I sighed heavily as Vasili's voice echoed through the car, asking me for the umpteenth time what was wrong. I kept my eyes focused on the road ahead, my hands tightly gripping the steering wheel. The silence between us was suffocating, but I couldn't bring myself to respond to Vasili. Not after what had happened at the mall.
We had gone to the mall that afternoon to buy new work clothes. It was supposed to be a simple outing, just a couple of hours spent together before returning home to our peaceful apartment. But somehow, things had gone awry.
Vasili, always the outgoing and enthusiastic one, had been chatting away excitedly as we browsed through the racks of clothes. I had half-listened, unable to fully immerse myself in the conversation, my mind elsewhere. As I picked out a shirt, I had glanced over at Vasili, expecting to see the usual smile on his face. But instead, his attention was focused on a store employee, a pretty girl with long, flowing hair and a charming smile. They had been engaged in a friendly conversation, and something within me had snapped.
The jealousy had consumed me in an instant, and without thinking, I had stormed out of the store, leaving Vasili and our shopping bags behind. I headed straight for the car, not caring about the curious stares from passersby. The car ride back home had been filled with tension, but neither of us dared to speak up.
Now, as we walked through the front door of our apartment, the atmosphere was heavy with a mixture of anger and hurt. Vasili finally broke the silence, his voice soft and pleading. "Ashley, please, tell me what's wrong. Did I do something to upset you?"
I continued to ignore him, my eyes fixed on the floor. I knew it was childish, this silent treatment I was giving him, but I couldn't muster up the courage to confront him about my insecurities. Instead, I made my way to the living room and flopped onto the couch, allowing the silence to stretch between us.
Vasili, seemingly at a loss for words, retreated to his own corner of the apartment and busied himself with various tasks. He cleaned the dishes, tidied up the kitchen, and even attempted to start a conversation with me a few more times. But my stubbornness held firm, my lips sealed tight.
An hour and a half had passed when the door to the living room burst open, breaking the eerie quiet. Vasili stood in the doorway, holding a tub of ice cream in his hands, two spoons nestled inside it. His eyes met mine, wide and pleading, and my heart wavered for a moment.
"Look, Ashley," Vasili began, his voice gentle and laced with apology. "I know I messed up today. I should have paid more attention to you, and I'm sorry. Let's just forget about it, okay? Can we please talk?"
I stared at the tub of ice cream, the corners of my mouth twitching ever so slightly. It was impossible to resist Vasili when he looked at me like that, with those doe eyes full of sincerity. I reluctantly nodded, a small sign of forgiveness, and scooted over on the couch for him to join me.
Vasili settled down beside me, placing the tub of ice cream on the coffee table and handing me a spoon. We sat there in silence for a moment, our eyes fixed on the cold treat before us. Finally, I gathered the courage to speak.
"It just... bothered me when you were talking to that girl at the mall," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.
Vasili looked at me with a mixture of understanding and regret, his hand reaching out to brush against mine. "I'm so sorry, Ashley. I had no idea it would affect you like this. Please, believe me when I say that it was an innocent conversation. I only have eyes for you."
His words brought a fluttering warmth to my heart. I knew Vasili loved me, but sometimes my own insecurities got the better of me. I sighed, realizing that I had let my jealousy cloud my judgment once again.
"Okay," I finally said, my voice softening. "I believe you, Vasili. I'm sorry for overreacting."
Vasili's face lit up with relief, and he reached over to give me a tight hug. We stayed there, wrapped in each other's embrace, slowly savoring the ice cream and the comfort of each other's presence.
As the night settled in, we found ourselves curled up on the couch, covered in a massive white duvet with black polka dots. The sounds of a movie playing on Netflix filled the room, but it was only background noise as we focused on each other. We laughed, we whispered, and occasionally, our spoons clinked against the tub of ice cream.
Time seemed to lose its importance as we indulged in the simple pleasure of each other's company. Eventually, the movie on the screen faded to black, and exhaustion pulled at our eyelids. With a contented sigh, I nestled closer to Vasili, the duvet wrapping around us like a cocoon.
The weight of the day's tense emotions was lifted off our shoulders, replaced by a sense of solace. In the warmth of each other's embrace, we drifted off to sleep, our worries and doubts fading away. And in our dreams, we found a love that stood strong, unyielding to the tests that life may throw our way.
"Ley.."
"Ashley get up"
"ASHLEY! Will you wake up already? We're going to be late on the first day." Vasilis' voice came, filtering through my ears.
"Huh"
"I swear I'll leave you behind if you don't wake up! It's almost 9 am!"
Shit! It was just a dream!
"I'm up, I'm up, I'm up! I'll be out in 10 minutes tops!" I said, rushing to the bathroom.
I should've known it was a dream when Vasili was awfully talkative with that witch at the mall.
Today is going to one hell of a rough day.