Chapter 40: The Touch
Ares woke up, feeling both warmth and discomfort as he realized Xena was holding him close. He hesitated, his hand hovering over her sleeping form as if unsure whether to touch her. He sighed, pulling his hand back, feeling uneasy even though he loved his wife. But even as doubt clouded his mind, he couldn't deny the longing he felt to hold her close. With a deep breath, he wrapped his arms around her, seeking comfort in her embrace
Downstairs, Xena sat at the kitchen table, her attention focused on her breakfast as she savored each bite. Ares glanced around the room, looking for his gym bag so he could head to work. He realized that he had left it in the bedroom. With a muttered curse at his absent-mindedness, he turned to head upstairs to retrieve it.
As he reached the bedroom, Ares froze in his tracks at the sight of Ashley standing in the doorway. Her presence seemed to fill the room, her eyes locking onto his with an intensity that sent a shiver down his spine. Ares blinked in confusion, his mind racing as Ashley slowly approached him.
"Is there something you need, Ashley?"
Ashley moved with purpose as she stepped closer, her hand lightly rubbing Ares' head. He tensed up immediately, the touch sending shock through his body. But he couldn't look away, her cold, intense stare kept him frozen in place.
Without breaking eye contact, Ashley repeated the gesture, her touch sending a chill down Ares' spine. He felt a strange sensation wash over him, like a cold, dry wind sweeping through the room. Shaking his head to remove the unsettling feeling, he forced himself to focus on the present moment.
"I... I have to go," Ares stammered, his voice strained as he stepped away from Ashley's proximity.
"I'm already running late for work."
With a final glance over his shoulder, Ares hastily made his way out of the room, leaving Ashley behind. Xena's heart sank as Ares walked out the door without so much as a glance in her direction. The sound of the door slamming shut echoed through the room.
While she watched him leave, a knot of worry tightened in her stomach as she wondered what could be troubling him. Her attention was drawn to Ashley, who descended the stairs slowly. Xena's gaze narrowed as she noticed the slight hesitation in Ashley's movements, a subtle shift in her attitude that set off alarm bells in Xena's mind.
"What were you doing upstairs?" Xena asked, as she studied Ashley's face for any sign of deception. Ashley's smile faltered ever so slightly, though she quickly recovered with a casual shrug.
"Oh, I was just checking on the baby's room," she replied, her voice light and airy.
"Making sure everything is ready for when the little one arrives." Xena tightened her eyes in suspicion, though she chose to let the matter drop for the time being. She knew Ashley was lying, could sense it in the way her gaze shifted ever so slightly as she spoke. But confronting her now would only lead to further tension, and Xena wasn't prepared to risk escalating the situation.
Instead, she made a mental note to keep a closer eye on Ashley, to trust her instincts, and remain vigilant in the presence of this new caregiver. With a forced smile, she nodded in response to Ashley's explanation, though her mind was already racing with questions and doubts.
~XA~
The doctor's words hung in the air, their gravity sinking in as Xena and Ares absorbed the news. Xena's eyes sparkled with excitement, her hand instinctively reaching out to grasp Ares' in a tight squeeze.
"Ares, did you hear that?" she exclaimed, her voice filled with joy.
"I'm already dilated 3 centimeters! Our baby could be coming soon!" But as she turned to him, her smile faded at the sight of his distant expression.
"Ares, did you hear that?" Xena's voice was filled with concern, her gaze searching his face for any sign of recognition. Ares blinked, his focus slowly returning as he registered Xena's words. He managed a faint smile in response, though his eyes remained distant, as if lost in some far-off world. The doctor observed the exchange with a creased brow, a hint of concern flashing across his features. Ares' lack of engagement was unusual, especially during such a significant moment in their pregnancy.
"Is everything alright, Ares?" the doctor inquired. Ares nodded, though his response was delayed, as if his mind was struggling to catch up with the present moment.
"Yes, everything's fine," he replied, his tone lacking its usual conviction. Xena exchanged a worried glance with the doctor, her concern growing with each passing moment. Ares' detachment felt like a huge gap between them, a wall she couldn't break through no matter how much she tried.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Xena pressed.
"You seem...distant." Ares offered a weak smile, though it did little to change the unease that lingered in the air.
"I'm fine, Xena," he reassured her, though his words felt hollow even to his own ears. The doctor cleared his throat, sensing the tension in the room and eager to redirect the conversation.
"Well, it looks like you're progressing nicely, Xena," he said, turning his attention back to her.
"With any luck, we'll be welcoming your little one into the world by the end of the following week or sooner." She nodded, though her thoughts were still consumed with worry for Ares. She squeezed his hand once more, silently urging him to open up and share whatever burden weighed so heavily on his mind.
But as the appointment drew to a close, it became increasingly clear that Ares' silence was a barrier she couldn't break, a mystery she couldn't solve no matter how hard she tried. The doctor held his hand out to help Xena up. She turned to look at Ares to see if he was going to interject but he just looked at her with a blank expression. She sighed and took the doctor's hand.
~XA~
The ride home felt heavy with tension, each passing moment stretching into an eternity of silence. Xena's gaze flickered from the road ahead to Ares beside her, his rigid posture a drastic contrast to the calm she once felt in his presence.
As the minutes stretched on, Xena's mind swirled with a whirlwind of emotions. She couldn't shake the nagging feeling of uneasiness that had settled over her since the doctor's appointment. Was Ares pulling away from her? Was their relationship beginning to unravel beneath the weight of their shared anxieties?
She reached out to him, her hand trembling as she softly brushed against his thigh. She hoped to reignite the spark that had once burned brightly between them. But Ares' reaction was not what she expected. He stiffened at her touch, his grip tightening on the steering wheel as he pushed her hand away with a force that startled her. His words cut through the silence like a knife, cold and sharp.
"What are you doing?" he snapped.
"Can't you see I'm driving?" Xena flinched at the harshness in his voice, her heart sinking as she recognized just how far apart they'd grown. She felt her eyes start to fill with tears.
"I-I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I just...I thought..." But her voice faded, swallowed by the overwhelming weight of her unspoken fears. Ares' silence hung heavy between them, creating a distance she couldn't cross. Each passing moment made Xena feel like she was losing him, drifting further away with every painful beat of her aching heart.
~XA~
Once Ares and Xena arrived home, the tension between them hung heavy in the air. Without a word, Ares walked ahead, leaving Xena to find her way inside alone. As they stepped inside, Ares' attitude changed so suddenly it took Xena by surprise. Instead of even glancing her way, he went straight to Ashley, pulling her into a tight hug that made Xena's stomach drop. She stood there, frozen, struggling to make sense of what she was seeing.
Ares' loving gestures toward Ashley made Xena even more uneasy. His sweet words and soft touch looked foreign, completely different from the distant person she had become familiar with lately. Overwhelmed, Xena realized she needed to get away from the heavy feeling inside the house. Without saying anything, she stepped outside into her garden, where the cool breeze provided a brief escape from the chaos inside her mind.
When she was settled onto a nearby bench, Xena's fingers trembled as she reached for her phone. Quickly, she typed out a message to Gabrielle, her words a desperate plea for help amidst the chaos unfolding around her.
"Gabrielle, something is seriously wrong with Ares," she wrote, her fingers flying across the screen. "He's been so distant lately, I don't know what to do."
Inside the house, Ares went to their bedroom. As he settled into the recliner, his mind clouded with a haze of confusion and uncertainty. The soft creak of the door pulled him from his thoughts, and he glanced up, expecting to see Xena's familiar figure. But to his surprise, it was Ashley who stood there.
Ares' frown disappeared when Ashley came closer, moving slowly and purposefully. His heart raced at the sight of her, feeling a warmth wash over him as she gently ran her hand along his head. She climbed onto his lap, and he welcomed her with open arms. Leaning down, she kissed him softly. He growled, and in one quick motion, tossed her onto the bed. She squealed in excitement. Nervously, she unbuckled his pants, and he quickly pulled them off.
He tore her shirt off and hiked her skirt up. He leaned into her animalistically and devoured her neck, leaving bruises. She grabbed his member and slid him into her and they both moaned loudly. His mind went completely blank. All he knew at this moment, he needed to release built up tension and frustrations.
Ashley screamed loudly with pleasure as he pounded her insides. She'd never experienced girth of this magnitude. Ares released his seed onto the floor and laid his body on top of hers, lazily kissing her lips. She panted, trying to catch her breath. She felt unbelievable! Slowly, she started to slide from underneath him.
"Ares, I need to get back downstairs before Xena becomes suspicious." Ares eyed her casually,
"Oh, the woman downstairs, why would she care?" Ashey tilted her head to the side and smiled as she got dressed and slipped out of the room.
~XA~
Xena's heart raced as she stood frozen in the doorway, her eyes fixed on Ashley's neck. The unmistakable marks of Ares' betrayal covered her skin. A wave of anger and pain surged within Xena, almost overwhelming her. She wanted to confront Ashley, to demand answers and let loose the fury building inside her. But the shock of what she had just discovered left her paralyzed, her mind spinning with disbelief.
As Ashley turned to greet Xena, her cheerful attitude dropped when she saw the pained look on Xena's face.
"Hey, Xena, I made dinner. Are you okay?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
Xena sank onto the couch, feeling overwhelmed by her emotions. It felt like a heavy burden was pressing down on her. She struggled to find the right words to express the betrayal she had just seen, her thoughts swirling in a mix of confusion and pain. The room seemed to tilt around her, and the walls felt like they were closing in as dizziness hit her. She grabbed her chest, taking quick, shallow breaths as she tried to calm herself. Her stomach cramped, but she pushed that feeling aside; it didn't matter at the moment.
Every part of her felt like it was in pain, the betrayal cutting deep. How could Ares, her husband and the one she loved, betray her like this? The realization hit her hard, sending a wave of agony through her. But in the midst of her emotional chaos, a spark of determination ignited in Xena's heart. She wouldn't let Ares' betrayal define her or destroy the life they had built together. With a strong sense of purpose, she promised herself she would confront him, demand answers, and regain the dignity that had been taken from her in an instant. As she gathered her strength, Xena's gaze met Ashley's, her eyes filled with a fierce intensity that reflected the storm brewing inside her.
"I'll be fine," she forced out.
"Just...give me a moment." With determination fueling her, Xena stood up from the couch, her steps steady and purposeful. She was going to confront Ares, and she wouldn't stop until she uncovered the truth behind his betrayal. In that moment, she understood that this fight wasn't just for her marriage; it was also for her own self-worth and dignity. She refused to let anyone, even the man she loved, take that away from her.
Xena's heart raced as she rushed into the bedroom, filled with a mix of anger, betrayal, and hurt. But to her disappointment, the room was empty, showing no signs of Ares. Exhausted from everything that had happened, she crawled into bed and fell asleep. The rest would have to wait until she had the energy to care again.