baby come on home
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There was a time I used to call you on my very own
We were so happy, woman, talkin' for hours and hours on the telephone
Then one day I set you up to walk right outta my life
Leavin' me all by myself, all alone, to cry every night

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The idea of meeting him in a few minutes that Friday frightened me. I'd never seen him so enraged, and he'd been giving me the silent treatment since that morning at his house. I texted him a couple of times, but he never deepened the conversation as he usually did.

That morning, I hovered the bell with uncertainty, making my finger tremble over the small button. I pressed with little to no pressure, still hesitant to visit him after what had happened. But then I stopped to think and realized I had nothing to be afraid of. Mr. White and I were not lovers. He had no right to be so upset with me.

I only rang the doorbell twice and then waited in silence. My pointy, vintage sunglasses stood straight on my nose bridge, acting as a barrier between me and the cold, angry eyes that looked for mine when the door opened. I parted my lips, desperately exhaling warm air. He could sense my discomfort and seemed pleased with it, as if I deserved to feel that way. Mr. White moved to the right and gave me space so I could get in. The house was deafeningly quiet, as if Archer and Mrs. White didn't even live there. We arrived at his large, Victorian-style study quickly, and as soon as I walked in, he turned around to face me, not even waiting for me to close the door behind me.

"Is this how it'll go? You'll fuck my son?"

My expression quickly changed to one of fury, matching his. My fierce eyes met his as I jerked off my glasses and threw them on the couch.

"Don't you dare go there." My voice trembled slightly, but I wasn't nervous. It vibrated with outrage. He cocked his left brow and looked down at me. That day, he seemed even taller, but I wasn't going to let that scare me.

I could see pure jealousy in his gaze, and it made me feel pitiful. I tried to keep my cool by swallowing air and tapping my shoe on the ground.

"Are you going to?" He insisted, his voice becoming impatient.

"Why not, huh? I might just do that at this point." My provocative tone enraged him even more. "Maybe you should let your son teach you how to treat a woman that you want, mh?"

I was unable to anticipate his moves. Mr. White's hands were on both of my wrists before I could even react. I gulped instinctively as my back bumped up against the wall behind me. "Did he touch you?" His whisper was a guttural growl.

"Stop..."

"Did he, Audrey?"

I shook my head in response to his question and he released his grip on my wrists. My hands gradually lowered to meet his shoulders. Our first real physical contact in what seemed like an eternity.

"Make love to me."

"You know I can't do that."

"I'm begging you." I had never in my life implored for something like that. But he took me to the limit and then just left me hanging for so long.

"Audrey, please."

My forehead was resting on the hollow of his neck as I laid my palms against his chest. I was desperate for his touch but he wouldn't reciprocate. "I'm so pathetic." I whispered. My voice cracked from the overwhelming emotions and I knew him too well to expect a reaction. He was a cold man. He didn't show his feelings at all, even though it was him who put us in this situation.

"I can't do this anymore." I suddenly added, making up my mind about all of what was happening to us.

"Don't be like this."

"Hector, I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry, it's not you..."

"Audrey, you're being childish right now."

"You know that I'm in love with you."

"No, you're not. That's not love."

"I know what love is, don't you dare question my feelings right now." I was so angered that I pushed him away from me. As I gathered my belongings, my heart ached.

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Stay. Let's talk about it and sort things out."

"Hector, I'm done with this. I'm a woman, too, even if you can't see it."

He clenched his jaw so hard that I wished he would take it out on me somehow. His self-control never failed him, though. Not once. He didn't say anything. He didn't even come after me, that's how much he cared. My mind raced through memories, and I couldn't get one image out of my head: his wedding ring, which had been recurring throughout our relationship.

You fucking stupid girl. Now what will you do with your feelings? – I thought, crying under the rain. Despite the raindrops falling from the sky, the flowers blossomed and the temperatures rose. With that in mind, I unlocked my Mini Cooper and sat in the driver's seat, my legs propped up against my chest.

'Since I've been loving you' started playing on the radio as tears streamed down my cheeks and my nose turned red. I heard Robert Plant sing 'let me tell you, I really did the best I could'.

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Only at the end of our strange relationship was I able to address him by name. I felt weak for not being able to resist more than the first few weeks before falling in love with him. The fact that he didn't reciprocate made matters worse.

Wasn't he burning for me even just a little?

I refused to meet with him during the week and sent him an e-mail to settle things without having to see each other on Fridays ever again. We made eye contact a few times in the hallways, but I always made sure I wasn't alone at work. I wasn't strong enough to face him just yet.

That Wednesday was the first actual warm day of spring. Archer walked beside me, holding a coffee in his left hand and staring at his phone. He scrolled through his day's appointments and mumbled something I couldn't understand. To be honest, I enjoyed his company. Archer could be a jerk at times, but he was a serious worker, who was also hilarious at times. I wasn't attracted to him, but I didn't dislike him either.

"Sooo..." He dragged the word out, his gaze fixed on me. "...what happened between you and my dad?"

That I did hear, clear and sound.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on Audrey. Do I look stupid?"

"Well, you kinda do–"

"I've never seen him so distressed over any of his editors."

I sighed, gazing back at the hallway. "I'm a pretty tiresome editor, you know?" The tension in my words was lightened by my sarcastic attitude. "And your father really, really hates losing."

"He for sure hates losing you, if that's what you mean."

"Archer It's not the way you think it is." I took a more serious tone, grudging over his insistence. "We had a great working relationship, but he's too stubborn and I'm too impatient." It was somewhat true, but I didn't go into great detail about what went on in that room. In any case, I had no idea how I could explain something like that to someone.

"That does sound like my dad. By the way, Audrey, I know what's going on." He was a little more blunt now. "Come on, he tells me you're off limits, puts his arm around your back while staring at me, and then you walk around in my house in your nightgown." Archer raised his eyebrow, perplexed.

I sighed, exhausted at the idea of getting into that kind of discussion with Mr. White's son. "You don't have to worry too much. He refused to touch me." I took out a cigarette from the rectangular, little box. "He never intended on cheating on your mother or put your family at risk." I wanted to clarify that, just in case Archer misunderstood anything.

"Audrey..." As I looked over at Archer, I noticed a sad expression on his gorgeous face.

"You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"What my mother did..." He paused for a second. "My father can be with whoever he wants. That's all I'm saying."

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