Her Secret Shame, His Public Affair

between us. When Jameson' s arm draped over me in his slee

he dark startled me. I didn't

him not to drink so much. If he was mean, you

nd righteous anger on my behalf. But I could see the real

fire I never knew I

dly beside me, his head on the pillow, lookin

oing to get that old tattoo of his covered up to

all night, she didn

pleasure. It was a hollow v

de, quiet and scared, her clothes a little too small, her shoes worn down at the

trying not to cry as she picked up the spilled foo

y' s generosity extended to her; my mom bought her new clothes when she saw

rateful, her "thank y

y food. She got u

he way, she got used

me. Each act of kindness, each shared secret,

the sun came up, tears silentl

ttoo parlor downtown. The air b

hard to be the perfect, attentive husband. He even set up an iPad for me with my fav

o a back room with

I was holding. Maybe we could fix t

st out of the room, hi

skipped

s wrong?" I asked,

his voice tight. "She

Now? It couldn' t be a coincidence. My gut s

ly. "You stay here and

is eyes wild. "I have

, not moving an i

my best friend. I will go check on her. Yo

the world se

d disgust in his eyes. He wasn't looking a

a," he hissed. "Her car is total

his can wait! Or what, you want me to t

grabbed a disposable razo

n skin, right over the tatt

, my voice crack

hout another word, he dropped the razor and ran out the door

the shop, my fac

A cold, hard rain began to fall,

t home. The whole way,

s I walked through the do

p with a strea

al bed, looking pale and pitiful, with a small bandage on her

eson come, Lana. He's tak

I guess he didn't get tha

e the feeling. It was b

reflected my face, my e

clown in t

strange sense of release. I w

n a hot bath, letting

ain, its ringing

sloshing over th

bed th

as C