Jason remained quiet. He wasn’t touching either of those questions.
“Yeah, that’s right, you need to say nothing. You know this is not about any of the things you just mentioned. Yes, the accident threw me. I thought all that stuff was behind us. In a strange way, being deliberately forced off the road didn’t hurt me the way that woman’s announcement did. You lied to me, Jason. Your lie is what hurts me. It hurts more than I think you really understand.”
By her conclusion, the sound of Aviva’s voice was almost indiscernible. That was how he knew he had inadvertently broken his promise to her. “I’m sorry, Angel. I should have told you about my first marriage. I know it’s hard for you to believe, but I was a kid when it happened, and I haven’t once thought that being married such a long time ago would make a difference to us.”
“Well, it does. You know everything there is to know about me. Now all I keep thinking is what else haven’t you told me?”
“Nothing, there’s nothing else, I promise.”
“Well, for a start, that’s not true!”
Jason was shocked. His mind immediately began a frantic search in an attempt to pull together what he could have said, or done to cause her to call him out. Nothing, he came up with nothing. No more shadowy figures from his past; no more wives; no secret children, there was zero left about his life that she didn’t know. She had him trapped. Reluctant, but unable to see a way out, Jason broke out in a sweat. When a man’s wife knew, or thought she knew something about him that he was unaware of, he needed to be worried, very worried.
“Ahh... what’s not true, Angel?” Jason hesitantly inquired.
“So you don’t want to live in the countryside?”
“Hell, Aviva, I can’t believe that’s what you latched onto out of all the other things I said.” Jason’s relief was so great; he spoke before he remembered that he should be proceeding with caution.
“Oh, don’t worry dear, I heard everything you had to say, now you need to hear me. We are going back into that room, and you are going to sort this mess out. You are my husband, and it’s going to stay that way. I loved my wedding, so you better make sure that I don’t need another one, because if I do....”
The way Aviva trailed off, worried Jason, but only for a heartbeat. Yes, he had messed up, but she was going nowhere, whatever the outcome of the search he was about to perform.
Placing her in the seat he vacated, Jason went over to one of the many computers in the room, sat down, took a deep breath and looked up the information he needed.
After fifteen minutes of searching, Jason knew his life was about to get much more complicated.
**********
“What?” Aviva asked her nerves already stretched to breaking-point. Plus her head felt as though it was about to explode with the build-up of tension.
That Jason was reluctant to express what information he had uncovered was obvious from his body language.
Aviva knew her husband; he was an extremely thorough man. She didn’t need him to voice that his search had confirmed Farrah’s statement about their divorce, and it worried her. She had to wait a few more seconds for Jason to look up. When he did, her words were simple. “Tell me.”
Aviva watched Jason’s visage change. One moment he was showing his concern and the next he appeared as angry as she had ever seen him.
“From what I can find, Farrah appears to be correct, but I know a crock when I see one. She’s up to something. I’m nobody’s fool. I checked way back then, and I know my divorce is valid, and I intend to find out what she’s playing at!”
“What are we going to do?”
Leaving his position from behind the screen, Jason walked over to his wife and pulled her out of the chair. “Thank you for that.”
“What are you thanking me for?
“For still being willing to say we.” Jason took Aviva’s face between his hands and brushed back her hair. His touch was filled with such tenderness; Aviva wanted to wrap her arms around him in assurance that everything would be okay. She didn’t though; she was still too angry with him at his omission. Her hands remained hanging at her sides.
Pulling back, Jason gathered her unresisting arms and placed them around his neck. Then he drew her close to enfold her within the strength of his hold. “I know you’re mad at me, and I deserve it, but I’m still the same man who loves you more than my life. I’m still the same man who needs to feel your touch. Please don’t take that away from me.” The breath of his plea whispered against her ear was her undoing.