Chapter 23- New Plans

The next morning I woke up on the couch with a stiff neck and a heavy feeling in my chest. My body was sore from another night of poor sleep. I went to the kitchen, made coffee, and tried to start the day. The house was quiet. Ryan was still upstairs.

A few minutes later, I heard his footsteps. He came down looking tired, rubbing his head like he had a sharp headache. He joined me in the kitchen without saying good morning.

I poured him a cup of coffee. “Headache?”

He took the cup and nodded. “Yeah. Sharp one.”

We stood there for a moment. The silence felt heavy. Then he looked at me.

“Bella, about last night,” he said. “I don’t want to fight every day. But you need to stop accusing me of things. I was at the office. That’s it.”

I wanted to believe him, but the way he sounded on the phone still bothered me. “You hung up suddenly. You sounded strange. I’m your wife, Ryan. I have a right to ask.”

He put the cup down hard. “And I have a right to work without you questioning me every time I come home late. You’re the one always hiding things with your trainer. Maybe you should look at yourself first.”

The words hurt. I opened my mouth to reply, but he raised his hand.

“Enough,” he said. “I’m warning you, Bella. Stop pushing me. I’m not in the mood for this today.”

He turned and went back upstairs to his room. I stood in the kitchen alone, feeling empty. The confrontation left me drained. I didn’t know what to do with myself. The argument played over and over in my head. Why did everything have to be so difficult?

My phone buzzed on the counter. Two messages.

One from Marcus: Hey, how are you? Any session today?

One from Jake: When can we meet again?

I frowned at Jake’s message. What does he want? Isn’t his new wife enough for him? I ignored him completely. Then I replied to Marcus.

“At your place?”

He wasted a few minutes before replying back.

Marcus: [deep sigh emoji] My wife's around today. Some big case got delayed, so she’s working from home. What about your place?

“My place might not be good. Ryan didn’t go to work today. He’s home with a headache, do you have anywhere we can meet up for the gym?”

Marcus: There’s a small gym not too far. The owner is my old friend. Very few people go there in the afternoon. We can train privately.

“Okay. That works. Send me the address.”

Marcus: Perfect. See you in an hour?

“Yes, see you there.”

I put the phone down and let out a long breath. Every time we tried to meet, it felt more complicated. But I still wanted to see him.

Before leaving for the gym, Marcus told Sophia he was going out to train that plus-sized lady, he refrained from using my name so it won't sound complicated or suspicious. Sophia just waved her hand from the couch, not even looking up from her laptop.

“Come back before 7pm,” she said flatly.

The words hurt him, but he couldn’t react. He simply nodded and left the house.

I dressed up in my workout clothes and before I was about to go, I entered Ryan’s room. I thought about telling him before going, but because of the way things were between us at the moment, I just left. I said to myself, “Think whatever you want to.”

We got to the nearby gym. Marcus was an old-time friend of the owner, so they allowed us in even though it was a quiet time with very few people around. The place was almost empty.

Only a couple of people were lifting weights in the main area. But instead of working out, we excused ourselves and went to the restroom at the back. Marcus led me to the back restroom. The moment the door closed behind us, he pulled me close and kissed me hard. His hands roamed over my body, squeezing my waist, my hips, my breasts. I kissed him back, all the stress from the day pouring out.

We didn’t waste time. He lifted my top, freed my heavy breasts, and sucked on them hungrily. I moaned softly, holding his head. Then he dropped to his knees, pulled my leggings and panties down, and buried his face between my thighs. His tongue licked me deeply, sucking on my clit until my legs shook.

I came fast, biting my hand to stay quiet. Then he stood up, turned me around, and bent me over the sink. He entered me from behind in one smooth thrust. The sound of skin slapping filled the small space. He fucked me hard, gripping my hips, whispering how much he wanted me.

We were lost in it when my phone buzzed. I ignored it at first. But the pleasure mixed with fear. Ryan could call any moment. Sophia could call Marcus.

Yet I couldn’t stop. I pushed back against him, taking every thrust. The risk made it more intense.

Back at Marcus’s home, Sophia checked the time. It was 8:02pm. Her face hardened. Furious, she entered her car and drove off to Ryan’s house, cursing Bella to herself the entire way.