CHAPTER 45: MEETING HUBBY'S FRIENDS VII
Nicodemus brought the coffee. As Diana took a sip, she looked at the man whose sole focus was entirely on the newspaper and frowned.
The tension in the air crackled. This wasn't how she envisioned married life.
Suddenly, she reached out and snatched the newspaper, tossing it aside.
James sat frozen, hand outstretched as he stared at them, dumbfounded.
Nicodemus froze, his eyes wide with surprise. This was a side of his boss's wife he'd never seen.
"What are you doing Diana?"
"I need your attention that's what am doing. You left me in bed alone to come sip coffee and read newspapers?" she said, her voice trembling.
James raised his brows, he didn't think that little action of his will mean anything. He suddenly felt himself wanting to explain. He held his hands up in a placating gesture. "Diana it wasn't like that. I had a little business to attend very early this morning. I've been pursuing a huge contract worth trillions. I threw in a bait and the investors swallowed it whole, so i came downstairs to celebrate my victory.
"Reading the news over a cup of coffee? Is that really your way of celebrating victory?"
"Yes" James responded.
Nicodemus peeked around a corner, a worried glint in his eyes.
"Is that also the reason you did not look at me when you saw me, and also deliberately ignored me?"
James sighed, and rolled his eyes his frustration bubbling up. He had been in relationships but never one like this. "Diana, what is this, some Q & A session?"
Diana nodded as the silence descended, heavy and thick. Tears welled up in her eyes, a mix of anger and sadness. He was still so very far from her. What wasn't she doing right?
James met her gaze, his own filled with understanding, perhaps even regret. He reached for her hand, but she pulled away.
"Am sorry then. I have something else to discuss," she said, forcing her voice steady. "Your parents. We've been married a month. Don't you think it's time I meet them?"
James hesitated, his jaw clenched. "Not yet," he finally said, his voice low.
"Why not?" Her voice rose, frustration mounting. "What am I doing wrong James.?"
He flinched, pain flickering across his face. "Nothing Diana. Its just... not yet the time for you to meet my parents. It's… complicated. Please, trust me."
"Trust?" Diana scoffed. "How can I trust you when you keep pushing me away?"
"Diana please just let this matter go, if i say its not time, then it isn't".
"You darn bastard", Diana spat. The room spun. This wasn't the conversation she'd hoped for. This wasn't the intimacy she craved. "Uncle Nik," she addressed the butler, her voice tight. "I'll have breakfast in my office."
Without another word, she turned and ascended the stairs, leaving James alone with the shattered silence and the weight of unspoken truths.
James was dumbfounded at the new turn of events. What just happened? He looked at the retreating figure of his wife and sighed, in time she will get to understand the strong reaction about his family. But, as of now, he wasn't ready to explain. Hence, instead of going after her, he picked up his newspaper and continued reading.
Diana unlocked her office, the silence a similar contrast to the living room downstairs. She powered on her phone, seeking solace in the familiar glow of the screen.
Scrolling through her contacts, her finger paused on Jared's name. A mischievous glint entered her eyes as she typed a playful greeting.
Jared responded instantly, "Hello my cute sister-in-law!" Diana couldn't help but smile.
Before she could reply, another message popped up: "Can't wait to see you today, baby."
A knowing smirk played on her lips as she laughed. "Can't wait to see you too," she typed back, a playful double entendre lacing her words.
"This time you messaged me Diana it must have been for a reason," Jared started, "what is it?"
"Well its about your brother Jared"
"What about him?"
"I feel like everything I do with him is wrong, and i just can't tell why its that way. He's still so closed off, like a wall I can't break through." she confided, frustration simmering beneath the surface.
"You just got married, Diana. You have to take it easy with him, its a gradual process" Jared cautioned. "Give him time. My brother, he doesn't like to be rushed."
Diana, however, yearned for deeper understanding. She bit her lips and sighed. She didn't know about taking it easy. She felt once she had given herself to him, they were supposed to automatically develop some kind of bond or connection, anything to make her understand him better. Time was a luxury she craved but wasn't sure she possessed. The bond she expected with James felt elusive, leaving a void in its wake.
She sent an emoji with a single tear on it to Jared and typed. "I even asked about meeting your family, seeing we've been married for close to a month" she confessed, "and his rejection stung."
Jared's response mirrored her pain. "Baby, don't rush that either. He's trying to protect you in ways you don't understand yet."
"Then someone should make me understand," she pleaded, the desperation evident in her words.
Jared's silence, punctuated by three dots, spoke volumes.
Diana sent an eye-roll emoji, acknowledging the unspoken barrier.
"It's his story to tell, Diana," Jared finally wrote. "And if he chooses silence, I have to respect that."
Diana sighed, a heavy weight settling on her chest and disappointment gnawing at her. "I understand, Jared. I truly do." She really understood his reluctance to reveal James' secrets, but it left her feeling more isolated and confused.
"Well where are you anyway?" Diana questioned.
"In between two beautiful women i Picked up at a party last night".
Diana smirked and responded with a playful but pointed sticker – a frying pan connecting with a head.
Jared responded with a laughing face emoji and a devil smiling face emoji before excusing himself.
"Uhm sister-in-law, said girls just awoke. i guess we will talk later then".
The conversation ended abruptly, leaving Diana staring at the blank screen, a hollowness echoing within her.
She spent the next few hours managing her catering business online, the routine offering a semblance of control amidst the emotional turmoil. Yet, her thoughts kept drifting back to James and Jared's cryptic words.
After a few hours of online interactions, Diana posted the resumption date for her catering business, a small step forward in her life, yet a world away from understanding the secrets that swirled around him. As she signed off, the unanswered questions about James and her place in his life lingered, casting a long shadow over her day.
As she closed her laptop, a sense of determination settled over her. This wasn't the life she envisioned. She craved connection, truth, and a love that transcended unspoken secrets. Perhaps tomorrow, she would take a different approach, one that demanded more than cryptic platitudes and playful flirting.