Exposed (Exposed 1)

I rip the corner of the paper from its place revealing a grey box.

"You can use it when you go back to school." He's standing right next to me now. I can feel his eyes boring a hole through my hands willing me to open the box.

I do and I'm caught off guard by the sight of a beautiful silver pen. "It's so nice," I whisper.

"It's engraved with your name." He reaches to pull it from the box and his arm brushes against mine. I feel regret course through me. I wanted this to be uncomplicated. I wanted this to work, even if it was just for the summer.

"I can't accept this." I push it back at him. "You shouldn't have gotten this for me."

"Why?" I can see pain cover his expression. "I saw it in the hotel gift shop and I thought you'd like it."

"In the hotel gift shop in Denver?" I spit the question at him. I know it sounds sharp, but I don't care.

"Yes." He bows his head staring at the box and tattered paper in his hands.

"You weren't in Denver," I seethe. "You lied."

He pulls his gaze slowly up to meet mine. I can see the vein in his neck pulsing. The joy that was on his face when he picked me up is now veiled by something darker. He's angry. I've never seen him livid but I recognize it within his eyes.

"You didn't just call me a liar, did you?" He drops the box onto the hardwood

floor and the pen bounces out. "Who do you think you are?"

"Nobody," I volley back.

"What does that mean?" His voice is vibrating. He's trying to calm it. I can hear it within the tone.

"I'm nobody to you." I push my finger against his unyielding chest. "You weren't in Denver. You lied for whatever reason to me about that."

"Why would I do that?" He pushes back against me, catching my hand within his.

"You already broke our agreement." I spit at him. "You went somewhere to fuck someone else."

"You're kidding?"

I pull my hand back and cross my arms on my chest. "I don't care what you do or who you do it with," I lie. "I just don't want to waste my time being part of some booty posse."

"A booty posse?" He arches his brow. "What the hell is that?"

"You travel a lot." I stand my ground. "You must have a different woman in every city that you screw when you're there."

"You've got no right questioning what I do." He points his index finger directly at me. "This wasn't supposed to be serious. What's gotten into you?"

"Whatever," I shout at him as I take a step towards the door. "You told me I couldn't sleep with anyone else and then you hop on a plane to go fuck someone less than forty eight hours later."

"You're acting like a child." He steps in my path. "Go fuck someone else if you want to, Sadie. I don't give a shit."

His words sting. I knew that's how he felt but when I hear the words roll of his tongue, I wince in pain. "I can't. It's not like that for me."

"You keep saying that." His voice is louder now. His anger is coursing to the surface. "You sure as hell weren't a prude when you were sprawled out on my couch the other night letting me eat you."

I feel like he's punched me in the stomach. He has no idea who I am. He thinks I'm just like the others. He thinks I just have random sex like him.

"I'm not like you," I say tightly. "I don't do those things."

"What things?" he barks. "You don't fuck? You don't enjoy yourself?"

"I don't." I want to hold it together but I'm racing towards lashing out. "I can't."