Any Other Name

Chapter 6

A/N: Due to the dark nature of this chapter, a synopsis is at the end for any who choose not to or can't read it.  Stay safe.

Eliza had just finished putting a roast in the oven when Marshall got home. He called for her and she called from the kitchen. He came up behind her and kissed the bruises on her neck. "How was your day, hun?"

"It was good." She turned around to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "River likes the dog park."

He settled his hands on her hips and pressed his thumb into the healing bruise on her side. He smiled at the expression she made. "Was she the only one to enjoy it?"

"I did some reading."

"And the people?"

She hesitated—just long enough for him to notice and tighten his grip on her hips. "This...guy sat on the bench and talked to me. I left as soon as I could."

"Oh, did you? What did he talk about?"

She put her hands on top of his chest and stared at his collar. She couldn't take the intensity of his gaze for long when he got into moods like this. "He was taking care of five dogs, said it was his side hustle." She looked up at him, trying to change his mood. "What's a side hustle?"

It wasn't working. He answered in a deep, husky voice. "A second part-time job or lots of little jobs that make up an income that comes from different sources. I should get you some internet."

The proper response was to say that she didn't need it, just like every other time she told him she didn't; to tell him that she could cope without it because she had him and he knew so much. But she didn't want what that would have led to, so she took a step back and placed her hands on top of his to ease the pressure.

He only dug his fingers in further and matched her step for step until she was backed against the counter. "You're keeping something from me," he said. He lifted on hand to cup her face and tilted it up so he could look into her eyes. "Tell me."

Eliza knew better than to look away, as much as she wanted to. "He asked to be friends."

"Friends?" He ran the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip. "This stranger wanted to be 'friends' with my girlfriend?"

"I told him no," Eliza said quickly, "and I left right after."

He hummed and leaned down to kiss her. "So this stranger, what did you think?"

When Eliza didn't answer he pulled back and shifted the angle of his hand on her face so that she had to strain to see him. "I didn't look at him."

"Didn't look at him, she says." His voice was eerily calm but his eyes screamed that he was enjoying this. "Well, I should be happy about that. What did you think about him?"

"It was...uncomfortable."

"Did you get a name?"

Eliza stalled, wondering if she should tell him. She remembered the deja vu feeling she had when she looked into Tesey's eyes, that he reminded her of someone else she had known that had vanished the moment she told Marshall his name. "I don't think so. I tried not to pay attention to him," she lied. She paid him too much attention.

"So what you're saying is...you only have eyes for me?"

"Only you." She had no other choice but to go along with him now.

He kissed her and used his hand on her jaw to deepen the kiss. His hand on her waist adjusted her so that he could walk them over to the living room. When she felt the back of the couch against her butt she tried to push him back so that he wouldn't make her fall over, but he broke the kiss and pushed her. She yelled as she fell onto the cushions, legs folded over the back of the couch and her neck bent awkwardly against the cushions. She groaned and tried to adjust herself.