Page 110 of Between Love & Ruin

My eyes widen at the horrific mess this place has become, and I stop myself from recoiling. No time for dwelling on that. Not my mess to clean up.

I quickly make my way towards my room, thankful to know he’s not home.

Just like I thought.

He has made a mess of my stuff, and I realize I don’t want to take anything that might have any remnants of him.

So I take out my family photographs, some of my books, though it’s really hard to choose which ones to take and which ones to leave, and my documents.

I lock my closet, and just when I turn around, I see him standing at the door.

My heart nearly leaps out of my chest at this fucker’s face. What a jump scare.

“Could have made it known you were home, Mark?” I say, calming down.

“Could have told me you’re coming back?” He counters, a smug look on his face.

I take a step ahead, trying to go outside, but he blocks my path. He reeks of alcohol, and I have to clamp a hand on my nose.

God, did losing his job make him lose his sanity too?

Honestly, one thing I liked is how Dominic made him suffer.

Call me a sadist or whatever but Mark deserved every bit of that.

“I am not coming back. Was just here to take my documents, and now I am out.”

I drop the keys on the floor. He looks at them clanking on the floor.

“You can have them.”

I step aside from him and make my way outside, happy to just leave this place once and for all.

“He left you, didn’t he? When are you going to admit being with him was a mistake? Men like him don’t last too long.”

I stop and turn around, baffled at his audacity.

I know Mark. I have known him my entire life.

And I know no amount of truth will get in his thick skull. That he will never be the man Dominic Wolfe is.

Deep down I know he knows it. And that’s what hurts his ego.

“You will never be an ounce of the kind of man Dominic is, Mark. I hope you understand that because I can’t imagine living a life trying to be like him. Because I know you’ll never compare.”

He snarls when he looks at me.

“He loves me. I love him. And that’s all that you should know. The fact another man could make me fall for him should tell you the kind of a man you are.”

He takes a step towards me, probably trying to threaten me.

But all he meets is the thud of the door.

I am not about to argue with a man child.

I sigh the moment I am out of the building.

It feels so good to give it back to a man.