Page 24 of Forever Mine

I hear a key jiggle in my lock, and I jump up, racing to grab my mace from my purse.

“Hey, babe,” I hear Marcus call as he opens the door. I stare incredulously at him.

“How did you get in here?” I whisper.

“A key, obviously,” he replies with a smirk.

“I didn’t give you a key, Marcus.”

“Oh, that. Yeah, I made a copy. No sense in waiting outside for my girl. I figured you wouldn’t mind,” he says as he comes over and gives me a kiss. I’m not his girl. He’s my fuck-buddy. That’s it. What the hell is going on?

“Give me the key, Marcus,” I say as strongly as I can muster, but my voice is noticeably shaking. He has the audacity to laugh at me. Helaughs.

“No.”

“Marcus!”

His eyes darken as he stares at me. I look back at him defiantly.

“You’re crossing a line you don’t want to cross, Monica,” he says deeply. My mouth drops open in shock. Who does he think he is?

“This is my apartment, not yours. You don’t live here. You can’t just steal my keys and make a copy. That’s ridiculous! We aren’t even in a serious relationship, Marcus. We’re just screwing around,” I retort. I turn toward the kitchen and don’t realize he’s stalked toward me until he turns me around and holds me to him. His hands are like vice grips around my biceps. “Ow, Marcus, you’re hurting me.”

His eyes are wild as he stares at me.

“I’m not just screwing around, Monica. You’re mine.”

“Well, Iamjust screwing around. I’m not yours.”

I see a quick flash of anger fill his eyes before he shutters his expression and masks his emotions. He takes a small step back and rubs my arms affectionately, but I can feel the anger radiating off him.

“You’re not there yet. That’s fine. I can be patient.” Marcus leans down and brushes his lips against mine before walking into the kitchen. “You got any beer? I really need a drink.”

I’m shaken up. His mood swings have worsened in the last few weeks, and I’m unsure what to do. I should probably ask Liam for his opinion, but I don’t want to involve him. Liam is a county sheriff, but he’s got a family. I don’t want to endanger him right now. I’m not sure what’s going on with Marcus, but something isn’t right.

Marcus grabs a beer and slaps my ass on the way to the couch.

“Wanna Netflix and chill?” he leers as he sits down and pats the cushion next to him.

“Actually, I’m getting a headache. I’m gonna shower and go to bed,” I lie. I’m definitely exhausted, and my brain is clearly riddled with drama and chaos right now, but I don’t have a headache. I just want Marcus to leave.

He takes a swig of beer before grabbing the Roku remote and settling back on the couch. I sigh and turn toward my bedroom. I don’t have the energy to force him out of here. He’ll probably fall asleep on the couch, which he’s done before.

After undressing and starting the shower, I stand under the steaming hot water for a few minutes and let the heat wash away my frustration. My mind is whirling. Thoughts of Gabriel. Our kiss. Marcus and his new aggression. Him making a key without asking me.

The shower curtain is yanked back as Marcus steps into the shower with me.

“Orgasms help with headaches, did you know that?” he whispers as he bends down to kiss my neck. His hand slides between my legs, and I try to push him away. “Let me make you feel good,babe.”

As Marcus kneels and pushes his face between my legs, I close my eyes and lean back against the cool shower tile. This is what I need. This is normal. Using Marcus to get off. But as my mind begins to take off into fantasyland like it normally does when I’m with Marcus, there isn’t a faceless man pleasuring me. It’s Gabriel on his knees. It’s Gabriel’s tongue piercing inside me as his hands knead my ass, and his gorgeous blue eyes lock with mine. It’s Gabriel’s name on my tongue as I crash into the best orgasm I’ve had in months. It’s Gabriel who turns me and thrusts inside me harshly and begins a punishing pace while whispering sweet nothings in Portuguese into my ear. I come a second time as I feel him come deeply inside me. I collapse against the shower wall as I slowly become aware of my surroundings.

Marcus.

Not Gabriel.

Marcus pulls out and slaps my ass again before stepping out of the shower. He doesn’t say a word as he wraps a towel around his waist and struts into my bedroom. Tears fill my eyes as I realize what I’ve just done. I don’t condone cheating. It’s abhorred to me. And while I definitely don’t consider Marcus as my boyfriend, I’ve never slept with more than one guy at a time. I feel like I cheated on him in some weird way. I feel even worse than I did when I got into the shower.

I turn off the water and wrap my hair in a towel. Stepping foot into my bedroom, I see Marcus already in bed. He’s probably already asleep. Asshole falls asleep in less than a minute, which pisses me off even more than him making his own key. I need five hundred different variables to all come together in a perfect symphony before I can fall asleep.

---