Free Three Loving Words by DC Renee

him, but something about the earnest look in his eyes and the way his words almost sounded pleading made me stop the snide remark that was on the tip of my tongue.
    I found myself nodding before I grabbed myself a plate and sat next to Enzo.  With his battered hand, he put some food on my plate.  I lowered my head and smiled slightly to myself.  It had been the most endearing thing I had ever seen from Enzo.  That was how low my expectations were.
    We ate in complete silence, the awkwardness between us so palpable, I was sure you could reach out and touch it.  Yet somehow, it felt like a step, but to where?  That was unknown.
    Enzo finished his dinner before I did, but he sat for another minute staring at his empty plate.  I wondered what he was thinking as he did this, but I didn’t dare ask.  Finally, he seemed to snap out of his trance and got up with his plate and silverware.  I must say I was slightly amazed that he had the manners to put his plate in the sink, especially considering the lack of manners I’d observed in almost every other department.
    He turned back to the table and my head slowly lifted so my eyes met his.  He waited until he was sure he had my attention before he spoke.
    “I never have nor will I ever hit a girl … not even you.”
    He left me there with my mouth agape.  If there was one thing I learned about Enzo, he seemed to keep his word, and that had been another silent promise to me.
    *****
    The first time we had to go to a family function together as a “happy couple” was shortly after that shocking incident.  That entire event had rattled me for the next week.  I couldn’t merge the two sides of Enzo I had seen.  I didn’t know what it was about him that had me running for the hills and feeling a tiny bit of compassion if and when he allowed a bit of vulnerability to pass through his eyes.  He was a cruel human being, one who had done unspeakable things to me against my wishes, one who had made my fragile confidence constantly waver, yet there were moments when I actually didn’t fear him.  There were moments when I could imagine meeting him in a different universe and finding him charming.  According to the dozens of women who screamed his name on a weekly basis, he had to have some endearing qualities.  I was just never lucky enough to have them directed at me.
    It was while I was in this confused state that Enzo announced we were going to a charity event that his family was hosting.  Of course, they went to charity events. I rolled my eyes.  People with money and nothing to do seemed to always hit up charity events, not that there was anything wrong with them, but they were reserved for the upper-class members of society.  And I was anything but upper class.
    “I’m not going,” I told him.
    “It wasn’t a question.”
    “Yeah, well, it should have been, and my answer is no.”
    “I think you’re forgetting, little girl, that I call the shots and if I say we’re going to a charity event, then we’re going.  End of story.”
    “You’ll just wish I wasn’t there!” I screamed at his retreating back.  He halted in his tracks, turning right around with a venom in his eyes scarier than any poisonous snake I had ever heard of.
    “You’re going to buy a nice, fancy dress. You’re going to get your hair and makeup done if you don’t know how to do it on your own.  You’re going to dote on me and act every bit the loving wife you should be.”
    “And if I don’t?”
    “You really want to challenge me?”  I gulped, the air lodging in my throat and preventing me from speaking.  His tone had been menacing and his posture promised retribution; I was scared out of my mind, yet I still wanted to stand up for myself.  But he was right.  I wasn’t sure what he’d do, but I didn’t want to challenge him.  It was ironic considering he had promised never to touch and never to hit me, so what could he really do?  It was not as if my life was a