Her words sting.

So much I have nothing to say back.

“What must hurt more,” she continues. “Is that your husband would rather fuck me, then come to you.”

“He wouldn’t cheat on me,” I whisper.

“He hasn’t,” she leans in close. “But he will.”

I lose it. The events of the past few days get the better of me and I lose it. I lift a fist and I swing it into her face. I hit her right in the nose and she screams, stumbling backwards. I stand in shock. I’ve never hit someone in my entire life. My shock has me stuck to the floor, unable to move, it also gives her the chance to swing back.

She punches my eye, hard. Who knew she had it in her? I stumble backwards, head spinning. I reach up, pressing my hand over my eye. Jesus. I think I’m going to pass out. She hit me fucking hard. She’s still clutching her nose, blood pouring through her fingers. “You’re going to pay for this,” she screams.

“Get the fuck out,” I hiss.

“You’ll pay. I’m going to charge you with assault, you crazy bitch!” She cries again before turning and rushing off.

Tears burn under my eyelids as I turn, stumbling into the house. Fucking Marcus, once again this comes down to him.

~*~*~*~

“She hit you.”

I glare up at Marcus. Still slightly dazed. My eye is swelling, to the point it’s half closed and I can’t see anything out of it.

“Katia,” he growls. “Answer me.”

“Yes, Marcus,” I snap. “She hit me. After she told me you told her you didn’t love me. Then she told me you called her over. Then she told me you want to sleep with her, again.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah,” I mutter. “Fuck.”

I’m hurt, I’m angry and I’m confused. I don’t understand a damned thing about what’s going down and Marcus has spent his days running off, not letting me know what’s going on. Now he’s had a crazy woman show up, telling me things that...hurt. We can’t keep going on like this; I know it, and I hope to God he knows it too, because it’s wearing thin.

“We need to talk,” I say standing and walking into the kitchen.

His eyes flash to mine. “I didn’t call her here.”

I flinch. “You expect me to believe that?”

His face hardens. “Yeah, I fuckin’ do. I expect a lot of things from you, and believing that bitch isn’t one of them.”

“Jesus,” I cry. “I just had the worst night of my life. My mother knows about my father. That bitch came to my door and laid one on me. Despite all this, you just can’t fucking speak to me normally, can you?”

He flinches, so much so that he’s forced to take a steady step back.

“I didn’t call her here...”

God he just doesn’t get it.

“We both know that isn’t the issue. You’ve been disappearing for days at a time, not answering my calls, not telling me where you are. What the hell did I do to you?”

His hard mask comes back over his features and he turns into the kitchen. “Nothing.”

I lose it. Tired of all the bullshit, tired of feeling second in his world, and tired of not mattering, I start screaming so loudly he jerks and turns, his eyes widening.

“Fuck you, you selfish son-of-a-bitch!” I scream, my hands shaking. “I do everything for you. I fucking adore you and you don’t give a God damned fuck about me. You push me away. You treat me like a sex toy. You never fucking ever tell me you love me. I’m sick of it. Do you hear me? I deserve more than this. I love you, God, so fucking much, but I’m deserving of the same back. I will no longer be your fucking toy, Marcus Tandem. You either pull your head out of your fucking ass or I’m leaving. The decision is yours, because I’m done!”

With that, I turn on my heel and disappear into my room.

Fuck him.

Fuck it all.

~*~*~*~

MARCUS

I’m pacing.

The ice pack in my hands is freezing my fingers.

The torment in my body is fucking killing me.

To go to her, and show her whatever the fuck it is growing in my chest.

Or to leave her there.

Fuck.

What the hell do I do?

~*~*~*~

KATIA

I press my face into my tear-streaked pillow. My head is pounding, my eye is swollen shut, and my heart hurts. It’s been an hour, and he didn’t follow me. Of course he didn’t fucking follow me. Where did I go so wrong? When did I let myself become such a puppet? He doesn’t love me. I’m just a convenience. He’s proved that tonight.

Where does that leave me?

Tomorrow, I’ll have to pack my bags, go back to a horrible, long job and continue with debts that are out of my control. Giving him up, just the very thought, burns my heart. It burns so bad. My body breaks out into another fit of sobs. I love him. I don’t even know why sometimes, but I do. I love him so fucking much and he doesn’t—

The door creaks open.

My heart stops beating.

The floorboards creak as he nears my bed and I hold my breath as the covers are pulled back. Is this really happening? The bed shifts, and a cool pack is pressed to my face. I start crying harder, and his arm circles my waist, pulling me into him as he holds the ice to my eye. Swallowing down my tears, I let myself feel everything he’s giving me.

God, it feels so good.

Slowly, he turns me to my back. I can’t see him in the darkness, but I can feel his hot breath against my cheek. He says not a word as he lowers his lips to mine and kisses me, so softly, so passionately, I struggle to breathe. His fingers move over my body in the gentlest, softest way, torturing me with beauty.