A/N: Thanks again everyone!! I am so glad you like it. And lets all agree, my make-out scene with Kevin and Lucy on the front lawn totally rocked!!! Anyways, here's a new chapter. It should be a little longer since you guys had to wait so long. I wasn't sure how I wanted to do the dinner, but I liked how it came out.
Note to GeorgeStultsFan: I am a die-hard fan of yours. I love all your stories! And I am honored you are reading mine. I have been to your sight and it totally rocks. I love George Stults!!!! AHHHH!!!
And thanks to everyone who reviewed. I really appreciate it!!
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Chapter 3: Friday Night
Friday soon arrived. Alyn and Chris had accepted Lucy's invitation to dinner.
Sitting at her vanity, Alyn looked back at herself in the mirror as she fixed her hair. She gently brushed out her shoulder-length brown hair, being careful not to twist her wrist the wrong way.
That morning, she had prepared Chris the wrong type of coffee. A stupid mistake. Decaf tastes nothing like Regular. He had gripped her wrist tightly, not letting her go until a solid bruise was visible.
Alyn rubbed some of her foundation onto the bruise and wrapped a thick, beaded bracelet around her wrist. Well hidden. . .like her life.
"Hey guys! Come on it," Lucy greeted her guests.
"Luce, what smells so good?" Alyn commented as she followed her husband into the home's green walkway. Kevin, who was standing in the doorway, greeted Chris with a strong handshake as Lucy guided Alyn into the kitchen.
"Oh, thanks. Well, my mom showed me this recipe for this delicious pasta dish my grandmother used to make."
"Yeah, it smells good now. Let's just pray it stays that way," Kevin laughed from the doorway.
"Kevin!" Lucy smiled and rolled her eyes so just Alyn could see. "I may not be the world's best cook, but I can make a decent meal when I know how."
"Face it, Luce. You have ruined a few meals in your day," he smirked
"And did you eat it just the same?" Lucy asked, her hands now resting on her hips.
"It's not like people are lining up to cook for me," he reasoned, shrugging his shoulders. "And what's more important to a man than eating burnt food made by the woman he loves."
After a long pause, a slow smirk crept across Lucy's face.
"Nice save," she joked, running her fingers through her hair causing strands of blonde to fall gracefully down along her chin and shoulders.
"Yeah, I thought so," Kevin grinned confidently, crossing his arms against his chest.
"Husbands," Lucy sighed, rolling her eyes. She glanced at Alyn and smiled.
Having watched this little spat between husband and wife, Alyn wondered how they could be so playful with each other. They seemed to enjoy making fun of each other's flaws.
Dinner soon ended. To Lucy's delight, the meal was wonderful and she victoriously teased her defeated husband the rest of the night. Kevin, rubber gloves on his hands and his sleeves rolled up, was washing the dirty dishes. Alyn had insisted on helping so while Kevin washed, she dried. Lucy and Chris were out on the porch sitting in lawn chairs.
"Why are you doing the dishes?" Alyn asked as she dried a glass.
"Why?" Kevin asked, thinking this to be a really weird question. "Well . . .because they're dirty and in need of cleaning?"
"No," Alyn smiled. "Why are you doing the dishes?"
"As opposed to Lucy doing them?" he asked again, still not sure if he understood the question. Alyn nodded silently. "Well, she's nice enough to cook dinner for me every night. The least I can do is wash the dishes afterwards."
"Oh," she answered softly, looking down at the plate Kevin had just handed her.
"Why do you ask?" Kevin said, looking up at her.
"Well, I just grew up in a household where the men worked outside the home and the women did all the chores," she lied nervously.
"Really?" he said. "Well, my dad knew raising three kids, a husband, and a household was just as hard, if not harder, than his job. He always helped my mom out."
Alyn's mind wandered as she dried another glass and set it gently into the cabinet.
Chris had never 'helped out' around the house. Being a lawyer was a demanding job. He didn't want to come home to even more work. Some nights he would lock himself in his study to work on another law case, making it quite clear that he was not to be disturbed.
She was the wife, the housemaid. Chris never helped. Ever.
"Do you need some more soda?" Lucy asked after swallowing her last mouthful of Coke.
"No, I'm okay," Chris answered, leaning back in his chair. He glanced quickly through the window where he could see Alyn and Kevin doing the dishes.
"So, I was wondering," she started, playing with the silver chain around her neck, "how's everything with you and Alyn going?"
"Fine," he answered vaguely, still looking at the window. "Everything's great."
Finally deciding that Alyn and Kevin were too busy to notice anything, Chris turned his gaze to the young woman sitting in the chair next to him. Lucy was still fingering the necklace around her neck, her fingertips gliding back and forth across the chain. She flipped her smooth, blonde hair back out of her face, her emerald green eyes gazing up at the star- filled sky.
Soon, she felt his rather intimidating watch upon her. Lucy continued to look away, now pretending to be preoccupied with the ice in her glass; she felt uncomfortable as he continued to stare.
"We . . .we should go inside. See what's taking them so long," she stumbled out, scooting her chair back and standing up.
"Wait!"
The quickness of his voice, his tone, stopped her cold. She glared at him and gripped securely her glass in her left hand.
"We don't have to go in yet," he reasoned, grabbing her arm tightly. "Besides they're probably almost done."
"I want to go in," she answered him firmly, jerking her arm out of his grip.
"Why?" Chris smiled slyly, licking his lips. Slightly stepping towards her, he brought his muscular hand gently to her chin. He was much taller than her so he leaned down slightly to catch her gaze. His fingers soon trailed down along her neck. As they trickled past her collarbones, Lucy smashed her glass onto the table, glass flying everywhere. She grabbed his wandering hand abruptly, twisting his fingers back towards his wrist.
Chris jerked back, groaning in pain.
Glaring at him fiercely, she hissed, "You sick pervert! I'm a married woman! And what about your wife? Remember her?" She finally released her grip, and his arm fell limply against his side.
"You know, I love it when a woman plays hard to get," Chris smiled yet again, amused.
"You do realize my husband is a cop! He's got gun, and I am pretty sure he wouldn't have to think twice about killing you if he knew the sick thoughts lurking in that big head of yours," Lucy screamed, strands of hair falling into her face.
Chris continued to stare at her, smiling idiotically.
"What? Do you go gallivanting around, hitting, rather rudely might I add, on other women behind your wife's back?" Lucy asked, disgusted.
"No," he said innocently. "Only the special ones," he added, changing the tone of his voice.
"You're pathetic," she whispered, her voice raspy.
With her face burning red, Lucy stepped back to compose herself. Soon, she noticed the small amount of blood trickling down her palm and fingertips. Broken slices of glass were scattered across the table and Lucy found small pieces stuck in her skin. She breezed past him, her lips pressed into a tight line. When she came to the doorway, she met Kevin with Alyn trailing behind him.
"I need a trash can," she announced before he could utter a word. Lucy disappeared into the house, Kevin and Alyn's confused glances following her.
"Alyn," Chris called walking towards the house. "Time to go. I've got work tomorrow."
Turning to face him, Alyn gave him another baffled look, obviously wondering what had happened before she and Kevin had arrived. Pushing past them, Chris made his way to the front door.
"Um . . .Kevin? Could you say good-bye to Lucy for me?" Alyn asked softly, looking at the ground.
"Yeah," he answered, watching Chris wait impatiently at the door. "I'll tell her."
Nodding silently, Alyn walked across the living room to join her husband and the two disappeared as the door closed behind them.
"Luce?" Kevin called once the door had slammed shut. He pecked into the kitchen to see Lucy sitting at the table, tightly wrapping her hand in a thin, white bandage. "What happened?" he asked, taking a seat next to her at the kitchen table.
"My glass broke," she answered simply, securing the bandage with a piece of tape. "Are they still here?"
"No, they left," Kevin answered softly. He suddenly got a sinking feeling in her stomach. "What did he do to you?"
She met his gaze when he said this. The look in her eyes was of pure hurt and hatred towards someone.
"He didn't hurt me, not physically anyway," she started. "I broke my glass out of anger."
Kevin waited patiently for his wife to continue, trying hard to hold his boiling anger inside for the moment.
"He hit on me, but it wasn't just a little minor thing. It was rude and offensive, and it made me want to claw his eyes out!" she yelled out of frustration, closing her eyes as she finished. "He stroked my chin and started to move downward, if you catch my drift."
"He what?" Kevin said shocked, anger soon overwhelming him.
"Yeah! That jerk got this close." Lucy held her right hand up to her face and pinched her thumb and index finger together, leaving only a very small amount of space between them. "THIS CLOSE to sexual harassment. I grabbed his hand and twisted it back. There'll be a bruise in the morning," she said, exhausted, running her fingers through her hair.
"Can I kill him now?" he finally asked, standing up.
Lucy smiled slightly, welcoming Kevin's warm embrace gratefully.
"I don't think he was aware you were a cop," she answered quietly, resting her head against his muscular chest.
"Was he aware I was your husband?"
"I'm pretty sure he knew that," Lucy smiled again, leaning back with her arms still laced around his waist. "But worst of all,"Lucy continued seriously, "I don't think I'm the only woman he's hit on behind his wife's back. He gave me the impression that he cheats on a regular basis, with more than one woman." Kevin frowned, releasing his wife. His mind zoomed back as he recalled the conversation he and Alyn had earlier that evening.
"Now that you mention that, Alyn said some really strange things while we were doing the dishes," he started. Lucy raised her eyebrows with interest and concern. "She asked why I was doing the dishes."
Lucy stared at him for a moment, confused. "What?"
"She asked why I was doing them," he clarified, "instead of you."
"Because you're my husband, and this is your house too," Lucy answered, trying to understand what he was getting at. Then it dawned on her. "Are you getting the impression that he doesn't help her at home?"
"I'm getting the feeling that there's a lot more to this than that," he sighed. "I think she's not a wife to him. She's just something he can control. He thinks he owns her, and she lets it happen not because she's not a strong or intelligent person. He scares her into doing what he wants."
"And he scares her . . ." Lucy added, not believing what she was saying, "by beating her."
Her dreams soon disappeared outside the world he confined her in. Her broken wing held her in.
A/N: And the puzzle slowly comes together
Note to GeorgeStultsFan: I am a die-hard fan of yours. I love all your stories! And I am honored you are reading mine. I have been to your sight and it totally rocks. I love George Stults!!!! AHHHH!!!
And thanks to everyone who reviewed. I really appreciate it!!
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Chapter 3: Friday Night
Friday soon arrived. Alyn and Chris had accepted Lucy's invitation to dinner.
Sitting at her vanity, Alyn looked back at herself in the mirror as she fixed her hair. She gently brushed out her shoulder-length brown hair, being careful not to twist her wrist the wrong way.
That morning, she had prepared Chris the wrong type of coffee. A stupid mistake. Decaf tastes nothing like Regular. He had gripped her wrist tightly, not letting her go until a solid bruise was visible.
Alyn rubbed some of her foundation onto the bruise and wrapped a thick, beaded bracelet around her wrist. Well hidden. . .like her life.
"Hey guys! Come on it," Lucy greeted her guests.
"Luce, what smells so good?" Alyn commented as she followed her husband into the home's green walkway. Kevin, who was standing in the doorway, greeted Chris with a strong handshake as Lucy guided Alyn into the kitchen.
"Oh, thanks. Well, my mom showed me this recipe for this delicious pasta dish my grandmother used to make."
"Yeah, it smells good now. Let's just pray it stays that way," Kevin laughed from the doorway.
"Kevin!" Lucy smiled and rolled her eyes so just Alyn could see. "I may not be the world's best cook, but I can make a decent meal when I know how."
"Face it, Luce. You have ruined a few meals in your day," he smirked
"And did you eat it just the same?" Lucy asked, her hands now resting on her hips.
"It's not like people are lining up to cook for me," he reasoned, shrugging his shoulders. "And what's more important to a man than eating burnt food made by the woman he loves."
After a long pause, a slow smirk crept across Lucy's face.
"Nice save," she joked, running her fingers through her hair causing strands of blonde to fall gracefully down along her chin and shoulders.
"Yeah, I thought so," Kevin grinned confidently, crossing his arms against his chest.
"Husbands," Lucy sighed, rolling her eyes. She glanced at Alyn and smiled.
Having watched this little spat between husband and wife, Alyn wondered how they could be so playful with each other. They seemed to enjoy making fun of each other's flaws.
Dinner soon ended. To Lucy's delight, the meal was wonderful and she victoriously teased her defeated husband the rest of the night. Kevin, rubber gloves on his hands and his sleeves rolled up, was washing the dirty dishes. Alyn had insisted on helping so while Kevin washed, she dried. Lucy and Chris were out on the porch sitting in lawn chairs.
"Why are you doing the dishes?" Alyn asked as she dried a glass.
"Why?" Kevin asked, thinking this to be a really weird question. "Well . . .because they're dirty and in need of cleaning?"
"No," Alyn smiled. "Why are you doing the dishes?"
"As opposed to Lucy doing them?" he asked again, still not sure if he understood the question. Alyn nodded silently. "Well, she's nice enough to cook dinner for me every night. The least I can do is wash the dishes afterwards."
"Oh," she answered softly, looking down at the plate Kevin had just handed her.
"Why do you ask?" Kevin said, looking up at her.
"Well, I just grew up in a household where the men worked outside the home and the women did all the chores," she lied nervously.
"Really?" he said. "Well, my dad knew raising three kids, a husband, and a household was just as hard, if not harder, than his job. He always helped my mom out."
Alyn's mind wandered as she dried another glass and set it gently into the cabinet.
Chris had never 'helped out' around the house. Being a lawyer was a demanding job. He didn't want to come home to even more work. Some nights he would lock himself in his study to work on another law case, making it quite clear that he was not to be disturbed.
She was the wife, the housemaid. Chris never helped. Ever.
"Do you need some more soda?" Lucy asked after swallowing her last mouthful of Coke.
"No, I'm okay," Chris answered, leaning back in his chair. He glanced quickly through the window where he could see Alyn and Kevin doing the dishes.
"So, I was wondering," she started, playing with the silver chain around her neck, "how's everything with you and Alyn going?"
"Fine," he answered vaguely, still looking at the window. "Everything's great."
Finally deciding that Alyn and Kevin were too busy to notice anything, Chris turned his gaze to the young woman sitting in the chair next to him. Lucy was still fingering the necklace around her neck, her fingertips gliding back and forth across the chain. She flipped her smooth, blonde hair back out of her face, her emerald green eyes gazing up at the star- filled sky.
Soon, she felt his rather intimidating watch upon her. Lucy continued to look away, now pretending to be preoccupied with the ice in her glass; she felt uncomfortable as he continued to stare.
"We . . .we should go inside. See what's taking them so long," she stumbled out, scooting her chair back and standing up.
"Wait!"
The quickness of his voice, his tone, stopped her cold. She glared at him and gripped securely her glass in her left hand.
"We don't have to go in yet," he reasoned, grabbing her arm tightly. "Besides they're probably almost done."
"I want to go in," she answered him firmly, jerking her arm out of his grip.
"Why?" Chris smiled slyly, licking his lips. Slightly stepping towards her, he brought his muscular hand gently to her chin. He was much taller than her so he leaned down slightly to catch her gaze. His fingers soon trailed down along her neck. As they trickled past her collarbones, Lucy smashed her glass onto the table, glass flying everywhere. She grabbed his wandering hand abruptly, twisting his fingers back towards his wrist.
Chris jerked back, groaning in pain.
Glaring at him fiercely, she hissed, "You sick pervert! I'm a married woman! And what about your wife? Remember her?" She finally released her grip, and his arm fell limply against his side.
"You know, I love it when a woman plays hard to get," Chris smiled yet again, amused.
"You do realize my husband is a cop! He's got gun, and I am pretty sure he wouldn't have to think twice about killing you if he knew the sick thoughts lurking in that big head of yours," Lucy screamed, strands of hair falling into her face.
Chris continued to stare at her, smiling idiotically.
"What? Do you go gallivanting around, hitting, rather rudely might I add, on other women behind your wife's back?" Lucy asked, disgusted.
"No," he said innocently. "Only the special ones," he added, changing the tone of his voice.
"You're pathetic," she whispered, her voice raspy.
With her face burning red, Lucy stepped back to compose herself. Soon, she noticed the small amount of blood trickling down her palm and fingertips. Broken slices of glass were scattered across the table and Lucy found small pieces stuck in her skin. She breezed past him, her lips pressed into a tight line. When she came to the doorway, she met Kevin with Alyn trailing behind him.
"I need a trash can," she announced before he could utter a word. Lucy disappeared into the house, Kevin and Alyn's confused glances following her.
"Alyn," Chris called walking towards the house. "Time to go. I've got work tomorrow."
Turning to face him, Alyn gave him another baffled look, obviously wondering what had happened before she and Kevin had arrived. Pushing past them, Chris made his way to the front door.
"Um . . .Kevin? Could you say good-bye to Lucy for me?" Alyn asked softly, looking at the ground.
"Yeah," he answered, watching Chris wait impatiently at the door. "I'll tell her."
Nodding silently, Alyn walked across the living room to join her husband and the two disappeared as the door closed behind them.
"Luce?" Kevin called once the door had slammed shut. He pecked into the kitchen to see Lucy sitting at the table, tightly wrapping her hand in a thin, white bandage. "What happened?" he asked, taking a seat next to her at the kitchen table.
"My glass broke," she answered simply, securing the bandage with a piece of tape. "Are they still here?"
"No, they left," Kevin answered softly. He suddenly got a sinking feeling in her stomach. "What did he do to you?"
She met his gaze when he said this. The look in her eyes was of pure hurt and hatred towards someone.
"He didn't hurt me, not physically anyway," she started. "I broke my glass out of anger."
Kevin waited patiently for his wife to continue, trying hard to hold his boiling anger inside for the moment.
"He hit on me, but it wasn't just a little minor thing. It was rude and offensive, and it made me want to claw his eyes out!" she yelled out of frustration, closing her eyes as she finished. "He stroked my chin and started to move downward, if you catch my drift."
"He what?" Kevin said shocked, anger soon overwhelming him.
"Yeah! That jerk got this close." Lucy held her right hand up to her face and pinched her thumb and index finger together, leaving only a very small amount of space between them. "THIS CLOSE to sexual harassment. I grabbed his hand and twisted it back. There'll be a bruise in the morning," she said, exhausted, running her fingers through her hair.
"Can I kill him now?" he finally asked, standing up.
Lucy smiled slightly, welcoming Kevin's warm embrace gratefully.
"I don't think he was aware you were a cop," she answered quietly, resting her head against his muscular chest.
"Was he aware I was your husband?"
"I'm pretty sure he knew that," Lucy smiled again, leaning back with her arms still laced around his waist. "But worst of all,"Lucy continued seriously, "I don't think I'm the only woman he's hit on behind his wife's back. He gave me the impression that he cheats on a regular basis, with more than one woman." Kevin frowned, releasing his wife. His mind zoomed back as he recalled the conversation he and Alyn had earlier that evening.
"Now that you mention that, Alyn said some really strange things while we were doing the dishes," he started. Lucy raised her eyebrows with interest and concern. "She asked why I was doing the dishes."
Lucy stared at him for a moment, confused. "What?"
"She asked why I was doing them," he clarified, "instead of you."
"Because you're my husband, and this is your house too," Lucy answered, trying to understand what he was getting at. Then it dawned on her. "Are you getting the impression that he doesn't help her at home?"
"I'm getting the feeling that there's a lot more to this than that," he sighed. "I think she's not a wife to him. She's just something he can control. He thinks he owns her, and she lets it happen not because she's not a strong or intelligent person. He scares her into doing what he wants."
"And he scares her . . ." Lucy added, not believing what she was saying, "by beating her."
Her dreams soon disappeared outside the world he confined her in. Her broken wing held her in.
A/N: And the puzzle slowly comes together