Over the next month Dixie grew stronger. Her nightmares had decreased and although she was occasionally frightened she rarely broke down anymore. It had been over 2 months since the attack and she had even discussed returning to work with Jeff. This however had been put off when they were given the date for the trial. It was due in four weeks time - just before her birthday. Due to the amount of evidence stacked up against the gunmen, they had both chosen to plead guilty. Dixie was relieved that it meant she definitely wouldn't have to give evidence however she still wanted to attend. She wanted to watch them acknowledge what they had done to her, she wanted to watch them get locked up for a very long time.

Suddenly Dixie was drawn out of her thoughts to hear her phone beeping.

'Sorry Princess. Gonna be late. We're one down and they need me to cover until they can draft in a replacement. J x'

'Brilliant' Dixie said sarcastically, getting off the sofa and letting Little Abs out into the garden.

It was ten o'clock and she had been for Jeff to return, but seeing as he was going to be late she decided she might as well go to bed instead. She wouldn't normally be so annoyed, she knew after all that these things happened, however this was the fifth time in two weeks that he had been late back and she was starting to get a little suspicious.

After a few minutes she called Little Abs back in before locking the door and heading up to bed.

Climbing into Jeff's bed she tried to tell herself that she was being silly. It was Jeff after all, he wouldn't cheat on her. He constantly told her how beautiful she was and how much he loved her.

Picking up her phone she sent a quick 'ok' back and then tried to go to sleep. All the while, her mind going round in circles thinking about how he had cheated on Lucy, to how much he said he loved her.

Eventually she fell asleep, and only woke up again when she felt the duvet begin to move and a body get into bed beside her.

'Night Princess' Jeff whispered, not realising that she was awake.

Dixie opened one eye carefully and looked at the clock on her bedside cabinet. 01:00.

Closing her eye again, all them feelings of suspicion and fear returned from earlier in the evening and a tear began to slide down her cheek.

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Early the next morning Dixie awoke needing the loo. Quietly climbing out of bed she saw that her clock said five am. Hearing Jeff breathing deeply she new that he was fast asleep. Walking across the room quietly she was about to head out the door and down the landing when she spotted Jeff's phone on his bedside cabinet. Looking at it for a couple of seconds she made a decision.

Gently walking over to it she picked it up and headed out of the bedroom. After going to the loo she quietly walked downstairs and went to sit down at the kitchen table putting the phone down in front of her.

Dixie just stared at it for a while. She knew that by going through it she would be betraying Jeff. Sure he wouldn't care normally if she opened a message for him or answered a call, but that fact that she was doing it secretly, searching for evidence of an affair made it different.

Going through his inbox she found the last message she sent before scrolling through and seeing all the names she would expect. There were however quite a few messages from an unsaved contact. Opening up the first one her stomach began to turn as she saw that it was received yesterday afternoon.

'Hi, just checking we're still on for tonight?'

Dixie went down and read the next 'ok, yeah see you this evening at 10 in The Bull'.

Not quite believing what she was reading Dixie read all of them - each matching up to the time and dates Jeff had said he would be late.

Switching to his sent folder Dixie began to feel sick as she read the messages to this contact.

'Yeah defo, I'll tell Dixie I'm having to cover for a while'

'You're amazing'

'Last night was great thanks. See you soon'

Tears began to fall as she took in what she was reading. Was he playing her? Had he got fed up of waiting for her? She thought he was happy!

Going back upstairs she put the phone back on his nightstand but couldn't face getting back into bed with him.

She was going to head back into her own room but knew that he might hear her cry.

Walking back downstairs she just went and sat on the sofa, crying her heart out as she thought about what he was doing.

After a few hours she heard Jeff begin to move about upstairs. She had finished crying long ago but her heart still ached as she thought about losing the one person who meant most to her in the whole world.

'Morning Princess' she heard from behind her, turning to see Jeff walk into the lounge.

'Morning' she said getting up and walking back upstairs to get showered and dressed.

Jeff noticed that she seemed curt but figured she was just tired and hadn't realised how it had come across. Walking into the kitchen he went to make them both breakfast. Thinking about the night before a large grin began to form on his face. He'd had a great evening and was pleased with the recent turn of events.

Twenty minutes later Dixie came back downstairs and went into the kitchen to make a cup of tea.

'I've made breakfast' he said, putting her Full English on the table.

'I'm not hungry' she replied.

'Well I've made it now' he said walking up to her and attempting to give her a morning kiss.

'Fine' she replied, slipping out of his way and sitting down at the table.

'Is something up?' He asked picking up his plate and joining her.

'No'.

'Then why are you giving me the cold shoulder?' He continued, just as his phone began to beep.

'I'm not' Dixie replied, watching him open the text, and a smile beginning to form.

'Whatever you say' Jeff responded, not wanting to get into an argument when she was in this mood.

When breakfast was over and Jeff had gone upstairs to get ready for work, Dixie leant across the table and picked up his phone. Going into his inbox she saw it was from the mystery person again.

'I can make tonight after all. You'll have to work your magic on Dixie again! See you in The Bull at 10:30 x'

Dixie's stomach flipped and she knew now what she was going to do.

She wasn't like Jeff. She couldn't hold her tongue if she thought her partner was having an affair. She had decided she would catch him in the act. That way he could make no excuses, tell no more lies.

Jeff got in the shower still thinking about Dixie. He was sure she didn't have a clue about what he had been secretly doing, he knew that if she did find out he would soon hear about it - most likely very loudly and angrily from her! There was something he couldn't quite shake though - the way she had behaved this morning, being snappy, pulling away so he couldn't kiss her - he couldn't quite work out what was wrong.

'It must just be her hormones' he though aloud, hoping that perhaps her periods were about to start up again.

When he was done he climbed and out and got dressed, before heading back downstairs.

'Right, I'm off' he said walking into the kitchen where Dixie was doing the washing up.

'Ok' she said not turning to look at him.

'Do I get a kiss?' He asked walking over to her.

Dixie turned but instead of kissing his lips, she pecked his cheek before continuing with what she was doing.

'A proper kiss?'

'I'm busy. See you tonight' she said and only turned to look at him when he started walking away.

Dixie was filled with self loathing, anger and sadness, all in equal parts.

'Maybe if I had slept with him he wouldn't be doing this' she told herself, knowing in her heart of hearts that whatever she did, a player would always play.

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That evening Dixie got in her car and headed off to The Bull to try and catch Jeff in the act. He had sent her his excuses earlier, saying he wouldn't be home until later than planned and so now, at eleven pm, here she was driving to the pub.

When she arrived she parked up in front of Jeff's car and got out. Walking up to the door she went into the pub and looked around. After taking in the busy bar she scanned the room to see Jeff sitting in the corner. What she saw next made her stop dead in her tracks.

'Mel' she whispered not quite believing what she was seeing.

As tears began to fall she turned and left, all thoughts of facing Jeff gone. Getting in her car she sped away, her heart breaking.

When she arrived home she walked into the kitchen and grabbed the wine from the rack.

Popping the cork she poured herself a large glass and sat down at the kitchen table thinking about everything she had seen.

'He told me he had finished it. That he had chose me' she whispered to herself, knocking back the wine like it was water, tears running down her face.

'How could I have been so stupid. Why would he want me. A lesbian that has no clue what she is doing let alone being able to do it. I can't even show him my whole body. How did I ever possibly believe that he could want me'.

Dixie's self loathing continued as she drank her way through the bottle and opened another. By the time she was onto her the third however she had formulated a plan.

'If I really want to keep him, I've got to sleep with him' she decided, now rather drunk.

When Jeff arrived in the early hours of the morning Dixie went out into the hallway to meet him.

'Dix what are you doing up?' He asked, closing the front door and leaning in for a kiss.

'Waiting for you' she said, before giving him a rather passionate one.

'Wow, that was lovely' he said, realising that she was drunk. 'Why don't you go to bed and I'll sort out Little Abs then follow you up'.

'No, I've done him, now come with me' she said taking his hand and dragging him up the stairs.

Jeff was beginning to get worried. He couldn't understand why she had got drunk alone on a Monday night. It wasn't like her at all, even before the attack.

Being pulled into his bedroom, he was shocked when Dixie turned on him for another passionate kiss.

'Hey Dix, how about we get you to bed' he said, trying to guide her across the room.

'No, I want to sleep with you' she said forcefully.

'What?' Jeff asked confused,

'I said I want to sleep with you' she replied, taking off her top and beginning to undo her bra.

'Not tonight eh' he said walking over to her side of the bed and fetching her pyjamas. 'Here put this on' he continued, trying to pass her her top.

'No, we haven't slept together yet. Well I'm ready now'. She said, pulling down her jeans and taking them off, so that she was just standing there in her knickers.

'Well that's great Princess, but I'm rather tired, so maybe tomorrow night'. Jeff knew that Dixie would be mortified tomorrow and he wanted to stop her now before she made it even worse. Picking up her pyjama top he tried to put it on her but to no avail.

'I said I'm ready tonight. Come on I can get you ready too' she continued thrusting her hand down the front of his trousers.

'Dixie I said no' Jeff said firmly, pulling her hand out of his trousers and wondering what had happened to make her do this.

'Well I say yes' and with that she pulled off her knickers and stood there naked in front of him.

Jeff tried not to look, he knew Dixie was vulnerable and wanted to protect her from herself.

'Dixie please get dressed'. Once again he tried to dress her but she just snatched the top off of him and threw it aside.

'Come on Jeff, I know you want to' Dixie started trying to undo his trousers but found that she was soon stopped by Jeff's hands.

'Dix, I don't know what's happened tonight but I'm not going to sleep with you'.

'Why not. You slept with Mel' she said, beginning to get angry.

'Mel was different'. Jeff remained calm. This felt like she was having another breakdown, but instead of crying and needing a hug she was trying to use drink to force herself back to normality, to force herself to have sex.

'Because Mel was pretty and knew what to do and hadn't been broken?' She spat at him.

'No. Because Mel was comfortable with sleeping with me'

'I'm comfortable sleeping with you' she said, once again lunging forward and trying to kiss him.

Jeff grabbed hold of her shoulders and pushed her back. He hated having to touch her so forcefully after everything she had been through but he knew it was for her own protection. 'Well then we can discuss it tomorrow, and if you still feel comfortable then, then we'll try it'.

'Why not tonight' she asked angrily, shaking his hands off her shoulders.

'Because you're drunk'.

'So. I'm not stumbling, I'm not slurring my words'.

'Maybe not, but you are still drunk. If I slept with you tonight it would make me as bad as them'. His heart broke as he looked at her. What had happened to her this evening to make her do this.

'No it wouldn't. I'm giving my consent. I want you to'.

'Maybe you are giving your consent but your drunk and your vulnerable'.

'Ah so you're trying to be the great protector. Stopping me coming to any harm. Well I never asked you to be you know. I never asked you to look after me, after the attack. I never asked you to try and fix me. I can look after myself'.

'Maybe you didn't, but I vowed to do that when we got married. So I shall'.

Dixie realised that he was never going to agree so turning around she walked out the room and into her bedroom, deciding to sleep there for the night instead.

'Oh Dix, what happened' Jeff said into the silence.