Page 34 of Ceremony of Lust
He doesn’t come back, though.
I wake up, excited, hoping he’s already back, only to be faced with an empty penthouse.
Rather than staying in my new home, I decide to go someplace familiar—back to my grandmother’s. After showering and dressing, I grab my suitcase and leave. When I arrive on the front porch of my grandmother’s house, she’s surprised to see me, but when she sees the tears, she doesn’t ask a single question. Instead, she holds out her arms and holds me tight.
Finally, she asks, “What happened?”
“I don’t know,” I sob. “That’s the truth. I really don’t know.”
I explain everything that happened after we left the reception. She purses her lips but looks equally confused.
“I’m sorry this is happening to you, Yael. But you know what they say about him,” she reminds me.
“Yes, I do.” In my head, I run through the rumors I’ve heard about him. The most prevalent one is a drug dealer. Everyone knows he runs his own security firm, but most think it’s a front for dealing drugs. I don’t want to believe I could marry someone like that, but even though I’ve lived in Ripley my entire life, I’ve only known Zev for a week.
“Stay here as long as you like,” my grandmother says, hugging me close. “I wasn’t ready to get rid of you yet anyway.”
My old bedroom is comforting, and I take the time to properly pack up my clothes and other belongings so when Zev eventually returns, I’ll be prepared. I am cautiously optimistic we can overcome whatever obstacles sent him away, as long as he’s honest.
The next morning, my grandmother announces my aunt Alyssia is coming for lunch. Aunt Alyssia is quite the scandal. She’s outlived three husbands and is the only woman I know who frequently travels between Ripley and the city.
“Yael, shouldn’t you be with your husband?” she asks when she sees me.
As far as I’m concerned, no one knows Zev is gone. I haven’t contacted his parents and have hardly left my grandmother’s house.
“I’m just here packing up,” I tell her, which is some form of the truth. “And Zev is working.” Another form of the truth; at least, I hope it is.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t make your wedding,” she says, pulling an envelope from her purse. “I was running a fever and didn’t want to risk it.”
She slides the envelope across to me, but before I reach for it, she grasps my hand. “Will you permit an old lady to give you some advice?”
“Of course, Aunt Alyssia.”
“Make him squirm,” she says with a wink. “Do not be too eager to please your husband. I know what the men and the Elders all think about women, but we hold some power, too. You do not bow at the altar of carnal desires, Yael, you become the altar and let your husband worship at your feet.”
She lets go of my hand, patting it gently, and then begins talking to my grandmother about a recent visit to the doctor. I’m totally stunned. She is the first person to offer advice like this. She is the first person to tell me I have power over my husband.
I grab the envelope but do not look inside. From its thickness, I know it’s filled with cash. It’s the typical gift families give a bride and groom. “Thank you, Aunt Alyssia,” I say as I get up and kiss her wrinkled cheek.
The next morning, I wake surrounded by sunlight in my old familiar, comfortable room. Boxes are lined up against the wall, waiting just like me. Will today be the day Zev returns?
As I blink away the sleep, I hear his low, rumbling voice filter through the thin walls. Carefully and quietly, I slip out of bed and tiptoe to the door, cracking it open just a bit.
“How could you do that to her?” my grandmother whispers.
“Believe me, I didn’t want to,” Zev replies with a sigh. I’m itching to open the door wider just to look at him, but then I risk exposing myself to whatever secrets he will share with my grandmother.
“Why, Zev? Tell me why you left her on your wedding night.”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Blum, I can’t tell you that.”
“You can’t, or you won’t? I’ve heard the rumors about you, Zev Landau. If you’re into drugs, then you better not drag Yael down with you. Walk away now. Beg Chief Elder Huxley to grant you an annulment so she can have a chance at a happy life.”
“That’s not going to happen. Trust me, she’s safer with me than without me. Now, I’ve come for my wife. May I go to her?”
Quietly, I shut the door and scramble back into bed. Best not let the Wolf know I was spying on him. Moments later, the door opens again, and I hear Zev’s heavy footsteps on the floor.
“Yael,” he calls out. “Time to wake up. I’ve come to take you home.”