Passion's Crossfire

Chapter 6

Matt

I was jolted awake by the persistent trill of the phone on my nightstand. I fumble in the half-light, desperately searching for the source of the disturbance. My hand bumps into a stack of books and a glass of water, causing momentary disorientation as I try to piece together my surroundings. The ringing persists, a relentless siren in the quiet of the morning, making it increasingly difficult to shake off the sleep. Finally, I manage to grasp the elusive device and clumsily answer it, my voice heavy with drowsiness.

"What?" I ask, not even bothering to see who was calling me.

"How was she, you big stud?"

With a heavy sigh, I slowly sit up on the disheveled bed, my tousled hair falling into my face. I rub my temples, trying to piece together the hazy memories of last night's events as I lean back, my back pressing against the headboard.

"You woke me up, you piece of shit" was the only thing I am able to say, as everything comes back to me slowly.

"Yeah, I know but I am dying to know! You took home the real-life Jessica Rabbit, man! Tell me you put your cock between those boobs"

He is talking about the redhead I took home. Or at least he thought I took her home.

I met her at the club we went yesterday, after Kylie's party. She was a captivating woman with fiery red hair that fell in alluring waves around her shoulders. Her figure was an embodiment of sensuality, her curves accentuated by a form-fitting dress that left little to the imagination. Normally I would fuck her until the early morning light, but as soon as we got in my car, I lost all interest.

"I don't talk about what I do in my bed, Nick" I snap at him. Well, I didn't talk about it while I was with Mallory. I have been pretty graphic with every other girl I have taken to my bed, but there was nothing to tell him. I took her home and went to my bed alone.

She was furious when I didn't show much interest in spending the night with her. I mumbled some lame excuse about having an early morning obligation and left her standing in her doorway, seething with anger. As I drove home, I couldn't shake the image of Mallory and that Adam guy from my mind. The jealousy and confusion had kept me tossing and turning in my bed for hours, unable to sleep. My thoughts were consumed by questions about who that guy was to her or when did she meet him.

"That good, huh?" he says and it was like I could see the stupid, dreamy look on his face. Nick never would have landed a woman like her. He is not as good looking as me, nor as fit. Women always threw themselves at me, he rarely experienced the same attention from them. When I was dating Mallory, I remained unfazed by the women who flirted with me, my heart was solely set on her.

"Bye, Nick" I say as I hung up the phone and threw it on my bed. I lean my head on the headboard and cover my eyes with my arm. My mind immediately conjures the image of Mallory in the arms of another man. Who the fuck was he?

With a heavy sigh and a sense of reluctance, I finally muster the will to get up from the bed. I walk to the window, my feet slapping on the floor, I grab the curtain and with a tug, I allow the morning light to spill into the room.

I gaze out of the window at the backyard, where a flood of memories surges back, each one tinged with the bittersweet nostalgia. I loved spending time with Mallory there. The landscape before me has become a canvas painted with vivid memories, it almost feels like it's mocking me. The swing set, now swaying gently in the breeze, bringing back moments we shared under the starry sky.

The lingering feelings I have for her, never truly dissipated. I know I broke up with her, but it wasn't because I stopped loving her. I shake my head and turn away from the window as I realize how selfish I am being, but I can't help it. When I saw them together yesterday, a mix of longing, jealousy, and nostalgia intertwined within me, creating a bitter cocktail of emotions that was difficult to swallow.

I walk back to my bed, taking a seat as I sink into a sea of thoughts. I can't allow myself to be consumed by jealousy, not now. I've been with many women since breaking up with Mallory, and I've had my share of fun. It's not like I'm pining for her, but seeing her with another man just stirred up a mess of emotions I thought I'd buried. And I had to bury them back.

With my phone still lying on the bed, I think about reaching out to one of the women I have been seeing. I have a list of casual flings and friends with benefits on speed dial, and they know the nature of our relationship – purely physical and fleeting. It's not that I'm pining for Mallory, but I need a distraction, something to help me shake off the thoughts that threaten to consume me. I grab my phone from the nightstand, my thumb hovering over the contact list, considering whom I should text.

Instead, I decide to take a drive. I need some space, a chance to clear my head and sort through the tangled mess of emotions. It is a habit I developed over the years when I needed to clear my head and gain some perspective. The open road often offered a sense of freedom and detachment from my problems, if only temporarily.

I quickly dress myself and leave the house. I get into my car and start driving mindlessly around. As I grip the steering wheel, the rhythmic hum of the road beneath me served as a backdrop to the cacophony of emotions swirling within. Memories of our time together play like an old movie in my mind, and I find myself navigating the twists and turns of both the highway and my own conflicted emotions.

The sight of Mallory in the arms of another man last night ignited a maelstrom of anger and jealousy within me that I struggled to contain. My chest tightened, and an overwhelming surge of resentment coursed through my veins, as if the ground had shifted beneath me. Jealousy gnawed at my insides, painting my thoughts with irrational comparisons and insecurities.

Suddenly, one thing is very clear to me: I have to get Mallory back.