Forced to Love

Chapter 9

"Hey, boss".

Garret, a guy from work I've seen earlier greets me but I can't help but frown when he calls me boss. I'm not used to people calling me like that while I'm at work and especially when it comes from people that are closest to me and that I somewhat consider friends.

"Please don't call me that" I sip on my drink and he chuckles. "Alright. What brings you here?" he starts a small conversation. "Lucas" is the only thing I say and he laughs. "I see," he says before taking a sip from his drink.

"I can't believe you. Everywhere you go, you get the attention of women. I'm jealous" he chuckles but I just stare at the table, not interested in this conversation. "I don't really care about that" I empty my glass and lean back. "Oh right, you are married now" he nods. "You got a good one though. She's a catch" he continues before he takes another sip from his glass. But I can't help but not like the feeling I have right now when he talks about Aria.

"Man, you are really lucky. To have such a beauty with such a hot body. And on top of that she is so young and cute" he keeps blabbering about her but I only feel more enraged and I suddenly like that he calls me boss because he sure needs to know his place.

"Shut the fuck up. Who are you to talk about her like that?" I narrow my eyes at him and he looks at me with widened eyes. "Wow Lorenzo, calm down I-"

"It's boss for you" I interrupt him and see him gulp at my tone. "Hey come on, we should get going" Kevin, another guy from my company comes over and pulls Garret back, not wanting an incident to occur but it might be too late for that.

"Oh, it's boss suddenly? You know, you have quite the mood changes. Is it because your wife doesn't satisfy you good enough or is she maybe finding her pleasure in some other man so that's why you are in this bad mood. If so, I would love to offer myself to her, I bet I could show her what real pleasur-"

I can't take it anymore and just punch him in that ugly face of his the hardest I can, and he goes flying on the floor. I shake my fist, feeling a slight pain but not so much, probably because of the drinks.

I don't care if she is my fake wife, he still doesn't have the right to talk about her like that. I won't allow it.

I see Lucas walk over to me as Garret gets up to his feet before he launches at me. I punch his jaw again but get one hit right back. I stumble a little but Lucas grabs my arm keeping me in my place. I see Garret try to punch me again but Lucas is faster and swings his arm in his stomach making Garret fall on the ground again.

I look over at Lucas as people in the bar just stare at us. "Thanks, man" I pat his shoulder and he just chuckles. "No problem brother". We grab our jackets and leave this place, finally.

"You are bleeding," he tells me and I look at myself in the rearview mirror when we get in the car. Shit, he's right. I swallow and taste the blood that comes from my lip.

"Fuck...Bruno just take us home" I tell him and he nods before starting the car, dropping off Lucas first before going to my house.

...

I punch in the code when I get to my house, surprised that I got it right from the first try. That fight at the bar must've sobered me up. I close the door before taking my suit jacket off and hanging it on the coat rack in the entrance hallway. I turn around the corner and see Aria in the living room.

She gasps when she sees me. I don't know if it's because of my presence that makes her scared or is it because of my beat-up and bloody face.

"Wh-what happened?" she asks and stands up from the couch. I wish she could stop stuttering. It doesn't annoy me, it just makes me sad and hurt that it's because of me that she does it. It's because she is scared. Of me.