Chapter 2 Open relationship

Laura

I can't believe this!

His ex-girlfriend!?

The one he had ranted back then that he was done with? The one he'd called a gold digger. A bitch.

Jesus, Liam's really banging her?

I thought...

No way.

All those times her pictures were still on his phone, and he refused to delete them, Liam wasn't keeping them as his way of remembering the face of the bitch that broke his heart. The girl he had dated right from college until he saw her in bed with his manager.

He wasn't keeping them because it helped him to hate Bianca, no.

He kept them because he still wanted her.

He's still obsessed with her.

I should've known!

He was always talking about her. About their moments together. About her kisses. Her touches. Even when fucking me, he kept talking about her, but I thought it was from his hatred for her.

Only it wasn't.

I stagger backward, reeling.

Liam pulls away from Bianca, his cock still hard and pointing toward the ceiling, the tip dripping with his cum. The one he had wanted to shoot into her.

Gosh, he was fucking her raw!?

Water drips from his body as he strides towards me. His light brown hair, now dark brown and damp, mats over his temple.

"Laura,"

I've always loved the sound of his voice, but right now, I hate it so much.

Bianca walks out naked behind him, looking at me like I'm acting weird. Like it's normal for a girlfriend to see her boyfriend screwing another woman.

Gosh, I want to smack the smug look off her face.

"Laura, it's not what it looks like," Liam blurts, trying to reach his hand to me.

"It's not?" I glance between them. "What does it look like then?"

Jesus, my lungs are burning from not being able to breathe.

"Look, I've been meaning to propose this to you, Laura."

I narrow my eyes on him and then Bianca, who's casually admiring the ring on her finger.

"Propose what, exactly?"

"An open relationship, Laura."

"Excuse me?"

He exhales at my confused stare. When he looks up, his throat bobs as he swallows. I don't know if it's anger he's swallowing or shame.

"Listen, Laura, sex with you is always stale. Don't get me wrong, you're such a good girl. But there are some spices you lack during sex,"

"Stale? Spice?"

I don't seem to understand his logic or semantics at this point.

"Have you ever mentioned this to me before?" I ask him.

Liam takes a moment before responding. "No. But that's because I didn't want to make you feel bad,"

Oh, well, I feel bad. I fight against the tears trying to leak from my eyes. I refuse to let him know I feel hurt.

"Listen, an open relationship is the new trend. Everyone's doing it. Even married couples. You get to taste whatever guy you want, and I get to taste whatever girl I want. Win-win..."

"And that's why you gave her the ring?"

I point at Bianca, at the ring on her finger.

His face blanches a bit.

"Well, uh, Bianca is very open to the idea. So, I proposed to her. I mean, it's better that way than us being apart completely. I get to make her my wife and also keep you as mine. I mean, we both could still have sex, do some lovey-dovey things while you equally get to take other guys or girls to bed,"

His logic totally makes me stagger.

"You want me to be the third person in your bed?" I stare disgustedly at him.

"Come on, Laura. It's a fair trade. Our sex life won't be boring anymore..."

"So, you engaged Bianca and came up with this open relationship without consulting me, Liam?"

"Look, I'm sorry, I just didn't see the need to do so until Bianca agreed to the terms."

"So, you've been speaking with her all this time?"

The weight of my stare shifts from shock to confusion and now accusing.

He teeters on his feet, looking at Bianca briefly. Was he expecting her to defend him?

"Well, sort of..."

"You told me you hated her, Liam! You swore to never be with her again after what she did to you!"

Liam lunges and tries to hold me, but I hit his hand away in anger. If he makes any more attempts to touch me again, I'm going to break his head or crush his dick.

"Of course, I hated her, but come on. This is Bianca we're talking about. I've been with her since college. We do on and off. She cheats, but in the end, she still comes back to me. She always prefers me to other guys, Laura."

"Gosh, Liam! You're so out of your mind, and you disgust me."

He shakes his head, trying to coax me into seeing the idea from his lens.

"Laura, trust me, us being in an open relationship is going to be sweet as ever. You won't have anything to lose."

"I will lose my sanity, Liam! Gosh, I'm already losing it!"

At that, I begin to pace around, trying to calm my nerves and my thoughts that are racing.

When I can't make sense of it anymore, I grab my bag and turn to leave, but Liam tries to stop me.

He dashes out and stands before the door, blocking it.

His body's still damp, his cock still hard, as if this altercation is equally making him hard.

But when I see his eyes drifting slowly behind me, I turn to see Bianca propped up over the bed, fingering herself, uncaring about our banter.

"Don't leave, Laura. This is something..."

"Get out of my way now, Liam!" My voice pitches as my chest heaves.

"Laura, I still want you."

"I said get out of my way, you swineherd!"

"Laura...please..."

I don't wait for him to finish blabbering, I rush to where he's standing and kick him in his cock.

Liam groans, falling aside, hands clasped over his cock.

That's when Bianca reacts. She rushes to her feet and crouches beside Liam, who has turned red from pain.

"Baby, are you okay? Did she hurt you?" Obviously, he's hurt.

I don't even wait for them, I bolt down the hallway and out of the house.

The moment I'm back in the elevator, everything hits at once.

Liam had only been using me as a rebound until he got back with Bianca.

He never loved me at all.

I was just a means to an end.

His comment about our sex life being stale sends cold through me.

Stale?

Was he saying I'm not fun to be with? That I taste bad?

Gosh, my self-esteem has never dropped to this level before.

To me, I loved sex with him. I revere him, but giving myself to him never meant anything to him.

Without warning, the tears rush down my cheeks, dampening my shirt.

I should have known all along he was only pretending to want me, but I was too blinded by the idea that I've found a perfect boyfriend who gave me keys to his apartment, let me ride his car to work when mine is at the mechanic, and let me rant about books and blockchain to read between the lines.

I struggle to wipe my eyes clean when the elevator reaches the last floor, yet it's fruitless.

The tears keep coming hard and fast.

I burst out into the foyer, ignoring Mars' call.

I saunter outside, heading to my car. I try to open the door, but I see a flyer attached to the door.

I don't have the energy to read the content, I just enter my car and press my head against the wheel, bawling. My sobs have my shoulders shaking.

I hit the wheel, causing the horn to honk in the quiet street.

The will to head back to the office has been drained, and I grab my phone and shoot a text to the head of my department, Patricia, telling her I've got food poisoning and won't be able to come back again today.

I drop my phone and start the car, wondering what to do.

And then it hits me, Maisie, my cousin, will be at home now.

She's definitely going to say, "I warned you about him, but you never listened," when she sees me, but at this point, I don't care. I just need a drink buddy, a talk buddy, or a sob buddy. Just anyone.

I restart my car and begin to drive away after getting one last glance at Liam's window.