Finally feeling in control of my emotions, I start my car and head for home.
I don’t know Forbes is there waiting as his car isn’t parked up front—maybe that was the point; he always likes to have the upper hand. When I see him under the alcove by my door, I try to run, but he grabs my arm, dragging me back. “Oh no, you don’t.”
I can smell perfume on him.
And sex.
The sex I just saw him having.
He didn’t even shower.
Just finished screwing his bit on the side and came over here. Or maybe I’m his bit on the side. Maybe she’s his girlfriend.
Forbes yanks my keys from my hand and unlocks the door. He pushes me into my apartment.
I stumble, but quickly correct my footing. For some reason, in this moment, it’s important to me that I don’t fall in front of him.
Moving back, I press up against the back of the sofa and grip the top of it with my hands.
I’m not really sure what I expect of him in this moment, but I need to prepare myself for the worst.
He places my keys on the table by the door and leans back against it, folding his arms across his chest. I watch his muscles flex. In the beginning of our relationship, I used to love how strong his arms looked. How safe they made me feel.
Now all I see is the power behind the pain. The fear they make me feel. The same fear that I grew up feeling because of a man exactly like him.
I don’t want this anymore. I don’t want to feel this way.
Not now.
Not ever again.
It’s like clarity. Like my light has finally come on.
Why now? I’m not sure. But it has, and it’s like a weight off my shoulders. I’m never going back to how my life was. Whatever it takes, it stops now.
That knowledge pushes my backbone up. I stand a little straighter.
Forbes’ eyes are trained on me.
“Is she your girlfriend?” I ask, making sure to keep my voice clear and steady, even though my heart is beating so hard in my chest it’s almost painful.
He looks surprised. Of all the things I could have said, I don’t think he was expecting that. I wonder what he was expecting me to say.
“No. That privilege is all yours,” he replies through tight lips.
“Do you f**k her often?”
His eyes narrow. “Watch your mouth, Mia.”
“Sorry.” I smile, sweetly … antagonistically. “Do you have sex regularly with her?”
“No, she’s new.”
New?
“There have been others?”
“Yes.” He smirks. It hurts more than I was expecting.
Tears squeeze at my eyes. Not because of his betrayal, or the beatings, but because I’m angry with myself. Angry for being so goddamn weak.
“Have you used condoms with them?” He doesn’t with me.
“Yes.”
Thank god. I’m still going to get tested.
I can see the anger increasing in him. It tells in the dark of his eyes. The taunt skin across his cheekbones. The clenching of his fists by his sides.
My questioning is annoying him.
He actually has the audacity to be annoyed in this situation. But then, can I really expect any more from him?
Normally, when Forbes is this way, I will do anything to appease him. Anything to calm him. But right now my sole aim is to anger him more.
I don’t know why, or what I want out of this apart from him gone from my life for good, but I will do whatever it takes now to make that happen.
I tilt my head to the side, appraising him as I ask this question. I’m genuinely interested to know the answer because honestly, it doesn’t make sense to me.
“Forbes, you wanted to move in here with me. Wouldn’t that have slightly hampered your ability to have sex with other women?”
“No.” He’s smug in his statement. And it makes me feel less than worthless. He folds his arms across his chest. “It’s just simply time for us to move onto the next stage in our relationship. But my extra-circular activities will remain the same.”
God, I knew he was a cold-hearted bastard, but now I’m seeing a whole brand new bastard. I guess there are more sides to Forbes Chandler than I had realized.
I wrap my arms around myself. I need to feel some form of warmth. “So you have these girls and me. Why?”
He smirks. “Because I can. And there is no separate now, Mia. You will be a part of it too.”
My expression drops. “What?” The words wobble from my lips.
I’m pretty sure I know what he’s getting at—not that I know much about sex, but I’m not dumb. I just don’t want to believe it. He’s never shown any interest in anything like that before. We’ve always had straight forward vanilla sex. He’s never even taken me from behind like he did that girl.
“You. Will. Be. A. Part. Of. It.” He addresses me as though speaking to a child. “You’ll let me f**k them here in our apartment whenever I want. You’ll sit out here and listen to me f**k them. And sometimes…” He steps closer. “You’ll participate.”
No. No. No. No!
Hell no!
“I don’t think so.” Is that me speaking?
His features tighten. He takes a step forward. I can see his hands twitching by his sides.
I sidestep around the sofa.
“You will do as I tell you, Mia. You’re mine to do with as I want.”
The belt cracked across my behind.
“Who is in control here, Mia?”