She Lays Down [h.s.]

Ten

Mary groans when she hears the sounds of pans clinking in the kitchen. It's been a few days since Alec stood her up on their anniversary and she still isn't too happy with him. Apparently, she forgot to lock the door again and he's taken it upon himself to come home for breakfast.

He probably has plans to leave as soon as he's done, but what he doesn't realize is that Mary isn't a heavy sleeper anymore and she hasn't been since she first learned that he was cheating on her.

Thankfully, Ember is and she's happy that he hasn't taken it upon herself to wake her up. She doesn't think her poor little girl can handle much more disappointment from her father. It's hard enough on Mary as it is and she can't imagine how hard it is for her sweet little Ember.

She doesn't bother brushing her hair or her teeth just yet because she needs to talk to him and this might be her only chance. He's bustling around and looking for things that he can't find, because he's not home enough to know where they are, when Mary walks into the kitchen and clears her throat to catch his attention.

Alec nearly drops the pan in his hand.

His eyes are wide and his breathing is a little erratic because she's scared the hell out of him.

Mary crosses her arms under her chest and releases a deep breath, "What are you doing here?"

He nearly rolls his eyes and the hope in Mary's eyes fades quickly, "I live here. But I think you may have forgotten because you locked me out for two days straight. What the hell, Mary?"

Mary's eyes widen in shock. She doesn't believe he has the audacity to ask her why she locked him out because the reasoning was pretty obvious. Her wide eyes nearly turn to slits as she glares at him.

"What the hell? You want to know 'what the hell?' I locked you out because you stood me up again! On our anniversary, Alec! For fucks sake, it was the second time! All I wanted was a nice night with you and you didn't even have the decency to cancel. Instead I sat there and waited for you for hours like an idiot. Yeah, I locked you out and I was going to do it again but I forgot because I was too busy raising the daughter that you pretend you don't have!"

He doesn't know what to say. Mary hasn't yelled at him like this for months and he has no idea how to defend himself because he knows that he's the one that's wrong.

She isn't done though and she shakes her head as a sad laugh falls from her lips, "I don't even know how she still calls you her father because you aren't ever here for her. You're too busy sleeping with Elena to pay any attention to anyone else and it makes me sick, Alec. The man I married would never do this to his family, but you aren't the man I married anymore and I don't know how to get him back."

Now he thinks that he has some leverage because she mentioned his affair and not hers.

"I'm not the only one who's changed, Mary! I saw the car in the driveway! I'm not the one sleeping around with our daughter's teacher!"

Mary's appalled that he would say that because he knows that's not how she is and she's already told him multiple times that she's not sleeping around with Ember's teacher.

"Don't do that. You don't have a right to do that! He was only here because he picked me up from the restaurant you stood me up at! I asked him to stay because I'm tired of sleeping alone, Alec! I hate it! I already told you, he's my friend and we haven't done anything! Are you really stupid enough to not know who I am? I would never do that to anyone! Even you. Stop accusing me of the things that you do because I'm not you!"

Her heart is beating at a million miles an hour and she's crying despite how many times she told herself that she wouldn't cry. "You know what, just get out. Take your things and get the hell out, Alec. While you're at it, tell Elena I said he's all yours!"