Sisyphus

Liora

“What are you doing here?” I asked, staring at him, unable to hide the confusion in my voice, or on my face, given that this street was too run-down for someone like him to glance, let alone walk down it, after all, he made that clear. So yeah, I had to ask.

“What do you mean, ‘what am I doing here,’ Liora, do you…” his voice trailed off as soon as his eyes dropped to the suitcase by my feet.

Then his gaze snapped back to me. “Where are you going?” His tone changed completely. His brows furrowing,

“It’s none of your business where I’m going. Step aside, Ryan, I need to get out of here.”

My voice was calm as I tried to move past him, dragging my suitcase behind me, but his hand shot out and shoved me back roughly, like he had the right.

“Answer the damn question,” he snapped. “Where do you think you’re going with that heavy suitcase, huh?”

“What are you doing, Ryan?” My voice trembled, but I forced it steady as I asked,

“What am I doing?” he repeated, “You’re seriously asking me that? When you–” He cut himself off with his jaw tightening for what seemed like two seconds before sighing with frustration and said “Fine. Why weren’t you at the club last night?”

“That’s none of your business,” I said coldly, as I looked down at him with something close to disgust.

His hand suddenly clamped around my arm.

“You answer me when I ask you a question,” he said through gritted teeth, his grip tightening it started to hurt.

I yanked my arm back, the fury I was trying to control spilling out at once. “And why the hell should I? We’re not together anymore. So you don’t get to talk to me like that. Now get out of my way.”

“What do you mean by we're not together anymore? You broke up with me! I didn’t break up with you!”

That was it.

I shoved him, hard enough to make him stumble back a step.

“What do you want me to do, Ryan?!” I shouted. “Pretend nothing happened? Be the second woman while you play house with the girl you got pregnant?!”

He looked taken aback, but that only lasted a second as he snapped back, “Stop being unreasonable, It’s just a pregnancy! She’ll give birth and we can raise it together.”

“And how the hell does that change the fact that you cheated on me? God, I was stupid to think you’d ever change.” My voice cracked at the end, and I hated it, but I couldn’t stop now.

He reached for me again, and I stepped back.

“Don’t,” I warned. “Don’t you dare touch me.”

But surprisingly, he stopped attempting to and laughed.

Not the kind of laugh that meant something was funny. This one started low in his throat, then rose into a full, smug chuckle as he leaned against the doorway like he owned the place.

“Can you hear yourself right now?” he said, tilting his head with that irritating smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“You really think you can talk to me like this and just walk out? Do you even realize you're probably losing your job over this little tantrum, right? And trust me, you’re not getting it back until you come to your senses.” he says, dragging his hand through his hair before exhaling.

“Look, baby you don't have to make this hard for yourself... the thing with her? Yeah, okay. I know I shouldn’t have done it,” he said, hands raised like he was the victim here.

“But come on, how could I not? You’ve been moody as hell for weeks. Always acting all sad and depressed like Sisyphus. You barely even let me touch you.”

He took a step closer. I could smell the cologne he always wore when he thought he needed to impress, “I’m a man, Liora. You can’t expect me to go without sex just ‘cause you’re in your feelings.”

I blinked. My lips parted, but I didn’t say a word.

I just shook my head more at myself than at him. For sticking around this long.

I guess he took my silence as something else as his lips curled into a victorious smile,

The one that said you’ll come back, you always do.

So I stepped toward him.

He stood straighter, ready to accept my apology. Probably even picturing me breaking down, and begging like I always do.

Therefore, I leaned in just enough for him to think he was right.

Then I said, right in his face, “Scram.”

He blinked.

“What?”

I pushed past him, dragging my suitcase with one hand, keeping my chin up.

“You dirty bitch!” he spat behind me with rage. “Who the hell do you think you are to talk to me like that? You’re not even worth a bug under my shoe!”

My fingers tightened around the suitcase handle. Still, I didn’t turn around.

“You’ll see!” he shouted. “You think you're anything without me? My mom doesn't even like you in the first place! If it weren’t for that pretty little face, I wouldn’t have even wasted my damn time on you!”

That stopped me. Just for a second as I looked over my shoulder. He was standing there, chest heaving with fury on his face.

I stared at him. Remembering the thing with him started about a year ago. Of course, he knew about me, about Caleb, about my mom being a drunk and about the debts, and with his help I was able to get a job in one of his friends' clubhouse as a server.

I loved him, I used to. Even when he cheated several times, and every single time I was the one begging, that was until two weeks ago when I saw his message with his flings… does she even count as one? As much as I saw in that chat box, they're serious.

“If you still like yourself, better get here this instant, get on your knees and beg! Because I hope you know, no one, I mean no one will ever marry your pathetic as…” he suddenly stopped talking as his gaze went straight ahead.

I couldn't help following his gaze, only to see a black Bentley, its engine barely making a sound as it kept coming closer and finally rolled to a stop beside me.

It was only then that I turned back to look at Ryan with a smile on my lips. “You were saying?”

But he couldn't get a word out. Only keep staring as the car door clicked open. And a man in a clean black suit stepped out, calm and composed. He gave a short bow in my direction.

“Mrs. Cole,” he said, “your husband sent me to pick you up.”