Page 101 of Perfect
I need to fix this as soon as possible, so I’ll go over after trivia and make her dinner. I’ll show her that she can trust me, that she can let herself be happy with me, that I can make her happy if she lets me, and then shewill.
I need to get the fuck away from my computer and phone if I’m going to give Alex privacy, so I leave everything but my wallet at home when I go on a run, purposefully running in the opposite direction of her office before heading to get groceries. I take a long time buying groceries, thinking about what she might like for dinner, taking my time debating which wine to buy her and which flowers she’d like most.
When I get home, I spend a long time making a salad and lobster ravioli, trying to lose myself in the process. Once I’m done and realize I still have a few hours, I do what I can to work off some of my anxiety. I clean the house. I work out. I jerk off to a video of us fucking that I have saved to my computer. I make a key lime pie. None of it helps that much, but it eats up the time I need it to. Trivia’s usually over by nine, and it takes her half an hour to walk home, so I pack the food, wine, and flowers in a tote bag and get to her place fifteen minutes before she gets home.
She’ll walk in the door, and I’ll be there making dinner with a chilled glass of wine ready for her, and then we’ll talk. She’ll love the flowers and the food, and we’ll spend the whole night making up. It’ll be fine. I know she has trust issues because of her ex, I know she didn’t mean any of what she said, and I know she’s just scared of her feelings.
It’s all going to be fine.
When I get up to Alex’s floor, I can hear her talking with someone through the thin walls, which sets me on edge. She shouldn’t be home yet, and she’s so embarrassed about herapartment that she never has anyone over except me. Her door is already unlocked, and I start to freak out as I open it slowly.
“...a fucking tease,” a man says bitterly, and I see Alex backed into the kitchen counter, Ben looming over her, one of his legs jammed in between hers and his hands all over her body. She’s looking at him with wide eyes and her hands flat against his chest, and my body floods with hot rage when I watch him passionately kiss her.
There’s no fucking way this is happening.
I’m across the room in an instant, ripping him off her and shoving him into the wall.
“What the fuck is this?” Alex startles at my voice, looking up at me with wide, teary eyes. She opens her mouth to say something, but nothing but a quiet huff of air comes out. God, she looks gorgeous. Is that a new dress? Why is she so dressed up?
Every thought fades when I look at her face.
Alex looksscared.
I look over at Ben, taking in his frustrated, terrified face, and my stomach twists in anger.
Were they on a date?
She shouldbe afraidforhim if that’s the case.
I set the tote bag on the ground and try hard to stay calm as I step in between them, the small kitchen crowded with the three of us.
“What the fuck is your problem, dude?” Ben says, his voice panicked and angry. My fists clench and my arms tense up because I want to punch him so fucking badly, but I stop myself. The last thing I want to do is scare Alex off anymore, so I need to work alotharder to stay calm.
“Get the fuck away from my girlfriend,” I say, trying to keep my voice even.
“She said she was single, I swear!” I whip my head around and stare down at Alex, but she’s glaring at Ben.
“Alexandria?” We’re going to have a long fucking talk if she said she was single.
“I didn’t…it wasn’t…Ben was just leaving,” she says, her voice shaky, and he looks at her incredulously.
“What are you talking about?” I’m holding on to my composure by a fucking thread, and I don’t know who to trust until I hear Alex scoff. I look down at her, and she looks back at me with wide eyes, her jaw set and her face flushed.
She’s not just scared.
She’sfurious.
Oh.
“Sweetheart, did youwanthim to touch you?” My voice is slow and quiet, but it sounds wrong, as if it doesn’t belong to me. Her eyes widen, and she and I stare at each other for what feels like an eternity before she shakes her head the tiniest bit.
“No,” she whispers, and a loud, angry buzzing starts in the back of my head as the edges of my vision swim with red.
He’s fuckingdead.
“Wait,what?” Ben’s voice is panicky, and Alex must see how I feel, because she pales and reaches a hand out towards me.
“Theo, calm down,” she says, her voice soft and placating. “It’s just a misunderstanding, okay?” I laugh at her as I look over at Ben, who seems to realize how much shit he’s in.
