Hit and Run

Chapter 5: Moving In (Bethany's POV)

Malcolm Wolfe is moving his bags into our guest room. He doesn't own much and maybe he never did. Our guest room is across the hall from where Evan and I sleep. I never thought I'd lived with two men under one roof. Being engaged to someone who has pushed me to my almost-breaking point, makes me wonder if Malcolm Wolfe's move-in date was planned by the gods themselves. Someone up there is keeping their eye on me.

"Hey Evan, will you give me a hand?" Wolfe says, and Evan helps him carry a rather large wooden bookshelf to the guest room. We never discussed at length how long Wolfe would stay. I just assumed marrying Evan meant that he and Wolfe are a package deal. Like twins when it comes to friendships.

They lift the bookshelf with great ease into the room and place it in the back corner wall. It fits perfectly. Wolfe hangs up pictures and posters. He moves in fairly quickly. Having him here will either be good or bad for me. He is in essence like a brother to my Evan.

"It's time for me to head to work, Mal. Take care of Bethany for me. Remember we have our double date at the club tonight."

The club is where I've witnessed Malcolm Wolfe fornicate with some other woman. I walked in on him riding up and down on her in the bathroom. His full length was plummeting in and out of her body then. I'm sure I will soon witness similar happenings behind closed doors. The thought of him moaning loudly to someone other than me...

I stop my thoughts before they betray me. This is Malcolm Wolfe, the joke of a man who can't land on a real relationship. Evan kisses me goodbye and I feel nothing. Malcolm chuckles to the side, but Evan doesn't know that it's about how fake we look together. How completely lifeless we are together.

Wolfe and I are alone. I try not to dwell on this ironic mishap.

"Annie, we need to talk. It's about the double date."

When he calls me Annie my heart pounds. It's a bodily wake up call, and it's more arousing than the boring meaningless kiss I've just indulged with Evan.

"What about it? Take who you want. Why should I care?"

Caring about Malcolm Wolfe isn't exactly on my mind right now.

"I know you want alone time with, Evan. Is that wise?" He touches my forearm. I've already forgotten about Evan's mark on my skin. If I dwell on it, my emotions will surface and Evan will get mad if they do. My emotions don't belong to me, they are controlled by the eggshells I'm allowed to walk on.

"What are you implying? So what if Evan left a mark on my arm. It was bound to happen sooner or later. I probably deserved it."

Malcolm Wolfe grabs my hand and lifts the sleeve. We can both now visibly see where the handprint remains. It's not as bruised as it was, and there's no use in denying it's there.

"No, Annie. You didn't deserve it. I'm glad I moved in. I knew something was off about, Evan lately. He doesn't know I know about your arm. We won't tell him. But it's not okay, Annie."

He touches my bruise with his hands. They're gentle and somehow his touch turns into a little more. It turns into a look, one where both of our eyes are fixed on each other. We just sit there and look at each other. He touches my bruise over and over, trying to make sense of it. I don't understand it myself. Evan used to be so sweet, but now he's unkind and I can't escape him.

My hand tries to stop Malcolm's from caressing the spot where I was harmed. But instead it interlocks with his for a moment. My thumb brushes his hand, and he gently squeezes my hand back. My cheeks turn red, and he notices that too. I don't hide it this time, I let him see the truth of my face. The longing and desire all for him and no one else.

"He's a lucky one," Wolfe says as he pulls away. For some reason, I don't want him to pull away. I want him to call me Annie, and to touch my hands the way he did just now.

"Who's a lucky one?" I'm so enthralled by Wolfe it's hard to know who or what he is referring to in this moment of all moments.

"Evan of course. He gets to have you. Some of us aren't so lucky. Take me for instance, no woman wants to have a guy like me. I know I have commitment issues. But that's only because the woman I want is with someone else. She'd never be with me, and so I mess around with others to mask the truth."

Wolfe's never shared any of this with me. It has my mind racing, and my heart in knots. He's in pain in his own way. I suppose we all suffer in one way or another.

"Who is she? Do I know her?" Perhaps I've said too much. But he's the one who let his guard down, not me. It sounded like an invitation into his world.

"You might know her. I'd prefer not to say her name. It's too hard to talk about. But trust me when I say, the guy she's with doesn't deserve her. No one does."

It's hard to think of Malcolm Wolfe having real, true, genuine feelings for another woman. I never knew he liked someone in that fashion.

"She sounds special. I hope it works out for you, Wolfe."

He puts his hand back on my hand and I let him.

"I told you call me, Malcolm. And thanks, I doubt it will work out. But I guy can dream can't he? Well it's time for me to settle in more and don't you have articles to write?"

I pulls his hand away and unpacks his things. I get lost in my articles, and we avoid each other until Evan gets home.