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He smiles against the skin on my shoulder. “There’s my girl.” He rolls my body toward him. He skims his thumb over my nipple and kisses my neck. “I bet I can make you feel better.”

I try to get into it, I really do, but every time he touches me, that picture flashes in my head. My hands fall away from his back and he looks at me in confusion.

“I’m not in the mood.” I try to roll away from him but he stops me. He climbs on top of me and spreads my legs with his knee, despite my resistance.

“Just give me a minute and I’ll get you in the mood. You can’t resist me.” One hand goes between my legs, rubbing across the thin fabric of my panties. My hips lift into his touch without any instruction from me, and I get mad that my body is reacting to him.

“No, Ryan.”

He chuckles against my neck. “Always playing hard to get, baby. I can feel how much you want me.”

I scowl, angry that he is right. My body wants him but my mind is such a mess right now. He takes advantage of my confused state, moving my panties to the side and sliding into me. I gasp at the intrusion but…oh, it feels so good.

I hate myself right now, I think, as I surrender myself to him.

* * * *

“Who is she, Ryan?” I ask from my perch on the couch as soon as Ryan steps into the dark house. I had naïvely hoped that the strip club incident a couple weeks ago would be a one time thing but apparently, I was wrong.

“Holy shit! Babe, you scared the hell out of me!”

“Who is she?”

“Who’s who?” he asks, flipping on the light by the door. I scoff when I see the lipstick stain on his collar. He’s not even trying to hide it.

Bastard.

“Addy saw you on your date.” I say it coolly, like I don’t give a shit. In reality, I’m burning with rage inside. How dare he cheat on me? I’ve done everything he wanted.

“What date?” he asks, continuing with the dumb act.

“The one in this photo.” I fling the picture I printed off of my phone at him.

“Baby, she’s just a friend from work.”

I shake my head. “Don’t fuckin’ lie to me. You’re caught, Ryan. Just give it up.”

He gazes at me and I can see his mind racing to come up with anything to salvage this situation. Apparently, he hasn’t noticed my bag by the door.

“Baby.” He’s got that tone. The one that lets me know that he’s about to lie his ass off. He’s going to spew a bunch of crap at me and hope that I’m dumb enough to believe it again. Not. Happening.

“Stop lying!”

His face changes instantly. “Don’t yell at me,” he warns, his voice low and menacing.

“Fuck you!” I’m so mad right now that I’m doing this even though I know I shouldn’t be.

“What did you say?” He takes a threatening step toward me.

“Screw this. I’m done, Ryan. Have a nice life.” I step to the side, trying to go around him to my bag. He looks over his shoulder and sees my things sitting there, waiting for me.

“No. You’re not leaving me, bitch.” Hooking his arm around my waist, he lifts me off the floor. He starts walking down the hallway as I yell at him, flailing in his grasp.

“Put me down, you asshole!”

“Every time we fight, you do this. You always try to leave me.” I beat my hands on the arm wrapped around my waist but it doesn’t do any good.

“I said, put me down!”