CAKE

One Hundred Forty

Mateo 

My gaze lands on the brunette exiting the restroom, a towel wrapped around her naked and damn body. Letting out a breath, I glance away and continue to get ready for work. I could tell Kathryn was trying to tempt me, she'd been doing it for the past week. And a part of me just feels like I can't sleep with her despite still being in a relationship with her.

I had meant to come out and tell the truth about kissing Stephanie but Stephanie started avoiding me. I didn't want to end my relationship with Kathryn if the woman I wanted to be with would just pretend I wasn't there. 

Plus, Kathryn is the mother of my child.

"Do your coworkers need you so early in the morning? You've been leaving early for the past week, surely one day won't hurt them," Kathryn mutters as I feel her hands glide up my back. Clearing my throat, I pull away from the woman before she can get too touchy. 

"We have deadlines coming up. I can't risk getting caught up because you want to fuck," I spit as I glance at her.

The brunette frowns as she eyes me. "Did I do something, Mateo?" she questions. Sighing, I avert my gaze. This was my chance to tell her the truth. Maybe we would break up. It would be for the best. "I just... one day you don't want to tell me how you're feeling and the next you're all over me. The indecision is getting annoying."

Kathryn eyes me. "That's rich, coming from you."

"Excuse me?" I questioned, wondering what she was implying. 

She sighs, "Ever since you found out Stephanie had a boyfriend, you've been pushing and pulling. One day you come home and you want to be intimate, it goes as far as me giving you head and then you act like I don't exist for the rest of the night. I've been trying to have sex with you for a week straight, now, Mateo, and you keep acting like you're too disgusted to give me... anything."

"So I don't want to have sex," I begin but she cuts me off.

"It's not that you don't want to have sex! It's that you won't pay attention to me. You come home, and you barely speak a word, I ask how your day was you give me exactly one-word responses, you eat and then go to bed. I moved in with you because I wanted... I still want our relationship to get better but for the past two months you act like you don't want this anymore."

Kathryn blinks as she glances away from me. "If... if you don't want our relationship to go any further than it has... just say that instead of stringing me along."

I scoff, "So it's okay when you do it?"

"Don't you even go there," the brunette spat as she glared at me. "I tried to end our relationship and you told me I wasn't trying hard enough. I've been trying since then. I moved in with you after telling you I didn't want to."

Clenching my jaw, I part my lips to speak up but the sound of my phone grabs my attention away from the woman. Glancing at the phone screen, I notice Stephanie's name and number. My eyes lifted and landed on Kathryn, who I could tell was expecting me to ignore the call and have this conversation with her.

But honestly, I didn't want to get upset. So instead of talking to her, I grab the phone and answer it. "Si?"

"Hey... are you coming to work today?" the Hispanic woman questioned, sounding nervous. I turn away from Kathryn. "Yeah... yeah. Are... are we gonna talk now?" I question softly.

The line goes silent before Stephanie speaks up. "I want to. At lunch or after work, whichever you want."

I can't help but smile, glad she was finally giving me the time of day. "We can talk after work. I'm on my way out the door, should I get you breakfast?" I question as I turn on my heel. I slip into my shoes beside the bed before exiting the bedroom.