Chapter Nine

Riley

"So we're supposed to survive being cooped up in this room with no electricity for a day for our final challenge?" I rest my head against the back of the couch. "That's easy enough. Right, Lena?"

Lena doesn't answer. She's just sitting on the couch with her knees pressed to her chest. Even before Seth arrived, she already seemed to be in a bad mood. And I can see circles under her eyes that suggest she's either been crying or didn't sleep well last night.

I guess it's her off day. Again. Then again, even last night, I could already sense that something was bothering her.

I wonder what it is this time.

"Hey." I move closer to her. "Are you okay?"

She nods.

I sigh. "Wrong question. I know you're not okay. So what's the matter?"

She shakes her head. "I'm fine."

Really? Are we going to go through this again?

"Lena, I know--"

"I'm just not feeling well," she cuts me off.

My eyebrows arch in concern. I reach out to touch her forehead.

"Did you--?"

"Don't touch me." She slaps my hand away.

I lift my hands.

She glances at me, then rests her chin between her knees. "Sorry. I'm... really just not feeling well."

"Should we ask for a doctor?"

"No."

"Do you want me to ask for some medicine? I know we're supposed to stay in here, but--"

"I already took some," Lena says.

"Okay." I nod. "I guess you'll want to rest. You can do that. I'll... find something to do by myself."

I glance at the shelf against the wall. It's filled with books and board games.

"Thanks," she mutters.

She turns on her side away from me and leans on the back of the couch. I frown. Can she really sleep like that?

Unable to resist, I place my hands on her shoulders and pull her towards me, intending to have her sleep on my lap. But Lena pulls away.

"What are you doing?" she asks with a glare.

"Just trying to help you rest better."

"Well, I didn't ask for your help," she snaps.

My gaze narrows. Why is she being so difficult?

"Well, it doesn't matter, because I'm supposed to take care of you. I'm your husband, remember?"

Or has she forgotten that we're supposed to be married?

"I remember," Lena says. "How can I forget?"

Where is this spite coming from?

"But even married couples get tired of each other."

My eyebrows arch. "So you're already tired of me? After five days?"

"You're just that exhausting," she says with a sigh. "I can't wait for this week to be over."

Her words hurt more than I expect. So she's picking a fight, is she? After all we've been through, all we've done together, she wants nothing more to do with me. She's the one casting me aside? Unbelievable.

"Fine." I move away from her. "If that's how you want this to end, have it your way."

"Fine," she grumbles as she goes back to her end of the couch.

I let out a sigh as my eyes wander to the closed door to the room.

This is going to be a long day.

~

By afternoon, I can't take it anymore. Being in a locked room with no TV or gadgets? I can deal with that. But being in a locked room with no gadgets and with a person who won't talk to me for some reason I can't even fully comprehend? It's so frustrating it's maddening.

"Lena, can we just at least play some board games?" I ask her. "I don't know about you, but I'm bored as hell and I'm about to go nuts."

She doesn't answer.

I sigh. "Look, I know you've decided you hate me. I'm not asking you to change your mind. I'm just asking you to have mercy and play with me. I don't mind if you beat me. And you might feel better."

Lena glances at me. "If I win, will you leave me alone until tomorrow?"

I raise my hands. "I promise."

"Fine."

She gets off the couch and kneels on one side of the coffee table.

I walk to the shelf. "But if I win, you have to kiss me."

I can imagine the frown on her face even though I'm not looking.

"Just kidding," I say as I grab the Monopoly set. "If I win, you'll have to make that chocolate mousse from last night for me again."

I meet her narrowed gaze as I turn around.

"But I thought you're not supposed to eat too much sweets," she says.

I shrug. "It wasn't that sweet. That's why I liked it. Besides, it's not like I'm competing again. I can eat whatever I want now."

Lena nods. "Okay. If you win."

I grin at the spark of competitiveness in her eyes as I set the board game down on the table. Ah. Finally, a better version of the feisty Lena.

"I will."

~

I don't, though. Physical activities are my forte. Board games are Lena's. Although she lost the game of chess, she won Monopoly and then Scrabble, so she wins.

"I won!" she announces as she gets on her feet.

Talk about gloating. I almost want to hurl the Scrabble board at the wall. But I draw a deep breath before standing.

"You're right," I tell Lena as I go around the table to offer her my hand. "You won."

She reluctantly shakes my hand. I grip hers and look into her eyes.

"As promised, I'm not going to bother you anymore. From now on, I'll pretend you don't exist so that tomorrow, when we part ways, it will be easier for me to forget you. Not that it was ever going to be difficult."

Her eyes grow wide. They stay on me as her mouth opens silently. Then she pulls her hand away and runs out of the room. She's free to do that now that it's nearly evening.

I can leave the room now, too, but I don't. I'm done chasing after her. I just sit down on the couch and let out a heavy sigh.

I can't believe I lost. And it's not just this afternoon. I've lost the whole game. In the end, I wasn't able to make Lena mine.

And somehow, this defeat tastes more bitter than all the ones I've tasted before.

Fuck.