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Hard days lingered in my own mind because of my downfall. When I shifted in my seat, flashbacks of Mario taunting me with his voice flooded my thoughts. My thighs clenched in panic, wondering when I'd stop having them so frequently and randomly throughout my day. Trying to hide my problems, I didn't need anyone to worry over my state when everyone else had suffered their own worst-case scenarios. Holding my breath, I felt how my heart rate kicked up. If I breathed, it would expose me for the fraud I was. Unwilling to move from my tightened ball, I knew my hand would tremble if I tried to reach for the arm of my chair.
Before I could dive into my mind's darkness more, the sound of the doorbell broke me from the spell of my trauma. Releasing me long enough to have a new distraction, I jumped to my feet, rushing for the excuse. Before I could answer it, two arms caged me into a strong chest. I knew the scent of Costas without needing to turn in his hold. His smell eased some of the stress daunting me because he'd become a safety.
"We look before we open," he reminded me about one of the main rules. With the events going on, we couldn't trust the mail carrier. He let me go before peeking through the small hole. Rolling his eyes, he stepped back to whisper in my direction. "Tim."
In all the hubbub, I hadn't been prepared to hear his name. Shaking my head, I had to figure out what I needed to say, shocked he'd show up here anyway. What did one say to the man who abandoned them as they were being kidnapped? The narcissist who ruined one's mind to always believed they're the problem.
"Would you like me to deal with him?" Costas popped his knuckles with an evil glint in his smile, bringing a small one to my own face.
Shaking my head with a chuckle, I kissed the top of his hand. "No. I think this is something I need to do."
Placing my hand on the handle of the door, I twisted it open to see the idiot standing under the porch light. His whole face lit up when he saw me like my absence had burdened him. I'd almost believe his expression if I hadn't learned his actions spoke otherwise. "Babe, you're okay!"
Grabbing me, he placed me in his arms like his life depended on my existence. Now, I'd been learning it did because I had been his source of spending to not lift a finger. Movement behind me reminded me I needed to shut this down before Costas killed him where he stood. Rejecting the hug, I stepped back. "Tim? What are you doing here?"
"One of my buddies said he saw you at the airport yesterday, so I borrowed my mom's car today to come see you. I had to see for myself that my girlfriend is okay."
"Girlfriend?" I nearly scoffed. "Tim, I broke up with you when you left me to be kidnapped! You ran from the apartment and left me!"
He did this thing where he swept his eyes over me to prove he'd been a good guy placed in a bad situation. It reminded me of the moment I found the stripper in my bed. Disgust filled every void within me. No love drove me to believe the lies he was about to declare. "We all make mistakes, babe. I was scared and panicked. You would've done the same thing had the roles been reversed. Come on, forgive me and let me make it up to you."
Of course, he grabbed his crotch. For the fun of it, I steadied myself on the door frame and gave him my full attention. "So where are you working these days?"
Costas could tell by my tone that I didn't want to know to regain Tim as a suitor, but I wanted to hear what other lies would come out of his trap. Hiding in the darkness behind the door, he trusted me to handle my business, but he offered silent support if I needed it. Tim placed his hand on the back of his head and rubbed the shaggy spot. "Oh, well, you see..."
In his pause, I raised my eyebrow. He tried to let his mind formulate a response that would cover his lack of trying to be better. Man, how had I been a fool for so long? I could see everything that escaped my diluted mind before. "I'm waiting."
"You see, after you were taken, no one would believe me! I was so lost without you and so worried, babe. How was I supposed to work without knowing you were okay? Then being evicted didn't help either when I couldn't pay the last few months of rent. You'd already forgotten to pay it when you were taken, and someone told our landlord you weren't coming back. He knew I wasn't working, so he forced me out! My mom had to come get me and our things. Can you believe him?"
"I can, actually," I said. Keeping my composure, I blinked twice. "I'm the one who called and told him I wouldn't be back and that you weren't working to pay the rent I'd miss. We were both on the lease, but I paid him to get out of my end without it hurting my credit when you didn't pay."
Not a lie because Draven helped me do it. All the things the three of them had done made me see the real loser I kept around for too long. It felt nice to be honest to Tim about all the hassle he'd been on me, even if he couldn't see it himself.
"You did what?" Tim's anger began to grow.
"Well, I dumped you while being tackled by another man in our home, and since being gone, I'm now dating three men. Three men who hold down jobs, are honest with me, put me first, and they provide for me while also allowing me to be independent by working for myself."
"You've been cheating on me?" Yeah, he heard what he wanted to.
"No, we were both present when I dumped you," I curtly replied.
"You were delusional!" Ah, my sense of rationality now came under attack. He knew his game well.
Before I could say something else, Costas stepped out of the shadows, placing his possessive hand on my shoulder. Growling, Tim recognized the tone. "Leave."
"Him?! Your attacker!" Stunned, his jaw fell to the floor.
Letting my head fall back into the chest of my boyfriend, I felt complete peace. "This is my lover, Costas. The other two will be joining us soon. And these ones, my father approves of."
With that, I closed the door in his face. It felt nice to take control back. I also had a room full of witnesses who saw what exchanged just in case he tried to play victim again. Costas kissed my temple. "You did good, held your own."
"It helped having you by me." Snuggling into him more, he surprised me by sweeping me off my feet and carrying me up the stairs to my old room. Bedtime came, and he planned on spending his first night with me in my childhood room.
"Oh, don't worry. I already cleaned out my stuff and the kittens! Thanks for making sure before you do the nasty on my shit!" Kasey hollered.
Laughing, I let the burdens of today melt away when Costas laid me on the bed. Already being in my sleep dress, I had changed after my shower. He stripped down to his shirt and boxers, but I stopped him from getting in the bed. "If I'm sleeping with you, I want to feel the real you."
Hesitation danced behind his dark stare, but he nodded and removed his shirt, trusting me to love every ounce of marred skin he carried. When he slid under the comforter, he paused to see how I'd like him. Patting for him to slide over a little more, he listened to my command right as I plastered myself to his side, letting my head rest on his chest.
