The Marriage Rival

Haden Cooper, aka the class act #Jerk. The same guy who made my life a living hell.

Sandy is carrying two shots. She extends one toward me, but I kindly refuse.

“I think I’m going to head back to the room.”

“What?” she yells, unable to hear through the noise.

I lean in and repeat myself, watching her smile disappear, replaced with an annoyed expression.

“Fine, let’s go.”

The cab ride back to the hotel is quiet. I welcome it, though, as my head spins with every turn the driver makes. When we’re back at the hotel, Sandy pulls me out of the cab, my walking comprised by my heels. They hurt, the pavement feels hard, and I think I’m walking in a straight line until Sandy shouts at me because I’m going the wrong way.

“Why don’t you come back to my room? You don’t look so great.”

“I’m fiinnneee.” I hold out my hand. “See, steady as a rock.”

Sandy grabs my hand, pulling me out of the elevator. Her room is located only a few doors down, and I don’t know why I follow, but I’m too tired to walk anywhere else.

Inside the room, Sandy sits me on the end of the bed, removing my shoes. I relax instantly, my expensive heels are not made for bar hopping.

“Better?” she asks, sitting beside me.

I nod, followed by a deep laugh, uncontrollable and hurting my sides.

“Do you know what’s funny? When Cher was trying to pick you up.” I pull a business card out of my jean pocket, barely able to compose myself. “Here’s her number.”

Sandy places the card beside her, staring at me oddly. My laughter begins to ease, confused as to why she isn’t joining in the hilarity of the conversation until my mouth falls open.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you liked women. Well, he, she, I’m confused. You told Clint…”

My head begins to hurt causing me to wince.

“Presley…” Sandy whispers, pushing my hair away from my neck and past my shoulder. “I do like a woman, in fact, I’ve liked this woman for as long as I’ve known her.”

“Shit,” I blurt out. “I should leave. I’m cramping your style. Is she from the city?”

Her hand glides along my thigh, resting comfortably as she leans in. “Relax, okay, I promise you’ll like it.”

Confusion strikes until her mouth draws in closer, her warm breath lingering against my lips until they touch my own. My eyes spring wide open, my body screaming for me to react yet I’m unresponsive.

What the hell is happening?

The adrenaline kicks in, retracting my body to create distance.

“What… what are you doing?”

Her hand rests on my neck, forcefully pulling me back into her. “Presley, c’mon. It’s just us now.”

My body jerks back, stumbling off the bed in panic.

“You know we’re just friends, right? I’m married. That hasn’t changed. I… I love my husband.”

Sandy bares her teeth, her stare planted firmly on the ground. “Jesus Christ, Presley. Wake up and realize he doesn’t care about you? He treats you like a slave, and if he loves you like you claim he does, he would be here right now. In fact, he would never have let you go in the first place.”

My arms wrap around my stomach as I pace the small area in front of the bed. A wave of nausea stops my pacing, the air inside this room has become incredibly stiff.

She’s right, I think. Haden would never have let me go. Whenever his insecurity about us dominates his thoughts, he is always the first one to react. His reactions are always over-the-top. Immature at times. But’s that’s what you love about him.