I came home with my hands full of groceries

Chapter 10

I came home with my hands full of groceries. I decided after talking to Mina a little to go grocery shopping. I was really reconsidering everything between James and me. I never thought I would see this side of him. That's one thing my mom always told me was to watch out for controlling men because some can turn abusive. I shook myself of my thinking trance as Mina came in with the rest of the groceries.
"So, is Mark still going to stay here?" Mina asked.
"Of course he is, there is nowhere that he can go." I said.
"There are plenty of hotels around here." I looked at Mina, "I mean, you don't need to be tempted again before the wedding."

"Too late for that, don't you think?"
That's when my door opened and I saw James staggering in. When did James get a key to my apartment? I never gave him a key, I didn't feel comfortable giving Mark a key and I was married to him.
"James, what are you doing here? And where did you get a key?"
"I made one a long time ago. I should have a key to my own fiancée's apartment."
"It would have been better for you to wait for me to give you one." I walked over to him and smelled his rum filled breath, "Great, now you're drunken." I said shaking my head.
"I'm not drunk, I'm just happy." He said with a goofy smile.
"Where's Mark?"
"He said something about taking a walk, why don't you give me a kiss?"
"James, I don't feel like kissing you." he wrapped his arms around my waist.
"Come on now, I miss you."
"James, stop it." I said walking upstairs, "Mina, could you finish putting everything up?"
"Yea sure." James followed me upstairs.
I went into my room and closed the door. James walked in, slamming the door,
"James, honey, you need to go home and sober up."
"Don't you ever slam the door in my face, you understand me!" he said with a derange look in his eyes that left me trembling.
"James, please go home." I felt the hard slap across my face and I landed on the bed.
"Don't you ever try to tell me what to do!" he climbed on top of me and I tried to fight him off of me.
"James, stop it please!" I pleaded.
"No one tells me what to do."
"It's me James! You don't mean to do this." he pinned my arms above my head.
"You are my wife and you are required to give me what I want." he said reaching with one hand down his pants.
"No! James, I beg you, please!"
"Get off of her." I saw Mina jump on James back, beating against it.
He threw her off of him and I punched him in his face. He pulled away from me, holding his eye. He stumbled back as I pushed myself back against my bed, grabbing the bat I keep next to it.
"You want to play like that, then fine." James stumbled out and I heard the door slam.
Mina went downstairs to check and see that he left. I was still sitting there holding on to the bat. I looked down at my hand and saw it tremble. GOD, what just happened? Was this what I had to look forward to marrying this man. Mina came up there and gently took the bat away. She sat next to me and envelop me in a hug. I can't believe he would actually do that. I wouldn't think that of James. Was this the man that I'm marrying?
"It's okay honey." Mina comforted, "Go clean your face up. You know if Mark comes and see you crying like this and why you are crying, there is no telling what the Dead man will do." I smiled weakly and got up.

Mina went downstairs making sure all the food was put away. She knew that she has been telling Tara that James is right for her, but now, she definitely knew the opposite. There were some clues that he was a bit controlling but she never guess he would hit her. She only wanted the best for her friend. She looked to the door and saw Mark coming in.
"Hey." she said with a force smile.
"Hey, what's wrong with you?" he asked sensing her uneasiness.
"Nothing, it's just," she paused, "Tara might need you."
"What's wrong? What happened to her?"
"I'm not saying. It's just that she might need you. Tell Tara I'll talk to her tomorrow," she said as she left.
Mark looked toward Tara's room and traveled upstairs.

I looked in the mirror, wiping the mascara from my face. It hit didn't hurt that bad, I've been in fights with girls that the hits hurt more. I just my damn eye doesn't blacken or I get in bruises, that's the last thing I need. After I put the washcloth down, I started to think. The wedding is less than a couple of weeks away. I can't do it. I can't marry him. Not only with everything that is going on with Mark but this has got to be the final straw

"Tara?" I turned around and saw Mark standing in my room.
"Hey, what's up?"
"What happened? Mina told me that you might need me."
I shook my head, "It's nothing, she's just paranoid." I laughed weakly, sitting on the bed.
He sat with me, "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm positive." I sighed, "Maybe I just need you to hold me tonight." I said looking up at him.
He wrapped his arms around me and I returned his embrace. He laid back on the bed with me on top of him. He was holding me tight in his embrace, his hand making lazy circles on my lower back. I started to think back to when he use to do this when we were married. Why couldn't we stay like that?

Flashback
I got out of the Taxi, paying the young man. I was lucky I caught him in the middle of the night. I grabbed my overnight bag and went into the hotel. I feel so bad about everything that I put Mark through; he didn't deserve all that. I was going to be behind him 100 with this wrestling thing. I didn't understand it, but that was his thing. I remember the room number that he told me. I went to the front desk and told them that I needed a key to his room.
"And who are you ma'am?" the woman asked.
"I'm Mark Callaway's wife." I said showing her some I.D.
"You're his wife?" she said, her mouth partially open in shock.
"Yes, is there a problem?"
"No, um, it's just not a common thing for wrestler's wives to come this late at night." she said.

"Well, I'm not your common wife." I smiled and she returned it but it was a look in her eyes that threw me off, like pity.

"Right, here you are ma'am." She said handing me the spare key.
I took it and headed toward the elevator. I don't know what got into her. It must be a slow night. I went up to his room and I could hear moaning coming from inside his room. He must be watching television or something. I used the key and opened the door.
My eyes widen at what I saw. There was my husband on top of another woman. He was actually making love to her. My lips started to tremble as I watched them together.
"Mark." I didn't even know I said anything. He stopped and turned to me.
His eyes widen in surprise, "Tara, I can explain." he said getting off of her and putting on some pants.
"You can explain?" I said in disbelief. He came over to me as she tried to cover herself up.
"What's your name?" I said to the girl heading over to her.
"Tara, please." he said holding me back.
"No, she's fucking my husband, she could at least give me her damn name. What is your name?!"
"Baby, it doesn't matter." He said trying to hold me back from making my move to her."Look, I came on to him. I'm sorry if you can't take care of your man." she said narrowing her eyes at me.

At that point all I saw was red and that bitch. How dare she even? With strength I didn't even know I had, I pushed past Mark and launched at the bed. The girl scream as I grabbed her hair and punched her in the face. I felt something pulling me away from the girl and I looked up to see Mark carrying me out the room.
"Tara stop! Calm down and listen to me." He said.

"Listen to you, I just listened to you and this bitch. Is this what I have to look forward to with you on the road a whole bunch of fucking groupie?" I turned on my heels and started to walk off
"Tara, please stop. Look honey, I love you."
"Love me? What did she do that I couldn't do? Did she kiss you a certain way? Did she blow you the way you want to be blown? Did she fuck you the way you want to be fucked?!"
"No Tara, it was just comfort. You were blowing me off and not talking to me. I need someone to make me feel like a man."
"Really? Our daughter died not too long ago and you do this to me." At that moment, tears started streaming down my face,
"What have you done to me?"
"You? I'm so sorry, you follow your dreams while mine have to be put on hold."
"Tara, please baby. I love you with everything that I have in me. I can't live without you."
"Well, you are going have to learn because I want a divorce." the shock look on his face said it all.
"You don't mean that."
"Yes I do. We've been fighting for a long time and now you do this. I never thought I would say this Mark, but you are crude, selfish, and I hate you." I could see the tear fall from his face.
"Tara, we can work this out." I slapped him across his face and ran out towards the elevator.
The doors closed before he got a chance to get on. I sunk down to the ground, crying, holding my knees. How could he have done this to me?
End of Flashback

"I can't believe this is happening to me. I'm finding comfort in my ex-husband's arms."

"You are finding more than that, baby. Tara, I know when you are keeping things from me, what happened?"

"It doesn't matter now. I guess it's just my lunch for attracting guys who end up breaking my heart."
"Breaking your heart? If you are referring to me, I didn't mean what I did to you. When we got a divorce, a piece of me was gone." he paused, "What do you mean by guys?"
"Well, you've seen everything with me and James."
"And you're still marrying him?"
"I have to."
"No you don't, why can't you come back to me?" he said looking at me.
"I don't know if I can trust you Mark. What if we have another argument, are you going to look for another girl?"
"Well, I already realize what I lost from the first time I made that mistake, I wouldn't want to lose you again." he said looking into my eyes. I looked away and glanced at the clock.
"It's getting late. I need to fix something to eat."
"I'm okay, I'm not hungry."
"I'll be back." I said getting up and heading to the bathroom.
I brushed my hair and looked at myself in the mirror. I took off my clothes and put on my black short robe. I went in there and saw Mark still laying on the bed. I walked over to the bed and straddled his lap. He looked at me shocked and held on to my hips.
"Tara, what are you doing?"
"I am hungry, but not for food." I said leaning down to nibble on his lips.

"Tara, what are you doing?" he said as I moved to kiss his neck.
"I just need you Mark, please." I didn't have to wait long.
He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close to him, kissing my lips. I reached for his shirt, taking it off of him. I licked his chest, sucking on his nipples. He opened my robe, massaging my breast. As he did this, I grinded against his growing erection. He sat up pushing the robe down my arms, kissing each of my breasts.

James used his key to get in, "Tara!" he said.
He felt so bad for what he did. He sobered up a little and realized with what had happened. He would never do anything to hurt Tara. He went upstairs to her room, holding the flowers and the candy in his hand. He stopped just short of the door when he heard noises.
"Oh, right there baby." was that Tara. He cracked open the door and saw Mark slamming into Tara, his soon to be wife. She didn't look like she was being taken advantage of, she held on to him as kept going.
He closed the door softly and went downstairs. That fucking maniac. He was his best friend and he fucks his girl. He did all that for him and he backstabs him like this. Tara is just a victim, James thought. He made her do it. She didn't have a choice. He was going to marry Tara, no matter what's going on in her bedroom, he thought going to hid car.

I woke up the next day tangled up with Mark. My leg was snug between his legs, my head lying on his chest. I moaned in satisfaction, cuddling closer to him.
"Are you up?" he asked.
"Yea, I didn't know you were though."
"I've been up for quite some time now." he said running his fingers through my hair.
"What did we just do?"
"We made love to each other, what's wrong with that?"
I sat up and looked at him, "I'm not suppose to be doing that."
"Too late to be thinking that baby. Why not?"
"Because I'm supposed to be getting married to one of your best friends."
"Well then this must means something." he said, "I never stopped loving you Tara, that's one reason why things between that woman and I didn't work, I was still in love with you."
"I love you too."
"Then what are you doing marrying James when you should be with me?"
"I don't know, maybe I shouldn't marry James."
"Maybe you shouldn't." I smiled up at him as his hand ran up and down my back. My heart swells as he looked at me. That same love that I had for him back when we were younger, it didn't go away it would never go away. We were meant to be.
"I love you." I leaned over and kissed him.
He rolled me under him, "I think it's time to start all over again." he said.
"With what?"
"With the first time we met." he said kissing me.
"If memory serves me correctly, we didn't go all the way that night." I smiled.
"Yea, well some things have to change." he said taking my lips in a soul searching kiss.
Later that night, I was cooking dinner when James came over. The smile faded from my face as he walked over to me.
"Honey, I'm sorry for everything that I done to you." he said.
"Give me the fucking key and go home James."
"Now honey, look, I love you dearly. I know everything is strange, but from now on, anything you want in the wedding is yours."
"James I thought this was your wedding."
"This is our wedding and I love you more than anything."

"Of course you do, that's why you hit me."

"Darling, I would never do anything to hurt you intentionally. I care for you very deeply." He said walking over to the window, "I mean everything around us has been so crazy, I can't live without you."

"Of course you can't." I said rolling my eyes.

"What's Mark doing downstairs?"
"He left to go run an errand."
"Errand? Is that the girl's name that he's downstairs with?"
"What?" I said staring at him.
"Yea, some blonde that he's with downstairs, he is kissing on her." I walked past him and looked downstairs from the window.

I saw a motorcycle and a blonde sitting on it, kissing each other. It looked like him. It had to be him. I can't believe it, after everything that happened, after everything he said, he does this to me again. The only thing that came to my mind was, I knew this would happen. I turned to James and he looked at me confused.
"Anything I want?"
"Of course."
"I want to get married as soon as possible."
"Anything you want honey." he said hugging me, "I'll be right back, I love you so much. I have something for you."
"Okay." he left. I can't believe this, well I gave Mark one last try. I shouldn't have even bothered. I sighed and sat on the couch.

James went downstairs all smiles and went up to the couple on the bike.
"I told you from up there she would believe you were that guy." James said to them.
"Anything to make a quick grand, thanks man." The guy said turning to look at him.
"No thank you and thank you too Candy."
"I hope this girl is worth this." She said popping her gum
"To have her, yes she is." James smiled as the girl waved and they rode off.
A smile spread across James's face as he looked up at Tara's window.