Page 12 of Sinful Little Lies

The shower turns on and only then do I attempt to move from my spot on the kitchen floor. The normalcy of the routine is the only thing giving me comfort. I allow myself from now until then to sit here and feel sorry for myself. To cry and feel the pain.

I bring my good hand to my eyes and swipe away my tears. Taking a big inhale of air, I exhale and push myself up from theground. With the food left on the counter, I grab a plate and set it in the microwave for when he comes back.

A voice in my head whispers, clearly on Leo’s side.

He was just angry. He had a long day at work. Leo’s days are filled with trying to save lives, V. You need to cut him some slack.

But there’s another voice that combats it, unable to let Leo and his actions off the hook that easily.

Is it your fault he had a long day or that patient charts were fucked up? No. Was it your fault when he came home last week and forgot to pick up his dry cleaning? It damn sure was not, but you let him take it out on you, nonetheless. These situations are adding up, V. They’ve been festering inside of your heart and soul. Soon you’ll snap. Break the pattern. Break the cycle. Don’t let him break you.

Taking a few deep breaths, I grab the cleaning supplies and clean up the mess of my hard work. I head to the spare bathroom to grab the first aid kit I keep under the sink. I’m running low on supplies and I don’t understand. I just bought this kit last month. Every new kit that I buy seems to dwindle down faster and faster.

The right side of my brain speaks:Maybe I should start buying them in bulk.

Then the left:Or you should stop letting him hurt you. Tell someone. Get help.

Sighing, I take out the burn cream and the gauze. With everything done, I can tend to the aching pain pulsing over my hand. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough gauze and antibiotics in the world to heal the lacerations marking my heart.

8

VERENA

I’mawoken by a knocking at the front door. Opening it, I’m met with a broad muscular frame holding a bouquet of blood-red flowers.

His arm extends and I notice every muscle, vein, and…tattoo? His arm is littered with them. I step back, surveying his other arm and neck. All covered in ink. “For you,” he says and his full lips stretch into the most annoyingly perfect smirk. Dimples appear on both sides of his smile and my core instantly clenches. I take the flowers and offer a small thank you, turning to display them in the living room. The man follows me inside and I question it, but not because I’m scared. Because I’m curious.

When I turn to face him, he’s sitting on the couch with that devilish smirk on his lips. I can make out dark eyes and matching curls that frame his face. His tongue glides over his lips, wetting them before breaking into another panty-dropping grin. “Come sit. Let’s watch a movie,” he says, patting the seat directly next to him. The voice is warm, familiar.

But it couldn’t be. Could it? “Grimm?” I whisper, anxious to see if he’ll respond.

His head turns on a swivel. “Yeah, babe.” My mouth drops and my hand swings up to cover it. Babe? Did I die? Where’s my handbook for the recently deceased?

Padding over to the couch, I snuggle in next to Grimm, but I’m still weary of his presence. He wraps his arm around me and pulls me in close, the smells of sandalwood and marijuana filling my senses. His finger traced circles on my shoulder, traveled in towards my collarbone, and down the slope of my breast.

I feel my nipples harden through the tiny camisole I had worn to bed last night. His fingertips brush over them and my legs squeeze together, attempting to appease the ache in my core just a smidge. Grimm’s hand trails back up my shoulder, grabbing the strap and letting it fall. The other strap follows shortly after and before we’ve turned on the television, he’s nibbling at my neck.

Those soft lips and lingering kisses make my head spin. I’m dizzy off of a few innocent kisses; something must be wrong with me. But being in his arms, feeling his skin on mine, it’s just right. This is where I’m supposed to be.

His hands slowly trail down my chest and he hooks a finger in as he pulls it down, my chest spilling out of the top. Grimm massages my breast and pulls at my taut nipple. His voice sounds like smooth whiskey, the heat of his breath intoxicating and sexy.

A pound on the door breaks us out of our intimate moment. Clearing my throat, I fix my cami as Grimm stands to open the door. Before I can see who is on the other side, three gunshots ring aloud. I cover my ears and drop to the ground. What the fuck is going on?!

Grimm’s body falls with a heavy thud and I look up to see Leo standing in the doorway. “You thought you could escape me, baby? You’re not going anywhere. You’ll be with me untilthe day you die. Until the day I say you’ve had enough. Until I fucking say so, you are here, with me. Got it, you fucking slut?” With that, his hand rears back and comes towards me at full force, making contact with my face. My face heats from the sting of the smack and I fall back into something wet. Looking down, a sticky sea of red has formed around me and my head whips toward the front door to see Grimm’s lifeless body, two holes through him. His forehead and his chest.

A loud sob racks through my body and turns into a scream.

Sitting up in bed, the scream continues as I realize it was all just a dream. Taking slow breaths, I regain my composure. “It was just a fucking nightmare. Thank God it was just a nightmare.” Placing my hand over my heart, I sit in bed and wait for the excruciating pulse to slow.

It's been a few days since Leo and I had an argument. As the days go on, I’m more and more set in my decision to leave him, but how the fuck can I pull that off? The burns littering my hand are still there, but slightly less visible than they were the other night, but present enough to reinforce my choice to leave Leo in the dust and focus on bettering myself. Nonetheless, I'm thankful for the style change I had after Ronnie’s death. Otherwise, everyone would be able to see the marks marring my skin.

Andthatis something I wouldn’t be able to handle. There’d be no lying my way out of this mess.

Despite the fact I’ve grown rather creative over the years at covering up Leo’s abuse, I can’t keep it up forever. I know that.

Leo and I met here at Blackwood. He was a senior and I thought I was the coolest little bitch on the planet for catching the eyes of someone older. But I had to give it to him, Leo put on an Oscar-worthy performance the first year of our relationship. Fancy dinners, lavish vacations, he was never humbled a day in his life and it showed. It didn’t matter to me that he had money,but he chose to spend it on me. He gave me his attention and his time. Something my parents never cared to do.

Even when the money started flowing in, it was spent on a new house, new cars, and cancer treatments. Oh yeah, and a fucking mommy-makeover.

---