It Shouldn't Hurt
"There's always room for one more".
It shouldn't hurt to hear him say that. I know what this is, and I know what this isn't.
"We could've used you an hour ago for naked hide and seek."
Swallowing past the painful lump in my throat I conjure a smile and try to answer glibly.
"He cheats, he always cheats".
It really shouldn't hurt when I smile at her, but it does; knowing that she would gladly take my place in Jack's arms, knowing that he would gladly let her. Instead I concentrate on making my shaking hands obey and do up my shirt buttons; I look anywhere but at him.
If I look at him right now he might see more than I want him to, more than I can afford for him to. It shouldn't hurt when he calls me back into the hothouse to finish what we started like nothing's happened.
It shouldn't make my skin crawl when he reaches out to undo the buttons on my shirt, it shouldn't make my eyes sting and water when he presses kisses to my neck and turns me around to face the wall so he can press against me.
It shouldn't, but it does.