Married to my suspect

I watched speechlessly as Jonathan picked up my already packed bag from the corner of my room it had called home for the past three weeks.

"Is this all you have?" He asked, gesturing to the bag.

I nodded, choosing not to believe what was happening right now. "Do we really have to go this far? Can't you trust her with the truth?"

We had come back together from work, only for Jonathan to stop me when I was about retiring to my room after eating to inform me that Eleni had been discharged earlier that day, and she was flying in the next day. That piece of information wasn't what had me rattled. No, he had, in his own unique authoritarian manner, told me I was to move into his room that night and that was to be our new routine for as long as Eleni stayed with us.

Jonathan looked at me as if I had just said America was filled with only water, then shook his head. "No. I can't trust her with the truth. Not right now."

Now, what did he mean by that cryptic statement. And why not? I was going crazy just thinking about how we would survive staying in the same room, even if we just had to do so in the night and on weekends. The memory of our honeymoon still hadn't left my mind. Even then, for that short period, I'd had to keep myself busy to avoid going crazy since he was constantly in the room.

"Why not? I thought she was your friend. She's even crashing at your place because she's in trouble." No, I wasn't trying to goad him into losing his temper on purpose, but the fact that he was already clenching his jaws showed I was inadvertently doing that.

He scoffed. "Weren't you the one that brought the idea of having her over even before I said anything?"

I sighed. That was true, but that was because I had thought he was in lo…

My voice trailed off as I realized I'd been speaking aloud rather than thinking like I thought I was.

Jonathan dropped the bag, looking confused. "What did you say?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. I didn't know I would have to move in with you, that was why I suggested that. I thought she would just stay in the guest room, I'm sure there should be one in this home." Were we fighting right now? If we were, this would be our first official fight, not sure why I was counting.

Jonathan stared at me as if trying to decipher my thoughts. "So if you had known, would you have taken it back or not offered at all?"

I glared at him. She was my friend as well, and I was concerned for her safety. "Of course not. I understand she needs help. I'm just complaining because this is going against the contract and what had been planned. Also, it would have been better if you had told me in advance rather than just dumping it on me today. On that note as well, can't I just move my things to your room and sleep by myself today, and we'll figure out the sleeping arrangement starting tomorrow after work? She's not arriving until tomorrow, and so I don't see the rush." This was the first time I was speaking against his telling me important information just a few minutes to the due time. I knew he could sense it when I was angry with him because of that, but since he was a man, I couldn't guarantee he had known the reason for my anger.

Jonathan shook his head. "About knowing, I also wasn't aware she would be discharged yesterday, and I've been busy thinking about other things to focus on that. I will try to let you know in advance if something like this occurs again."

Was that his version of an apology?

"As uncomfortable as it may be, I do think it will be advisable to move in today rather than tomorrow. Eleni is arriving tomorrow and the goal is that there be no awkwardness she will be able to sense and since tomorrow will be a new experience, I can't say for sure she won't notice that something is wrong." He continued.

I rolled my eyes. There he went again, being the logical one.

"Fine but since in this scenario the terms of the contract is being broken. Is there something in it for me. I know we both agreed for her to come, and you can claim that I was in agreement for this breach, but she's closer to you than I am to her, and so I am the one suffering more in this situation." That was as petty as it could be, but I had never accused myself of being mature. I still woke up some mornings wondering what his plan for me for asking that the wedding not be publicized as originally arranged, and praying that he had just said it at that moment and didn't mean anything by it. I feared he was still planning his rebuttal for breaching the terms.

Jonathan looked round the room and then back at me, but was that amusement in his eyes? "Fine. That makes a little sense. So what do you want?"

I pretended to think about it. "I'll let you know when I get what I want. Don't want to make this important decision too fast. You know?"

His lips drew up in a faint smile. "Of course. Let me know when you decide. I'll take your bags to the room and show you around." He said and turned, leaving the room, and I felt the prickling of guilt. I knew his room more than he could even imagine.

I sighed and raised my shoulders, trying to comfort myself that everything will be well, a lie I'd gotten used to telling myself, when I remembered something very important about myself that I needed to hide but would be nearly impossible to, if I moved in with him. Would we share a bed as well, or would he provide an extra one for me? Was there really nothing I could do to stop this?

JONATHAN'S POV

I opened my door, dropped Danielle'd bag near my wardrobe and smiled, seeing her tactic for what it was. I'd still not forgotten my threat and the promise she still owed me for making the wedding less of a press news, and I knew this was either a payback for that time or a way to protect herself, which had been funny to me. Well played, if I had been in her shoes I would have done the same thing.

I hadn't been lying when I'd said I had forgotten to tell her she would have to leave her room when Eleni came along, but I hadn't been able to state the reason why. Like I'd told Danielle earlier, it wasn't my place to talk about Eleni's life. Her husband was the main actor in the merger and acquisition we'd just fully concluded, but I knew the moment he found out I was hiding his wife, soon to be ex, hopefully, he would find a way to cause a problem for the company, and what better way to do so than to reveal the truth about our marriage.

Eleni's husband was an abusive and manipulative asshole who took the opportunity he had as an older person and a person of influence to make life hell for his young wife, but one thing I couldn't mince words about was the fact that he was a guru in business. Having lots of companies made him become a well known name in Greece, and he mostly flipped them. Apart from selling, since he wasn't really interested in running multiple businesses, he also collaborated with other related companies and merged his with theirs, which was how I'd gotten to having an M & A with his company. His power and abusive nature made Eleni terrified of him, which meant her knowing our secret was going to put us at risk as well, so we needed to be convincing in our acting. Maybe I should just have explained this to Danielle.

Thinking about it, I wasn't feeling anyway about our moving together like my wife was. It wasn't like it would be throughout the day, just during the night and just to sleep. I honestly didn't think it warranted the overreaction Danielle had given it.

Danielle entered the room, her arms over her chest, obviously uncomfortable, and I glanced at her, trying to smother a scoff. She was selling the 'I'm seeing your room for the first time look' very well, and if I hadn't seen her, I wouldn't have imagined what I had seen.

"What do you think?" I asked innocently and she shrugged.

"It's okay. Where will I put my things?" She asked, glancing towards the wardrobe but not at her bag that I'd placed there intentionally, but at the space that used to be there. The space she had entered and inspected.

"I will make space in the wardrobe by tomorrow so they can stay here for tonight." She nodded but remained awkwardly fixed at the door, not taking a step forward. Okay, maybe I had gone a little too far with this. The fun I was having with this, though, was enough to keep me going.