walls. However, I had evolved. As I entered, my heels made a clicking sound on the marble floor. Tight and uncertain, my fingers coiled around my bag's strap. I ought not to have returned. However, I couldn't ignore the message he sent me following the divorce. Return home. Right now. Or I'll come get you. I told myself that I needed closure, so I came here. I required clarification. I came because I was afraid of what he would do if I didn't, but my heart knew the truth.

"Leah."

From the hallway came his voice. Minimal and angular. My chest squeezed. He was leaning against the wall with a glass of whiskey in one hand and a pocket in the other when I turned to see him. His face could not be read, but his sleeves were rolled up and his tie was loose, cold and under control. The same as usual.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to sound strong.

"You signed the papers," he said, walking toward me. "But that doesn't mean you can walk away from me."

I stepped back without meaning to. "That's exactly what it means."

He didn't stop. His eyes locked on mine, unreadable but intense. "You belong here."

I shook my head. "No, Alessio. I don't belong to you anymore."

His jaw tightened. He looked down at the floor for a second, then back up at me. "You were mine before the ring, Leah. You were mine the moment I saw you."

I swallowed hard, heat crawling up my neck. Why did his words still get to me?

"You can't keep doing this," I whispered. "You can't keep pulling me back."

"I never let you go."

I stared at him, heart pounding. His words sounded like a confession and a threat at the same time.

He stepped closer. "You think signing some paper makes you free?"

He reached out. I flinched, but he only touched the bag strap on my shoulder, pulling it off gently.

"I left because I couldn't take it anymore," I said, voice cracking. "You ignored me. You hurt me. I was always waiting-waiting for you to see me."

"I saw you," he said darkly. "Every day. I just didn't like what I saw."

His words hit like a slap. I turned away, tears pressing at the backs of my eyes.

"Go ahead," he said, voice low behind me. "Leave again. Run. But you'll come back."

"I won't."

"You already did."

I froze. He was right. I came back. And no matter how much I hated it, a part of me still needed him to see me. I walked toward the stairs. I didn't even know why.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Somewhere you're not."

But I only made it halfway up the stairs before I felt his presence behind me. I stopped, hand on the railing.

"Say what you came here to say, Alessio. Then let me go."

He didn't answer right away. Then he said, "You were never just a wife to me. You were the only thing that made sense in this fucked-up world."

I turned slowly. "Then why did you destroy us?"

His face twisted, just for a second. Pain? Regret? I couldn't tell.

"I don't know," he said quietly. "But I know I'm not done with you."

"That's not love," I said, heart aching. "That's control."

His eyes darkened. "Maybe. But I never said I was a good man."

I let out a shaky breath. "You're right. You're not."

We stared at each other in silence. The air felt thick, heavy. My chest rose and fell too fast.

"I'm staying tonight," I said. "But only in the guest room."

His smirk returned. "That's what you think."

I clenched my teeth and walked up the steps. I was shaking, but I couldn't tell if it was from fear or anger. Both, perhaps. Perhaps something more serious. As if no one had ever been there, the guest room was chilly and undisturbed. I leaned against the door and closed it, gasping for air. Nothing was unpacked by me. I wanted to leave quickly. Tonight, perhaps. I secretly feared the game had begun, but only until I could discover what his true game was. I sat on the bed's edge and gazed at the blank wall. Someone knocked. The door then opened without waiting for my response. Alessio entered as though he was the owner. He did.

"You shouldn't just walk in," I said, standing.

"You shouldn't come back to a man like me and expect rules."

"What do you want, Alessio?"

He looked at me for a long time. Then he walked over, slow, quiet, and placed something on the table beside the bed. It was a box.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Open it."

I hesitated, then lifted the lid. Inside was a necklace. Gold. Familiar.

I sucked in a breath. "You kept this?"

He nodded. "The first thing I ever bought you. Remember?"

"Why are you giving it to me now?"

"Because you need to remember who you are."

I stared at it, confused. "And who's that?"

His eyes bored into mine.

"My wife."

I shook my head, backing away. "You don't get to do that."

"I can and I will."

"No, Alessio."

I tried to move around him, but he caught my wrist, not hard, just enough to make me stop.

His voice dropped. "You're not ready for the world out there, Leah. Not without me."

"That's not your choice."

"Then why are you still here?" he asked.

That question silenced me. I didn't know the answer.

Maybe I was waiting.

Maybe I was scared.

Maybe... I still loved him.

I yanked my hand free. "You don't get to touch me like that."

His eyes flickered to my lips. "Not yet?"

I slapped him.

His face didn't flinch. But his eyes turned to fire. He stepped closer, slowly, eyes locked on mine, daring me to move.

"You can fight me, Leah," he said. "But I promise, you'll still come back to me."

"I'll never be yours again."

"We'll see."

Chest tight, I pushed past him. I had to breathe. Space. health. With my heart pounding, I rushed downstairs. The front door remained ajar. I froze as soon as I stepped out onto the porch. One white envelope was taped to the door. Bold, sloppy ink was used to write my name. Leah. With trembling hands, I pulled it down while scanning my surroundings. There was nobody. I took it open. He's telling lies. This isn't where you belong. My heart froze. I then read the line beneath it. They're watching you.