Austin entered the room to find her standing by the window, arms crossed, her back to the door. She had been standing there for a long time, watching the courtyard, and thinking about the dinner.
She is my bed warmer.
The words echoed in her mind again and again, each repetition sharper than the last.
"You called me your bed warmer," she said, as soon as he stepped inside, without turning. "In front of everyone."
He didn't answer. She heard him unbutton his coat and hang it on the chair. He was trying to act normal. trying to make the words seem small as if they were just random words and she shouldn't be hurt by them.
She turned, her composure cracking.
"Do you have nothing to say?"
"I wasn't thinking…"
She sighed in disbelief.
"You're always thinking. You didn't accidentally call me your bed warmer. You chose it deliberately." Her voice rose.
He still didn't reply.
