Three's Company

9. Bleed Me Dry

She knew why she had burst into tears so out of the blue. After spending so many years thinking about her in her head, it was hard to talk about her with him like it was normal.

It was only normal in her mind, not in reality.

She couldn't even say her name without feeling overwhelmed.

She understood that she was the one to text him this time, but she thought he'd be able to see that she was being irrational.

He wanted to make it right, reaching in to swipe at her cheeks when she backed away.

"D-Don't. Heath, please, don't make it worse." She cried softly,

He didn't know how he managed to force himself to get up when she was in such a vulnerable state, however, he listened to her needs. Giving her the privacy she desperately needed, he bowed his head low and walked out of the barn.

He didn't deserve her loyalty, not when he had failed to show his.

Although he didn't want to lose his spot in her heart, he knew he was being selfish.

He was the one to mess up so badly, she had lost her faith in him a long time ago. It wouldn't be easy to get that faith back, no matter how hard he had to try.

〆

Staring at the mid-length straight brown hair and those familiar jade eyes, Heath could see the reality of his biggest mistake sitting casually in front of him.  

Taking the olive off with her teeth, he sat there in contemplation, as she enjoyed her second martini.

"Let's get this straight, you cheat and lie for years, divorce the woman that kept us from being public together and now you want her back. I think what you need is a good therapist and some heavy medication because even your worst enemy wouldn't do that to you." Dove's raspy voice fell off into the background, bringing him back. "How could you do this to me, Heath? What about my feelings in all of this?"

He stared at her point blank, emptiness filling his disregard.

To her, echoed in his mind. How could he do that to her?

He couldn't make sense of anything anymore, wondering how the fuck he had let his marriage break because he had been so selfish.

"How could I do this to Mo you mean?" He asked out loud with a scoff. The steak on his plate was untouched as was the rest of the dinner, the only thing he was having was the Jameson he had ordered.

He placed his elbows on the table, muffling his face into his hands. "I'm so fucking stupid. I played into your little game, walked right into it. It was supposed to be a business dinner with your fucking dad and it's turned into this mess? My marriage, Dove, it's ruined and it's all my fault."

"Oh god. It's not always about your fucking marriage, Heath! You talk about her constantly, Mona this, Mona that, fucking Mona. I'm sick and tired of you talking about her, she's gone. The only reason you care is because you left her ass and she went willingly. You wanted her to fight for you but boo hoo, she didn't." she snapped, angrily.

The young girl was brutal, sticking it to him where it hurt the most.

She let out a bitter laugh, shoving her fork into the meat. "I actually saw her in the market yesterday you know and I can't believe you were ever so obsessed with that."

She deliberately forced her lips together and looked up at him silently. She was surprised to see him regarding her just as silently. An inscrutable look on his face.

"Fuck off," he warned, lifting his head up to catch her mocking taunts. "I'm serious, don't fucking do that."

"Why not? I can't talk about your ex-wife because it makes you feel shittier than you already are?"

Exactly that, he thought, holding in the glare. 

Colour suffused his face as she spoke and he felt fresh new waves of humiliation.

"What was the purpose of this dinner? Spit it out already so that I can get out of here." He said roughly, drained from her prejudice.

Her lips curled into a knowing smirk, "N'aw, bless you. Have I hurt your wittle feelings, babe?"

His features evened out, shaking his head firmly. He lifted himself out of the chair and throwing the napkin over at his plate.

She called over his shoulder mockingly, causing people in the busy restaurant to momentarily stare at them.

"Okay, I guess I'll just have to visit her myself since you don't want to listen to me!"

He was long gone, breathing hard through his nose as the revulsion kicked in.

Bile was all he could taste.