“Is it wrong that I want to record you saying my name and just listen to it over and over again?”
“Depends on what you’re doing while you’re listening.”
“Fuck, you’re dirty in all the right ways. When can I see you again?”
“I saw enough of you yesterday.”
“Yesterday? One shower and a little messing around in the car? And here I had me believing you’re as insatiable as I am.”
“Depraved, Chase. Anyhow, Dani and Mama binge your movies, and they made me join in the marathon.”
“Allof them?”His voice drops and if I wasn’t in school right now, so would my damn panties. His voice alone could make me come. We should try it sometime.“Even the ones with the sex scenes?”
“Mm hmm. Like that one where your head ends up between that skinny girl's legs while she moans out your name. I got several choice looks from both my sister and my mother when they watched that.” I let the next part come out soft and breathy, well aware it will drive him wild. “I get so fucking wet seeing you like that, knowing exactly what your tongue can do when you shut up long enough to use it.”
“Don’t make me drive to that school to do very unethical things to you on that desk after you punish me for being a bratty student.”
“You’re cute with your little teacher fantasy. If you were here, I’d have you screaming my name,Papi.”
“Fuck, you’re making it hard to drive right now.”
“So pull over and show me—crap, never mind. The students are shuffling back in early to play with the screen. I need to go. I haven’t put security features on it and these kids will totally try to pull up porn.”
“Okay,”he laughs. I’m about to hang up when he shouts out.“Wait! Real quick, uhm, do you want to go to a hockey game tomorrow night? Not a date. We’re using the box tomorrow to watch Devin, so it will be a bunch of people.”
“Tomorrow? I would, but I think Dani has a gig, so I can’t use her car.”
“No problem, I’ll pick you up! I’ll be there around six.”
“Make it six thirty if you can. We have a couple of meetings after hours tomorrow.”
“No problem, gorgeous. I’ll even bring you a jersey.”He sounds giddy over the idea of me in a jersey. I’ve unlocked another kink on this pretty boy.“Have an amazing day at school, Sunshine.”
* * *
“Dani?” I flip on the lights when I get home from work the next day. As I walk around the house, I pull out my phone and text my mother to see if she made it to her sister’s safely. As I get to the hallway, there’s a noise from the back of the house. I yell out for Dani again, but again, no answer. This old house loves to make noise.
I follow the noise to the kitchen, where I find a stack of Mama’s gossip magazines on a side table. Chase’s smiling face looks up at me from the cover of the tabloid and I can’t help but smile back. Curiosity gets the better of me and I grab the magazine to flip through it. As I do, something slides out and falls to the floor. I pick it up and find it’s a photo from my teenage years. I’m dressed in my conservative white gown and I’m beaming. I wish I could go back to that day and tell the younger me to run and never look back. He’ll change, but it won’t be for the better. He never loved you.
“Huh.” I flip the photo over to check for writing. “How did that get in there?”
“I put it there.” I freeze at the voice and don’t turn around. If I don’t see him, maybe he isn’t real. Maybe I’m having a nightmare. His boots land louder with each step as he walks up behind me. “Hey, pretty mama. Miss me?”
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
“I saw your mom leave, so I figured I’d come over and keep you company. Like the old days. You remember the old days, don’t you? How I’d sneak in your window and crawl into your bed? Take off that pretty nightgown while your parents slept in the next room. Fuck, you smell good.” He spins me around and smiles, his two gold teeth glittering in the overhead light. He pulls a small bouquet from behind his back. Sunflowers. “I saw that tattoo you got yourself after we separated. Figured these would help you see that I still love you, baby.”
“We’re divorced, Luis. We’re not separated, and you’re not supposed to be here.”
“You’re my wife! This is my house!” he screams before he glances down at the picture in my hand. “I just want my lady back where she’s supposed to be. My fucking bed!”
“I’m not yours anymore, Luis. You need to leave.” My voice shakes as I panic. He has me blocked in, my cell phone tucked away in my purse across the room.
Luis grabs me, pulling me up off my feet and slamming my head against the fridge again and again. Five years of recovering, finding myself again, and therapy, all gone in an instant as I revert to the scared young girl that learned about the real him. Just like before, I’ll do anything he wants to stop the pain. Anything.
“You don’t talk to me like that, you fuckingputa.” I turn my head as he slides his nose up my cheek. His breath smells like cigarettes and booze. “My boys tell me you’re with some rich white boy now. You fucking him?”
“It’s nothing, Luis. I swear.”
