Beneath the Leather

Chapter 4: Cracks in the Glass

Jazmine was curled up on the couch, Hercules draped across her chest, his tiny body rising and falling with each soft breath. The apartment smelled faintly of vanilla from the candle she’d lit last night, mixed with the lingering aroma of yesterday’s takeout. She nuzzled Hercules’ fur, letting his warmth calm the tightening knot in her stomach.

A loud thud outside the door made her start. The familiar rumble of Devon’s car had always been comforting, signaling that her day was officially over. But today, something felt off. As soon as the door clicked open, she noticed it—another scent beneath his usual cologne. Perfume. Soft, floral, intoxicating, and completely wrong.

Her stomach dropped. Hercules perked up, ears twitching, as if he sensed her sudden unease. He let out a tiny whine and pressed against her chest. “Hercules…” she whispered, heart pounding.

Devon stepped into the apartment, dropping his bag by the door. “Hey,” he said casually, but the casual tone felt brittle, like it could shatter with the slightest touch. His eyes flicked at her, then away, lingering on the TV for too long.

“Hey,” she said carefully, trying to keep her voice steady. Hercules squirmed in her lap, seeking comfort.

Devon shrugged off his jacket and collapsed onto the couch, sprawling across it like he owned the place. “You’re quiet today,” he said, but there was a tension in his voice Jazmine hadn’t heard before.

“I’m fine,” she said, gripping Hercules tighter. “Just… tired.”

“Hmm,” he murmured, eyes darting toward his phone again, then back to her. “You know… we never… I don’t know…” His voice trailed, hesitant, uneven.

Jazmine frowned. “We never what?” she pressed, her pulse accelerating.

He ran a hand through his hair, shoulders slumping. “You know… our… s*x life. It’s just… it’s been…” He stopped, struggling to find words. “You’ve… I mean… you’ve changed.”

Her chest tightened. “Changed? What do you mean by that?” Her voice was calm at first, but there was an edge there, sharp enough to cut through his hesitation.

“You’ve… you’ve gained weight,” he said finally, bluntly, as if saying it out loud made it easier to swallow. “And… it feels like I don’t have my sexy girlfriend anymore. You… you don’t want me like you used to. I—” He stopped abruptly, realizing too late the damage in his words.

Jazmine froze, the world narrowing down to Devon’s voice and the hurt in her chest. Hercules whimpered, pressing closer, tail tucked, sensing her rising panic. She buried her face in his fur, letting the tiny dog absorb some of the pain she couldn’t yet manage.

“You think this is because of my weight?” she asked, voice shaking, trembling with a mixture of anger, shock, and hurt. “You think I wouldn’t… want you? That I wouldn’t want us?”

Devon shifted, guilt flickering across his features. “I… I just…”

“No, Devon!” she snapped, tears brimming. “I only got like this because of you! Because of your constant… your constant reminders that I don’t satisfy you, that I’m not enough! You kept making me feel like I was failing you, that you needed something else!”

Hercules whimpered again, pressing into her chest. She let her forehead rest on his head, letting his warmth steady her. “I’ve been depressed because of this,” she continued, voice trembling but growing stronger. “You made me feel ashamed of myself. You made me feel like I was broken, like I wasn’t worth loving because I gained a few pounds.”

Devon stared at her, eyes wide, guilt and shock written across every line of his face. “Jaz… I didn’t—”

“You did, Devon!” she yelled, standing abruptly. Hercules clutched against her chest like armor. “You’ve been making me feel like my body isn’t good enough for you! And then you have the nerve to come home smelling like someone else?!”

He opened his mouth, words failing him. Silence stretched across the apartment, heavy, suffocating. Hercules pawed at her shoulder, nuzzling her, letting her know she wasn’t alone.

Jazmine’s heart pounded as she swallowed hard, fighting back a sob. She looked down at Hercules and whispered, “You and me, little guy. We’ve got this.” His small, warm body pressed against her chest, steady and real, grounding her in a world that suddenly felt unsteady.

Turning back to Devon, she shook her head, chest heaving. “I need… I need some space.”

She walked toward the bedroom, Hercules tucked safely in her arms, leaving Devon on the couch, stunned and silent. For the first time, she realized that her safe, happy world with him wasn’t as unbreakable as she had thought. And that the pieces of her life she could rely on—her own heart and Hercules—were the ones she would have to protect.