Sarah
"Oh. Josh, this is my husband, Matthew," I say.
Josh grinned. "Ah, yes. The man who stole the love of my life from me."
I laugh and shove him playfully. "Don't be absurd, Josh. By the way, I am still mad you didn't come to my wedding."
Matthew stands off to the side, his arms crossed over his chest, his posture stiff. I catch the brief flash of annoyance in his eyes, though he quickly hides it.
"I am sorry I couldn't make it. I really wanted to, Sar. I swear it," Josh says. "And besides, I figured you two lovebirds would be just fine without me."
I roll my eyes, trying to ignore the way Matthew's eyes narrow slightly at Josh's words. It's clear Matthew's not exactly thrilled with his presence.
"Don't start, Josh," I say. "You know why I wanted you there."
Josh shrugs. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But I wasn't exactly ready to watch you marry someone else. I might've gotten a little…emotional."
I laugh. "Where are you staying anyway?"
"At the hotel down the street. I better go back and let you two unpack. How about we catch up over dinner? It'll give me a chance to get to know your new hubby," Josh says, looking at Matthew.
I glance at Matthew, who doesn't say anything, but I can feel the shift in the air. His silence speaks volumes.
I force out a smile for Josh. "Dinner sounds good. How about we meet at six thirty?"
Josh grins. "Six thirty it is. I'll be there. And Matthew," he says. He gives me a playful wink before heading toward the door. "Alright, I'll see you two later."
Once Josh leaves, the silence between Matthew and me feels heavier.
"Who is he, Sarah?" Matthew asks me as I head to the bedroom.
I pause in the doorway, my hand resting on the frame. I can feel the tension radiating off Matthew.
"Josh and I grew up together," I say, turning to face him.
Matthew's jaw tightens, his blue eyes icy. "You two seem a bit too close."
"Don't be silly. He is like a brother to me," I protest.
"A brother who jokes about you being the love of his life?" he snaps.
I sigh, shaking my head. "It's not like that. Josh has always been a flirt, but it doesn't mean anything. We're just friends."
"Friends," Matthew repeats, his tone disbelieving. "Right. And I'm supposed to just be okay with him showing up out of the blue, making himself at home in our house?"
I frown, bristling at his accusatory tone. "Josh is important to me, Matthew. I'm not going to apologize for that. And besides, Marishka let him in because he is like a son to her. It's not like he broke in."
Matthew scoffs, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "That's not the point, Sarah. The point is, I don't know this guy. And I don't like the way he looks at you."
I stare at him, taken aback by the tone of his voice. Is that…jealousy I detect?
I take a step toward him. "Josh is my friend. That's all. And besides, why should you care how he looks at me? You hate me, remember? I mean nothing to you."
Matthew's eyes flash with something dangerous, but there's a tightness in his jaw as he struggles to keep his emotions in check. His hand clenches into a fist at his side, but he doesn't say anything for a long moment, as if carefully choosing his words.
"You really want to go there, Sarah?" he asks, his voice low and sharp.
I swallow hard, my heart pounding in my chest.
"I'm just saying," I mutter, trying to steady myself. "If you don't care about me, then why are you so upset?"
Matthew steps closer to me, his presence overwhelming, and for a moment, I feel trapped between him and the doorframe. "Because," he begins slowly, his voice tight, "I don't want anyone else getting too comfortable around you."
My breath catches in my throat. "That's… that's not fair," I whisper, my pulse quickening. "I can have friends. I'm allowed to have people in my life, Matthew. You don't get to control who I spend time with, Matthew."
For a moment, he just stares at me. "You think you get to do what you want, Sarah? Let me tell you something. You are wrong. I will do whatever it takes to make sure you are miserable."
I exhale slowly. "Whatever, Matthew. I don't want to stand here and fight you. I want to take a quick nap before getting ready for dinner tonight."
Matthew's expression darkens further, but he doesn't say anything else, his eyes burning into mine.
I turn away from him, trying to keep my cool. If he thinks I'll let him push me around all the time, he is wrong.
I lie down in bed and close my tired eyes. I feel the bed dip next to me, but I don't turn to face him.
~-~
The hotel restaurant is dimly lit, with soft jazz music playing in the background. I spot Josh already seated at a table, and he waves me over with a grin.
"Sarah!" he says, standing up to give me a quick hug. "You look amazing, as always."
I smile, smoothing down my dress self-consciously. "Thanks, Josh."
I glance over at Matthew, who is standing stiffly beside me, his jaw clenched. He gives Josh a curt nod before pulling out my chair for me.
I am surprised he came after that little argument of ours. But here he is, already sulking.
We settle in and order our food. Josh leans forward, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "So, tell me all about the honeymoon! Did you two manage to keep your hands off each other long enough to actually see any sights?"
I feel my cheeks flush, and I kick Josh lightly under the table. "Oh, stop it. We had a lovely time, didn't we, Matthew?"
Matthew takes a sip of his wine, his expression unreadable. "It was fine," he says shortly.
An awkward silence falls over the table, and I scramble to fill it. "So, Josh, what brings you back here? What happened in Paris?"
Josh leans back in his chair, his smile turning a bit wistful. "Paris was amazing, but I guess I just got a bit homesick. Plus, I missed my best girl." He winks at me, and I roll my eyes fondly.
"Well, I'm glad you're back," I say sincerely. "It's been too long."
Matthew sets down his wine glass with a little too much force. He fixes Josh with a hard stare, his blue eyes like shards of ice.
"So, Josh," he says, his voice deceptively calm. "You and Sarah have quite the history, don't you?"
I feel a knot form in my stomach and I glance at him warily, but he doesn't look at me, his gaze locked on Josh.
Josh seems unfazed by Matthew's intensity. He leans back in his chair, a lazy smile playing on his lips. "Oh, Sarah and I go way back. We were practically attached at the hip growing up. Thick as thieves, her mom always said."
"Is that so?" Matthew arches an eyebrow, his jaw tightening. "And did that 'attachment' ever extend beyond friendship?"
My eyes widen at his implication, and I feel a flush creeping up my neck. "Matthew, I told you…"
But Matthew ignores me, leaning forward slightly, his elbows resting on the table. "It's a fair question, Sarah. Childhood friends, all that history… things happen. Feelings develop."
Josh lets out a chuckle, shaking his head. "Ah, I see what you're getting at, Matthew. But no, Sarah and I have always been strictly platonic."
"And why is that? You never thought about getting with her? Did you not find her attractive?" Matthew asks.
I feel a wave of heat rises to my face. This is not how I wanted the night to go.
Josh seems completely unfazed, as if he's used to this kind of questioning. He leans back casually in his chair, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Matthew, I don't know what you're getting at, but I never wanted to mess up a good friendship, you know? Sarah's always been like a sister to me. And besides," he adds with a wink, "she's been way out of my league anyway."
I let out a nervous laugh, trying to defuse the awkwardness. "Right. Can we change the subject now?"
"Is it me, or do I sense a tension between us?" Josh asks Matthew. "Don't tell me you are jealous, Matthew. There's no need for you to be. You are the one who is married to Sarah."
"Lucky me," Matthew says dryly.
Josh chuckles. "Come on, man, lighten up. I'm just here to catch up with an old friend. No need to sharpen your claws."
Matthew's expression remains cold. "I'm not jealous," he says, his voice dangerously smooth. "I just don't like people overstaying their welcome."
I sigh, rubbing my temple. "Okay, can we not do this? I wanted tonight to be a nice, civil dinner. Not some passive-aggressive showdown."
Josh raises his hands in surrender. "Fine by me." He takes a sip of his drink, then smirks.