Damaged Goods

Chapter 3- Seven Shades of Pissed Off

Aria could easily admit riding in the back of a police car like a common criminal was not how she pictured her day going. Incredibly humiliating and not to mention terrifying, she just prayed Marcus wasn't some fugitive on the run she'd harboured for the night. She was beginning to wonder just who this Marcus was, but after being interrogated by the police for a call-in regarding breaking and entering, she was left baffled, speechless and quite frankly a little pissed off to be left in the dark like this. The cops failed to tell her who had called in, but after looking up her information, confirmed she did in fact reside there. Obviously! Without so much as an apology, she was released back into civilization, where she found Marcus looking just as confused and upset as she was.

"What the hell just happened?" he asked exasperated with the whole situation.

"Honestly I don't have the slightest idea. Someone apparently called and said I broke into my own house and now I get to buy a new front door. I've called my friend, Kim to pick me up. Do you need a ride? I think we've had enough excitement for one day," she replied, trying to make light of the situation.

He chuckled but replied, "No, but thanks. I'll call a cab. I live on the other side of town." At least he had his wallet in his pants, she thought. She'd had to rely on the white tee shirt the officer pulled out of his trunk, three sizes too big. He wouldn't allow her to grab one, afraid the clothes didn't belong to her in the house. She'd argued like a law student, asking why the hell she would rob a house in broad daylight topless, but all that accomplished was the cop openly glancing at her chest. Pig.

"Well alright. I guess I'm glad I could make it memorable for us! Maybe I'll see you around sometime. Kim is here and I'd hate to make her late for work." She gave one last look to Marcus and with that hopped into her friend's Prius (She claimed the money she saved on gasoline was her fund for booze and renting out the Chippendales- both of which she'd failed to invest in), avoided Kim's questioning look and without further ado, they drove off towards home.

Pulling in her driveway and cutting the engine, Kim couldn't keep herself from asking, "Aria, out with it! How did you manage to land yourself arrested with some gorgeous stranger before noon?! Public nudity? Noise complaint?"

After telling the story and insisting her innocence, Kim made it her life's mission to compile a list of possible suspects while at work that day. At only 5'2", most would deem the petite redhead anything but fierce. But piss her off and she could pack a punch to make Mike Tyson proud. After thanking her profusely and promising to see her soon, Aria crawled out of Kim's cracker jack box of a car and walked up to her house, flipping off any guilty spying eyes in the process.

She carefully stepped past remnants of her front door, avoiding shards of wood and broken glass and decided to put decent clothes on before figuring out where to go about getting a new replacement door. Walking up to her bedroom she was furious to see none other than Colin sitting on her bed looking up at her expectantly with an evil glint in his cold gray eyes.

"Didn't take you as the type to run around on me, Aria. It won't go unpunished," he stated. Okay, what? Surely he didn't honestly think she had forgotten about Colin defiling her bed with floozy, Courtney, just the day before?!

"Colin, I don't know what in God's name you think you're doing in my house, but you've got five seconds to get out the door and off my property before I call the police and have you escorted out by your balls," she seethed.

Flashbacks of the morning before came back, nearly knocking her off her feet. Walking through her bedroom door, seeing them entangled passionately and moaning loud enough to wake the dead. She'd been too shocked to do anything but stand there at first, astounded at what she had seen. Her handbag crashed against the ground, makeup scattering across the floor. Only then did the two notice her there. While Courtney smiled like the cat that got the cream, Colin looked dumbfounded; completely terrified. Aria choked back her sobs and with one word all hell had broken loose, "Out." Courtney had the gall to sashay around her bed, slowly locating her clothing and making a scene of taking her time to slide her clothes back on before shouldering past her and over to her yard. Colin simply grabbed the sheet, wrapping himself up and scrambling over to her apologizing frantically. Aria looked him up and down, disgusted with what she'd committed herself to for two years. How long had he been running around? What the hell had she seen in him? Now what? She told him how if a picture is worth a thousand words, what was an entire motion picture worth? In her mind it was worth a jail sentence, but she knew better. No matter how mad she was she'd be miserable rotting away in a jail cell over this bastard. She'd simply told him to leave, maybe mentioning she hopes his dick rots off and left to sleep at Matt's. He'd always been there for her, an over protective brother of sorts. They'd talked over how Colin had royally screwed up and Matt had said that, " He's like the plague; he makes everyone miserable he comes in contact with."