Page 41 of Fourth Wall

“Where is the man of the hour?” my dad questioned.

“Sorry, sir. Right here.” Both of them stood in place in stunned silence, looking back and forth between us.

“Do we even want to ask?” my mom finally said, and I looked between us, realizing I was half naked still in a wet shirt whileChristian was sporting a wet shirt, dripping hair, and a still quite obvious half-chub.

“Nah. Better you don’t.” I thanked my mom and walked them to the front door. Before they walked out, my mom looked back.

“He’s a good man, Maeve.” I gave her a soft smile.

“I know, Mom.” Christian waved at them over my shoulders, and when we shut the door, I leaned back on it, facing the room where Christian stood at the other end.

“Stop thinking, Maeve,” I whispered to myself.

I started to saunter toward Christian.

“Did I tell you that I used to go to kink parties?” Purposely omitting the ex-husband portion.

Christian leaned against his kitchen island. Wait, I guessourkitchen island at least for the next six months.

He turned his chin in question. Unlike earlier, his face didn’t have that same look on it right now.

I stopped sauntering, feeling dumb, and just walked toward him.

“Wanna finish what we started earlier?” I asked as I got closer to him.

“Maeve,” he warned, and when I got closer to him, he looked me up and down with a pained expression. He pushed me away, and the clouded enemy that once was, happened to be back. His eyes now dark and clouded with hatred.

“What happened?” I asked quietly, feeling horribly rejected. The thoughts now swirling in my head. Everything that Tyler used to call me and still does about how I am worthless, never good enough, no one will ever want me rushing back into my mind.

“Christian?” I asked again when he didn’t respond to me.

“Maeve. I think we just need to stick with being friends. We are blurring the line—”

“The line has been blurred. You are a fucking asshole,” I spat at him.

“Maeve, it's not that. I swear. I just think that coming home made me realize that there are a lot more people than us involved.”

“Oh, and let me guess. You don’t want to breakmyheart.” He ran his hands through his long blond hair. “Fuck you. You don’t get to decide how I feel about this situation.”

I didn’t let him speak but watched as he retreated into the corner of the room. The shadowed man cloaked by darkness where he was comfortable.

“Seriously, fuck you.”

I turned to walk away and headed upstairs.

“I will not allow him the power over my thoughts.” I repeated my affirmations. The same ones I tell the girls every morning.

“I am beautiful.”

“I am strong.”

“I am a badass.” Yes, I even taught my girls to be strong women. I threw off my wet shirt and jumped into a hot shower. I stayed in there for longer than usual, trying to calm down and process what I had just felt. He was purposely pushing me away.

A while passed when I realized that Christian had come in and grabbed a few things from his side of the sink. I quickly jumped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around me before he could turn around.

“Are you fucking leaving?” I watched as he threw a toothbrush in an overnight bag. “You have to be kidding me.”

“It’s not what you think.”

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