He convinced her to jump, promising that he'd catch her but as soon as she started to fall he was already turning around.

Chapter Forty-Three: That Weird Feeling

Where the fucking hell was he?

Cat asked herself this question for the seventy-sixth time as she paced around her living room. As much as she'd like to sit still, she couldn't. Not until Zach came home. It was already 10pm and he was no where to be found.

Naturally, he was a busy man, she knew that. But he never came home after the clock hit ten, and even when he did, he always made sure he called to check up on her or say if something important came up.

He did neither.

And she was scared out of her wits.

Could the reason be because he was yet to fire that wench with nice hair?

She shook her head, trying her damned best to push those thoughts to the back of her mind. No, she wouldn't let herself be overcome by stupid, irrelevant thoughts. That girl had nothing on her.

Really? Is that why you've been shaking in fear for the last one hour?

Shut up! She wanted to scream, but then decided against it. It wouldn't do for the neighbours to call the police on her on suspicions of a mad woman living right next door.

She picked up her phone that she had, oh so graciously, thrown on the couch behind her in anger. Trying Zach's number again, she groaned loudly as the operator informed her that his phone was switched off. The phone paid for that. She had no mercy as she slammed the phone against the wall, shattering it into tiny pieces.

She just wanted to know one thing: was he still at the office? And if so, was she there?

Okay, so maybe two things.

Ahhh! Thus was so infuriating. Never had she been so jittery in her entire life. Beneath her anxiousness, was fear. Demoralizing fear.

Worst of all; fear of the unknown.

She didn't know what would happened when he walked in through that door, but she sure as hell dreaded it. On a normal day, she would have just brushed it off and come to the conclusion that he had a long day at work, she'd never been one for too much talk. But that was the problem. On a normal day, Zach wouldn't do this. Let alone, not call for an entire day.

He just didn't do it.

He was too overprotective to not call her, worrying if she'd fallen and broken her neck while running down the stairs or if she'd burnt the entire house in her bid to make herself some toast.

He just didn't do it.

The important question was why? Why was she suddenly feeling so weird? Why was she scared? She never had any reason to be in the past. Why now? Why?

That girl...

No! No! She wouldn't let that girl win one over her. Never! She was better. She knew she was. That was the reason Zach was with her. Her and nobody else.

Only her.

But that didn't calm down terrible feeling that overwhelmed her the minute Zach walked through the door looking all ruffled—his dress shirt untucked, his black tie hanging loose from his neck and his suit jacket dangling from his arms, by 10:58. She was on the couch, and she knew he hadn't noticed her yet. But she had noticed him, all right.

He looked tired.

Shutting the door behind him, he walked to the living room, running his hands through his entangled hair. Even tired, he still looked good.

Cat watched him take long strides to the kitchen as he opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. She straightened her spine when he began waking back to the living room, trying her best to keep her face straight as his eyes widened in recognition the minute they met hers.

“Oh. I..uh..didn't know you were up,” he said, his voice shaking. He took purposefull stides to stand close to her, but not too close.

“Hmm?” she raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah. I.. I thought you'd be asleep by now. Sorry if I took some time, was just caught up in the office.” he said and she noticed his voice didn't sound so shaky now. Almost as it if he'd rehearsed the words.

She nodded grimly. “Of course you were. Is that why you didn't call?” she asked, her gaze pinning him on the spot.

Zach’s body tensed. “About that.. Yeah.. I might have damaged my phone... by.. flinging it out the window.”

Cat wanted to ask the reason but she knew she couldn't judge, not when she'd done the same thing not too long ago. She nodded again. “Okay. It's fine.” she tried to put a smile on her face but she was sure it came out more as a grimace. “You must be tired. Go to bed.”

See? Nothing to worry about.

She could hear his sigh of relief from where she sat. In one swift gesture, he placed a kiss on her forehead before walking pass her. Her eyes followed his movements as he strolled through the room, his steps slow. Yeah, he was definitely tired. Cat was about to remove her eyes when she caught sight of it.

At first she couldn't believe it. Maybe the lights were playing tricks in her. She strained her eyes further, and anybody passing could have easily thought she was in immense pain from the mere sight of her.

What was she looking at?

A lipstick stain.

Right there, on his collar.

A fucking lipstick stain.

Slowly, she stood from the chair, holding the armrests tight for support. No no no! This can't be happening! She shook her head frantically, and her bottom lip trembled.

“What's t..that?” she asked, as she felt moisture come to her eyes.

Zach turned around, raising a brow. “What?”

She raised a trembling hand to his neck. “That.”

Zach's eyes travelled to his neck, and at first he didn't get what Cat was talking about, until he spotted it on his collar, almost at his shoulder. His lips moved and it looked like he was saying something but Cat couldn't hear. She wasn't even paying attention. Her entire focus was on the stain.

The lipstick stain.

Zach's gaze snapped to hers so fast she would've be shocked if she wasn't frozen. “I.. I'm so sorry. She kissed me first.” his eyes held so much pain and regret she almost forgot what was happening to console him. Almost.

There it was. The truth. The reason she'd been so scared all night long.

It was only when something wet hit her hand that she realised she was crying. It was too much. She didn't even know why she was crying, deep down she knew this was going to happen. “Did you kiss back?” she asked, the tears still falling. “No,” she whispered, holding out her hand when he took several steps toward her. “Don't come any closer. Dis you kiss back?” she asked again.

He swallowed hard. “At first, I didn't even know what was happening. I.. One minute I was ready to leave and the next she was on me, kissing me. I don't know if that counts as kissing back, but I don't think I did.”

“You don't think?” she asked, her voice with an edge.

He shook his head. “I mean...I mean no. I didn't.”

Several minutes passed and not one word was spoken. He looked at her with eyes full of regret and she looked at him with pain and disappointment.

“How long?” she asked, breaking the silence.

“What..?”

“How long has this been going on?”

He stared deeply into her eyes and Cat felt like he had something to say but didn't know how to say it.

“How long?” she asked again, her voice an octave higher.

“Five days. Five days,” he let out.

Cat breathed in deeply. Five days? Zach had been cheating on her for five days and she hadn't noticed? Was that why she'd had that weird feeling all along? Her eyes snapped to his, and she shook her head in denial as the tears poured out relentlessly. “How... How could you?”she whispered, and when the rage filled her entire being, she marched over to him. Raising her hand, she slapped him hard across the face.

“How could you do this to me? To us?!” Wih her hands curled into fists she hit him repeatedly on his chest, yelling on top of her lungs. This time, she didn't care if the neighbours heard. “How could you betray me like this? I love you, you fucking imbecile!” she delivered more blows, her body jerking frantically with each blow.

Zach grabbed her hands on his chest and pulled her closer. “I'm sorry. I.. I just... I don't know.” she held her hands firlmly in one of his and with his free hand, he ran his hand gingery through his calloused hair. “I'm so sorry, baby. I'm sorry.”

“That doesn't change anything. You cheated on me!” she tried to struggle out of his grip, but he held her so tightly she knew the only way he was going to let her go was of his own free will. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself. When she was sure could talk without shaking, she opened her mouth. That didn't stop the tears from flowing though. “Let go of me.”

It was a simple sentence but it held so much rage, so much anger that Zach wasn't sure Cat was Cat anymore. He let her go, and watched in horror as she walked away from him. From them.

She was halfway up the stairs when he heard it.

“Get out. Leave and don't come back.”

As fast as he could without his neck snapping, he turned to face her. “What?”

She didn't repeat herself, only raised her chin in defiance.

He sighed in defeat. “Where do you want me to go? It's almost midnight.” his eyes were two pleading balls of regret.

She lowered her voice and whispered quietly, “Then you better call Becky with the good hair.”

It was quiet but he heard it.

His gaze held hers for a minute or two, she wasn't sure, before turning back and walking out the door. The minute Cat heard the door slam against the wall, her entire façade crumpled. She fell to the floor and cried.

What was she to do now? The only man she'd ever loved had betrayed her and she didn't even know where to start from. What was she to do now?

She cried. And the worst kind of crying is when you're lying on the floor, with your hand over your mouth so you don't make noise. The tears are running onto the floor and your heart's breaking and you’re thinking of everything that made you sad, and your other hands is on your heart or stomach because they both hurt.

That was the exact same way she cried.

How could that bitch, that was so unlucky her parents named her Becky, take away the person she loved most in the world? How?

How in the world was that even possible?

——————————————

Uggh! Men! Such petty fools! Or are they...?

BTW, if your name is Becky, it doesn't mean you're unlucky at all. That's just me writing a book. No offence to all you Becky's out there.

Happy Valentine’s to you all. How did you spend your Valentine? Mine was a drag.

Until next time,

Gift.