Sleeping With My Married Ex

Chapter 5

I messed up. I messed up big time. As I listen to the arguing, that has once again escalated in volume, I realize how sometimes I should just shut up. I highly doubt I have anything to do with the situation next door, but I can't help but believe that what I said to him two days ago at the fire station might have set him off.

He's fickle that way. He has the temperament of an infant with colic. You never really know just what might set him off. I feel like I might have set him off. I realize that careless words aren't always harmless words. Maybe I should have kept that one little comment to myself. Maybe I have nothing to do with anything. But still...

I'm old enough to know what to say out my mouth and when to say it. I'm mature enough to know when it's time for me to suck in my pride and do the right thing. I tried. Really. I tried to apologize but he wouldn't talk to me. His lips merely thinned. I got angry, though I had no right. After all, I did ignore him for two weeks. He has merely ignored me for two days. Maybe it's for the best.

As I walk into my apartment, I glance at his door. I know he's there. He and his wife. One thing seems to happen when they're together. I don't hear any yelling and screaming so far, but I'm sure it's soon to follow. So I drop my purse on the table, change into jeans and a sweat shirt, grab a book, and ride the elevator down to the outside sitting area that's above the garage.

The weather is starting to warm up nicely, which makes it a great day to sit outside and indulge myself in the lastest book of one of the crappy paranormal romance series I read. It's a guilty pleasure. Hey, after all the work I do at my job, all the assignments, textbooks, articles I read for school, I think I can read any piece of garbage I want. And I want to read about the shifters.

I'm so engross in my piece of garbage that I don't keep track of time. The sun is setting when I finally look up. I'm only about 60 pages into it, so it's safe to say that I've been out here for at least two hours. I'm that slow of a reader. I glance at my watch, decide to head up in an hour or so to whip myself up something to eat for dinner. Back into my garbage I fall.

I go inside once the sun sets to the point that I could no longer read without straining my eyes. Since it's the weekend I can stay up all night and finish the book if I want to.

I exit the elevator to see my neighbor walking down the hall. Good. Another chance to fix my mistake. I don't like feeling guilty about anything. It's a rare feeling and one I like to get rid of the moment it surfaces. "Hey, Donovan," I call.

He hears me because he pace slows, but he doesn't stop or look back. Slowing down is a good sign right? But knowing him, that won't mean anything. There's only one way to get his attention. "I have something you want." I lie.

"You don't have anything I want," he says without looking back.
"You sure? Anthony said it's something you definitely want." I hesitate. "Unless, of course, he lied to me. Then I'd have to kill him for putting me in yet another uncomfortable situation with you that I could certainly do without."

He stops in front of his door. I stop in front of mine. "Don't want it?" I shrug. "Fine."
I open my door to step in.
"What did he say I want?" he says before I shut my door.

I smile. Bingo, I got action. I wear a neutral expression when I turn to face him. "Curious?"
He sighs. "Out with it." His voice is sharp.
"No." I frown. "I don't think I like your attitude suddenly."
He opens his door to walk in but stops and looks over. "Why are you even talking to my brother?"

I roll my eyes. "Stupid question." I turn back to my apartment. "I like him." I slam the door behind me and press my ear to it. I hear him curse and slam his door. There goes my plan to apologize. Why did I just do that? I ask myself. Maybe because it was fun. No maybe's about it. It was fun. What could have been a simple, "I'm sorry," was ruined when he didn't stop. Too bad for him. Now he'd call his brother to find out what Anthony may have told me he wanted. Funny thing is, I haven't talked to Anthony in weeks.

I walk into the kitchen to check my cell phone for any messages. I have one voice message from my dentist office reminding me that I have an appointment to get my wisdom teeth pulled the next day. I hadn't forgot. That's not something you could forget. What I did forget to do was find someone who could spare a few hours to go with me. You can't ask someone to babysit you on a Saturday. Not with only a few hours notice.

I hang up my phone 30 minutes later. I was right, of course. You can't find someone to babysit you with only a few hours notice. My parents were going out of town. Friends either had to work or something else to do. Warren said he has plans he can't push back. Good thing my dentist office was only two blocks away. I'm sure I can get one of the workers there to walk me back. Guess I need to go to bed early tonight afterall. That's if I'm able to sleep. I suddenly feel nervous and when I'm nervous I get sick. Like vomit sick.



I wake up trembling. Such a punk I am. My mind is racing. What if they give me a needle to put me out? Dear god I hope not. I hate needles. Just the thought of one is making me clammy. I shower, hoping the hot water would help my nerves, but I don't eat after I throw on some jeans and a button-up. I had to dress very casual, wear something comfortable. If I felt even more uncomfortable then I need to be, I might run off before they even stick me. And these teeth needed to come out.

The dentist assistant escorts me into a closed off room where I'm told to wait. "You're going to stick me with something, aren't you?" I ask Dr. Kincaid when he walks into the room. He laughs and shakes his head.
"No. You've never been good with needles, so we're going to use laughing gas."
"Nitrous oxide." Have I ever mentioned that I took up to organic chemistry 2 in college for fun? No? Well I did.
"Yes. When you're ready, we'll get started."
I inhale deeply and exhale through my mouth. "I'm ready." I wasn't. I never would be. Who would be ready to have their teeth dug out? Only a masochist.

They place a mask over my face and tell me to count backwards starting from ten. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1...I look up at Dr. Kincaid. It's not working. I try once again. Still isn't working. "Is it on?" I ask.
The valves are adjusted. They're on. "I don't think this is going to work. This stuff smells weird."
The valves are adjusted once more, but it still doesn't work. I become impatient and start to count from one hundred. I make it to forty-three before I start to feel numb, loopy, and giggle slightly.
"It's working," I hear Dr. Kincaid say before I loose myself completely.




"Shannon." Someone drags me through a door. My apartment building? I try to look around. My head rolls back and in a circle and I stumble sideways. My arms feel confined. Someone is holding me up. Ugh!  "I feel like...PUH!"

A chuckle. From the person holding me? "What does puh feel like?"
I try to look at whoever it is holding me, but everything swirls when I turn my head. I sway. "Like...puh!"

The chuckle again. The swirling stops and I clap my face, then use my fingers to open my eyes. That doesn't help at all. Now everything is bright and..."Whoa! Bigggg fish." My eyes are wide. "Red fish. Blue fish." I stumble to a stop, forcing my holder, dental worker?....whoever it is, to stop with me to look at the first tank in the apartment lobby. I'm in my apartment lobby? That's right. The fish turns and I turn my head with it, following it. "How did I get here?"
"You walked," I'm told.
I turn my head again when the fish changes direction. "Really?"
"Yes really." I'm pulled. "Come on. Lets get you upstairs."
I wave at the fish. "Bye fishy." I must be high because the fish waves back. "Hey, look. It waved...what the...!"

I'm in front of the elevator, someone pushes the button because I see the 'up' arrow light. The doors are closed and I see the reflection of four people in the elevator door. I look around, or more like my head rolls around, but there's only me and my holder. It's still spinning. I giggle, then point at the door. "Oh! Look! It's my neighbor." I wave. "Hi Donny.
Donovan doesn't wave back. I pout. Wait a second...I look up and through the swirling I see my neighbor. I blink rapidly. "Why are you touching me?"
"Should I let you go?" he asks.
I nod. He does. I stumble. "Crap." He grasp onto my arms again, holding me in place.
I giggle and run my hands up my face. "Uggghh!" My head drops.