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DELILAH

M y phone buzzes on the table as Asher enters the kitchen and laughs to himself. “Shit, I left your cake on top of a glass. It must’ve fallen.”

UNKNOWN:

*1 video attachment*

A tremor overtakes my hand as I click despite knowing it won’t contain anything good. The circle slowly spins to show it’s loading as Asher calls out to me.

“There’s glass all over the floor. Don’t come in here or you’ll end up getting hurt.”

Ditto. But there’s no glass that will hurt him, it’s me.

The video loads and I don’t unmute it. I’m in our bed with Ghost between my thighs. I quickly delete it and go to my deleted folder to make sure there’s no trace of it when another message comes through.

You missed the best part

Ask your husband what he thinks about it

Unless you’ve forgotten me again?

ME:

No.

You’re the one who left me.

What the fuck am I doing?

I block the number and throw my phone beside me, but it vibrates again.

Missed me?

No.

I’ve missed you

Missed that desperate little cunt too

No. I’m not talking about your husband

Whose tongue is better?

I block the number, again, and turn my phone off. The screen’s black and glass tinkles from Asher cleaning, but my phone buzzes in my hand with another message when I’d just turned it fucking off.

Boo!

Oh, in case you forgot, enjoy your last night with your husband because you broke the rules Delilah.

If you can keep your legs closed until I have you, I’ll let you keep his tongue as a souvenir

There’s no way to fucking get rid of him, short of killing the freak. I push that thought away before I make my life worse. Rather than have Asher see the messages, I bury my phone between the sofa cushions and leave it there as I stand. No sound comes from the direction of the kitchen and my heart seizes. The freak has managed to get in the house multiple times. He’s going to hurt him.

My feet skid over each other as I run towards the kitchen, shouting Asher’s name. It’s a short distance and my nemesis of a mind distorts time to make me spend longer suspended in not knowing if he’s safe or not.

He stands at the threshold with his brows together and I don’t stop running until I’ve got my arms wrapped around him. The force of my body colliding into his makes him rock and he strokes my hair as he asks, “What’s wrong?”

I shake my head and hug him tighter, my hands roaming over his body, and I lay my ear flat against his chest to hear his heart beating. He’s okay . Banding his arm around the back of my thighs, he lifts me off my feet and I wrap around him like a koala, refusing to let go.

He kisses my cheek as I push my nose into the crook of his neck, and he strokes down my back. “I wanted to fix your cake.”

The hard edge of his cast digs into my spine with each swipe of his fingers, but my arms tighten around his neck, and I mumble, ”I don’t care about cake. I just want you to stay with me."

His shoulders deflate and he misconstrues my reasoning.

“I’m not going anywhere, Lilo.”

I stay wrapped around him as he leaves the kitchen and walks to our bedroom. My eyes scan everywhere for Ghost. He’s a fucking freak and I’ll take Asher hating me as long as he’s safe. I’ll tell him the truth and then he’ll know that there’s a fucking crazy person on the loose. He’ll hate me, but he’ll be able to protect himself.

He doesn’t turn the lights on when we reach our bedroom and lays me on the bed. My arms refuse to loosen, forcing him to lower over me as I selfishly remind him, “I love you.”

His smile is slow as he brushes the tip of his nose against mine. “I know. I’m the only person you’ve ever loved, remember?”

I nod instead of voicing my lie, and he grinds into me.

“You know what I’ve missed? Feeling your tight pussy choke my cock.”

He rests his knee on the edge of the bed and kisses me, forcing his need down my throat before I can tell him the truth, and he pulls his t-shirt off. His sweats are next, and I don’t know how to stop him. I don’t know how to tell him that I love him and want him, but not like this.

So, I don’t. I lay there as my tears slowly slip from the corners of my eyes and he kisses down my neck as he praises me.

“Good girl. My good little wife.”

He pushes into me, and I dig my nails into his shoulders as I arch my back to hide my tears. Each thrust knocks more over my lashes as he grunts and alternates between kissing and biting into my neck. The numbness has taken over and I watch the ceiling while he fucks me.

Unlike Ghost, Asher doesn’t acknowledge my tears slipping down my cheek to his lips on my neck. He doesn’t pause. He doesn’t act as though they’re significant.

“Fuck, baby, you’re so wet.”

I’m not unless he counts the tears on my face.

It hurts and his knee digs into my inner thigh.

It changes as he slows down and lifts up with his forearm beside my head to kiss the tip of my nose and grinds into me as he wipes my tears away.

“Stop or slow?” he asks softly.

I beg him, “Tell me you love me, please?”

Asher stares down at me with wonder and he softly brushes the hairs stuck to my tear-stricken cheek away.

“I have only ever loved you. I loved you as Delilah Leroux from the moment I saw you, and I love you now as my wife. Only ever you.”

He kisses me and it’s full of emotion. My fingers dig deeper into his shoulders as I return his love with remorse. The numbness slowly leaves as he breathes out, “I love you, baby.”