Page 25 of 5000 Nights of Obsession

Myheart withered in shame.Inever got carried away with alcohol, butI’dhad a tough night.Iwas still drunk and unsure if the beginning part was a dream or how it had all started.

Nonetheless,Ididn’t reach for people in my dreams.Didhe thinkI’dbuy his horseshit? “Ifyou truly believedIhad passed out from alcohol poisoning, why didn’t you call 911?”

Hetsked. “Wedidn’t have that kind of time on our hands.Itook it upon myself to rescue you.”

Hisblasé responses were on my last nerve.Angertook hold in place of fear. “Getout of my house.Getout right now, orI’lltell the entire world how their favoriteDJis nothing more than a rapist,”Ihissed, lowering my voice toward the tail end of the sentence.

“Howwill you say it to strangers when you can barely say the words to me?”

“Youarea stranger,”Ispoke with measured steadiness.

“Weare acquainted,” he retorted.

Hewas arguing semantics? “Thatwon’t save your ass from going to jail!”

“Goto jail for what?”

“Forbreaking and entering and raping an unconscious woman,”Ilisted his crimes.

“Rape?AllIdid was comply to fucking you after you begged me not to stop?”

Islapped my palm onto the mattress once more. “OnlybecauseIthought you were my husband.Whoelse would come into our bedroom in the middle of the night?”

Thenonchalance and amusement vanished from his face.Hisgrip on my thigh tightened even asItried to pry off those marauding fingers. “Ambanididn’t care that you drank yourself to sleep,” he bit out. “Iwas the only one who cared enough to check on you.So, how about you show a little less attitude and a little more gratitude for my heroic efforts?”

“Whatthe fuck is the matter with you?”

“Lotsof things.Shouldwe discuss them over a nightcap?”Hisamused veneer returned as his glance migrated to the empty wine bottle. “Orperhaps a non-alcoholic beverage for you would suffice.”

“Shutup!”Iscreeched.

“You’reacting extremely dramatic for a woman whose lifeIran here to save.”

“That’snot what happened,”Iannounced through gritted teeth.

“Wereyou or were you not passed out from alcohol consumption?”

“Technically, yes, but—”

“Wouldn’tyou have done the same if you saw someone passed out from inebriation?”

“Iwouldn’t have fucked them.AndI-I,”Igrappled with words, “Ididn’t have alcohol poisoning.Doyou just go around looking for unconscious women to fuck?”

“Woman.”

“What!?”

“Woman,” he repeated. “Ifuckedoneunconsciouswoman.Singular.”

Istared at him, feeling at a loss for words.

“So…”Hephrased the word like a question while slowly rising from the bed.Axelgrabbed his clothes—whichIrealized were draped over the back of the armchair—and dressed in meticulous precision. “Howabout that nightcap?” he returned to the earlier suggestion, buckling his belt.Hespoke with ease as if it were normal to go out for a drink after what went down between us.

“You’reout of your mind.”

“Isthat ano?Probablyfor the best if you’re hungover.”

Iwasn’t hungover;Iwas still drunk.NotthatI’dadmit it to him. “Mostmen usually buy you drinksbeforefucking you.Or, in your case, before forcing a woman.”

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