Page 2 of Hell's Kitten

And then the door opens up all the way and a man I’ve never seen before in my life slips his arm around my boyfriend’s waist, kisses his neck, and looks at me with a frown.

Now I’m the one with the slack jaw.

“Who are you?” he asks bluntly.

“Who areyou?”I practically shriek.

“Fuck,” Parker mutters under his breath.

I’m feeling lightheaded as I look at them both. This other guy is muscly, like Parker. They both have that ‘I could definitely be straight’ vibe going on that I’ve subtly been trying to help Parker work on. I thought I could open his mind, especially now we were supposed to be living together.

I’ve obviously thought a great number of things that were totally and completely wrong.

“I’m Zane,” the other guy says.

His gaze lingers on my kitty stickers. Then it travels over my backpack, which is slung over one shoulder and the headphones that pretty much live around my neck if they’re not on my head. Both of these things have adorable cat ears, and the bag even has whiskers printed on the flap.

Normally, I’m loud and proud about my feline obsession. It’s as integral to me as my sexuality and gender identity. But in that moment, I’m made to feel so small and stupid that I’d have given almost anything for plain luggage and accessories.

“I can explain,” Parker is saying. I look up and realize he’s not talking to me.

He’s talking to Zane.

It’s the final nail in the coffin. I’m still devastated, but right then I stop trying to deny what’s become painfully obvious.

“I was never your boyfriend,” I say softly, tears pooling in my eyes. “I was your bit on the side.He’syour boyfriend.”

Zane looks murderous as he takes his arm off Parker’s waist and scowls at him. “You’ve been fucking this little twink behind my back? You into girls now instead of men?”

His insult slices through my already broken heart. I love my body, especially when I’m training hard and get really toned. I love being fem and all kitteny. I could work out my whole life and I’d never be as big and masc as they are. I don’t evenwantthat. But it hurts to be attacked for something that’s not even within my control.

“No, baby!” Parker cries in distress. “It was just a bit of fun, you know? Something for a change. I’m so sorry! It meant nothing! I love you!”

Zane huffs, balling up his fists and storming back inside the apartment.

Parker goes after him, letting the door swing shut without even so much as a glance in my direction.

I stand in the hallway like a lemon, not quite believing what just happened. How can my entire world have fallen around my ankles in a matter of minutes? Was I ever going to see Parker again? I thought we were building a life together.

How long have he and Zane been a thing? Surely, Zane can’t live here, or I would have seen some trace of him before now. How has Parker been keeping us apart—in real life, let alone online? I guess he doesn’t have any social media accounts. He always called my Instagram posts vain and attention seeking. I told myself he was just teasing, but…

Oh my god. He probablydoeshave social media. He just told me he didn’t so I couldn’t tag him.

I never met his friends or his family. Most of the time, we just stayed at his place and fucked. I was so completely wrapped up in Mom’s chemo appointments and taking care of her, ourhome, and our finances that I probably didn’t think on it all half as much as I should have.

I’ve been a complete, gullible moron.

Come to think of it, how muchdidI talk to him about me moving in with him? I was planning on maybe getting a weekend job and contributing towards bills. I’m not a freeloader. But part of what was so nice about visiting him was that he just took charge and sorted everything. He made plans and paid for food and allowed me to switch my brain off and be pampered for a while after giving all my time and energy to my mom.

I know I definitely told him I was going to college because he said that was great news, and we celebrated by getting a pizza delivered and…having sex.

Did I tell him I’d applied to Paddle Creek? That I got in? It’s not exactly a hard college to gain attendance to, but…

Oh dear. I know I told Mom everything. She’d been excited for me. She always said she liked Parker. Or at least liked the sound of him. She never met or spoke to him, after all. And I never confided any of my doubts about him to her because I was so determined that everything would be fine once she got better, and I could live my life for myself again.

But I’ve been walking around in a fantasy land.

I stare at Parker’s door and realize in a sudden rush how many blanks I’d been filling in for this relationship. Deep down, I must have worried that he might not have been totally down for going from seeing each other once every couple of months to every day. That’s why I convinced myself he’d enthusiastically agreed to live together.

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