Chapter Eight:Xavier-You Are My Husband
1200 Words
Two weeks.
Fourteen days.
That was how long Xavier had been back in the United States.
And somehow, after fourteen days, Avi was still exactly the same.
Stubborn.
Distant.
Quiet.
And incredibly irritating.
Xavier didn’t understand him.
Every morning, Avi came downstairs, ate breakfast, and left.
Every evening, he came home tired.
Then came the excuses.
I have work.
I’m tired.
I have a client.
I need to prepare something for court.
I have a meeting tomorrow.
I need to read.
Xavier had heard more excuses in two weeks than he had heard in his entire life.
And the strangest part?
Avi had never once called him.
Not once.
Xavier had called him.
Avi answered sometimes.
Sometimes he didn’t.
But Avi had never picked up his phone and thought, I should call my husband.
That bothered Xavier more than it should have.
He didn’t know why he wanted Avi’s attention so badly.
He had never needed anyone’s attention.
Yet every time he came home and saw Avi disappear upstairs, something inside him became irritated.
And lately, another thought had started bothering him.
Who is he spending all this time with?
Because Xavier didn’t believe anyone could be that busy.
Not every day.
Not for two weeks.
There had to be someone.
A client.
A colleague.
A friend.
Maybe someone else.
The thought alone made Xavier’s jaw tighten.
Avi was his husband.
His.
He shouldn’t be spending all his free time with someone else.
That was how Xavier justified it.
At least, that was what he told himself.
He was sitting behind his desk that afternoon when he finally decided to call.
He dialed Avi’s number.
Once.
No answer.
Twice.
Nothing.
Three times.
Still nothing.
Xavier stared at his phone.
Then called a fourth time.
This time, Avi answered.
“Hello?”
“Why weren’t you picking up?”
“I was busy.”
“Doing what?”
Avi sighed.
“Xavier, I’m at work.”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m in court.”
Xavier’s eyes narrowed.
“With who?”
“My client.”
“Who?”
There was silence.
“Why does it matter?”
“Because you’re my husband.”
Avi sighed again.
“I’m working.”
“You should have answered.”
“I was in court.”
“You could have picked up.”
“I couldn’t.”
Xavier’s patience was thinning.
“What client is so important that you can’t answer your husband’s call?”
Avi was silent.
Then he said,
“I’ll call you later.”
The line went dead.
Xavier stared at his phone.
He slowly put it down.
Who was keeping his husband so busy?
He was going to find out.
⸻
That evening, Xavier came home earlier than usual.
Avi was already there.
They sat across from each other at dinner.
For several minutes, there was silence.
Xavier watched him.
Avi didn’t look up.
“Who were you with today?”
Avi continued eating.
“My client.”
“Who?”
“That’s personal information.”
“I don’t care.”
Avi finally looked up.
“I do.”
Xavier’s eyes narrowed.
“Tell me.”
“No.”
One word.
Simple.
Firm.
Xavier stared at him.
Avi went back to eating.
Something about the refusal irritated him.
But there was something else.
Avi wasn’t afraid of him.
He was cautious.
He was uncomfortable.
But he wasn’t afraid.
Xavier found that strangely admirable.
Still irritating.
After dinner, Avi stood.
“Where are you going?”
“To work.”
“Again?”
“I have things to finish.”
“Why do you always have to work?”
Avi looked at him.
“Because I’m a lawyer.”
“Don’t you want to spend time with me?”
Avi hesitated.
Then said quietly,
“I’m busy.”
And he walked away.
Xavier watched him disappear upstairs.
He sat there for a moment.
Then shook his head.
“This man is impossible.”
⸻
Later that night, Xavier changed into comfortable clothes and went upstairs.
Avi was already in bed.
He was reading something on his laptop.
Xavier walked into the room.
Avi looked up.
“What are you doing?”
“Going to bed.”
Avi stared at him.
“In here?”
Xavier looked around.
“Where else would I sleep?”
Avi’s expression changed.
“You have another room.”
“I know.”
“So?”
Xavier walked toward the bed.
“I’m sleeping here.”
Avi closed his laptop.
“Why?”
“Because this is our matrimonial bedroom.”
Avi stared at him.
Xavier continued.
“And you are my husband.”
Avi looked like he wanted to argue.
“Xavier—”
“No.”
“What?”
“I’m not discussing this.”
Xavier pulled back the blanket.
“You’ve spent three years sleeping alone.”
He looked at him.
“I’ve spent three years sleeping alone.”
Avi didn’t say anything.
“That ends tonight.”
Avi’s eyes widened slightly.
Xavier noticed.
He wasn’t scared.
He was nervous.
There was a difference.
Xavier softened his voice.
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
Avi looked away.
“I didn’t say you would.”
“You were thinking it.”
“I wasn’t.”
“You were.”
Avi sighed.
Xavier got into bed.
Avi immediately moved toward the far edge.
As far away from Xavier as physically possible.
Xavier almost smiled.
He didn’t care.
He was satisfied.
At least they were in the same room.
At least they were finally sharing the same bed.
He turned onto his side.
Avi remained at the edge.
There was a huge distance between them.
But Xavier didn’t mind.
Not tonight.
He stared into the darkness.
For two weeks, he had been trying to get closer to his husband.
Avi had resisted every attempt.
But Xavier was patient.
He had waited years for things before.
He could wait for this.
Because something had become clear to him.
He didn’t just want Avi to be his husband on paper anymore.
He wanted to know him.
He wanted Avi to talk to him.
He wanted Avi to call him.
He wanted to know where he went and who he spent time with.
He wanted dinners that didn’t end with Avi escaping upstairs.
He wanted mornings that didn’t feel like business meetings.
He wanted more.
Much more.
Xavier closed his eyes.
He didn’t know when it had happened.
He didn’t know why.
But somewhere between the courthouse three years ago and the blue eyes he had finally noticed two weeks ago, something had changed.
Avi had become important.
And Xavier had never been good at letting go of things that mattered to him.
Especially not things he considered his.
He opened his eyes once more.
Avi was still lying on the opposite side of the bed.
Far away.
But there.
Xavier smiled faintly.
That was enough.
For tonight.
Because tomorrow, he would try again.
And the day after that.
And the day after that.
Until his husband stopped treating him like a stranger.
Until Avi finally understood that Xavier wasn’t going anywhere.
Not now.
Not ever.
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