Page 73 of Sins of the Flesh
I pull my truck into the vacant church parking lot and walk over to Caleb’s front door at 7:05, a smile on my face despite my lingering queasiness.
But as I approach the front door, movement in the window catches my eye.My heart stops.Through the gap in the curtains, I see Caleb and Charlotte.She's pressed up against him, with her lips suctioned onto his beautiful face and her clawed fingers cupping his crotch through his pants.
My stomach lurches, but not from sickness this time.I stumble backward, nearly tripping over my own feet.The world doesn't just tilt, it shatters.Everything inside me goes cold, then hot, then numb.
I can't breathe.Can't think.My vision narrows to that single image: Charlotte's hungry mouth on Caleb, her hand where mine should be.Where mine has been.
How long has this been going on?Was I just some game to him while he was really with her?
The nausea I've been fighting all week surges up, and I barely make it to the bushes before I violently wretch the meager contents of my stomach up.Tears blur my vision as I heave.How could he?How fucking could he?I wipe my mouth with a shaking hand and stagger to my truck.I can't be here.I can't face him.Not now.Maybe not ever.
I drive aimlessly, my thoughts a chaotic mess and my heart in jagged pieces.Before I know it, I'm pulling into the parking lot of Mack's Liquor Store.The neon sign buzzes mockingly as I push through the door.
"Hey Cole, you don't look so hot," Mack says from behind the counter.I barely register his words as I grab a bottle of Vodka off the shelf.My hands shake as I place it on the counter, avoiding eye contact.
"You sure you want this, kid?"Mack asks, concern evident in his voice."Maybe some ginger ale instead?"
"Just ring it up," I growl, slamming down some crumpled bills.Mack sighs but doesn't argue further.
As he hands me the bag, he says softly, "Take care of yourself, Cole."
I grunt in response and stumble out to my truck.The drive home passes in a blur.By the time I pull into my driveway, my anger has crystallized into something cold and sharp.
With trembling hands, I unscrew the cap on the vodka and take a long swig.The liquor burns going down, and tastes like shit.I grab my water bottle that is still a quarter full of mio water and dump the vodka into it filling the remaining space with more mio.
I take a long swig from the bottle, grimacing at the sickeningly sweet taste of vodka mixed with the artificial fruit flavor.The alcohol burns a path down my throat, settling like molten lead in my stomach.But it's not enough to dull the ache in my chest or erase the image of Charlotte's hands on Caleb's body.
Fuck him.Fuck both of them.I can feel the tightness in my chest and the burning in my eyes but I refuse to give them my tears.I take another long pull from the bottle, welcoming the fuzzy warmth spreading through my limbs.The world starts to blur at the edges, but the pain in my heart remains razor-sharp.I stumble out of the truck, nearly face-planting on the driveway.
The world tilts and spins around me as I drag myself towards the house, clutching my poisonous concoction like a lifeline.Mom's car isn't in the driveway.Good, I think to myself.I can't deal with her concerned looks or probing questions right now.I just need to be alone with my misery.
I fumble with my keys, cursing under my breath as I struggle to fit them into the lock.After what feels like an eternity, the door finally swings open and I stumble inside, slamming it behind me.
The house is dark and quiet, matching my mood perfectly.I make my way to the living room, collapsing onto the couch with a groan.My head is pounding, my stomach churning, but I take another long swig from my water bottle anyway.The alcohol burns going down, but it's a welcome distraction from the pain in my chest.
I close my eyes, trying to block out the memories of what I saw, but they keep replaying in vivid detail.Caleb and Charlotte.Charlotte's hands on him.His lips on hers.How could he do this to me?After everything we've been through, everything we've risked?
Forty
Caleb
Duality - Slipknot
I
lock up the church for the night and walk the few feet to my front door.I head into my bedroom and change into sweatpants, opting to go without a shirt.In preparation for Cole’s arrival, I pull out a pot and prepare the homemade chicken noodle soup ingredients.
Watching Cole suffer all week has been incredibly difficult and worrying for me.His outbursts towards me only shows how much he is struggling.I'm thankful that he's coming over tonight so I can take care of him and hopefully make him feel better and that he's going to the doctor.
A knock at the door grabs my attention.I look up at the wall clock and see it's only 6:45.A little earlier than expected, but that's okay.I pull the door open with a big smile, only to find Charlotte standing there my face falls replaced by a frown.She is dressed in her usual power ensemble with large sunglasses hiding her intentions.
I take in Charlotte's unexpected presence with trepidation."Madame Mayor, what brings you here at this hour?"I say, trying to be polite.She pushes past me into the entryway, her heels clicking sharply on the hardwood floor.
"Oh Caleb, I think we're well past formalities, don't you?"
She pulls off her sunglasses as her eyes rake over my bare chest and I resist the urge to cover myself.Something in her gaze makes me deeply uneasy."I'm afraid I'm not dressed for company," I say, trying to usher her back towards the door."Perhaps we could speak tomorrow at my office?"
Charlotte walks right past me, her lips curling into a predatory smile."Oh no, I'm afraid this can't wait.You see, I have something very interesting to show you."She reaches into her purse and pulls out a manila envelope, tossing it onto the kitchen counter.Photos spill out and my blood runs cold as I see what they contain.Intimate moments between Cole and I, captured in vivid detail.My hands shake as I shuffle through them, horror mounting with each image.
