by Mac Flynn
"Nope," he replied as he slid out of his seat.
Stephanie was very suspicious as she walked up to the house. Since she didn't have her keys, she was glad the door was unlocked. The companions stepped inside and looked around. The walls were still dented, but the rubble had been swept up and the back door was covered in plastic to keep the wind and bugs out. There didn't appear to be anyone around.
"Bob?" Stephanie called out.
She and her companion were surprised to hear swearing come from the bedroom upstairs. Stephanie went for the stairs, but before she'd made it halfway Bob skidded to a halt at the top. He was wearing only his boxers and a sheepish grin on his face.
"H-honey," he greeted his wife as he opened his arms. "I didn't expect you to come home today. That partner of yours said you-"
"What the hell is going on?" Stephanie interrupted him. She moved up the stairs and tried to get passed him, but he blocked the way with his body and outstretched arms. "What the hell are you hiding?"
"Um, I'm not hiding anything," Bob argued, but his eyes kept flitting back over his shoulder.
"Then let me get up there," she countered as she again attempted to get by him. Still he wouldn't allow her to get to their room. "I need to get some clothes, so get the hell out of my way."
"The, um, the police said you couldn't take anything out of here," her husband suddenly informed her. Her eyes narrowed. "That's why I wouldn't give anything to that guy over there," Bob added as he nodded toward Chuck. Her partner stood at the bottom of the stairs now and there was disgust on his face.
"You told me weren't going to give me anything because you didn't trust me," Chuck spoke up.
"I don't care what anyone said, I just want to get my stuff and leave!" Stephanie shouted above their anger.
Her nostrils flared and suddenly she froze. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped in horror. She now understood the scent she'd smelled on Bob all this time. It wasn't from any cleaning products or just her imagination. The flowery smell was from another woman. Even now she could smell it on him, and an even stronger scent wafted from beneath the closed door to their room.
"You...you're cheating on me, aren't you?" she whispered. She couldn't stop the tears welling in her eyes as Bob flinched.
That's when the door to the bedroom opened, and out stepped a pretty young red-headed woman. She'd had time to dress and her face blushed with embarrassment as being caught. Stephanie glanced between them and slowly a bitter smirk spread across her lips.
"So this is how you get the cleaning done, isn't it?" she asked. "And this is how you get the shopping done. You use your little slut to do all your work and take all the credit."
"Fuck off, bitch," the red-head shot back.
"You get the hell out of my house before I call the police," Stephanie growled.
The other woman scowled but flew passed both her lover and Stephanie. The blond paused to give a look over Chuck, but he only looked at her in disgust. She flipped him the bird for his expression and scooted out of the house.
"I can explain this, honey," Bob began, but one dagger-like look from her shut him up.
"I don't want to hear it," Stephanie refused in a low, threatening tone. Her hands were balled into quivering fists and tears were sliding down her red cheeks. She was horrified and embarrassed. She couldn't understand how she was such a fool to believe this man, this creature, cared a lick for her.
"I'm so sorry, honey," he apologized as he dramatically fell to his knees. His eyes watered with tears, but she couldn't believe they were there out of regret. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
"I don't care what you meant to do, I just care about what you did," Stephanie snapped back. She moved to the top of the stairs and stood over his form. All she saw was false apology and fake remorse. "I just want you out of here."
"Out?" he repeated. Bob thought he'd heard her wrong. Surely she couldn't be serious. "You're just mad right now, dear. You just need to lay down-"
"You know what?!" she shouted back as she put her foot on his shoulder. She pushed down and shoved him to the floor, and for the first time in their relationship Bob cowered in fear of her. "I'm going to give you three weeks to get out of MY house. If you're still here when I get back from that conference, I'm calling the cops!"
Stephanie brushed passed him and into their room. The men could hear her slamming drawers open and hangers being thrown against walls. In a moment she was back out into the hall with a suitcase bulging with clothes.
"Where the hell is my purse?" she growled at her husband. Her eyes were flashing with a fiery light that wasn't natural.
"D-downstairs," he stuttered out as he pointed toward the kitchen.
Stephanie marched by him without another look back, and she hardly acknowledged Chuck who still stood at the bottom of the stairs. She grabbed her purse and flung it over her shoulder.
"Let's get out of here," she called out to her partner.
Chuck cast one last look at Bob, who still lay on the floor in utter shock, and then he followed Stephanie out into the garage. Her car was there, and she got in. Chuck stood outside the window and she rolled it down after she'd started the car.
"You sure you're able to drive?" he asked. Her eyes were already blurry from the tears of rage and disappointment. "I can leave my car here and we can pick it up later." At his suggestion she shook her head.
"I don't trust him not to do something to it," she pointed out. "Just lead me back. I'll be fine."
Stephanie finished their conversation by rolling up the window and opening the garage door. Chuck did as she asked and went over to his own vehicle. She pulled out into the road and followed her partner away from her old life, and into one much different than what she had known.
For all books by Mac Flynn visit her Smashwords author's page
or visit Mac Flynn's website.
Want to get an email when the next book is released?
Sign up here for the newsletter
