Ardent

Keira hugged her knees to her chest, lying in a cold bed. It was strange without him, she wished he were here, but maybe it was better her wasn’t. At least now the silence was justified.

James felt his blood run cold, ‘How did you get in here?’ he stammered. Emily waved a set of keys in his face. ‘I had them changed’ he snarled, ‘you have no right to barge in here’.
‘Now James this is no welcome, I have come here from Spain to see you, thought it was time we met up again’
‘Well its not’ he hissed, walking past her, ‘Get out’ he poured himself a straight whiskey and threw it back, ‘I really don’t need you here right now’
Emily shot forward and cupped him roughly, laughing as he whimpered in pain, ‘you don’t talk to me like that James; you don’t have the upper hand here. Well not outside of the bed anyway’ she smiled, moving in to kiss him. James pulled back, sighing and looking down at her, how could somebody so beautiful be so wrong.
’Where have you been James? I have been calling you, I want my fun’ she growled, stroking his groin.
‘I went to Liverpool’ he stammered, trying to pull himself from her grasp. ‘But you knew that, you called me every day didn’t you?. I didn’t realise you were back though. You might have warned me.’
’What? And spoilt the surprise, what is love without spontaneity James darling?’
‘We aren’t in love’
‘We were, or you were. Weren’t you?’ she stared at him as he hid his gaze, then laughed cruelly, slapping him hard on the side of the head, ‘you stupid boy, love indeed. Now do you have my money?’
James reeled from the blow, blinking back tears, he felt like a stupid child again. Just another of her victims, but he was her favourite, she spent more time with him than anyone, they used to be inseparable ‘No I had to spend it’
‘Well it looks like I am in for fun, just like old time, you can even tell me you love me if it helps’ she cackled, dropping her coat.
’I’ll pay you double next week’
’Pay me double now, and forget next week’ she smiled, beckoning him to the bed with her finger.
‘That arrangement ended, you know it did, when I met..’
‘Don’t say her name’ Emily shrieked, grabbing his alarm clock and hurling it at the wall, ‘I told you, I’m letting you have her, I don’t want to know she exists’
‘Her name is Keira and she isn’t yours to give’ he roared back at her, remembering her bouts of violence and insanity. Calming herself she unzipped her dress, ‘James I;m bored of you pretending you don’t want to fuck me, lets just do this? My bruises have healed, I need you to mark me again’
James clenched his fists, he had forgotten how sadistic she was, her idea of sex wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, earlier in his life he had loved it, but now he knew something different. ‘I’m not into that anymore I told you, you know this we have had this conversation many times before’ he sighed, ‘Please just leave, I’ll get you your money, from somewhere’
‘James if this is because of her I will get angry, is she as beautiful as me? Does she pleasure you like me?’ she asked, walking toward him, grabbing him she pulled him against her. ‘Do you fuck her like me? Do you James?’ she whispered, digging her nails into his neck. He shivered and pushed her backwards, kissing her neck, he threw her on the bed, and reaching under the bed he pulled out some handcuffs and clamped her firmly to the post.
’No Emily, I never fuck her like I fuck you’ he thought on the other night and winded, ; I never will’
‘Whys that?’ Emily rasped, nuzzling into his neck.
‘Because I love her’ he laughed, climbing off her and grabbing his coat, walking to her bag he found her keys and pulled his own off them.
‘James’ Emily looked scared for one moment, he loved that.
’I love her. I don’t love you, I never did, I realise now I never loved you at all it was a sick obsession, a world of sex and violence and I learnt nothing but self-hate and crime. I will settle the debt with him, you stay away from me, do you hear me? Stay the fuck away, I don’t want you anymore’
’James you will regret this’, the calmness in her voice chilled him to the bone. Suddenly she screamed, pulling at her cuffs, throwing herself around, ‘You will pay, you will pay’ she shrieked, covering his ears he left the room. Remembering whey she used to crop up in his nightmares as well as his dreams.
’I’m paying for my mistakes Emily’ he shouted’ you are one of them’ James left the flat and took a step forward, instantly his senses were on fire, he had made a huge mistake, he knew somebody was behind him.
’Tom?’ he asked.
’Sorry James, I wish I didn’t have to, why cant you just do what she says? Tom replied.
’You better get me a fucking whiskey after this’ James laughed, waiting for the hit. Then the fist connected with his head and his knees buckled.

‘But violent sex is good’ Kayleigh laughed, chewing on an apple, and handing Keira a coffee.
’It wasn’t, it was scary, I had never felt that angry before, something came over me, I punched him and slashed him, he hit me, it wasn’t right’
Kayleigh laughed, then repeated the sentence in her head, ‘He fucking hit you? You said you guys fell?’
‘And the Oscar goes to..?’
’Piss off Keira I’m serious, I’m going to kill him’
‘He didn’t mean to, I know he didn’t, it wasn’t hit, something wasn’t right, then he stopped halfway through and looked at me. I have never seen him look so scared, then he bolted to the bathroom’
’God this all sounds so soap opera like, please continue. So last night he went home? Refused to come in?’
‘Yeah, he said he would come round today, but he is later than usual’
‘I’ll get my bat’ Kayleigh growled.
‘Don’t, I told you that in confidence’
‘I never thought he would hurt you’ Kay sighed.
‘Neither did I, neither did her, but I hurt him too. I don’t know how to explain this, I don’t hate him, I understand why he hit out at me, I felt the same thing, why is it ok for a girl to nearly blind a man, by punching him above the eye, make him bleed and everything, yet its wrong when a man retaliates?’
‘Lets not go there’
‘Fine, I am just saying, we both shouldn’t have done it, and I don’t want to talk about it anymore, everything just went wrong’
‘You say it was when you talked about this job? Hmmm you hit a nerve there, I wonder what he does?’
‘Your guess is as good as mine, but right now I don’t care, I just want him here, I wonder where he is?’