Page 50 of Vicious Union
So, where was she?
Then I remember—she was angry with me for ignoring her after coming back from our honeymoon. Caterina likes to act out.
And there’s one place I know she likes to go when she wants trouble.
I head to the club where we first met, and to no surprise, there’s Caterina on the dance floor … dancing with another man.
All I see is red.
I storm over to them, grab the man by the shoulder, and shove him to the side. Caterina gasps and stumbles back.
“Watch it,” the man grumbles.
“Don’t tell me to ‘watch it’,” I say. “You’re dancing with my wife.”
The man looks between Caterina and me before shaking his head and walking away.
When I turn to Caterina, I see she’s already walking away from me. I follow. “Where do you think you’re going?” I ask, grabbing her arm.
“Oh, so, you know I exist now?”
“What’s the supposed to be mean? You don’t have the right to be angry with me. You’re the one at a club dancing with another man.”
She looks around at all the other people looking at us. “Are you sure you want to argue in front of all these people? Will your precious reputation be able to handle that?”
“Come on.” I walk us out of the club. Caterina, fortunately, doesn’t put up much of a fight. “Why did you go to the club when you promised me you wouldn’t?”
She shrugs. “Because I’m mad at you.”
“What did I do now?”
“You ignored me.”
“I had work to do,” I snap.
“I know!” she shouts so loud; it makes me take a step back. “I know,” she adds in a softer voice. “But I asked you when you’d be free, and you couldn’t give me an answer. You didn’t even realize I was gone. I thought we’d made progress on our marriage while on the honeymoon, but then we went right back to square one the second we got home. You acted like you didn’t want anything to do with me. How do you think that makes me feel?”
“I’m not sure, but I’m sure you’ll tell me.”
She rolls her eyes. “You’re impossible. I can’t talk to you.”
“Good. Because I don’t want to hear what you have to say. I’m fucking pissed, Caterina. You could have been hurt. Do you think I want you dead?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
I stare at her, feeling hurt. “Do you honestly think I want you to die?”
She looks between me and her feet. “I guess not. I was just angry, ok? I know I shouldn’t have gone to the club. But all I did was dance with that guy. Nothing else. I didn’t cheat. I just wanted … attention because you weren’t giving me anyway.”
“Unbelievable.” I run my hand down my face. “I can’t always give you attention twenty-four-seven, Caterina.”
“I know that.”
“But …”
She meets my gaze. “But?”
“I could have tried harder. I’ll admit. I did ignore you. But I don’t know how to do this. How to live my normal life with a wife.”