Chapter 20Eiji spent the day in the study, joined Vincent in the dining room for supper, and then cordially and genteelly took his leave for the night. Vincent had known it was coming, but it still pained him to make his own way upstairs a few hours later and see the door to Eiji’s room shut tight against him, with Eiji, for the first time in weeks, on the other side of it.
Vincent slept poorly, hyper-aware of Eiji’s presence once again in the same house, so close and yet untouchable. He dragged himself down to breakfast early, intending to drown his sorrows in coffee, only to find Eiji already at the table, yesterday’s newspaper spread out in front of him as he industriously buttered a slice of toast.
In many ways, the ensuing few days were much like the earliest days of their marriage.
