Fragments of us

Chapter 2

I was numb and struck dumb at what had just happened.

Vera. My husband had called me by another woman's name while he was balls deep in me.

Tears sprang up in my eyes, and I held them back futilely, staring up at the ceiling while Quinn breathed deeply beside me. Slowly, I turned my head to stare at him, pulling the sheets up to cover my naked skin.

"Quinn?" I called softly, staring at him imploringly. "Who's Vera?"

His eyes remained shut for several more minutes before he finally opened them, an indecipherable expression on his face. He avoided my eyes as he sat up in bed, not bothering to hide his nudity, and rubbing his hands over his face as if he wanted to force sobriety into his mind.

"Quinn?" I pushed, refusing to let the tears fall when he could still see them. My heart was breaking, and this was just the cherry on top of my awful birthday.

Quinn muttered something under his breath, stood shakily, then disappeared into the bathroom. I heard the sound of the water running, and when he emerged, he walked straight out of the bedroom without sparing me a second glance.

I shook with pain as I scrambled out of bed, scooped my clothes off the floor, and began pulling them on in short, jerky motions. I swiped angrily at the tears that fell freely now, and didn't even turn as the door opened again behind me.

"Anastasia," Quinn called from behind me.

Oh, so now he knew my name, I thought bitterly.

When I ignored him, Quinn walked around to stand in front of me, and my gaze fell on the glass of water he was holding in his hand.

I stared up at him, and he held it out to me, extending his other hand, which he held in a fist.

"Take it," he said angrily, opening his fisted hand to reveal two white pills. I recognized them as my plan B pills, and my mouth fell open as I stared at them.

He thrust the glass of water at me. "Don't just stand there staring at me," he growled. "Take the f*****g pills."

I couldn't take it anymore. "What the hell, Quinn?" I cried. How can you be so callous to me? I am your wife!"

He winced like my outburst was disturbing his haze of alcohol.

"Who the f**k is Vera?" I yelled.

He winced again and scowled at me.

"Don't be a child, Anastasia," Quinn reprimanded, insistently holding his hand out to me.

I glared at him, but took the pills he offered all the same. After all that had just happened, I wasn't in the mood to risk getting pregnant by this man whom I didn't recognize anymore.

I turned away from him as I swallowed the pills, and when I turned to set the glass down, I found him pulling an envelope from the drawer on his bedside table. He tossed it across the bed at me.

"Sign those," he said gruffly.

"What, are you going to give me divorce papers so you can go be with Vera?" I said sardonically, while wondering what was in the envelope.

The look in his eyes as my biting comment made all the air rush out of my lungs, though.

I stared at him in dawning horror.

"No," I whispered. "Tell me I'm wrong."

When he didn't reply, I repeated myself in a louder voice.

"Tell me I'm wrong, Quinn!" I demanded.

He shrugged. "See for yourself," he said, running a hand through his hair and walking towards his closet.

With a shaking hand, I reached for the envelope and pulled out the sheaf of paper inside.

I heard the sound of something shattering from a distance, and the sound of my ears ringing as my knees suddenly gave out.

My breath came in short, breathless pants as I read the glaring heading of the papers in front of me.

Quinn was divorcing me.

I robotically flipped the page over and saw the empty line waiting for my signature. Through the tears that blurred my vision, I could see Quinn's careful signature right beside it. He'd already signed me out of his life.

I looked up at him, barely realizing that he was now dressed in different clothes.

"Who is she?" My voice cracked.

"No one," Quinn said tightly. "Just sign the papers, Ana. Let's not do this right now."

"Do what?" I asked in that same rasping voice. "Explain to your wife why you're divorcing her? Or worse, why did you call out another woman's name while you were making love to her?"

Quinn rolled his shoulder, the first sign of discomfort I could see after all that happened.

"There is no other woman, Ana," he denied. And stop this. "We weren't making love. "It was just sex." he sighed. "Just sign the damn papers, and we can be done with this sham of marriage."

"How dare you?" I seethed. "How dare you call this a sham!" I've devoted years of my life to loving you, I've done everything, I..."

"I never asked for it!" Quinn yelled suddenly. "Don't come crying about what you sacrificed to make this nonsense work, because I never f*****g asked you for anything!"

I flinched at the venom in his tone, and he noticed it.

"I never asked you to love me," Quinn said. "I never asked to be smothered by you!"

I stood from the bed shakily.

"I... I smother you?"

"Yes!" He yelled. "You're always fussing over me, planning f*****g dinners, and trying to hang off my arm! I treat you like you're invisible, but you don't get the f*****g message! "I don't want this, Ana, I don't want this!"

Each of his words drove the dagger deeper in my chest, twisting it savagely. I could no longer pretend to be strong. My tears came pouring down in loud, angry sobs.

"Is she the one you want then?" I screamed. "This 'Vera"? Is she the one you want?!"

Quinn shook his head and turned away like he couldn't deal with my hysterics. I remained sobbing in place while he grabbed his wallet and keys and stormed out of the room without a backward glance.

"Sign the f*****g papers," he muttered, slamming the door behind him.

I heard the sound of his car driving out, and I collapsed on the floor in a heap of tears.