Learning to Love

Chapter 13

Mike, Dee, Matt and Bianca all sat around the table outside Mike and Dee’s place, where Bianca housed her sheep, watching over the herd they’d finished drenching and tagging while they filled their stomach with curried sausage casserole.

Dee checked her phone and put it back down for the 10th time since sitting at the table and Bianca finally caved and asked. “Expecting a message?”

“Not exactly. I just kind of hoped to hear that Kadence had arrived home safely.”

Bianca scoffed, “She’s a grown arse woman, going back to her boyfriend for a romp in the sheets, last thing on her mind is to message her ‘friend’, if she even considers you that, which I’m sensing not.”

Dee sat with her mouth gaping open at Bianca’s jibe, while Matt frowned at Bianca and Mike made soothing noises to calm his wife.

Dee stood abruptly, with eyes sharply on Bi and walked back into the house.

“You didn’t need to be so mean, Bi,” Matt stated calmly, while Mike threw over his shoulder as he followed Dee, “More like don’t need to be such a bitch.”

“I just don’t understand why everyone’s making such a fuss over this new girl anyway, they never fret over me driving long distances.” Bi shrugged.

“You always message when you reach your destination.” Matt pointed out and she Hrumphed.

“She’s only going to get her heartbroken when she leaves, why get so attached?” Bianca quizzed, but Matt had no answer he could give her, yet his mind screamed, because she’s special.

“Each to their own. And who says she won’t stay the long haul? She could surprise us all.” Matt finished and took a last slug of his beer before standing to clear the table.

Bianca remained seated at the table looking over her sheep but not really seeing them. She needed to get a better control on her anger and jealousy because it looked like this new chick was going to try to weasel her way into all her friends’ hearts, only to break them a few months from now. Couldn’t they see she was just trying to protect them? Or was it really she didn’t want her stepping on her turf or Matt’s.

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Kadence drove ahead and kept looking in her rearview mirror watching Richard’s car follow closely behind. They were heading back to their apartment and she couldn’t help the slightly panicked feeling that washed over her at the thought of sharing a bed with him again.

He was silent through most of the dinner and that was troubling her more than the actual bed situation; he was prone to lashing out lately, but she couldn’t help the situation he had put her in and felt the heat rush to her cheeks from her anger that he would even put her in a situation like that. He sure had a lot of explaining to do.

Pulling into their respective car spaces, he followed her up to the apartment and stepped in to open the door after watching her rummage in her bag to locate them.

“Why didn’t you leave them attached to your car keys?” he questioned bluntly. She figured it was best to just not even answer, things were already feeling heated between then, you could practically cut the tension with a knife.

Once the door was closed and her bag was placed on the kitchen bench, she turned around ready to unleash on him, but was surprised to find him sitting on the coach with his head in his hands. Her anger dissipating, she made her way over and sat down beside him.

“I’m losing you already, aren’t I?” It wasn’t so much a question as a statement.

“I think we just want different things. I’ve changed.” Kadence spoke softly, not wanting to make things harder to put blame on anyone.

“You’ve met someone.” Richard declared, sitting up straighter.

“No, Richard, I haven’t.” she continued to soothe, “I just think we have grown too far apart and the distance has emphasised it.”

“I told you not to go,” he stood starting to pace, “I knew this would happen, but you just wouldn’t listen. You knew this would happen all along, you just wanted to wait until you found someone else to cut me out,” he leaned down into her face and she could smell the whiskey on his breath. The pressure of his hands squeezing into the leather of the couch on each side of her face.

“Richard, you’re scaring me,” she stammered and was shocked to see the vicious smirk curl the edge of his lips. “Richard, can you back up a little bit?”

Richard reached out and held a lock of her hair in his finger and pulled a little harder at the sight of her flinching. “It’s a fine line between pleasure and pain as they say.” And he gave a firmer tug on that lock of hair, causing her to yelp.

A wicked grin spread across his face causing Kadence’s heart to beat rapidly in panic, this was not the man she once knew and loved. The man standing before her dominating her space and intentionally hurting her was a foreign as swiss cheese.

“So the lady does like it a little rough,” he teased as he pushed her upper body down onto the couch, “Get in there and get a good feel honey, because you will always be mine.”

“Richard, stop. Please. This is not what I want.” She cried, but she could see the animalistic glint in his eyes and knew he wasn’t listening. Somehow, he thought this was appropriate. Reaching up she squeezed his n*****s, hoping to inflict enough pain to get him to move his body off her or even move enough to get her knee into his groin.

“That’s it baby, squeeze them harder,” he moaned out and she almost vomited from the endearment.

“Richard, this is not some creepy fantasy for me, please let me up,” she started pounding her fists on his chest but he just lifted her arms above her head and pinned them there with one hand.

She started tossing and turning on the couch, anything to make this difficult and put a stop to this unwanted advance, but she could already see he was too far mentally gone; it was like he was on some sort of drug and zonked out of his mind.

Frustration at her stupid movements made him wrap his fingers around her neck to try and still her, but she continued to throw her body around beneath his; any way to fight back was worth it. His grip on her throat intensified and suddenly she found herself getting a little light headed and her tossing uneven and weak, until darkness encapsulated her and all the fight was gone.