for June

20. Duck, Duck, Goose

"Could we talk about yesterday?" Chad asked from the doorway. He had meant to go downstairs and start a pot of coffee. He'd barely slept and needed every ounce of caffeine to function, but when he saw June's door open on his way down, he'd wondered if she was in a better mood to talk. Hopeful, he had stood at her threshold, and knocked before peering in.

June turned around as she finished buttoning up her work shirt. Her hair in a slick ponytail hung high on her head. Her face had just enough makeup to seem natural. Her pencil skirt hugged her hips and bottom perfectly.

"I have to go to work, Chad," she said with a hint of regret and rushed around packing her things into her handbag. "I start in half an hour."

Chad bit his bottom lip, a little hurt. "Look. I was only helping you the other day. I am so sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He took a step into the room tentatively. "If there is anything I can do to make this easier for you?"

"No. It's not that, Chad. I'm fine." She headed for the door, avoiding his gaze, but that didn't stop him from catching sight of her red eyes.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. I have to go now." She tried to slip past him, only to have him block her path.

He tried to meet her gaze, which she kept averting. "Look at me," he pleaded. "I need you to look at me, June."

Her blood-shot eyes darted up to meet his curious ones. Something raw and torn peaked from them. "You've been crying?" he asked, shocked.

"No."

"Jesus, June. I'm not a pervert. You need not avoid me or cry about," he fired, officially offended. "I'm not a creep, thank you very much! I thought you knew that by now."

"Ha!" She pushed him away or at least tried. Her hands pressed against his chest, half-expecting him to shuffle back from the force, but he held like a tree. "Rich, coming from a married man who couldn't tell me his wife likes to pop in whenever she's in town."

She pushed him again, fueled by anger. He budged, but only a little and voluntarily took a step back from her. The gap was sizeable enough to allow her to get past him once more. He thwarted her effort to get away again and grabbed her by the arm to face him. "What? What do you want now?" she yelled, attempting to pull away from his touch as if repelled by him.

Chad let her go. "What wife?" he asked in a hush. A part of him, the part familiar with bad news tingled, twisting and screaming at him, she's back. The effing lunatic is back. But another part of him desperately wanted to hear otherwise.

"Cassie!" June snapped furiously, only to see unmitigated horror wash over his face at the name. "Guess you hadn't counted on me meeting her?" she snorted bitterly.

"I'm not married, June. Never have been. We've gone over this, remember?"

"Likely story now that I know the truth." She made her way towards the stairs, pushing him aside. "How long were you going to pretend to be single? Till I slept with you? Is that it?"

Chad, rooted to his spot, glared at her in rage. "June, listen carefully to what I'm about to say," he began, his voice trembling with anger he was keeping under wraps. She wasn't the one he was livid at. "Do I look like I'm married?"

June shrugged, one leg hovering over the steps, ready to march off. "How would I know? I'm just some stupid girl you met a few months ago."

"Look around. Did the house ever look like a woman lived here with me? Do you see any wedding photos on the walls? Or couples photos? Me with another woman, this Cassie?" he spat the name indignantly. "Does my room look like I share it with anyone, let alone a woman?"