Page 1 of 2204 Hunter Lane
Chapter One
Marley
“Will you just fucking listen to me?”
I didn’t. I ignored every single slimy bullshit comment that waste of a man had to say. Besides, I had more pressing issues to attend to. Like the fact I had absolutely nothing anymore. No home, no family, and no man who could lie about being unfaithful.AMEN to that.
“Ha-ha.” My own thoughts brought a chuckle out of me. That, or my insanity was slowly creeping in.One of two things.
“What?” Todd scowled, eyes blazing and ready for a fight. “Just fucking laughing now are we? This look like a joking matter to you, Marley?”
He took a heavy step towards me but I held out a hand and met his eyes. “Back the fuck up, Todd.”
Surprisingly, he did.If only he knew what loyalty meant.
“Let me pack in peace.”
Todd kept his jaw locked and looked me up and down, evident disgust cemented all over his features.
I let him stare in silence as I continued to rummage through drawers and throw whatever the hell I could get my shaky hands on into the black luggage I took with me from New York.
It’s crazy how life can change in just a year. How you can go from being a promising marketing executive to getting cold feet and running away with a no-good man to Nebraska.Nebraskaof all places in the world. I lived in the Big Apple, surrounded by award winning artists, athletes, lights that could blind you and buildings that were crafted by world renowned architects.
Now I’m moving out of this one bedroom apartment in Lincoln because the man I trusted with my heart decided to step on it with a red stiletto that belonged to his ex-girlfriend. You know, stupid me for believing his reasonings for coming back to this place. I thought he was charming at first. He grew up here and was only in New York for a bachelor trip. One drunken night out led me to him, led him to me, and led us to fifteen tequila shots and a full night of sloppy sex and instant “I love you’s.”
And yet, I assumed he was the best freaking thing to happen to me. It was like all the stars had magically aligned and I thought wow, this 5’9 hunk of flesh is going to be my husband one day. Well screw marriage.Especially if it’s with him.
“Can you just leave?” I finally released with pure exasperation. “Like, go fuck your ex or something. I don’t care. I don’t want to see you. I don’t want to hear your voice, and I sure as shit don’t want you staring at me with that disgusted expression when I should be looking atyouthat way.”
“I didn’t fuck my ex.”
“No she just fucked you, right?” I raked my fingers through my long brown hair and shook my head. “I don’t understand guys like you, Todd. You still had a thing for your ex? Fine. You wanted to move back to be with her? Even better. But what I don’t understand is why you took it upon yourself to string me along for a year while screwing around behind my back.”
Tears filled in my waterline, but I refused to let them fall. I didn’t want to let him see how much pain he put me through, Icouldn’tlet him see it.
He yanked his eyes away from my face and for a split second, I thought I could see a smidge of remorse. But when his eyes returned to meet mine, it was clear he felt nothing but shame in himself for getting caught.
“It wasn’t like I planned for this to happen, baby, you got to know that.”
“No? So every time you went out looking for a “job”you just happened to stick your dick inside your ex on the way?”
He zipped his lips immediately, unable to deny what he’d been doing for the past few months.
The shittiest part about all of it was that he didn’t even have the decency to tell me. I literally had to find out right before one of his “outings” to meet her while he was in the shower. His phone was going crazy so I turned it over to check who was spamming him and found myself staring at a set of boobs and copious sexts.
So naturally, I was in a blind rage and went down a rabbit hole reading every single text, snapchat, and DM from the past few months. I think it’s safe to say that I saw everything he’d seen while fucking her, only I witnessed it through photos.
“Where are you going to go?” He asked sharply.
I raised my eyebrows in realization that I was officially played. Badly. And the man I fell in love with was no longer there. Maybe I fell in love with someone I thought he was, someone I wished he could be. And that drive for a happy future with someone who could take care of me was clouding the reality of it all.The reality that he was just like everyone else and I was incapable of finding something substantial.
My eyes fell on the massive luggage of spilling clothes, skincare and books as I took in a deep breath before pressing it down and zipping it up.
I didn’t answer his stupid question. I didn’t look at his stupid face with his stupid facial hair and snake-green eyes.
The muscles in my arms flexed as I lifted the luggage off the bed and wheeled it with me towards the door, but he grabbed my hand as I shoved past him.
“I still care about you, Mar. I want to know you’ll be okay.”
