Chapter 2

The next night it was the same, but Jay was sober, and even rougher. Jen was forced to please him repeatedly as well as enduring the pain. She almost felt like biting down on the member as she enclosed it in her mouth, but she couldn’t do it to the man she loved.

But do I love him? Of course I love him. I’m married to him… But do I really love him? Jen’s thoughts sometimes wavered on the subject but she always drove them from her head.

Jen left for work early the next morning. Although they worked in the same building, Jen was able to avoid Jay all day and in high spirits, went to the supermarket after work.

“Jen Robinson! Is that really you?” a deep voice said from behind her and a strong and reached out and grabbed her trolley.

“Nobody’s called me that for ten years. Marco?” Jen spun round. “It can’t be. The big movie star come back home for a visit? I can’t believe it! Is that really you?”

“I hope it’s really me, ‘cause if it’s not then my imagination is too big for its boots. I’m not just back for a visit though, my agent left me and no one else will have me, so I’m back to see what work is going round here. What a minute. If you’re not Jen Robinson, then who are you? Don’t tell me you married that pig Jay that you were dating!” Jen nodded meekly. “Well if that’s what you want. Or wanted…” Marco looked disappointed and then hopeful as he trailed off.

“Yes, Marco. That’s what I want,” Jen told him firmly, but questioned herself in her head. “You got somewhere to go tonight?”

“I’m staying at the motel on Higgly Road. I’ll find somewhere else tomorrow. I could do with a lift though, I was going get the bus, but you’re much better company than a pile of screaming kids and that grumpy old driver, Evelyn. Does she still drive the 37 route?”

“Yes, she does. I think she will keep driving it as a ghost when she dies to you’d better watch it!” They paid for their groceries and got into Jen’s little Volkswagen Polo that she’d had since he was last in town, and before that. They joked about how old the car was, and when it stalled on the motorway, they pleaded with it to continue. It finally started again, and they eventually reached Marco’s motel.

“God, I’m parched. You got any coffee up there Marco? I could really do with a cup,” Jen got out of the car with him when he nodded. “Great! You don’t mind, do you?”

“Nope, you’re always welcome at my place, even if it was once a cardboard box in your back yard.” Jen smiled at the memory of him hiding out there after he ran away from home for a day when he was fifteen and she was thirteen.

They carried Macro’s shopping inside together and she sat on the only chair in the room as he made the coffee. His back was covered in muscles and she could see them through his t-shirt when he moved. His bum was as perfect as ever and… Snap out of it! You’re happily married and in love with you’re husband! But he is just so cute. It can’t hurt to look. Can it? Jen’s inner battle was beginning to hurt her head and she felt faint. “Marco. Marco…” THUMP! She had fallen on the floor.

“Come on Jen. I thought you wanted that coffee. It’s been cold for ages now, but I’ll make you another when you wake up… Oh Jen you’re awake!” Jen opened her eyes to see the familiar face bending over her. She reached up and kissed him, lost completely in the moment. He kissed her back and then realised what he was doing. “We can’t Jen. I want to, so much, but we just can’t. You’re married and we can’t Jen.”

“I don’t care. It’s not what I want. You were right. I don’t love him. I’m not even attracted to him. I never really was. My dad made me get married, to get rid of me, and his was the easiest path. I just want to escape. Help me escape, Marco, just this once,” Jen looked deep into Marco’s eyes and he nodded and kissed her again.

Marco and Jen fell onto the bed together and she pulled his shirt off and he did the same for her. “Wow. Now that’s something you don’t see every day. What happened, Jen?”

Jen was confused for a moment before she remembered her scars. “These? They’re just scratches. I’ll survive,” and then she kissed him again but he pulled away.

“Jen, how did you get those ‘scratches’?” Jen shrugged, then shook her head and began to cry. Marco took her in his arms again and just held her. They sat like that for what seemed like an age, and then Jen began to talk.

“He does it nearly every night, mostly with his teeth, but sometimes he uses a knife. It really hurts when he… I hate it, but I can’t stop him. It’s his right as my husband and as a man. When a man tells you to do something, you do it. That’s what women are for. To look after the men and to have kids. Right Marco? Marco?” Jen was entirely serious in what she said because that was how she was brought up. But Marco wasn’t brought up with Jen. He grew up in a normal home where everyone loved one another and would never harm each other.

“So I could tell you to do something and you would do it. Just like that?” Jen nodded, puzzled. Everyone knew that. “That’s not right Jen. You should never be forced to do something that you don’t want to. You can’t just have sex whenever you are told to! You have to want to do it too! And any man that loved you would never hurt you so. I would never hurt you so.”

Jen thought about the implications of what he was saying. All this can’t be true. He’s just teasing. But what if he’s not? He doesn’t look like he is teasing. Wait, ‘any man that loved you’ ‘I would never’. No. Does he? “What are you saying Marco?”

“I think I’m saying… Oh I don’t know what I’m saying. But you need to get out of there. Escape, as you say. Let me help you really escape,” Marco told the wide eyed Jen. “We’ll go to the city. I’ve got a job promise there and you’ll get one easily too. Come away with me, Jen.”

“Okay,” she whispered, and kissed him. He wrapped his arms even tighter around her and kissed her with a passion long forgotten. She felt it too, and revelled in its glory. They made love throughout the night and didn’t sleep till early morning.

“I love you so much Jen, so much…”