Married To My One Night Stand

Jolene My heels clicked rapidly on the floor as I ushered myself out of the airport. I had two grocery bags hooked over my wrist, filled with everything for Dylan’s favorite casserole. My arms ached, but my insides were tingling. I was finally home. After three days in Illinois for my boss’s funeral, I think I could safely say that I hate small towns. After all, what’s there to like? The empty streets, the silence that feels too loud, the way everyone stares at you like you’re a stranger. And most important of all—the absence of Dylan, my fiancé. I suppressed a giggle as I stared at my engagement ring. It gleamed under the sunlight. I jogged across the road with my bags swinging. I couldn’t get him out of my head. Until I nearly got hit by a yellow cab. “Watch it, lady!” the cabman called from the window, a cigar dangling from his lip, his face twisted. I sneered, but I couldn’t stop smiling. This was the life I was used to. Loud, bustling, and familiar. This was home. A slow buzz pulled me from my thoughts. My phone vibrated in the pocket of my coat. I stopped midway on the sidewalk, tucking a bag under my arm to pick it up. My lips tugged upward the moment I saw who was calling. Wendy. “Hey, girl,” I beamed enthusiastically. “Have you landed yet? You promised you’d call me the second you landed!” she shouted. “Yep, about three hours ago,” I said, taking another curb off the sidewalk. “I went straight to the store.” “Then come see me! How was Illinois? You have to tell me everything. You know I couldn’t go, and it wasn’t completely my fault. Does Dylan know that you’re back?” I chuckled, shifting the bags. “He doesn’t know. I’m going to surprise him. I have a special dinner planned for him tonight, and you’re not a part of it. Thank you very much.” I bit my lip. I knew exactly what she was going to say. “It’s not fair!” she whined, and I almost snorted. “It’s always Dylan this and Dylan that. The only time I get to see you now is at work. But you have been working really hard to get that promotion! And we might be so busy with the new CEO transition meeting tomorrow. You never have time for me anymore!” “I’m sorry,” I laughed. “But you know how much he means to me. Look, we’ll talk later, okay? I just got in. I’ll call you later. I promise. Love you.” I went straight to the townhouse I shared with Dylan. It wasn’t something fancy, but we were comfortable. I’d been planning to rent a penthouse for us after I got promoted. Hopefully. I knocked on the door. I adjusted my coat and ran a hand through my hair, waiting to see the look on Dylan’s face the moment he saw me. No answer. I knocked again, harder this time. My knuckles rapped against the hard wood until they stung. Still no answer. I pushed the door, and it swung open with a low creak. That was odd. Dylan never left the door unlocked. I swallowed. “I hope he’s all right,” I whispered to myself. I stepped inside, and my heels were suddenly too loud on the tiled floor. I took them off halfway to the stairs and left them on the floor. I was in the hallway upstairs when I heard them. Low moaning sounds came from behind the closed door of our bedroom. The moaning sounds of a woman. I froze with one foot in the air. My fingers went numb around the suitcase handle. I held it so hard my knuckles turned white. “God, yes,” Dylan groaned, loud and hoarse from inside. The exact sound he made when he was losing control. My ears started ringing. “No. No, this isn’t happening,” I thought aloud. “I’m hearing things.” I should walk away and pretend I never heard anything. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. My hand pushed the door before I could stop myself. It opened slowly. The sight that hit me came like a punch in the face, sending a rush of heat waves through my body. Dylan, my fiancé, lay completely naked in our bed. My sister, Audrey, sat on top of him. She straddled him, moving up and down at a fast pace. Her back was to me, and her hair was messed up. His hands were on her hips, holding her the exact way he used to hold me. I staggered back. For a second my brain refused to agree with what my eyes were seeing. My hand opened on its own, and the suitcase hit the floor with a loud thud. They were so engrossed in each other that they didn’t hear anything or realize that I was there. Dylan’s hands moved from her hips to her waist, guiding her movements. The same hands that held my face the morning I left, telling me how much he was going to miss me and what I meant to him. Hot tears stung my eyes, and I let them fall. I bit my lip to keep from crying aloud. I felt like the biggest fool in New York because for three months, Dylan hadn’t touched me. Even though we shared the same bed. He said he was exhausted and the new contract was killing him. I had believed him. I understood and excused every late night. Was Audrey the reason? The part that hurt the most was Audrey. She knew the reason why our family fell apart. Why would she of all people do this to me? The question stung even more than the sight in front of me. They never even got along, and that was the worst part. My cheeks were wet. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand. My voice came out small before I could stop myself. “Dylan? Audrey?”