EYES WIDE OPEN

Ranger POV

Chapter 5

oOoOo

With her eyes closed, Stephanie breathed in through her nose, slowly releasing it through her mouth, her head resting on my shoulder. It took four more slow breaths before she settled to finish unloading the shitload of Morelli happenings. She was consciously composing herself. I didn't have long to wait. Offering her the water bottle, she nodded, sipping slowly, pondering on the next, and I presume, final onslaught. This was healthy venting. It wasn't emotional dumping, just matter of fact venting, calling it for what it was, with her eyes wide open. There were no hysterics. Releasing the tension and letting go of the anger at being played by Morelli, over and over again, was good for her. Far better than letting it bottle up inside. Far better than any of us telling her. Maybe a session at the gun range would be beneficial, I mused. Something to think about. She took a deep breath, ready for the final delivery.

"But the fourth time I was really not expecting to see. Deep down, I knew he was an asshole and I didn't trust him, never having sex with him without a condom."

She shuddered. I rubbed her arms and gave her a reassuring squeeze of encouragement.

"Parking karma was not happening for me that morning, so I parked at the back of the Bonds Office, reversing in so I could get out quickly. I just wanted to go in and out quickly, and be done. I was not in a good mood, certainly not a chatty mood. I didn't want to talk about it since I was still coming to terms with the blatant evidence. I wasn't ready yet, while I was still coming to terms with all his crap. I had completely accepted it, all the shit evidence of his cheating ways. No more denial. No doubt. I thought I was done with all his shit. But this was the clincher. This was the last straw. Not that he was ever going to have another chance with me. He fucked up there, literally and figuratively, yes, fucked up big time.

I recognised her car first. It was bouncing but that hairy ass was all I needed to see to know he was fucking Lula. Besides, his conspicuous green SUV was just metres away. All that talk about Officer Hottie? Bitch. Asshole motherfucker. Stick a fork in me. I was done!

I was in and out of the Bonds Office so fast, just to drop off my receipts and grab my cheques. Connie was watching me, and instantly knew now was not the time to make idle chatter. When I heard the back door open with Lula's not so quiet entry, I was already exiting the front entrance saying a quick thanks to Connie. I think Connie figured it out when Lula announced herself.

"I just saw Officer Hottie, down the road, you know." Lies! Lying fucking bitch! "He sure has the best ass in Trenton. Mm-mm."

Bloody bitch, Lula! She's a skanky poacher just like Joyce-Fucking-Barnyard. Her supposed friendship and loyalty left me wondering for how long this had been going on? Frankly, I didn't care anymore. I was done.

I was not sticking around. Driving on auto pilot I made it to the bank. Just then an incoming message from the asshole himself informed me he was called out to a multiple homicide. Not a pizza and beer night to watch the game. Thank goodness. Suits me. A plan started to formulate in my head for the rest of the morning.

Crossroads. That defining moment, you know? Clarity. I had all morning to plot. I had reached the point of no return. Time to exit Dodge. I considered Point Pleasant but I was in the mood for doughnuts, you know, I needed a sugar spike. I had reached that moment of truth and clarity."

Oh yes. Hallelujah! I squeezed her for strength and showing my support. She downed the rest of her water bottle and looked pleased with her epiphany, nodding quietly and smugly to herself. Oh boy.

After a bathroom break she snuggled back on the couch, leaning into my arms. Changing my position, she sat between my legs, resting her back against my chest while I lay along the length of the couch. It was a comfortable position. I propped a cushion under her elbow to support the sling. Not looking at me enabled her to get all her emotions out and express her suppressed feelings that had been lurking in Denial Land.

Gently, I rubbed her arms and waited for her to gather her thoughts. I knew the best was yet to come. I didn't have to wait long.

"I went back to Morelli's house on Slater, and immediately began packing all my clothes into my laundry hamper, and gathered all my toiletries. Pfft. Previously, he was supposedly on a stake out for a couple of days. What happened to the multiple homicide? Funny dat! Yeah, right! Bullshit. Lies again! I placed the laundry hamper and the rest of my things near the front door.

I made sure I left nothing behind that belonged to me. I was pissed off. I grabbed his bed linen and tossed it out the bedroom window, but it was too bulky, so I left it just hanging there. The neighbours will think I'm just airing the bedding like they often do. By doing that, I discovered a bra and a lacy thong, not belonging to me. Tucked under his pillow! I almost tossed that out of the window as well, but I decided the evidence would be better in getting my message across. I was so pissed off!"

I smiled to myself. She was getting herself quite worked up. With each aggravation she jiggled in between my thighs. Madre Dios! She was animated and passionate as she related all these revelations. That asshole will regret this for the rest of his life. He's taken her for granted yet still expects her to adjust to his way of life, on his terms. Stupid motherfucking fuckwit.

Stephanie hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"Much to my surprise, I found a box of sex toys, hidden under the bed, on his side. I stubbed my toe on it when I was yanking the fitted sheet off his bed. Omigod! Thank goodness he didn't use them on me! Who knows what diseases lurked there. I always insisted he use a condom. Safe sex was my motto. That's when I noticed the stains on the fitted sheet. They were not from me, that's for sure. I grabbed a bag from the bathroom and a pair of disposable gloves like they use on crime scenes.

I threw his shit into a bag and pushed it down the stairs. I was so grossed out at the possibilities so the sex toys went into another bag. I didn't trust him enough to let him go bare back, although he tried. Down the stairs they went as well. The bag split. I didn't care as the box crashed open, spilling all the toys. Bob looked curiously at them, sniffing. No Bob. Don't even go there. Pfft. What do I care?

In the bathroom, as I reached for my robe behind the door, I found another set of lingerie, a matching lacy set, very expensive La Perla. I growled. It was certainly not a surprise gift for me. Oh! What a surprise! Not even my size! That bra was catering for enhanced breasts. No points for guessing there. Without actually sniffing the bra, the distinctive fragrance wafted up of Yves Saint Laurent's Opium. Yep. A Terry Gilman special. I could never afford La Perla, even on the sales.

I threw them down the stairs, just so that he would know I had found them. Did you know bras work well like a slingshot?"

I laughed at her antics with that almost rhetorical question. "I'll have to file that away, Babe. I wonder if Lester knows that?"

"Pfft. Of course, he would!" She laughed in reply, pondering the possibilities.

She was on a roll and she needed to get it all out. I smiled at her contained rage. The intonations of her voice, ranging from mock surprise to sheer sarcasm and suppressed fury, was hilarious, but I maintained my composure. I was enjoying her tirade of discovery and revelations. So much better that Stephanie discovered these for herself than any of us telling her. Somehow, I always felt that wouldn't have gone down so well. Her denial was something that held her back. As she herself admitted, she was gullible and the fucker took advantage of that. She is trusting by nature, but he just shattered her views completely by his own actions. He doesn't deserve her, not her love and certainly not her loyalty. As she said, after her experience with Dickie Orr and his constant cheating and philandering, she didn't want to make the same mistake again. Her mother has a lot to answer for. With Morelli, he was a serial liar, cheater and a dirty philanderer. She deserved better than he had to offer. I need to step up to the plate. I want to be that man for her, who loves her unconditionally. I want to prove to her that she deserves to be loved and cherished. Suddenly, she snapped me out of my reverie.

"But then another discovery. Hello-o! That's interesting. I noticed they were not all the same size. Fucking bastard! I grabbed his shit and threw it down the stairs. I don't care what it was. I was channelling my rage and it felt good. I channelled my inner Hulk, but decided not to rip or shred anything. It was tempting, really tempting, but a waste of energy. Shoes, shirts, jeans, condoms, whatever I could get my hands on, I flung them haphazardly down the stairs. Even the coat hangers weren't spared. Sheesh. Another bra! I grabbed one of the steak knives and stabbed at the condoms before returning them neatly into the box. Damn that felt good. He had condoms stashed in all sorts of places including one of the kitchen drawers and under the couch cushions.

As I caught my breath, I felt invigorated and, you know, revitalised, like this was some kind of cleansing ritual. Now, as I looked around at the mess, I was calm. It was cathartic. Like purging all the demons. Whatever! Back upstairs I went and tossed his laundry hamper down the stairs too, kicking it for good measure. Oh. What a surprise! Another set of lingerie and an extra bra! Very pretty. Fucking asshole! I pulled the bed linen back inside and tossed them down the stairs to add to the messy piles.

With all that extra lingerie, I really felt like making a statement, like a feature decoration, you know, like hanging them on a Christmas tree. But I figured the random scattering was a strong enough message. How many women? I felt like such a fool. I thought that was the end of his bra trophies! Oh no! On the couch where Bob was hiding, I found something hidden under one of the cushions … I was disgusted. Boy! Was I glad I was wearing those gloves. I didn't give a damn about fingerprints. The mess? Meh. The messier the better. In the process I scattered all the couch cushions all around the floor. I grabbed a pair of tongs from the kitchen drawer and plucked the acid green thong from its hiding place. The size was a dead give-away. Plus, with the spangled poison green snake print spandex …? Need I say more? Fucking Lula. He was fucking Lula, here as well."

She growled and shuddered, shaking her head in disgust. I handed her a new water bottle, opened it for her and she sipped half of it down steadily. She breathed slowly in and out, to regain her composure. In through her nose, out through her mouth, with her eyes closed. There was more to come, it seems.

"Bob had been watching me cautiously, but after I attacked the couch, he decided the bed linen was a cosy place to dig in circles, like a nest and hide. I opened the back door for him, fed him and topped up his water bowl. He went out and quickly returned to his cosy nest leaving nice dirty pawprints. "Good boy, Bob," I patted him and he wagged his tail. He was confused.

Thinking back to my Christmas tree decorations idea, I grabbed some tape from his messy junk drawer, good old trusty duct tape, and some string. By the time I was done, I was really pleased with my display. It was like colourful bunting flags on a parade day, except, instead of flags, the bunting was the colourful array of lingerie as in bras, thongs, and that piece of shit spandex. For good measure, I added one of my thongs in the middle, so as not to discriminate. I didn't like that pair anyway. From the front door zigzagging to the living area and around the room, I had the colourful line of bouncing bras and all. He couldn't miss it. He'd have to duck. It was just high enough out of Bob's reach. At each point on the wall the duct tape was firmly secured with multiple long pieces of criss-crossed tape, so my lingerie line bunting would not collapse. I cut the ends neatly with a pair of scissors. No DNA there. If he rips it off carelessly, the paint will come off the wall with it. I stood back and admired my handiwork. Fucking-A!"

I laughed and kissed her neck. "You are so sexy when you are mad. That was priceless, Babe."

"For good measure, I took a couple of photos." I laughed so much when I saw the zigzagging lingerie line. It was perfect. She smirked with pride.

"Yeah. It looks quite spectacular. Do think it's overkill?"

"Hell no!"

"I also hung the tongs in the middle just for … fuck's sake. I gave Bob a butcher bone from the fridge and he happily took it outside, only to return with wet muddy paws to make a new nest, wagging his tail as he chewed his bone. Lots of lovely muddy paw prints. It had started to rain outside. I was almost done.

Walking upstairs for a final check and then carefully down the stairs, I kicked some of the shit out of the way. Then I spotted his baseball mitt and kicked that away as well. Ah. But, then I spied his special trophy, his pride and joy, the special Catch of the Day baseball, with the autographs from one the major league games. He was very proud of that catch he made. I hesitated, but only for a moment. Meh! Bob was so pleased when I tossed it to him. He was not a good catcher but he enjoyed chasing after it, his tail wagging happily. Then he hopped back into his nest, chewing the leather happily. I locked the back door before making my way to the front door.

After putting away the scissors and the duct tape, with the remaining string, in the junk drawer, I loaded my car. Never to return. I'd had enough of his lies and deceit, and the bloody cheating! There was no way in hell he could explain all that. I made sure to drive away sedately."

Stephanie sighed and breathed out slowly. Then she yawned and stretched as best as she could.

"How do you feel now?"

"I don't know. I feel … I feel like I have finally made a stand. Redeemed? Hm. Reclaimed my dignity, even though it was a most undignified way of going about it. I still felt good. Liberated. Yes, I feel liberated."

Her little chuckle was cute.

"Take no shit Stephanie is in the room. I am no longer a pushover. That was me drawing a line in the sand."

"And where to from here?"

Another yawn, a double one.

"Dunno. Don't care for now. I feel safe here." This was followed by a huge yawn.

"You're tired, Babe. C'mon. Go to the bathroom and get ready for bed. I'll get your meds ready for you."

I tucked her in with a gentle kiss, propping the pillows in the best position for her comfort. On another yawn she mumbled, "Thank you. You're right. I'm so tired now." She was lights out in seconds.

I sniggered. Coming home, Morelli must have had a huge surprise with all his stuff, and other paraphernalia, scattered all over the place. But that surprise would have been delayed by his arrest. I laughed quietly to myself. That lingerie bunting line was sheer brilliance. Stupid fucker. I wonder who bailed him?

"Proud of you, Babe. Te amo," I said softly, kissing her on her temple.

Yes. That lingerie line was an impressive idea. I counted ten lingerie items, no, eleven. I smiled. Hell has no fury like a woman scorned. How deserving. Now, with that variety of lingerie, especially the number of bras, stupid fucker, he won't know for sure which one of his side pieces threw a tantrum and trashed his house. So many possibilities. I grinned heartily at that. Damn. I wished she'd taken some more photos. I must say I did like her Christmas tree concept but the lingerie line was outstanding. That would really rub it in, his infidelities, just in case he didn't get the message.

Maybe she could post it on social media … something to think about. I'll have a word with Hector. I'm sure he would love to help. But I will ask her permission first. There's no way Morelli would share it. All the better that someone does it for him.

oOoOo

TBC

The words in bold are from the song I Love It by Icona Pop which was my inspiration for this story. Not a new song, but it popped up every now and then. My Muse kept taunting me with the idea and wouldn't leave me alone until I got typing. She is much happier now.