Cabin Fever | ✓

(2) The Word

Sometimes, you feel so much that you end up feeling nothing at all. Reading the message over and over, a responding message, made her feel nothing but absolutely numb.

Marley was so glad for it. Bursting into tears would be the worst possible reaction. She needed to have enough backbone to bring him his phone and walk right out instead of showing him how much she was breaking inside. She knew the second she was truly alone, she'd think this through over and over in her head, trying to find the signs and cursing herself when she did. She'd cry and she'd hate herself and him even more, for everything she ever said and did to let him in. To give someone who is notorious for hooking up with girls and not giving half a damn about any of them — her heart.

Aiden is cheating. And she knew why.

Marley's footsteps slammed down the stairs with so much more force and dramatics then she needed express. Her eyes were burning but not with tears, with anger and betrayal that raced through her blood, heart pumping loud and fast through her veins. She watched heads turn to look at her, one by one and begin to probably sense her aura of fury and scorn. The voices and conversation stopped. Jason was the first one to look up, his brown eyes widening into saucers but she had tunnel vision on the guy crouching beside one of the couches and cursing under his breath. He didn't even look up.

"I can't see underneath this-"

Marley tossed it right at him and he spun around to catch it at the speed of light, on pure instinct with his years of football. She didn't throw it hard, and knew he'd catch it, because she wasn't ever going to be physical with her anger for him. It didn't matter anyway. He wouldn't care.

"Thank-"

"No need to hide it anymore, Aiden. No need to come up with time and place, baby. She gives you more than I do. So I should be thanking her, right?"

She watched his expression change, but before she could understand what emotion it was becoming she turned on her heel and headed for the door with her arms crossed over her chest.

The room had gone pin drop silent, but Marley didn't see anyone or anything right now. The world had stopped making sense.

"What the fuck are you talking about, Marley. Stop walking."

She continued to head for the doors, hearing his booming footsteps rapidly closing in on her. Marley was in no rush, she wouldn't be able to outrun him anyway. Even metaphorically.

"Stop it. Just start explaining-" he grabbed her forearm gently, trying to spin her around but she yanked it away.

Her hazel eyes fiercely glaring into the blue ones which were her favourite ones to look into. She cursed herself for that still being true.

"Get away from me," she snapped, her tone icy and unforgiving. 

Marley has never spoken that terrible before, but all bets were off right now. There were no lines of what was unacceptable between them anymore, clearly.

She turned back on her heel and slammed the screen door open with the palm of her right hand, body vibrating with restless fury. At herself, and at him.

Marley fell in love with a heartbreaker, and now it was time for the karma of that choice to come back and bite her.

"You cheated on her?!" Marley heard the shout of her best friend in the background, but was too far gone to even think about it for another minute.

"What the fuck? No! Marley!"

She heard the door open again, and wasn't surprised that Aiden was following her. He never leaves her alone, when she's overwhelmed with him or upset, he never gives her a chance to breathe. He reached for her shoulder this time, and she did turn around but simply to lock eyes and say with the coldest, flattest voice possible.