Chapter 3

3

"Don't hit me, don't hit me!"

Henderson was old. A few punches and he was bleeding from the nose and mouth.

He fell on the floor, pleading, "It's your girl's fault, she came onto me!"

He grabbed his phone and pulled up our text messages.

"Look, she messaged me first!"

The texts showed me asking where to meet.

I even asked him if he liked the black dress I was wearing.

Something in Jake snapped.

He turned his head stiffly and stared directly at me.

He didn't say anything but I felt an overwhelming sense of dread and sadness.

"Jake, you… you have to let me explain…"

Before I could finish, Jake punched Henderson again.

"Bullshit! My girl's an angel! She'd never go for some creep like you!"

Henderson whined, "It's true! She came on to me first!"

Jake grabbed his neck, yelling, "You try slandering my girl again, and I'll kill you!"

Henderson's face was turning purple. He couldn't get a word out.

I was scared Jake was going to kill him. "Jake, please stop!"

Jake didn't move, his eyes filled with rage.

Even though I was the one who screwed up, he wasn't mad at me. He was mad at others!

Tears streamed down my face. "Jake, please, for me, let him go. I don't want you to go to prison. I want to go home with you."

…

On the way home, Jake didn't say a word.

I could feel his anger, and his disappointment in me.

He wasn't dumb. He knew I'd been flirting with Henderson.

But he didn't want to believe it.

Because he loved me.

I felt worse than ever.

"It's all my fault."

I grabbed Jake's hand, and slapped myself. "Take it out on me. Hit me!"

Jake didn't hit me.

He brushed my cheek, looking at me, heartbroken. "Annie, why… why did you betray me like that?"

Because I needed a host for my kids.

But I couldn't tell him that.

I didn't want him to know that I was really a worm, long, black, and twisted!

I bit my lip. "Jake, let's break up."