~LYDIA
We were having a quiet breakfast when the doorbell rang.
I stopped eating and turned to face my husband.
"Um, are we... expecting any visitors?" I asked, suddenly nervous at the prospect of having to face strangers who probably remembered who I was and how I used to be.
Joey frowned and shook his head.
"No. We're not expecting any visitor. I wonder who it could be," he responded.
"Do you want me to go and get it?" I offered, already rising from my seat.
Joey waved me away.
"No, no. Don't worry. I'll go get it," he countered and walked past me to go to the door.
Unsure about what to expect, I sat down and waited, trying to will myself into a state of calmness.
Maybe it was a work emergency. Or any of Joey's family members.
The thought of family members made me remember that Joey and I hadn't exactly spoken about mine.
Was I an only child? What about my parents?
If they were alive and breathing, they ought to have known that I was back in Joey's house, yeah?
I was too busy getting lost in my thoughts that I didn't hear Joey and whoever was at the door come back in.
But I heard voices, and the words caught my interest immediately.
"I came by to drop you some food. I know you are very busy at work. I wasn't even sure I was going to meet you at home. My plan was to come in, drop the food and maybe organise the house a little. You know, clean up a bit. But it's a good thing that you're here. I have missed you so..."
The voice trailed off.
Confused at what I just heard, I turned around to see who it was that was speaking so casually and intimately at Joey.
The moment my eyes fell on the woman, her jaw dropped open.
The large handbag she was carrying dropped to the floor with a soft thud.
"Lydia?" she called out softly. Her voice was choked with an emotion that sounded very close to a mixture of surprise and disappointment, and her eyes was as wide as saucers.
I watched as Joey rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"That was what I was trying to tell you at the door. Lydia is back," he muttered.
For some reason, the tension between the two of them was throwing me off.
A part of me has originally wanted to ask if she was his sister, but seeing the expression on her face and how Joey was reacting, it was pretty obvious that the lady was NOT Joey's sister.
"Who's this, Joey?" I asked, keeping my voice calm and collected. I wasn't particularly pissed.
No. I was confused. And I wasn't really going to jump into conclusions without knowing what was going on.
My husband cleared his throat and stepped forward.
"This is um...this is Morgana. She's my – our –friend. She used to...uh...she used to come over when your weren't... around," he stuttered, barely managing to push the words out.
I cocked my head to the side.
"Do I know her?" I asked again.
Before my husband could respond though, the lady — Morgana — rushed forward to sit beside me and held my hand.
"Lydia, darling. You don't have to act like I am a stranger to you. We used to be best friends before...before what happened," she choked out, her eyes suddenly turning misty.
I didn't look at her though. My gaze automatically travelled back to Joey, who wasn't looking at me.
Gently removing my hand from the woman's grip, I stood up and stared at my husband.
"Why was she coming over? For what reason? I don't entirely understand why she was talking about to you like that. It was a little bit too... intimate for my liking. And you certainly can take care of yourself, Joey. So I need you to explain why this stranger has access to you and the house."
I didn't raise my voice. Hell, I didn't even move from where I was. But the implications in my voice was clear.
The woman, who was too restless to sit still, stood up and came over to me again.
"Come on, Lyd. Don't talk that way. Joey and I are just friends. Have always been," she said sweetly.
Without sparing her a glance, I interrupted her.
"I wasn't talking to you, Morgana. I was talking to my husband."
Joey's cheek were a deep blush as he stared at everything but me, and I could feel the tension rolling off Morgana in waves.
"Lydia. Can we...can we do this in private? It's nothing like what you think, trust me. But I want us to be alone," he finally managed to say.
Turning to face Morgana, I held her gaze.
"You heard him, leave."
She sputtered.
"What?! That's...I am so happy to see you. You don't have to be rude," she quipped, her voice taking on an edge.
I narrowed my eyes at her.
"I don't even know who you are. And I frankly do not care. Now, if you don't mind, I'll like to have a discussion with my husband about why another woman misses him," I snapped, surprised at the anger I was feeling.
"Don't be silly, Lydia. You were gone for years. Someone had to take care of him," she retorted back, her voice loosing the sweetness from earlier.
I ignored her and turned to face Joey.
"Joey." That was all I said.
He turned to face her.
"Please, Morgana. I need you to leave." The woman looked like she was going to object, but then deciced against it.
Grabbing her back, she gave me a leveled look and said to Joey, "Call me."
And she left.
The silence between Joey and I stretched, and tension crackled between us.
"Lydia. I swear it's not what you think. Morgana just...she was..." he trailed off, unable to come up with a coherent sentence.
"Did you sleep with that lady, Joey?" I asked, my voice quiet.
I expected him to respond immediately, but the silence between us stretched further.
"Did you, or did you not, cheat on me while I was gone?" I asked again, my voice hardening.
Joey opened his mouth to speak, but I could see the confusion in his eyes.
A thought popped into my head.
What if my supposed husband was a woman beater and a cheater?
Joey swallowed hard, his eyes never leaving mine.
"Lydia. Morgana and I...we... I mean. I would never—" he started, but trailed off again.
My heart stopped beating in my chest.
He just said it. Joey said 'Morgana and I', like they were... something.
"Morgana and you what?" I snapped. I needed to know what they were, I needed to know how much I meant to him.
Joey froze at the bite in my voice, and from the look in his eyes...
I knew.