Toxic Relationship With Tony Stark

Part 19 - Sour Times

You wake up for another workday and naturally take your phone in your hands to turn off the alarm. Although, something surprises you. You see a text and when you open it you notice it is from Tony, at approximately 5 am. It's a simple text, with apparently good intentions, but the timing is alarming. Why was he even up that late?

"I love you" it says.

It's not that usual of him to send texts like this in the middle of the night. You'd text him right back, or call him, but it's only been a few hours since the text so he's definitely sleeping.

No matter how much time passes, you're still thinking of his text. Is it a romantic gesture? Maybe he missed you and didn't want to call and wake you up. Or could it be something bad? Did something happen to him? You can't get your mind off of him.

"Screw this" you murmur to yourself after being tortured for hours.

You make the decision to call him but quickly regret it when he takes so long to answer. The longer he takes, the faster your heart beats. But thankfully, he answers right before the phone stops ringing.

"Hello?" you hear his heavy voice.

"Hey, good morning" you say.

"Oh, hey, what time is it?" he groans.

"It's late, were you still sleeping?" you ask.

"F*ck, it really is late" he complains.

"You don't sound very well" you comment on his heavy breathing tired voice.

"I'm hangover, that's f*cking why" he says.

"I thought you were there for business, not for partying" you show off your dislike.

"Just because I partied for one night doesn't mean I'm not here for business" his voice is still struggling.

"Okay, fine. How was your night?" you sigh.

"Loud, very loud. God, I need to throw up" he says.

"Great, that's just great" you shake your head.

He leaves the phone aside and rushes to the bathroom to throw up. You wait until he's back a few moments later and hope that he feels better and is in the mood for talking.

"I'm back" he announces his return.

"Feeling any better?" you ask.

"Yes, actually. I'll get something to eat and I'll be fine" he says.

"Will you be able to work today or will you delay your return even more? It's been over a week already, Tony" your disappointment takes over.

"Of course I'll be able to work, a hangover has never stopped me from being professional" he sounds sure.

"Fine, when will you come back?" you ask.

"This could be the day. Tomorrow max, I promise I'm coming back very soon" he says.

"Can't wait. By the way, what was your text about? Not that I'm complaining but it caught me off guard at that time" you ask.

"Text? What text?" he sounds confused.

"You texted me last night, around 5 am, don't you remember?" you crease your eyebrows.

"No, I don't, sorry. What did I say?" his tone has changed now, he's more serious.

"That you love me" you reply.

"Just that? Nothing more?" he asks quickly.

"Yes, just that" you sigh.

"Well, I texted you that because it's true. I love you" his voice is softer now.

"I love you, too" you reply.

"Food is here, great" he says.

"I have work to do, we'll talk again later" you say.

"Sure, babe. Have a nice day" he wishes you happily.

"You, too. Bye" you answer and you hang up the call.

You focus on your work for the next few hours. There's a tone of it that you still have to do but thankfully it's better the last couple of days. Some of the colleagues really stepped up their work and made your life easier. Your relationship with Ethan got better because of this, there wasn't more work drama to keep you arguing.

"Look who's out of her cave" you hear him making a joke about you leaving your office and joining the others in the break room.

"Ha ha, very funny" you take your cup of coffee and sit next to him.

"What's the matter? Stark wasn't available and you were forced to spend your break with us?" Anne teases you.

"Come on, don't be like that. I don't spend all my time with him" you defend yourself.

"Only the times he's out of town. You haven't spent a single day here since he left town" she laughs about it.

"I'm spending today's break with you, aren't I?" you ask.

"Of course you are, he's too hangover to talk today" Ethan comments.

"How do you know about his hangover?" you quickly ask, surprised.

"I saw the pictures of him from last night" he shrugs.

"What pictures?" you ask.

"Really? You haven't seen them?" he seems shocked.

"No, I haven't. Just show them to me please" you say.

"Just a minute" he says and starts typing on his phone.

Seconds later he hands you his phone and you look through the pictures together. It's indeed Tony partying, exactly like he said he was. He seems so drunk and happy, definitely enjoying his time.

"Wait, what's that?" you randomly say for one of the pictures.

"That's the intern. D*mn, I wish we had interns like this one" Ethan says in a flirty tone.

"Ew, stop that, you sound like-" you start saying but he interrupts you.

"Like your boyfriend?" he asks with raised eyebrows.

"You're so funny today" you say sarcastically.

"I always am" he replies proudly.

You focus on the picture again and carefully zoom in. She's pulling her hair out of her face and her hand is visible. You can't help but notice that she's wearing some rings on her fingers. Some very familiar rings. Your stomach tightens immediately, it all starts to make sense. An awful sense. That was definitely one of her rings in Tony's bathroom, no one can tell you otherwise.

"Are you okay?" Ethan asks you, noticing that you turned pale.

"I-I have to get back to work" you stutter.

You stand up, hitting the table on your way up. You're definitely under huge amount of shock, and because you don't want them to know, you leave quickly and lock the door behind you in your office. You take your phone in your hands and look for the pictures yourself.

She's not in many of them but when she is, she's always close to Tony. The more you look into them, the more you feel the knot in your stomach getting worse. Especially when in one of them, you see her having a mark on her neck. A mark that's definitely a hickey.

"F*ck" you say to yourself and let your back hit the door behind you.

You can't keep your tears from falling down your cheeks. The pain and stabbing you feel in your heart are killing you. It's not something that you ever thought that you'd have to live through.

He really did it, didn't he? He cheated. He slept with her last night and that's what his text was about. He felt guilty. And that's also why he got defensive when you told him that he texted you last night. He was afraid that he accidentally revealed the truth.

Now the question is how are you going to face him again.