Chapter 16

MAY. The ride is quiet. He doesn't speak and I all but notice his fingers clenching and unclenching around the steering wheel. Same fingers tremble, and I can't tell if he's angry with me or... Okay. I think he's mad at me. Though, I'm not sure I understand why. Well, I do, but then, I don't. I bite on my bottom lip. Do I say something? What should I say to him? "I don't mean to be difficult. I'm used to providing and fending for myself. You don't expect me to change overnight, just because I got married to you." He doesn't respond, and I groan, turning to the other side, staring out the window. We arrive at the market shortly and even if he's mad at me, he walks around to pull the door open for me. My cheeks flush and I keep my gaze fixed on the ground as we walk, side by side. I notice Ethan itch the back of his neck more times than I can consider normal, and my brows furrow. His gaze darts about wildly, taking in our surroundings with unhidden disdain. His itches turn erratic, and he starts cussing under his breath, slapping at the air. I take one look at him and it suddenly dawns on me that he doesn't fit in a place like this. He keeps edging away from the plants like he half expects them to grow thorns. He watches the people calling out the prices with a weird ass expression that I can't explain. Like he's never seen people hawking on the streets before. Like he's never seen people with dusty coats or missing shoelaces before. But that'd be weird. Except he was born with a *golden* spoon and never had to visit these parts one day in his life. My stomach suddenly grumbles and I clutch it, looking around. "Can we...uh...grab breakfast? I'm hungry." Ethan's head snaps to me. "Eat... here?" My eyebrow quirks up. "What's wrong with here? Can't stomach street food? Never had one of those before?" His jaw clenches. "You're doing it again." He pauses. "I will have breakfast anywhere of your choosing. Though, I'd much prefer your cooking." Sure. He prefers my cooking to eating by the roadside. Why don't I believe any of that? I lead him across the street, pricing a few plants for the yard, all the while watching Ethan. Every time he feels my gaze, his expression turns pleasant, but when he doesn't notice I'm watching, he's back to itching his neck. Is he allergic to plants? Would it still be wise to get one, seeing how much of a reaction he's getting? This feels... strange. It's the first thing I've learned about Ethan. Well, other than the fact that he loves dancing when I'm not home. It makes him seem less mysterious and more like an actual person. I take him to my favorite shop. One I constantly visit when I get off work. "They make the best tacos," I tell Ethan as I settle on the wooden chair, but he isn't hearing me. He's inspecting the wooden seat for...dirt or bugs. I'm not sure which, but my husband's gone bonkers. It only gets worse when I start eating from my plate. He stares at the food like it's alien, picking around the plate like he awaiting an attack from it. I have no idea why he's acting like this, but it's getting on my nerves. When he notices me watching, he takes a manageable bite from it, but when he thinks I'm not, he's rubbing at the edge of the plate, looking for stains. I start to ask him what the problem is, but considering his words this morning, I keep my mouth shut. Maybe he doesn't like dining outside. Maybe he hates tacos. That's fine. I'll order something better. "Would you like something else?" I ask with a smile. Ethan moves his head slightly. "No, this is fine. Thank you, May." *If it's alright, why does he have that grimace on his face?* To prove my point, I don't take my eyes off him. He picks up the fork, does a cool twirl thing with it around his finger, stabs into his plate and raises the food to his mouth. In it goes and his tongue darts out to clean the small smudge at the side of his lips that my fingers had already been twitching to wipe off. He chews slowly, like a man who has all the time in the world. Not one odd sound. The way he chews is elegant, beautiful. I can't believe I'm saying this. That I find a man eating suddenly attractive. But my mouth has gone dry and my eyes have left his lips to the sharp angles of his face. It doesn't matter what he does, the pose is perfect. Chewing, fuming, driving, dancing. He's the most good-looking man I have seen. "What?" he asks when he notices the direction of my gaze, and his eyes widen a little. He has pretty eyes. I shut my eyes and shake my head. *Not now, May. Focus.* "Nothing," I tell him, looking down abruptly. I dig into the food, eating swiftly, but it doesn't matter how much I eat, the hunger I feel can't be sated with food. When he touched me, something stirred in the pit of my stomach. A ravenous hunger I didn't know existed. One that has me thinking of his lips and his fingers on my skin. ******** ETHAN. My lips twitch as I watch her devour the food on her plate. It's the same way she ate at the banquet, and it is rather amusing. She just holds the spoon and keeps stuffing her mouth. Her cheeks are filled and puffy, and she grabs the glass of water. drinking until it is emptied. I wish I could eat with the same carefree nature. I am unused to eating out. I've only ever done it once, and I had spent the entire day in the toilet. I had promised Granny then that I would eat only what she made or what I bought from vendors I trusted. So, it's a little odd doing this. Already, my stomach has begun to hurt. May suddenly starts coughing and I'm up on my feet, tapping her back gently, handing her a glass of water as well. When the coughs subside, I return to my seat, lips twitching. "Are you laughing at me?" May asks, wiping her wet mouth. "Of course not."