Fifty-Six

VALERIA

I went downstairs to the living room so I would know the moment Dimitri came into the house. I had long decided to confront him about his decision to keep me at home, doing nothing.

I did not have long to wait. Dimitri came in about twenty minutes later, swinging a briefcase, his tie loose. He had the air of a man who had a particularly tasking day at work. I felt a surge of jealousy as I glared at him. I would have given anything to be in his shoes, tired but satisfied with a hard day's work.

"Hey-" he began, changing direction and coming towards me as soon as he spotted me.

I quickly got to my feet, closed the distance between us.

"Dimitri, I need to start leaving the house," I said in a tone that brooked no argument.

"I thought we talked about this-"

"No. We didn't talk. You just ended up ordering me around. Look, I'll go crazy if I keep holing up in here. I swear I already know the number of stairs in your house, the exact pattern of the ceiling in my room and-" I pursed