Page 132 of Mayhem and Minnie

How was I to know she’d take it to heart? And now to claim that I cheated on her? That would imply there was an understanding between us.

You’re a fucking idiot, Marlowe!

My lips flatten as I mentally replay everything from day one.

It’s my fault, isn’t it? Because I fucking suck at social interactions and everything of a more emotional nature, I didn’t see what was right in front of me.

Minnie’s behavior toward me and the way she reacted whenever she thought there was another woman flashes in my mind.

She was fucking jealous! She wasn’t worried I’d fire her. She was worried I’d be with another woman.

I mutter a string of curses to myself.

I must be the biggest idiot who ever lived for not seeing this earlier.

Yet despite my anger at myself for letting things degenerate this badly, excitement builds inside of me.

I don’t dislike this. I don’t dislike this at all. Didn’t I already decide Minnie belonged to me? I suppose it’s only fair to belong to her in return.

My lips spread into a smile.

But while I’m lost in my thoughts planning to redress the wrongs I have committed in the past and woo Minnie once more, the matter of the bodies still hasn’t been resolved.

Fuck.

“And where did you hear about those women, dear?” my mother asks sharply.

“He told me himself,” Minnie replies and points at me.

My mother’s shrewd gaze turns to me.

“To make matters worse, he’s been telling me details about it, too. Like how he started at seventeen with a neighbor!” Minnie continues, her expression one of true horror.

My mother raises a brow at me and shakes her head.

“Dear, don’t believe that.” She snorts. “We only had two neighbors back when we lived in that house. One was an elderly lady, who I doubt could spend five minutes without dozing off. She also had a slew of health issues and my Marlowe wouldn’t have ever gone near her. He’s too much of a germaphobe for that. The other one was a vile, vile man who ended up dying in a horrific accident.” My mother pauses. “That happened around the time you were seventeen, though, no?” She raises a brow at me.

I purse my lips.

She knows too damn well it did. Hell, Giles took care of it.

“Oh,” Minnie murmurs. “It was a man then? Not a woman? You also betrayed me with a man? A bad one at that?” she suddenly asks, the fire in her eyes blazing anew.

“Is that all you got from this?” I mutter.

I don’t like explaining myself. Truthfully, I don’t have any experience explaining myself. But in this case, I’m afraid I’ll just make matters worse if I open my mouth to say something.

“I think you’re misunderstanding him, dear,” my mother interjects.

“What am I misunderstanding?” Minnie cries out, and her eyes glisten with unshed tears.

I immediately sober.

What the hell? She’s not going to cry, is she?

Panic takes hold of me.

“There are other types of…bodies,” I hurry to say.

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