Page 48 of The Wives of Hawthorne Lane

Audrey

Hawthorne Lane

Audrey’s sneakers hit the deck of her treadmill in a steady pattern.

She turns up the music streaming through the speakers of her home gym.

It was part of the recent renovations she and Seth made to the house, a state-of-the-art gym in their finished basement.

She’s been more grateful for it than ever these past few days, since Colin cornered her in the alley next to her office building.

Audrey hates to admit it, even to herself, but ever since that incident, she’s been somewhat afraid to leave her house.

She’s avoided their local grocery store, driven her car into the office (despite the exorbitant cost of New York City parking), and she’s skipped her sessions with her personal trainer.

None of it was worth running into Colin again.

Audrey picks up her pace, her feet thudding against the spinning band of the treadmill below her.

She hates Colin. Hates that he’s made her a prisoner in her own home, too frightened to so much as collect the mail from her mailbox.

Audrey has never been the type of person to shy away from…

well, anything. But with one swift movement, Colin has managed to reduce her to a shaking, quivering wisp of a woman.

She clenches her teeth, running harder as she thinks about it, the way she’d cowered and caved to him.

The heart rate on her fitness watch ticks higher as she remembers the feel of his hands gripping her arm, her throat.

The way she’d been so meek and pliant—“Yes, Colin”; “No, Colin”—the way he’d smiled, his voice in her ear like a purr: “Good girl.”

Audrey refuses to be that person ever again. She’s stronger than that, stronger than he thinks she is. And next time he comes for her, she’s going to be ready. She’s not going down without a fight.

That’s the part that’s stuck in her mind, that’s haunted her in the early-morning hours while she lies awake listening to Seth snoring in bed beside her.

Why hadn’t she fought? Why hadn’t she kicked and screamed and clawed at him?

Why had she crumbled into dust, letting him trail his fingers over her body even though they’d felt like razor blades against her skin?

She senses movement in the fitness mirror mounted on the far wall of the gym.

Seth is back from picking up their dinner.

She dials down the pace of the treadmill, slows herself to a stop, and clicks the remote to cut off the music, which she now realizes was blasting over the whir of the treadmill.

Audrey takes a sip from her water bottle and whisks the sweat from her brow with the small towel she keeps looped around the bar of the treadmill.

“That was fast,” she says, sweat dampening the black Lycra sports bra she wears as a top. Her body feels good after her run, fit and strong. This was exactly what she’d needed.

Seth offers no response, and Audrey turns to face him. But it isn’t Seth hovering in the doorway like a specter. It’s Colin.

Audrey gasps, and Colin casually steps into the room and shuts the door behind him.

Suddenly it feels like her air supply has been cut off.

Audrey panics, scanning the walls, the few shoebox-size windows near the ceiling, the firm surface of the thick metal door.

Seth had insisted on that door. He wanted to soundproof the gym, isolate it from the rest of the house so he could write in peace while Audrey worked out.

There’s no escape, she realizes now. She’s trapped down here. With him. Her breathing quickens.

“What are you doing here?” she demands, forcing herself to remain calm, not to let him sense her fear.

“Just thought I’d drop by for a little chat.”

“You can’t just show up at my house! Seth is home,” she lies. “He’ll be down here any second, so you should just—”

“Audrey, I know Seth isn’t home. His car isn’t in the driveway.”

“That doesn’t mean he’s not home. Maybe his car is in the shop. Did you think of that?”

“No,” he responds, infuriatingly calmly. “Is it?” Audrey hates the amusement that dances in his eyes as he challenges her obvious lie.

“Y-yes,” she stammers.

“Well, in that case…” Colin cracks open the basement door and yells up the stairs, “Seth, would you come down here a moment? I think Audrey would like your assistance with something.” He cups his hand to his ear theatrically, leaning toward the stairs.

“Nope. Nothing. Guess he must have left.” Colin slams the basement door shut once again and stands in front of it, sealing off Audrey’s only hope of escape.

“Now that that’s settled,” he continues, “I think it’s time we had a little talk.”

Audrey doesn’t respond. She can’t find the words.

“You remember our last chat, don’t you?”

She nods.

“Well, it would appear that you’ve forgotten the message.

I think I was clear with you, was I not?

When I call, you are expected to answer.

And yet I’ve called you several times, and it seems that my phone number remains blocked.

That’s not very nice, Audrey. Not to mention inconvenient.

It’s left me with no choice but to come here and talk to you in person. ”

“What do you want, Colin?”

“I think you know what I want.”

Colin’s eyes slide over the curves of her body, and it leaves Audrey feeling exposed. She wraps her arms around her bare midsection.

“Oh, no point in getting shy with me now.” Colin laughs.

The easy, bubbling sound of it sparks a fury in Audrey. “You have to leave. What happened between us was a mistake. A mistake I won’t be making again. It’s over, Colin. You need to understand that. I’m married.”

Colin’s eyes harden to stone; a muscle in his jaw twitches. “Now you care that you’re married? It never seemed to bother you before when you were taking your clothes off for me like the whore you are.”

The words hit Audrey like a slap across her face.

Colin steps toward her, closing the gap between them. He runs his hands along her Lycra-clad hips. “Why can’t you just play nice?”

Audrey pushes away from him, her long dark ponytail swishing over her shoulders as she vehemently shakes her head. “Don’t touch me.”

“Wouldn’t it be a shame,” Colin says, feigning thought as he taps a finger against his chin, “if Seth were to find out about the ‘mistake’ you made with me?”

The sound of her husband’s name in Colin’s mouth is the final straw for Audrey. It’s gasoline on the spark of rage he’s been stoking inside her, and it sets off an explosion.

“Don’t you dare talk about my husband to me.

You’re not even worthy of speaking his name.

And if you ever show up here again, if you ever put your filthy hands anywhere near me, I’ll tell Georgina everything.

I swear to you, I’ll do it. You seem to forget that you have something to lose here too, Colin. ”

Colin smirks, and it takes all of Audrey’s self-control not to reach out and smack the smugness off his face.

“I’ve always found that fiery side of you so sexy.

But there’s something you’re mistaken about.

” The smirk is gone, and Audrey never thought she’d be so sorry to see it go.

The stony severity left in its wake is far more frightening.

“You do not call the shots here. And I have nothing to lose. You’re going to tell Georgina about us?

Go right ahead. But I warn you, you’re going to be disappointed by her reaction.

She already knows. Maybe not that it’s you that I’m fucking this time, but she knows that our marriage is not a…

traditional one. That I come and go as I please. ”

Audrey’s eyes grow round, her mouth agape.

“You look surprised,” Colin comments. “Poor Audrey—did you think you were the only one? That you were special?”

Audrey doesn’t reply as she watches the only card she was holding slip between her fingers.

Colin steps so close to her that their chests are nearly touching, and then he reaches out, brushing his fingers over her ponytail. “So beautiful,” he breathes.

Audrey’s own breath is caught in her throat as she waits for him to do whatever he’s going to do next.

“But I’ll tell you this,” Colin says, glowering at Audrey, his words like cut glass, “if you threaten me again, it will be the last thing you ever do.”

He turns away then, and Audrey feels like she can finally exhale. She watches him walk away from her, those long confident strides, but when he reaches the door, he stops, turns to her once more.

“And, Audrey? You really should be more careful about remembering to lock your doors. Anyone could have just walked right in.”