Internal Affairs: The Lies We Tell

Chapter One

"So, you're ignoring me now?" She asked, "Terrence!"

He yanked his Levi jeans from the floor and shoved his left leg into the pants followed by his right. A part of Aaliyah did not want Terrence to leave, but at the same time she knew that having him there would only make their complicated situation worse. She always felt good in the moment, but once the aftermath set in, she couldn't ignore the tormenting guilt that clawed at the back of her mind every chance it got. Just in this moment alone, her back burned from Terrence's touch and her skin reeked of his scent. Terrence dressed himself and left without a word, but what did Aaliyah expect?

Whenever they met like this, the same cycle would occur. Aaliyah would bring up his fiancé and Terrence would leave without a word, as if they had not betrayed each other all over again. Once Aaliyah heard the front door slam shut, she flopped backwards on the bed with a sigh. Her hair laid tossed across her snow-white pillows, as the morning sun continued to bake her bedroom. Aaliyah glanced over at the digital clock sitting on the nightstand and watched the neon green lights blink '9:30am'.

"What a great way to start a Saturday morning." Aaliyah mused, as she ran her hands down her face. She stared at the popcorn ceiling and let her mind roam freely. Lord knows her mother would have a fit if she found out about Aaliyah's entanglement with Terrence despite him having a fiancé. Aaliyah's mother treasured the covenant of marriage and hated any form of adultery. She was a dead woman if anything were to ever get back to her parents. It was too early in the morning to already feel like a complete failure for the day, especially when she still had to get out of bed, and meet her friend, Jordyn at the local diner by 10:00am.

After a few more moments of sulking in guilt, she muscled up the strength to crawl out of bed and languidly walk to the shower. Aaliyah turned on the shower, then shuttered when the warm steam filled the bathroom and crept up her spine. This was the part of the morning after that she hated the most. This became a routine she grew tired of, especially when she had to scrub her body clean of her sins. Aaliyah could remember once when she accidentally scrubbed until she bled. She grabbed a beige washcloth from her linen closet in the bathroom, pulled back the shower curtain, and stepped in the shower. The water pummeled her body almost as if punishing her for falling for the same tricks again. The hot water coated her skin in a loving embrace yet burned her with disappointment.

Aaliyah cupped a handful of water into her palms and threw it on her face. Life wasn't a show, but here Aaliyah stood, in the shower amid an episode of Twilight Zone. She let the water cover her naked body, as she grabbed the soap from her soap holder and washed herself. The fresh smell of peaches tickled her nostrils as she coated herself in soap. Time was nonexistent; a figment of her imagination left behind at the threshold of the bathroom door. The bathroom was her haven; a refuge to spill out all worries and relieve all doubts. The soap glided across her breasts, creating small rivers of white foam that trickled down her nipples. She stepped forward under the water that rained down from the showerhead. Aaliyah sighed in relief, as the feeling of her morning impurities swirled down the drain at her feet.

"I gotta stop ending up like this." She grumbled. Aaliyah turned off the water, and stepped out the tub onto her pink, plush floor mat. She wrapped her favorite beige towel around her body and began to dry herself off. Her brown eyes glanced over at her phone to see that the time was currently, 9:50am. After putting on deodorant, Aaliyah grabbed her cellphone from the bathroom counter, and reentered her bedroom to dress. Growing up, her parents always spoke of the importance of getting a good paying job so she could find a nice place inside Rose District. Those born here in Cartersville knew how safe Rose District was, due to its' high police involvement and safe zone criteria.