Enraptured

Chapter 83

Ever since the first time he came home late at night, Demetrius has been going out more often. He never stayed out at late as the first time, but he would still be gone most of the afternoon and be quite secretive about where he had gone, acutely avoiding any of my questions about his day.

Although I didn't want to think poorly of him, I still couldn't help wondering what he had been doing that would result in him coming home in a different shirt every time.

I had been trying to open up to him more. Visiting him at his at-home office in the mornings. Gifting him little baked goods that I had made the day before. Asking about how he had been doing. Inviting him to have dinner with us.

He seemed to be getting more relaxed around me.

But, every once in a while, our fingers would accidentally brush up against each other whenever we passed something to another. I would be unable to stop myself from flinching in response, and Demetrius's expression would fall drastically before quietly excusing him to give me room.

I was trying very hard to try to ease my body in his presence, but for some reason, it refused to listen to me no matter how much I reminded myself that Demetrius was a safe person.

It felt like every time we took a step forward, we would eventually end up taking two steps backward again, all because of the fear ingrained deeply into my body.

It felt like he was getting further and further away from me with each passing day, and I feared that I might end up driving my husband and Theo's father away one day.

I paced around the living room anxiously at the thought.

Demetrius had amicably agreed to have dinner with Theo and me tonight, just like all the other days I had invited him to have dinner with us, but he had left the house to take care of some "business" again.

I wanted to believe that he truly was just taking care of business.

Despite my inability to accept his physical affection, he was still showing his affection in other ways.

Asking about whether I had eaten already and making sure that I was staying healthy.

Doing little things around the house for me even though I told him he didn't need to, like building a new shelf for my near-full library or lowering the racks in the kitchen so I could reach them better.

He even came back with a bouquet of flowers and a box of pastries from popular shops in the city whenever he went out.

If he really were meeting with another woman in the city, he wouldn't have purchased gifts for his wife after seeing another woman, right?

Right?

But what if those gifts were pity gifts? Purchased out of guilt? Apologies for what he had done?

I knew that he was only treating me well because he was an upstanding, respectful, and loyal man. So, I couldn't blame him if he sought out comfort from someone else when I couldn't offer it to him.

He probably realized how it wasn't worth it to try to continue a relationship with me. If it wasn't already bad enough that he couldn't even touch me without sending me into a panic attack, I wasn't nearly as pretty, tall, outgoing, or smart as other girls.

Maybe he was actually going into the city to prepare divorce papers and just didn't know how to tell me...

Then, should I just handle the papers by myself? At the very least, he wouldn't have to feel guilty for something that would inevitably happen.

I hesitantly stopped in front of the closed door of Demetrius's at-home office.

He said that I had free rein over everything in this house, right? That I could go anywhere and use anything without needing his permission...