Madeline

29. Best kept secret

29. Best kept secret

Madeline
"Don't answer it."

I looked at the name on the screen of my phone and suddenly felt guilty for what I did and was still doing.

"I have to," I said unconvincingly.

He kissed his way down my body making sure I couldn't focus on anything but his lips. His tongue circled my entrance slowly. I moaned, forgetting about the ringing phone. It slipped from my hand. I closed my eyes, forgetting everything around me but the pleasure I was feeling at that moment.

When I finally came to my senses I had twenty-three missed calls from Marc Paxton. I groaned. How could I have let this happen? I got out of bed quickly, gathering pieces of clothes in the process. Eric was still sleeping. I exited the room slowly and quietly so as not to wake him and called Marc immediately. I pinched the bridge of my nose to keep myself from answering him as he went off on me. I thought I could deal with him like this but it was evident I couldn't. I marched back into the room I had exited and flung the phone at Eric. He came awake suddenly looking disoriented.

Marc, I mouthed and left. He was Eric's problem now.

It didn't escape me that he'd been using sex to forget about his problems. I was certain of it when he returned and his face had returned to its usual mask.

"I think it's time you return to New York."

"Is that your idea or Marc Paxton's idea?"

"Be ready to leave later today."

"You said you think it's time I return. What about you? Will you be returning as well?" He didn't answer. I frowned. "Will you be returning as well?"

"I haven't decided as yet."

"Is that because of your father, Marc, or the fact that we slept together?" He remained quiet. I already knew the answer but I wanted to hear him say it.

"Does it matter?"

"I suppose not," I replied nonchalantly. If he was going to pretend then so would I.
___________

Eric had been sullen for most of the plane ride home. I pretended not to notice. That had been working out well for me until he started drinking heavily.

"What are you doing?"

"Drinking. I thought it was obvious." I grabbed the bottle from him before he could take another drink.

"You're not doing this. So we had sex. Get over it! You don't see me moping around like it's the end of the world."

"You don't get it."

"What is there to get?"

"All he has to do is take one look at me and he'll know what I've done."

"What we've done," I corrected him. "This isn't entirely your fault. We both made the decision to sleep together. It happened. It's not the end of the world."

"I shouldn't have done it."

"Well thanks for that."

"That's not what I meant. I shouldn't have done it because then I'm going to want to do it again."

"What?" His eyes bored into me. "Oh god. That's why you don't want to to go back."

"I know how Marc feels about you. I shouldn't have done it."

I scoffed. "Whatever Marc Paxton feels isn't my problem and shouldn't be yours either. You don't need his permission to fuck and you certainly don't need it to fuck me. He doesn't own me or have any claim on me whatsoever."