Samantha
Thank you.
I lay there stunned for a minute after he’d grabbed his shorts and left the room. My heated body was shivering from cold, and humiliation. I finally got up and grabbed come comfy, warm pajamas from my dresser before curling back in the bed that he just had me tied to and where he gave me the best orgasm of my life.
He’d said thank you and left after releasing me from the bindings. I looked down at my wrists and could see the impression the fabric had made in my skin. The whole thing hadn’t been my imagination or a dream, but it kinda felt like a nightmare.
I was with Josh for three fucking years and I felt closer to a man I barely knew than I did to Josh. I wanted more from Dax—more than what he wanted to offer. Sleeping with him had been a mistake because as much as I wanted to stay detached from him, I couldn’t. I was falling in love with him as much as I was already in love with his daughter.
My mind tried to process the new revelation. I’d convinced myself that I loved Josh and that he loved me. I made myself believe that the little digs his colleagues and even he himself took at me were normal joking. I’d convinced myself that we were the perfect couple because of our families and who we were, but I was so wrong.
I felt more hurt and humiliation by what just happened here with Dax than what caused me to turn and run from my own wedding. Josh had cheated on me, repeatedly, over the last two years. I was angry and embarrassed, but I wasn’t hurt. I wish I was more upset with him for what he did, and the fact that I wasn’t made me realize marrying him would have been the biggest mistake of my life.
Dax rocked my world, kissed me, and left. I felt empty, exposed, and more alone than ever. I curled up on the bed, hugging the extra pillow to my chest and face to muffle the sound of my crying.
I didn’t cry when I found out about Josh. I didn’t cry when I left DC and my parents or my job. I didn’t cry until that asshole scared me in the parking lot, but it felt like now that the dam had burst, there was no holding back the floodgates.
It took a while for me to fall asleep. I don’t know how long I laid there thinking about my life, the decisions I had made, and the man across the hall. The one I was supposed to marry in a few short weeks. He was a virtual stranger, I knew nothing about his past or Bow’s mother. He was very secretive when it came to her. The only thing I knew was that she had betrayed him so severely that he didn’t trust anyone anymore.
I had no idea what she did to close him off so bad. He’d said he wished she had just cheated on him, so what was so bad he couldn’t forgive her or move on from her? I fell asleep thinking about him and wondering if there was any hope for us finding more together, even if the start of this relationship was a bit different.
When I woke up the next morning, my body still felt heavy from the sex the night before and from the emotional roller coaster that had come with it. I groaned getting out of bed, my body stiff and tense. The clock said I was a bit later getting up than normal, but it wasn’t too bad.
I grabbed my robe and wrapped it tightly around my body. Dax normally took Bow to school anyway, so all I needed to do was get their lunches together.
“Hey, Samantha.” Bow’s voice was hoarse, and her eyes were bloodshot. “I don’t feel good.”
“Oh no.” I squatted down and put my hand to her head. “You feel feverish.”
“What’s going on?” Dax scared me again, causing me to jump and almost fall over.
“Bow’s not feeling well. Her voice is hoarse, and she’s running a fever. I’m not sure how high it is, but her eyes are bloodshot and glassy.”
“Back in bed, Bow. I’ll make you a doctor’s appointment.”
Bow groaned and turned to go back into her room, leaving me and Dax alone in the hallway. The silence settled around us, and I crossed my arms protectively across my stomach, my hand clutching at my robe, keeping the folds together.
“I can’t take her today. I have meetings and classes all day, then practice after school.”
“No problem, I can take her as long as you call them to give me permission to take her.”
“Ok. I appreciate it.”
“It’s what I’m here for.” I offered a weak smile before turning to go back into my room. I needed to get dressed and wait for him to leave so I could breathe easier again. It felt awkward and strained between us, and if anything, sex should have brought us closer but we felt further apart.
“Samantha.” Dax’s voice stopped me before I shut my door. Our eyes met, but he hesitated, not saying anything for a minute. “Thank you.”
I cast my eyes down and nodded my head, acknowledging his words and hiding the fact that they made me want to scream. He turned and walked away, and I shut the door firmly between us so I could get dressed. The chasm between us was so deep I wasn’t sure there was any way to fix it. He was so damn guarded, and I was so fucking broken.
***
“She’s got the flu,so the best thing you can do is treat the symptoms. Alternate fever reducing medicines every four hours to keep her fever down, and give her cough meds. Honey is good for sore throats.”
“How long will this last?”
“Depends on how long it takes for it to run its course. Most kids her age bounce back in a few days or a week. If she’s not doing better by next Thursday, you’ll want to bring her back in.”
“Thank you, Doctor Matthews.”