Forty-six

Like every other day, he disappears as soon as the sun is up. I don’t blame him, this is the price of running your own ranch, maybe he thinks that just because he held me until he fell asleep is enough.

Our union is not a normal one, I’m here because he wants me to be, he insisted, settled things behind my back and I was also part of that, I should have said no. Seeing it now, no one forced me to be here, to say yes, to sign. The only chance we’ve had to be a couple was pretending to care for one another the last couple of days. I’m a fool for believing that it would continue, just last night he proved me wrong.

“The air is turning chillier, you might want to start wearing thick clothes around the house.” Carla has been talking nonstop since we had breakfast. The tea has already gone cold. “I’m guessing we’ll have snow in the next twenty-four hours.”

“That’s nice.”

Is all I say. The scenery has changed, and the trees are almost naked. Not a single green leaf is left.

“Nice?”