Cabin Fever | ✓

(2) The Word

"Do. Not. Touch. Me."

"What the fuck even is this?" He burst, throwing his hands up, "Storming downstairs, throwing my phone at me? Where in the world is my Marley?"

My Marley. How could he even say that with a straight face, after he cheated on her with another girl? How can he call her his, when he was never hers? "I'm not your Marley anymore," she said harshly. "Aiden we are done."

She heard his shocked inhale even steps away, and it brought on some sick satisfaction that he was feeling a semblance of the stinging that she was beginning to feel throbbing to break through the numbness. Marley is not vindictive, or violent, she doesn't have a mean bone in her body. She is selfless and always puts others' needs before her own.

But all of that, everything she is doesn't exist right now. All she is, is a hurt teenage girl working through her first heartbreak. Honestly, she wishes she could've handled this better. This behaviour is ugly of her.

"Wow. I never expected this from you."

Marley's storming steps halted brutally, the gravel skidding beneath her converse. The most hypocritical words in the world had a way of triggering her.

She spun around with her eyebrows raised, her arms still crossed to hide her trembling hands, "Excuse me?"

Aiden's blue eyes were narrowed as if she was the one in the wrong here. ""I never expected you to be petty, or small, or spend three minutes reading my fucking messages, not even taking a second to give me the benefit of the doubt before treating me like this."

"You want to play the respect game?" Marley shrieked. "You're dating me, you tell me you love me, you make promises to me, meanwhile you're breaking every single one of them by having sex with another girl behind my back. I won't apologize for being angry. I won't apologize for what you did to us. You're a stupid kid in every sense of the word, and I should've known better than to ever trust you."

Marley spun around and stormed away, again. Ready to go to her room, close the door, and throw everything around until she was satisfied.

She's a virgin with no plans not to be anytime soon, and Aiden is the biggest player on the planet. She should've known that he wouldn't stay loyal if she wasn't giving him any. Stupid, stupid Marley.

"I'm not having sex with anyone. I'm not touching, or talking to, or speaking with, or so much as looking at, anyone else but you. We spend almost all our time together. You know my password to my phone and you know I delete any incoming messages from girls who have my number. I tell anyone with ears that you're my girlfriend. But now all I feel is ashamed."

Marley stopped for the second time, blinking rapidly. No. You're not the bad guy here, Marley, don't let him turn you into one. You kept your promises, you were loyal and loving and honest. He was the one who hurt you.

You're not the bad guy.

But she stayed rooted to the ground, thoughts swarming behind her eyes but none of them she was able to translate. She didn't turn around. It was quiet for a minute. Aiden's harsh exhales could be heard from where she was standing.

"An hour ago: hey Aiden. It's Penny from back home. I miss you baby. Thirty minutes ago: I noticed you have a girlfriend, but I'm still open to a hookup on the DL...Ten minutes ago: ...Obviously. Anytime and anyplace works for me baby ❤️😍. All unanswered. All unopened. I haven't been on my phone in two hours."

Marley's face lost all its colour in a heartbeat, everything tipping sideways. This can't be true. Aiden is cheating, and that is that. She's not the insecure, neurotic girlfriend who doesn't trust him and give him a chance to explain himself. Marley would never disrespect Aiden's character this way otherwise. He's cheating.