Page 5 of Mr. Kelly

“Theo,” she whines and tries to pull me back down. “I’m sorry. I was stressed earlier.”

I’m standing with my hands on my hips when Helena cups my cheeks, forcing me to look her in the eyes in the low light. I know what she’s doing. I told her how much I loved our eye contact and some shit about being able to get lost in her eyes. It’s not going to work today.

I snatch my face out of her hold just as we’re bathed in light from the hallway. River stands in the doorway, her hair looking like a dark halo while her face is comically stuck in shock.

“Get the hell out!” Helena shrieks, making River jump.

“W-wrong room. Sorry!” she apologizes and scurries off.

“Down the hall to the left!” I call out, letting her know where to find the guest room.

“Who in the hell is that?” Helena questions, accusation dripping in her tone.

“Don’t you fucking dare. I’ve devoted my life to you over seven years ago and haven’t looked back. I want you to have my children.”

“It was only a matter of time before we got back there –”

Shaking my head, I walk away before she can finish her thought. I am tired of her deflections to make me feel like something is wrong with me because she has yet to keep her part of our deal for forever. Slamming the bathroom door, I turn on the shower, strip, and step under the spray, not caring that the water isn’t to my desired temperature yet. The coolness of the water calms me enough to not want to cuss her out. We need a mediator because we’ve lost touch with how to communicate.

I’m halfway done with my shower, lost in trying to figure out what to do, when she comes in, naked. Helena slips to her knees, but I pull her up because I’ve caught on to what she does. She pisses me off, then uses her body to distract me. This time, I’m the one grabbing her face, forcing her to look me in the eyes.

“Tell me the fucking truth. Do you want out? Staying means you’re having my children. If you don’t want to be a mother, you need to tell me now.”

It’ll hurt like hell to know that she’s lied to me, but at least I wouldn’t be wasting any more time.

“Of course I do,” she says, her eyes full of tears. I’m stuck in the middle of wanting to believe her and thinking she’s a stone-cold liar.

“Then why do you keep putting it off? Why aren’t we parents?”

“I don’t know.” It’s a lie, and I can tell. I turn and move to the opposite side of the shower to use the other head.

“Okay,” I concede, for now.

We’ll get to the bottom of it, hopefully once I have a clear head. Now, the irrational side of me says it’s time to dig into my wife’s privacy to find the answers I seek.

Chapter Three

RIVER

I sawmy boss’s dick and his wife’s naked back. I saw my boss’s dick and his wife’s naked back. I saw my boss’s dick and his wife’s naked back!

I’d chanted to myself as I ran horrified to the room he told me to go to instead. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! I chastised myself the rest of the night while hunkering under the covers, assuming one of them would be along any minute to kick me out. I’d finally fallen into a fitful sleep. Now, the sun shines in, reminding me just how upscale this penthouse and room is. I’m in over my head. If only I didn’t date a loser, I’d be in the comfort of my tiny, cramped apartment, eating pancakes and bacon.

My stomach growls for the third time because something smells delicious, but I’m hiding out in case they forgot I was here. The last thing I need is to be yelled at by the famous ballerina again.

Someone knocks on my door. Gingerly, I pad across the floor and crack open the door to keep any wifely attacks at bay just in case. My eyes collide with the blue ones that accompany the dick that may or may not have wandered into my dreams last night. The memory hitting me now feels dirty and inconvenient.

“Morning?” He rolls his eyes at my weirdness but doesn’t address it.

“Come out, breakfast is ready.”

I have a protest on my lips, but my stomach groans loudly, making anything I’d say after a lie, and I know how much he hates liars.

“Okay. Thank you.” Doing my best to walk softly and keep any noises I make to a minimum, I send out a silent yet unanswered prayer that at least his wife has left for the day.

“Good morning?” I try when her dark, stern eyes lock with mine.

I stop where I’m standing because, although Mr. Kelly told me to eat, Mrs. Kelly’s eyes are telling me to go to hell. She’s already looking at me like I’m the kind of woman who’d poach on her territory when this is the most I’ve ever seen Mr. Kelly.

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