The Arrangement

15.4 | Breach of Contract

"I can explain," Tracy said.

"Oh, you want to explain why you were on a date, kissing another man?" he asked, advancing slowly into the room after closing the door. Tracy trembled, edging away from the bed and closer to the bathroom door, contemplating dashing inside to lock it.

"I didn't kiss him," she retorted.

"Oh, so he was just administering C-P-R while you were standing up?" he remarked sarcastically.

"Matthew, I--"

"I don't need an explanation," he gritted out. "The pictures speak for themselves." It was at that moment she grasped the gravity of him possessing those pictures.

"Wait," she interrupted, her sudden understanding dawning. "How did you get these?!"

"Don't sidestep the issue—you broke the rules," he countered.

"You had me followed?!" she exclaimed. Tracy couldn't articulate the inkling she'd had that Matthew knew before, but now everything clicked into place.

"You went on a date behind my back. You don't get to be offended," he said, approaching her.

"It wasn't a date," she stated, her irritation evident as she took a step away from him."I bumped into Brent at the museum."

Matthew scoffed. "You just 'bumped' into Brent?" he asked, unconvinced.

"Yes, he was already there. I tried to leave, but he wanted to tour the museum together."

"And you complied, just like that?" Matthew asked. "I see he wanted a fucking kiss," he said, grabbing the photograph of the kiss from the bed and thrusting it in Tracy's face, "and you gave him that, too. What else did you give him?" Matthew accused as his eyes narrowed.

"I didn't kiss him! He kissed me!" Tracy proclaimed pushing the photo away from her face. "I didn't know he was going to do it. I stopped him as soon as it happened."

"It shouldn't have happened at all!" Matthew shouted. Startled by his tone, Tracy retreated until her back was against the closed bathroom door.

"I'm sorry," she said timidly.

"You're sorry?" he repeated. "You're sorry?" The words were barely out before he spun around throwing his arms towards the nearby dresser, sending Tracy's antiques on top tumbling in a burst of anger. Tracy recoiled from the cacophony of her cherished items hitting the ground, several breaking upon impact. She had never seen him in such a state.

"I just wanted to spend time with a friend," she uttered, her voice trembling as she kept her head and gaze lowered to the floor. "I-I didn't mean for it to--"

"A friend? Do you kiss your fucking friends like that, Tracy?" Matthew patronized. "Are you so fucking stupid that you can't tell when a guy is interested in you?" Tracy looked up at him, taken aback by the insult. "Are you?" he challenged, stepping closer to her. Despite her fear, she felt a surge of anger at his tone.

"No, I guess I'm only used to men luring me into sexual contracts and stalking me," she retorted.

"Watch it," he cautioned, his eyes mirroring the tumultuous, churning waves of a stormy sea. Tracy's fear intensified.

"Look, I'm sorry, Matthew," she said softly. "I swear I didn't know he was going to do that, but it's over. I'll probably never see him again, so—"

"Oh, I'll make bloody sure of that," he interrupted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tracy asked, worried he might retaliate against Brent. Meanwhile, Matthew's frown grew more pronounced as he observed her display concern for the man who had kissed her.