Something Wicked Ch. 02

"Well, I thought you and Brendan were perfect together and look what happened." I shot her a look and she smiled ruefully. "Sorry."

"You're going to make mistakes. He's going to make mistakes. Your marriage is going to seem perilous at times, but you'll be okay. It's a lot of work. That's not necessarily a horrible thing, by the way."

"Mom is driving me crazy. She keeps following me around and asking me if I'm okay."

I laughed again and stood up, ready to go. "God, just ignore her. Trust me."

Abigail stood up and kissed me on the cheek. "I do, for what it's worth."

As I drove home, I felt peaceful in a way I hadn't felt in months. Maybe even years. The entire experience had changed me and my marriage forever. I wondered if that was such a bad thing. Now I held Brendan close to me in a way I hadn't before. I appreciated his smiles, his love, his forgiveness. Something dramatically horrible had happened to our marriage, and against all odds we were determined to weather it together.

The house was quiet when I got home. I called Brendan's name but he didn't answer. I assumed he was in the shower, getting ready for our night. I flicked on the lights and checked the mail with a gentle smile on my face.

And then I saw blood on the carpet.

The alarm moved swiftly through my body. For a moment, I was completely frozen. I couldn't speak, couldn't scream and couldn't run. I knew that, without a doubt, Zach was in the house.

I also didn't know what to do about it. I could try to leave, but what if he hurt Brendan... if he hadn't already? They had to have heard me come home.

I reached into my bag to grab my cell phone.

"Put your bag down. Now."

Zach stepped out of the kitchen with a gun against Brendan's head. Brendan's face was bloodied.

"What do you want?"

Brendan moaned; he looked horrible. "Run, Laura."

"We don't have much time," he said with a smile. "Did you miss me?"

I tore my eyes from my husband and glared at him. "No."

"You know, that's what I liked about you. Your honesty."

"Don't do this. You can still leave. Don't hurt us."

He deposited Brendan on the couch and walked over to me slowly. He reached for me and tugged me close. "Hurt you? I would never hurt you."

"But you are now, Zach." I closed my eyes when he leaned his face closer to me. He pecked the tip of my nose and wrapped one arm around my waist. The hand on his other arm dug the gun into my ribs. "Please."

Zach sighed. "I do love to hear you beg." Then he moved his lips against mine, kissing my mouth deeply. I struggled against him a bit, but then he pushed the gun against me harder to remind me of its presence. He pulled his mouth away a minute later, breathing out a short laugh. "Did you really think there would be no consequences to what happened between us?"

"I don't love you," I said.

"And I don't care about that. I just want to make you pay."

My lips trembled. "For what?"

"For being a lying, thieving, worthless cunt." His eyes studied me from head to toe. "You were a good fuck, I'll give you that. I guess that's why your idiot husband took you back. I can't wait to watch his expression as I cut—"

Zach doubled over with a groan. Blood poured from his side as one of his hands reached up to stop it. Brendan stood behind him with a knife in his hand, panting as he looked between me and Zach.

"I called the police. Run!"

But I couldn't run fast enough. Zach spun around with the gun in his hand and appeared ready to shoot Brendan in the face. I sprinted across the living room and collided with Zach, sending us both flying to the floor. A loud gunshot went off and a short scream escaped from my throat. I sat up, panicked that it had hurt Brendan, but he was still standing and running over to me. The shot had missed!

Brendan pulled me up from the floor and held me tight.

Another gunshot came from behind us. The worst kind of pain ripped through my arm. Hot agony radiated in my shoulder as I sagged against Brendan.

I looked over at Zach, terrified he'd shoot again. He aimed at me and gave me a nasty grin.

Then an officer burst through the door. Zach changed his focus and squeezed the trigger. The shot narrowly missed the cop, but the cop's responding bullet hit its mark.

Zach was shot directly in the heart. He slumped over, his dying eyes meeting mine. A tiny smirk spread across his face. "You'll... never forget."

Then his eyes became distant and faded. He breathed out for the last time just as I was being dragged to safety.

**********************************************

Brendan was at the hospital every day. He slept in the chair in the corner, sometimes chatting with me, sometimes reading silently. We didn't speak about what happened and we didn't talk about what it meant for us as a couple.

The doctor wasn't sure I would ever have full use of my left arm properly. I might always have pain in the shoulder. He said I was lucky to be alive.

Lucky. I hadn't felt lucky in a long, long time.

Brendan had said nothing after the doctor left. He just went back to patiently waiting in his chair, engrossed in another novel. I couldn't deal with the anxiety anymore and finally asked, "Do you hate me?"

Brendan looked up and put his book aside. He hadn't shaved in days and his black eye looked more painful than ever. "No, I don't."

"You should. You should be livid."

He sighed and came to sit on the bottom of my bed. "I'm tired of being angry. You've apologized. I know you're sorry. I'm going to work on forgiving you. Now it's time to move on."

I reached for him and ran my fingers through his hair. "I love you."

He took my other hand and kissed my wrist. "I know. I love you, too."

"I really want this to work."

He stared at me for a minute. "So do I."

Mom visited me in the hospital. She told me funny stories and did my nails. We never spoke of what happened and she never asked any questions.

On the day before I was to be released, Mom hugged me. "You didn't deserve this. You're a good person, Laura. You just lost your way a bit. Don't let that creep win."

I kissed her cheek and said nothing. I was exhausted; I wasn't ready to agree or disagree with her.

Then finally Brendan and I were on the way home. We sat in a companionable silence. I took a deep, steadying breath when we pulled up in front of our home. I hadn't wanted to return and had asked Brendan if we could move. He thought it was a good idea and said he's start looking into it. We both had too many bad memories there now.

He held my hand as we walked inside.

"Where are you going?" he asked when I started for the bedroom.

"Sleep. I'm tired. The pills the doctor gave me—k"

"Have something to eat first."

I followed him into the kitchen and gasped. Dozens of candles had been lit and there was a beautiful dinner ready on the table.

Brendan smiled at me when I looked at him—a wide, happy smile. "Do you like? It's to make up for our anniversary."

I couldn't speak. I tried to smile back but I ended up crying, instead.

"Don't cry." He kissed me and held me close. "Please don't cry. It's over now."

"It doesn't feel like it's over," I sobbed.

"I know." He rubbed my good arm and kissed my injured shoulder. "It will. Let's just try to enjoy tonight, okay?"

I gave him a fierce kiss and whispered promises and vows against his lips. He must have needed me as much as I needed him because he returned the passion. He backed me up into a counter and caressed my back.

"I need you," he confessed.

"I need you, too."

Then Brendan eased down my leggings and panties. He lowered his own pants and covered my mouth in an urgent kiss.

"Do you want this?"

I laughed with tears in my eyes. "More than anything."

He teased me with his cock before pushing inside me. Then it was fast and needy. He bit my neck as he thrust into me over and over again, knocking me into the countertop. It hurt but I didn't dare stop him; warmth spilled into my body and it was ecstasy.

"Brendan, I'm going to—Oh, God."

"Me too." His movements became uneven as he neared orgasm. He kissed me again and whispered that he loved me as we both came.

He hugged me hard. I felt him trembling against me. "I thought I was going to lose you."

"Never. I thought I was going to lose you, Brendan."

He kissed my neck and I squeezed him back.

**********************************************

The cost I paid was high. I paid for my indiscretion with my innocence and happiness. Brendan and I will never be completely content again. Our smiles come harder now. What I did will always linger unpleasantly in the back of our minds. We will check over our shoulders until the day we die, worried that another shadowy, dark and wicked monster will find us. In that way, Zach won.

When we kiss, we kiss until we absolutely have to part. It's ironic that what nearly broke up my marriage ended up bringing us closer together. Still, we realize it is all fragile—that we are fragile. Our love is fragile. We both hope we never take it for granted again.

So, in many ways, Zach hasn't won at all.

I still can't use my arm properly. Some days the pain is excruciating, but I bear it. It is a reminder that once upon a time, I was weak and stupid. I was selfish and thoughtless. It doesn't mean I'm a weak, stupid, selfish, thoughtless person; it only means that, like everyone, I have the possibility of dipping down into the black, covetous, sinning version of myself. I don't like that version of my identity, but it's there. It calls to me, but I refuse to answer back. I will never answer it again.