Chapter 3

Ayla POV

I walk into the lobby of the large premier inn in the the city centre and head straight to the front desk to get a room for the night. Today had been one giant cluster fuck of a day, but I couldn’t go home to my parents just yet. I had run out of Marcus’s flat with just my handbag and coat. So, I had decided to make the journey back home tomorrow, after I had returned to Marcus' flat and got my stuff, but I would have to wait until Marcus had left for work, I didn’t want to see his cheating face.

I sat down on the end of the bed, looking around at the clean but plain room. The walls were beige giving a clean feel and the curtains were the signature purple that the chain hotel was known for. I ran my hand across the purple coverlet that ran across the double bed, noting how smooth it felt. The room smelled clean, and a pleasant scent lingered in the air, but my heart ached, I had lost my job, my boyfriend and my home all in the space of a couple of hours. My heart had been broken into a million pieces and I was sitting here all alone, licking my wounds.

I turned on the TV just to fill the room with some sound, I hated the silence, it let my mind wander back to that moment when my eyes landed on that woman’s sickening grin, the moment that had tipped my already broken day up on its head. All I wanted to do was curl up into a ball and cry, but I couldn’t even do that in comfort, because I had left everything at Marcus’ flat. I slipped my clothes off and folded them up, placing them over the chair in the room and crawled under the duvet. It gave me some comfort to smell the fresh bedding, at least one thing was going my way today, I had clean sheets. I closed my eyes but I spent the night tossing and turning, unable to sleep, all I could see when my eyes closed was Marcus’s ruffled hair from that skank running her fingers through it, or the nail marks that ran across his chest from where she dug her nails into his flesh. I rolled over and looked at the time on the alarm clock beside the bed. It was 4.30 am, which meant Marcus would still be in bed for another two and a half hours. I rolled over, looking up at the ceiling, this was pointless. I threw the duvet off and went through my plan once again whilst I showered. I had decided I would go back to Marcus’s flat before he left for work. That way I could be certain that he wouldn’t be there when I went back inside for my stuff. I couldn’t see him, my heart was already broken and if I saw him, it would only make this pain unbearable. It was best I slipped in and out without him knowing, at least it was best for me.

I parked around the corner from his flat, thankfully the street was busy so I could blend in with the crowd. I walked toward his flat, pulling my hood up over my head so he wouldn’t recognise me. I crossed the road and stood watching his front door, patiently waiting for him to leave. The universe was working with me today, the sky opened up, and small balls of hail plummeted down onto the street, bouncing off the pavement. People passing by threw up their hoods and umbrellas to protect their heads from the small ice balls whilst some ran for cover in doorways and under shop canopies. I could feel my heart begin to pound as the time for him to leave approached, Marcus was always very punctual especially when it came to his work. I had sat waiting for him many times in the past whilst he was running late with a client, or was I just that stupid I believed his lies. I stepped back into a doorway that led to some flats above one of the shops that lined the street and watched as he strolled out of the front door and headed toward his car a few feet down the road. My heart felt heavy as I watched him get into his car and drive away.

I dashed across the road and sprinted up the stairs. The black front door seemed to be larger than I remembered, it seemed to loom over me making me feel small, as I put my key into the lock, my head began to spin and my heart raced. I turned the key and pushed the door open but I couldn’t take a step into Marcus’s flat. Just 24 hours ago, I had walked in here happy, sure I had lost my job, but I still had him. And then my world imploded as I caught him with her, a stranger whose face I would never forget, it was seared into my mind now.

“Pull it together Ayla,” I whisper to myself, taking a deep breath as I cross over the threshold into Marcus’s flat.

It smells just like him, I hold in the tears that sting my eyes as I picture all the times I’ve enjoyed this very smell as he held me in his strong arms. I walked further in spotting an empty coffee cup on the side, he never did wash his morning coffee cup. The sofa is back to normal now, all the cushions are back in place where they belong, but all I can see when I look at the fluffy cushions is Marcus and that woman, writhing around on the sofa whilst I stupidly believed he was loyal to me. I turn and head into the bedroom unable to stay any longer in the living room, but this room holds just as much pain, now I can see that woman’s grinning face, her lipstick mark on Marcus' skin, her branding and claiming him as hers, I could hear their moans of pleasure bouncing around in my head. My heart was broken, I had entrusted it to him and he stomped on it as if it was nothing. I moved across the room, bending down to reach under the bed, noting the crumpled sheets. This is the bed I shared with him, the bed he made love to me in, and now it feels cold and empty. A chill ran down my spine and I felt a filth coating my skin. How could he make me feel this way, so cheap and dirty? I grabbed one of the duffle bags from under his bed and swiftly moved across the room to the wardrobe and began to grab some of my things. I didn’t want to spend unnecessary time here, so I rolled my clothes up and shoved them into the bag when his voice broke the silence, making all the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

“Ayla, please don’t do this.” He croaked as he walked into the bedroom.

My body froze, I hadn’t heard him come into the flat, I had been too absorbed in my own self-pity. I heard his footsteps getting closer so I quickly spun around, not wanting to have my back to him. He placed his hand on my arm, but his touch felt foreign to me. I used to crave his touch, it brought me safety and pleasure, now it only brought me pain. I stepped back making him drop his arm and moved past him to the drawers and grabbed some of my underwear.

“I’m sorry, I thought you would be at work. I just need a few things.” I say to fill the tense silence that is beginning to suffocate me.

I can feel his eyes watching my every move, it’s like they’re burning a hole into the back of my head.

“I saw your car parked round the corner so I came back. I’m glad you came back, Ayla. I’m sorry.”

I hold my hand up, stopping him from talking anymore.

“I don’t want to hear it, Marcus.”

My throat hurts as I fight to hold back the tears, but I refuse to cry in front of him.

“Ayla please, I love you.”

Those words again. Hearing them makes my skin crawl, how could he stand there and say he loved me when he was just with another woman? The room began to feel small, like the walls were closing in on me. I needed to get out of here, now.

“I will send someone to collect the rest of my things in a few days once I’m settled.”

“Where are you going?” He asked.

I grabbed the bag and threw it over my shoulder, ignoring his question.

“Ayla, where are you going? Please just stay and talk to me.”

“Please don’t call me. I need some space. Goodbye, Marcus.”

I went to walk out of the room, but he moved past me, slamming his hand against the door, and locking me in the room.

“Marcus, let me out,” I asked, my voice sounding firm and surprisingly authoritative.

“Please just hear me out.”

“No. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. Not anymore.”

I pushed Marcus out of the way with my body whilst I pulled the door open. I walked out of the room as fast as I could but I could hear his feet hitting the floorboards behind me. I yanked the front door open, just as the metal death cage dinged and the lady who lives a few doors down walked on, smiling at me as she turned. As much as I hated elevators this was my chance to get away from Marcus. I sprinted forward, slipping into the doom box, seeing Marcus’s pained expression as the door closed before he could reach me.

“Are you going somewhere nice dear?” The sweet lady asked.

I let out the breath I had been holding and looked down at the bag over my shoulder.

“I’m going home.”