Revenge Games (Revenge Games Duet Book 1)

by Sky Corgan

  Calm yourself, Kim. It's not what you think it is. Like she said, once this book writing business is over, she'll go away, and things will return to normal. For as much as I told myself that though, I couldn't force myself to believe it. There was something going on between them. I could see it in the lingering hugs she gave him, the way he looked at her when she walked away, the witty banter they shared back and forth, that of which I was completely excluded from because my mind couldn't work fast enough to keep up. I was losing Dominick. I just knew it. And there was nothing I could do but watch. If I said something, that I wanted her to go away, it would only sound selfish. Both of their livelihoods depended on Dominick getting his part of the job done, and apparently he couldn't do that without her being around.

  “Are you alright?” Dominick asked me when the lunch was over, and we were driving back to the condo without Melinda. Without Melinda. After the past two weeks, those words seemed almost impossible. Maybe when we got home, she'd be waiting there for us. My mind was trained to think that way.

  “I'm fine,” I lied.

  “You don't seem fine.”

  “I'm just tired is all. It's been a long week.”

  “You're telling me. I think I got that novel done in record time, though I can't help but feel sorry for Melinda.”

  “Why?” It's me who you should feel sorry for—me who you've been neglecting.

  “Because I make a lot of mistakes when I'm rushed. She's going to have her work cut out for her.”

  “I don't think she cares as long as it's done.”

  “Well, hopefully my readers won't care either. That certainly wasn't my best work, and I doubt the next two will be either. When I'm rushed, it tends to show in my writing.”

  “I'm sure it will be fine.”

  “I appreciate your confidence in me.”

  I smiled weakly at him, and we drove in silence the rest of the way home. The remainder of the afternoon was spent sitting on the loveseat together watching movies. Surely, he'd want to have sex eventually. This was the first time we'd really been alone together in what felt like an eternity. While his eyes were glued to the screen the entire time, mine drifted between the television and his body. Nestled snugly in his arms, all I could think about were the wicked pleasures I had been denied. I licked my lips while I undressed him with my eyes. Though I had seen Dominick naked hundreds of times before, the excitement was there as if it was the first time. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and the body as well.

  I tried to press myself closer against him, to kiss his chest, to rub his arm affectionately. Those moves weren't bold enough to get the point across though. He simply held me tighter, squeezing me gently from time to time in acknowledgment of my actions. Then I tried kissing him on the lips, but he didn't seem to want more than a peck, acting more annoyed than aroused by my obvious neediness. Finally, I gave up, scowling at the television and stewing in my rejection until it was time to go to bed. We slept in the same room that night, but the emotional distance between us felt miles wide. His touch was cold, his intentions more innocent than they had ever been. I felt like a glorified bed warmer, just there to take up physical space, and wondering if the space in his heart for me was getting smaller by the day.

  The next morning, it was back to the grind. Melinda showed up before I left for school, and I didn't bother to hide my disdain for her. I opened the door with the grumpiest frown I could muster, and barely even looked in her direction before I left.

  “Have a good day at school, Kim,” she called to me as I walked out the door.

  Completely fed up, I grumbled back, “It will only be a good day if you're gone by the time I get back.”

  She wasn't gone when I came back though. She was on the loveseat, tapping away, ready to drive me insane with her presence. I glared daggers at her, imagining all the scandalous things her and Dominick had probably done when I was away. Had they fucked? Was that where he was getting his motivation from now? Was that why he wasn't interested in me?

  I paid her no mind as I walked into my bedroom and threw my backpack on the floor with an exasperated huff. If there had been anything breakable in it, it would have shattered. My agitation was bordering on violence. I needed to get rid of this woman. That was all there was to it. Either she needed to go, or I did, but we both couldn't continue to occupy the same space every day. Her constant presence was turning my life into a living hell.

  My only viable option was to take the offer of the short-term apartment. But I knew that if I did that, Dominick and I would truly be over. That's just what she wanted, for me to leave so that she could have him to herself. That had probably been the plan all along. Plan B worked well enough though, to drive me away. The only question was, whether or not I was really willing to let him go. My heart broke at the thought of leaving Dominick, but I honestly couldn't handle our living situation much longer. Knowing that this woman was with him every day, and not knowing what they were doing together, was killing me almost as much as the thought of losing him. With each passing day, it felt like we were growing farther apart. My desperate feelings weren't enough to keep us together. He wasn't making an effort, so why should I? It was time to throw up the white flag, no matter how much it hurt to surrender him to this harpy.

  All fight left me by the next morning. I greeted Melinda with numbness, staring into her perfect face with tempered hatred. You won, you bitch. You can have him. I'll leave.

  The day was spent sulking around, not paying attention to my classes. Victor noticed my dismal mood, and he did his best to cheer me up, though the effort fell flat. We sat together at lunch, and I didn't feel like eating. I used my lunch sack as a pillow instead, crushing the contents with my head like some sick pathetic idiot.

  “Are you going to be alright?” Victor quirked an eyebrow at me while he twisted the cap off his soda.

  “No,” I groaned.

  “It's not the end of the world, you know. This would have happened eventually anyway.”

  “Shut up, Victor.”

  “I'm just saying. Besides, now you and I can spend more time together.”

  “Shut up, Victor.”

  “You know, I got a new apartment at the beginning of the semester, and it's been kind of hard paying rent on my own. You could always move in with me.”

  “Shut up, Victor. Wait. What?” I lifted my head to look at him, and he shrugged, turning his attention to his sandwich.

  “Just a thought.”

  “You'd actually let me move in with you?”

  “You'd have to get a job, of course, but I don't see why not. I mean, it's not a bad deal. My parents are rich, so if we ever fell short on rent, they would pick up the tab.”

  “I don't really know if that's a good idea,” I said, thinking about how hurt Dominick would be if I moved in with Victor. Then again, he kind of deserved it after what he had done to me. And who is to say he would even care. He had Melinda now. He didn't need me anymore.

  “I'm just throwing it out there. It's up to you.”

  “I think I'm just going to take Melinda up on the offer of getting me a temporary apartment for now. I'll figure out what I'm going to do after the lease is up. Besides, I could use some time alone. With Melinda at the condo every day, I feel like I'm never alone anymore.”

  “You were never alone before.”

  “I know, but this is different. Dominick always stays in his office, so a lot of the time, it felt like I was alone.”

  “What makes this any different then? Doesn't Melinda stay in the living room?”

  “Yeah, but it's just the fact that she's there.”

  “She's a threat.” He smirked.

  “She's a big threat. Was a big threat. She won. It's over. I don't want to think about it anymore.” I deflated, resting my head on my lunch sack again, the sandwich inside squishing beneath the weight.

  “So, when are you planning to move out?”

  “As soon as possible.”

  “Have you
talked to Dominick about it yet?”

  “No. I'll talk to him about it tonight. I was going to wait until the weekend, but I honestly don't think I'll last that long.”

  “Do you think they can get you into an apartment before the weekend? That's very doubtful, Kim. There's usually a process.”

  “I know,” I sighed. “Tammy and I went through it the first time I thought I was going to move out.”

  “You could always stay with me until things get settled. I've got plenty of room, and I won't even make you pay me partial rent.”

  “That's kind of you. I'll think about it.”

  “Well, you have my number.”

  “I know. Thanks.”

  The idea of moving in with Victor, even for just a little while, was weird. I was a bit apprehensive to consider it, knowing myself too well. When I was sad, I was vulnerable, and Dominick had denied me his touch for too long. My body was all confused want. It wouldn't take much for me to fall prey to Victor's advances. Then what would happen? Would our friendship be ruined? Would it turn into something else?

  I pondered this among many other things as I trudged through the rest of my classes. There were so many questions and what ifs going through my mind. How would Dominick react to me wanting to leave? Given the way he'd treated me these past few weeks, he probably wouldn't care. Knowing that only made me hurt more. My heart felt like a swollen gaping wound, slowly bleeding out until it killed me. Melinda was an infection, and I honestly wasn't sure I would survive her. Things felt bad now, but I knew they would only get worse once it was confirmed that Dominick and I were over. I honestly didn't know if I'd be able to handle it. There was no choice though. Torturing myself wasn't doing me any good. It was better to rip the band-aid off, to rip it off and bleed to death from the injury.

  I entered the condo as quietly as possible, as if I didn't want to stir the beast within. She still looked up at me though, greeted me, gave me that genuine smile that I wanted to punch right off her perfect face. She asked me how my day was, and I grunted in reply, walking past the living room to drop my backpack off in my room like a sack of bricks. Dominick was typing away in his office. He didn't even bother glancing at me as I walked past. That was to be expected though. It was rare he took the time to acknowledge me anymore.

  With a sigh, I plopped down in the chair in front of my computer and decided to kill time until the witch went home. There was no point talking about my plans while she was still here. I didn't want to disturb Dominick from his work, and I really didn't want to approach her until I had talked it over with him first. So I waited and waited and waited, waited until it was past my bedtime, waited until it was almost midnight.

  “Did you get a lot done today?” I heard Melinda say to Dominick.

  “Yes, Master,” he replied sarcastically.

  “Good. How long before it's done do you think?”

  “Well, I got 10k done today, but I doubt I'll keep up with that pace. Two weeks at best. Three weeks if I don't kill myself over it.”

  “You're going at a good pace. Let's shoot for two weeks. Three would be fine though.”

  “I'm so taking a vacation after this.”

  “You and me both. Maybe we could go somewhere together.”

  I cringed at her suggestion, hating her for it.

  “See you tomorrow, Melinda,” he told her.

  “See you tomorrow, Dominick. Get some sleep.”

  “You too.”

  Then she was gone, and I was never happier to hear the front door close behind her. How dare she suggest going on vacation with my boyfriend. He won't be your boyfriend much longer, I reminded myself, and my heart shattered at the thought. Just get this over with. Rip the band-aid off the wound. Bleed to death.

  My feet didn't want to move though. I heard Dominick getting up from in front of his computer, and I just couldn't force myself to meet him. Each step would take me closer to the end of us, and I didn't think I could bear it. So I just sat there, trying to coax myself to move as I listened to him walk into his bedroom. Then I heard the shower turn on, and I chastised myself for being so slow. Once he had finished his shower, he would go straight to bed. That's how the routine always went. Then it would be too late to talk to him, and I'd have to wait until tomorrow. What was worse was that I would have to suffer through the same misery all day again, waiting and wondering about how everything would play out. That thought motivated me to move, to get off my ass and walk into his bedroom, to sit on the bed and listen to the rapid beating of my heart as it counted down until Dominick finished his shower, to the time of our break up.

  Each minute was agonizing. My mind was a messy flurry of scenarios, none of which had a positive ending. I did my best to numb myself, to prepare for the storm to come. Dominick would be tired, so I doubted there would be any fight in him or care. He would just want to get the conversation over with and go to bed. That was probably for the best. The sooner it was over, the sooner I could go cry myself to sleep.

  He emerged from the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. My eyes lecherously consumed his body, thinking of how delicious he looked. It's amazing how you can be horny and depressed at the same time, a confusing combination.

  “Kim,” he said my name quietly, surprised to see me sitting there.

  “Dominick.”

  The surprise faded, and annoyance took its place. “Can this wait until tomorrow?”

  “No.” I shook my head, wrapping my arms around myself as if it would protect me from his disapproving gaze. Already, he was being so cold that it made me want to start crying.

  “What's up?” He came to sit beside me, though he didn't even bother to look at me.

  My heart broke as I said the words, “I'm going to take Melinda up on the offer to get me an apartment.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I'm distracting you from your work, and I think it would just be easier on both of us if I went away for a while.”

  “Distracting me from my work? How are you distracting me? I barely see you anymore.”

  “That's why she's here, isn't it? To keep us away from each other. To keep me from bothering you and interfering with your work.”

  “What's this really about?” He turned to me, but I couldn't stand to meet his eyes.

  “That is what it's really about. I'm a distraction. Ever since I moved in with you, you haven't been meeting your deadlines. But ever since she came to stay with us, I've been doing poorly at school. I think it would solve both of our problems if I just left for a while.”

  “You make it sound like she's moved in.”

  “She practically has. She's here all time time. I barely have a chance to wake up before she's knocking on the door, and she doesn't leave until after I've gone to bed on most nights. She might as well be living here. If I leave, she can move in, and it would save everyone a lot of trouble.”

  “Listen.” He lightly touched my shoulder. “I know things are hard right now, but it won't be much longer.”

  “It doesn't have to be liked this.” I shook my head. “Things would be a lot easier for all of us if I just left.”

  “Is that what you really want?”

  I sighed, “No. It's not what I want, but it's the best solution I can come up with.”

  “What would make this better on you?” his voice softened.

  I could feel myself breaking down. It had only been a matter of time. My eyes were watering, and I was losing what composure I had left. All of my emotions were flooding me, pushing at my throat, wanting to spew out in words that I really felt but would probably regret.

  “I want her to go away,” I said finally.

  “I do too,” he whispered.

  “You do?” I looked up at him.

  “Of course I do. Do you really think this is any fun for me? She watches me all day long, doesn't let me leave my office. Things haven't exactly been ideal for me either.”

  “But I thought you liked her.”


  “Is that what this is really about?” His lips twisted into a half-smirk, and I instantly blushed and averted my eyes.

  “No.”

  “Kim.” He touched his fingertips to my chin, drawing my face back towards him. “Are you jealous?”

  “No.” I shrugged, pulling away from him. “She's just . . . around all the time. And the two of you seem to get along so well. Sometimes I just feel like a third wheel.”

  “Of course, we get along well. She's my editor. We have a professional relationship. We kind of have to get along well.”

  “Just a professional relationship?” I asked, internally cringing at how pitiful it sounded.

  “You are jealous,” he laughed, wrapping his arms around me and kissing me on top of the head. I struggled for a moment, but then surrendered, allowing him to hold me, though I was scowling the entire time.

  “Well, she's beautiful and smart and well off. Why shouldn't I feel threatened?”

  “Because there's no reason to feel threatened. You're the only one for me. You'll always be the only one for me. I figured you were smart enough to know that by now.”

  “But you haven't wanted to have sex lately.”

  “We haven't had much of an opportunity. By the time she leaves at night, I'm absolutely exhausted. Maybe not physically, but mentally. I only want you to have the best of me, and I can't give you the best of me when I'm not all here.”

  “But when you had the day off, you didn't want to do it either.”

  “Again, that was because I was mentally tired. It had nothing to do with me not wanting you.”

  “I don't need your best all the time, Dominick. I just need you.” I leaned against him. “You know, if you're tired, you could just lay there, and maybe I could try being on top.”

  “That's an intriguing idea,” he purred, nuzzling the side of my head.

  “Then let me try it.” I pressed my palm against his chest, feeling his warm skin and the electricity that the contact caused. My body lit up even at the suggestion of sex. It didn't matter how it happened, as long as it was with him, as long as we made that connection.