His Human Mate

The next day

Emily and Ben catch each other’s’ eye before nodding and backing away, leaving Edward and I alone. I breathe a small sigh of relief. I know full well how inhumanly strong Edward can be and don't want anyone to get hurt.

Edwards walks towards me, his huge frame taking over the room.

“Why the f**k didn’t you come home last night?” He starts, acting the worried and protective husband. I study his handsome face as he stands waiting for an explanation, his arms crossed over his large chest showing off his impressive muscles that strain against his tight grey t-shirt. Even standing there impatient and seething, he is a good-looking man. A brief thought flits across my mind that he doesn't really have any right to be angry himself. Before I refocus my attention back onto his good looks and strong physique. I have always felt lucky that he chose me when, really, he could have anyone. Little did I know; he was still having who he wanted on the side.

I have already decided how to go about this conversation. I knew he would be unhappy that I did not come home and I fell asleep before I could send him a message. For me, a year of marriage means that we deserve each other’s honesty and so I calmly respond with the truth, swallowing back the sick feeling as I remember what I saw him doing in our bed. I mentally shake myself.

“I came home early last night and saw you with some woman in our bed. I couldn’t stand to speak to you last night so I came here for some space”. His face contorts with shame as he listens to my words and sinks down slowly onto the edge of the bed.

“s**t, I’m so sorry”, he mutters and he hangs his head a rests his hands on his broad thighs. But before he can continue his half-arsed apology full of excuses, that I am sure is coming. I stop him.

“Don’t. I don’t want to talk about it yet. I am not ready. I think we need some time apart so that I can objectively decide how to handle this situation”.

He seems surprised by my words, studying me with wary eyes.

“What?” I demand.

“You aren’t shouting at me”, he states quietly after a few minutes.

Well, he has a point. I evaluate the situation and even wonder to myself why I am not shouting or swearing or lashing out at him. It’s like something is telling me it’s going to be ok and I don’t have to be broken.

“I don’t know what to say”, I reply as I finally get out of bed, tossing the puffy covers to one side and swinging my legs over the edge.

“Anyway, for now, I think it is best that we aren’t in each other’s’ company. I will be in contact soon,” I tell him as I head into the large ensuite bathroom in Emily’s guest room, locking the door behind me.

Goodness how lucky I am to have a friend like Emily who offers up this room with no questions asked. I know that she knows that something is wrong with my marriage but she will wait until I am ready to explain.

I contemplate a bath in the freestanding, stone grey, double-ended bathtub but decide I need a more powerful stream of water to wash away this feeling rather than sitting and mellowing in it, literally.

I strip out of yesterday’s clothes and turn on the shower, looking at my tired reflection while I wait for

it to heat up. Is it me? I think. Am I not good enough? I turn to the side to scrutinise my figure. I’ve worked hard for this body. It’s toned and muscular, with definition in my arms and legs, but it also has curves in the right places. I have large, pert breasts and a rounded bum. Perhaps my skin isn’t silky enough. I don’t often have time to moisturise my full body I muse. Life is so busy.

Once I see steam rising, I step into the glass-encased shower with a stone grey shower bowl and eucalyptus plants adorning the corner shelf. I place myself under the hot waterfall and feel instantly soothed as it sears my skin and massages my tense shoulders. I wash my long hair and sugar scrub my skin, taking time to look after myself. After what feels like an hour, I decide it’s time to get out and face the day.

When I come out of the bathroom, Edward is gone as I had hoped he would be and in his place is a set of soft, cotton pyjamas, clearly left by Emily. I put them on, towel dry and brush my hair and get ready to head out of the bedroom. I pick up my phone that I switched off last night and turn it back on to find fifty messages from Edward asking where I was, as well as many missed calls. I knew he would only think to look here, I don't have any family so this is really the only place I could come. He obviously wasn't too bothered as he waited until morning to actually come around.

"Eurgh", I rub my face with my hands, decide to leave my phone in the room as no one else really messages me so there is no point taking it with me, and head to the door to spend the day in my pyjamas with my best friend. I swing the door open and almost instantly bump into a hard chest. Ben is standing in the doorway, about to knock on the door, most likely coming to make sure that I am ok after Edward left.

“Sorry Vee, I didn’t mean to scare you!” He says as he quickly wraps his arms around me to steady me. I balance myself but he doesn’t let go and I find myself slipping my hands around his shoulders and resting my head against his muscular chest as he holds me comfortingly. It feels really peaceful to be this close to him, and feel the warmth of his strong body comfort me. I momentarily forget about my reason for being here and enjoy the sensation of my body being held against his. As we stand there in silence, he begins to gently tighten his grip, and I feel myself being pressed even closer to his rippling form. My breath catches and I feel him start to inhale quicker and something harden in his trousers against me, causing my body to begin to heat up with desire. We stay this way for a few moments, our breathing becoming slightly ragged as the s****l tension builds between our touching bodies. My hands gradually make their way back around to his chest and I look up at him through my eyelashes as he lowers his head towards mine. I am a bundle of nerves as I wait for him to kiss me. My head is cloudy with desire, my body responding to his familiar touch. My eyes stay fixated on his soft, full lips making their way closer to me as his hands resting on my hips make their way underneath the pyjama top and start caressing my skin. His mouth is centimetres away from mine and he pauses. I can feel his breath tickle my lips. He is asking for permission. I tilt my chin up slightly to give him no doubt that I do want this. I want him. My right hand travels up to back of his head to encourage him and he smiles and pulls me in impossibly closer, ready to take me.

“Ehem”, a throat clear is like a shower of cold water as we realise we have been caught red-handed in a moment of weakness.

“I hope I am not interrupting”, Emily grins, knowing full-well that she is as we have both snapped our heads in her direction with guilty looks etched on our faces. Ben and I were once very close, sharing more than one night in each other’s bed. Until Edward came along and decisions were made. Although for the life of me, I can’t remember why now.

“Um, no”, I say, reluctantly peeling myself out from Ben’s strong grasp. Taking a deep breath and straightening my top, I remind myself of the appropriate conduct considering exactly what is going on in my life. I should not stoop to Edward’s level, no matter how easy it would be to slip back into old habits and let Ben help me to forget the pain of the betrayal I have just received. I smile carefully at Emily and head towards her, ignoring the amused glint in her sparkling green eyes and not looking back at Ben.

We head down to the kitchen where I sit on a high silver stool at the marble island in the middle of Emily's pristine silver and white marble kitchen. Emily pushes a large mug of coffee towards me and sits opposite me, leaning forward slightly and watching me. Clearly waiting for me to start talking.

"Are you going to make me ask?"

"No, I'm just deciding how to begin". I sigh and start retelling the horror of last night.

“Are you f*****g kidding me?” Emily exclaims when I am finished.

“If I had known all that I would have beaten his ass at the door! I absolutely would not have let him in! How dare he even show his face?”

"Well in his slight defense, he didn't know I knew", I half-smiled while she rolled her eyes at me and started ranting.

Emily and I are fiercely protective of each other. I knew that she would be beyond angry that Edward has disrespected me this way. I listen as she lists ways to make him pay, her long brunette ponytail swishing as she makes hand gestures to accentuate her points, and I muse to myself that this is probably how I should also be dealing with the situation.

“Earth to Vee! Why aren’t you as angry as me?” She says what I’ve been thinking.

“Gosh I don’t know Em… I just don’t feel anything like it. I mean I was last night when I first saw them; I was really angry, so angry that I could have caused them some serious harm. But something switched in me at that moment and I didn’t need to be angry anymore. I’m not happy about the situation, don’t get me wrong. It hurts that he has betrayed me and I am cross that he has shown our marriage such little consideration. I definitely don’t want to be around him at the moment, but it’s not all-consuming hatred, and it’s hardly the worst thing that’s ever happened to me... So yeh, I really don’t know why I am not furious." I shrug.

"You're too nice", she scoffs and I laugh.

"I guess it's a blessing that I am not completely consumed by anger. I need to decide what to do next and I need a clear head for that.”

I sit in silence for a minute as I ponder the situation.

“Well you are obviously going to move in here, that’s the first thing,” Emily asserts. I smile wondering how I got so lucky to have Emily. I reach my hand out to grasps hers and smile appreciatively. Maybe she’s the reason I’m not worried and I don't feel broken. I mean, of course, the fact that my life has been turned upside down totally sucks right now, but at least I have my fiery best friend in my corner and she’s all I need.