It was a mistake to meet Dashen at the cafe. She should have chosen a cafe that is in another neighbourhood, far away from Kavan's studio.
Kavan saw Dashen leaving the cafe and then when he saw her leaving too, he had immediately confronted her. He walked right up to her just as she was walking out of the cafe.
"I thought you said you had a facial appointment?" he asked. He didn't look angry, just disappointed and hurt.
"Yet, you were meeting with your ex-husband?"
She felt as if she was caught red-handed doing something wrong, like cheating on Kavan.
"Well…technically, he is still my husband," she started to say and wanted to slap herself. Totally wrong thing to say. Kavan looked even more disappointed and hurt.
"Why did you lie to me? Are you hiding something from me again? Why do you have to lie about meeting him?"
"Look…I just…there were some things we have to finalise so I was meeting him to err…get our affairs all settled," she lied. She can't tell him about Meera either. It is not in her place to tell anyone about Meera.
Kavan seemed to know she was lying.
"I don't see why you have to lie about going to a facial when you could've told me about meeting your husband to 'settle your affairs'," he said.
She sidled to his side and tried to hold his arm coquettishly.
"Kavan, honestly, I have told you that there was nothing between me and Dashen, we are not a couple at all, so I don't see why you are jealous of him,"
His face darkened. He pulled his arm out of her hands and took a step back.
"Look, this is not about jealousy. This is about you lying to me. Why do you have to lie to me about meeting him?"
She didn't know how to answer that. She had come up with an excuse of going for a facial so that Kavan doesn't suspect that she is meeting Dashen. She didn't even think of telling him the truth. Then again, Kavan might offer to go with her and she would not be able to lie to Dashen that she needed powers to help Kavan.
Oh, what a tangled web of lies. Lying does not pay. She seems to be digging the hole deeper and burying herself in it. She hung her head in guilt.
"I was just meeting him to ask him for something," she admitted. She can't tell him the full truth but partial truths should suffice for now.
"Still, I don't understand why you have to lie about going to meet him. Do you really think of me as such a jealous and controlling person that I will not allow it?" Kavan still looked hurt.
She can handle anger. Like Dashen's infamous rage. But this, she doesn't know what to do. Or say. She has no explanations for why she had lied to Kavan. It had came out naturally.
Kavan sighed at her silence. He rubbed his temples.
"Look, maybe we have been going too fast. It was obvious you don't know me well enough to lie to me this way…I don't even know if I can trust you anymore," he said.
What? She looked at him, startled at what he is suggesting. He looks serious and still hurt.
"What are you saying?" she asked him.
"Maybe we should take some time out…I don't even know if I can trust you not to lie to me and I don't even know when you are lying and when you are telling the truth anymore,"
All this just because she lied about meeting with Dashen? It was not as if she had an affair with another man!
"But Kavan…I just, I guess I just didn't want you to think that I have something going on with Dashen…I mean…he is still technically my husband and I know you won't like me meeting with him," she tried to explain.
"Look, I said I wanted us to be exclusive but that doesn't mean I am a controlling freak who will not allow his girlfriend to talk to or associate with other men, I am not some jealous domineering boyfriend, I am far from it," he told her.
Now that he said it this way, she knows it was wrong to lie to him. But what was done was done.
"Look, I am sorry, I didn't mean to lie, I just…well, I just don't want you to misunderstand this meeting," she tried to explain again.
"That is the crux of the problem here Sab. You don't even understand me, you don't really know me, otherwise, you would not lie to me like this," he said.
"It was just a tiny white lie, surely you are going a bit overboard with this?"
"You think I am overreacting? Okay, so, let's put you in my shoes. I go and meet my ex and I lie to you that I was going for a drink with the guys, how would you feel about it?" he asked.
Now that he puts it this way, she can see his perspective. It would be suspicious. And it would surely get her all rankled and mad. She would probably throw a fit.
"So, are you suspicious of me and Dashen?"
Kavan groaned loudly in frustration.
"You just don't get it! I am hurt by your lying…not about you meeting him!" he said, his voice slightly raised. Now, he looks angry.
"Wait…let me get this straight…you don't mind me meeting Dashen but you mind that I lied to you about meeting him?" she just want to be sure. It's not rocket science but the way men thinks are so different. For her, she would just be in a jealous rage that he is meeting an ex regardless if he lied about it or not.
"That's right. I want us to have open communication and you lying to me is not the way to go," he said.
Now she gets it.
"Okay, so I get you now, can we just forget today and start over? I promise I won't lie to you again," she said, batting her eyelashes hopefully.
"That's what you said before, we agreed to be open and honest with each other, and here you are again, caught in a lie," he pointed out.
Damn. She really did sabotaged herself. She should have met Dashen at his house.
"Okay, okay, so I learnt my lesson. I won't do it again, I promise," she tried again.
Surely Kavan will accept her apology and forgive her? It was a tiny little lie after all.
He sighed.
"I just feel that things with you are so complicated. There's that clan council and your powers being taken away and now you have this secret dealing with Dashen…maybe I don't need this kind of complication in my life right now," he told her.
Her eyes widened. It sounded like he is breaking up with her. They've only been together for less than two weeks. This has to be the shortest relationship ever between a dragon shapeshifter and their human match!
"But…Kav…" she pleaded.
"Look, Sab, I do feel strongly for you, I really, really like you but I am beginning to feel as if we are a mistake, I mean, we belong in two different worlds,"
"But…"
"No, let me finish. Think about this. You are what…a thousand over years old? We have this huge age gap and not only that, you dragons seem to have a different kind of moral code or something," he said.
"It's not that different…"
"I said, let me finish," he said a bit forcefully. Her gentle Kavan can be dominant too if he wanted to and she likes this side of him.
"You have different cultures, different rules and I just don't understand what's going on with you and your life right now. I just want a simple life without complications for now. So, maybe, it is best you get your affairs settled and don't drag me into any of it for now," he said.
She felt tears gathered in her eyes. It really sounded like Kavan wanted to break up with her. All this over her stupid lie. All this just because she wanted to help Meera.
"There are no complications….really…it's just you and me," she said although there is a complication. She can only be with him for 10 years before she has to find a way to convince the council of elders to allow their relationship. That is one huge complication right there. One that she hasn't told Kavan. It was not exactly a lie. It was an omission. Surely that was not a lie?
"From what I see, there are complications, you losing your powers, your clan going against our relationship, Dashen having to help us so we can be together…what happens when your clan finds out? Then what?" he asked.
She has no answer for this. She is flummoxed.
"I…"
"Exactly. So, maybe we should just take a break…a time out…I am sure you still have a place to stay at Dashen's right? Maybe you should just move back there and give me some space for now," he said.
With that, he turned and walked away without looking back. She watched him as tears slide down her cheeks.
What will she do now? Will she ever win him back?