I push him away with a light hand, and expectantly he takes a step back as I reach up to fix the buttons on my shirt.
“Stay here. I’ll get rid of whoever it is.” Trey places one quick kiss to my lips and turns away while I jump off the counter but don't leave the kitchen.
I lean back against the sink to wait for Trey’s return. He reaches the first interior door in the living room and pulls it back in agitation.
“What the fuck?”
There’s someone right on the other side of the door, and the unexpected guest forces Trey to take a step back in surprise. I drop down to the kitchen floor and try not to make a sound, hoping they didn’t see me through the opening to the kitchen.
“How did you get in my house?” The question echoes in the space.
You have to go through Trey’s garage on the street level to reach the living area of the home, and as that thought sets in, I breathe a sigh of relief. Who else but Finn would have a key to the first floor?
“Your door was unlocked,” a voice I never want to hear again answers. Mari.
I can’t see anything and the hard tile floor bites into my knees, so I crawl to the side of the kitchen covered by a large column and slowly stand again. There is no way I want to be caught sitting down by Mari. Not twice in one night. But I’m also not going out there. I'll stand behind this column as long as I need to.
“So you opened it and came in? We are not together, Mari. You can’t do this shit.” Trey’s voice is loud, but I’m too scared to look and see if it’s because he’s closer or angrier.
“I don’t understand why you’re so mad. I’ve always followed your stupid rules, but don’t you understand? I realize now it was a bad idea. You want me to commit myself like your willing secretary. Trey, I only dated other people because you were, but I’m ready to commit to you and make this work."
Heels click on the hardwood floor and I flinch with each step as they get closer to my hiding spot.
“I came here to apologize about tonight. I was wrong, but I miss you. We belong together, Trey. We deserve another chance.”
Trey’s loud sigh settles over the room. “Mari, I told you it was over months ago. Whatever fucked up arrangement we had is done.”
“But we’re expected to get married.”
There’s a scraping sound, but I’m not sure where it comes from. A stool being pulled out? Is she planning to sit and chat about this?
“We are never going to get married. Get that through your head.”
Trey’s words are low and harsh, but with a pitch of pity. I don’t want to be around for the rest of this conversation between whatever these two now are. I trust Trey and this is private and should stay that way. I turn to my left to dash to the hallway and hide out in his bedroom, but there’s a hidden trash can on the other side of the column and it falls to the side with a crash when I hit it with my foot.
I freeze. The toppled over can wobbles back and forth on the ground. As the sound dies down, another picks up. The sound of heels as they edge nearer.
“You have someone here?”
With nowhere else to go and knowing I’m caught, I straighten to my full height and brace for Mari’s wrath head on. It doesn’t take long. Her red hair is the first thing I register as she stands on the other side of Trey’s breakfast bar, mere feet from me. She sees me as well and lunges in my direction like she’s freaking Superman, but Trey steps in front of her taking the brunt of her attack.
“We were together for years and you never invited me over, but your fucking secretary is here and wearing your clothes?” Her voice screeches in the open space and I swear some of the glasses in the cabinets shake.
“You’re a whore!” The final blow said in my direction not Trey’s.
She tries to side step him again, but Trey moves with her. All my muscles tense and ready to run from her if needed. I’m not a fighter if she gets past Trey. I’m more of the runner variety.
“If this is what you need, then have your fun, Trey.” She whips her head around to glare at me. “And you. He’ll make you all the promises in the world, but he’ll come back to me eventually and I’ll make sure you have nothing.”
Trey’s hands ball into fists at his sides. “I will never have anything to do with you and you will never talk about my girlfriend again.” His steady and hard words are ungiving.
His use of the word girlfriend brings a small smile to my face and my heart lightens for a minute. How wrong. I shouldn’t get so excited over it when we’re in the middle of a showdown, Hatfield and McCoy style.
Mari screams and I’m ripped from my happy thoughts and thrown back into battle mode. I take two steps back and get a little upset at myself for never asking Trey the extent of Mari’s crazies. Is she normally like this?
“Girlfriend. Your girlfriend!” she screams the words with distaste.
Still calm and collected, Trey stares her down from the outburst. “You have two minutes to get the fuck out of my house or I’ll call the cops and have you removed.”
