After leaving the restaurant, they headed to the gym and started work. General chat and telling jokes filled the room. They ended up not finishing and Nikki agreed to help again the next day. She figured it was better than being in her apartment alone all the time and it was just a few blocks from her place.

They hit it off pretty well. Nikki didn’t understand why Carson hated him so much. Reece seemed nice enough. Cocky sure, but not as bad as Carson had said. More of sexy-sweet-bad-boy confidence than a jerk. He did come off a little gruff and distant though. But his smile lit up the room when he laughed.

The next day she was at the top of some scaffolding and dropped some paint on Reese’s head. Trying not to laugh she covered her mouth expecting him to get mad. He looked up annoyed and started shaking it playfully to make her fall. She fell and he caught her in his arms. Laughing she painted his nose. He put her down and grabbed her paintbrush.

“That’s it. You’re dead.” Reece laughed.

He flicked paint at her and they were just laughing and having innocent fun. Nikki couldn't remember the last time she had laughed.

Reece had no interest in seducing a married woman. No matter how much he found her attractive. He could tell she needed a friend. He didn’t realize till now that maybe he needed that too.

Outside, Carson was pulling up to the diner across the street. Even though he lived across the city he still liked his old burger spot. Passing by, he saw the Right Hook Gym was reopening.

“What the hell is this?” Carson grumbled.

Pulling up he saw Nikki inside painting and laughing at Reese.

“What the fuck?!”

He pulled up driving over the curb and jumped out. He took off inside the gym in a fury. The door flew open and Carson was rolling up his sleeve ready to fight. Nikki saw him rush in and got between them. Reece didn’t know what was going on because it all happened so fast.

Looking up from the paint can, he saw Carson coming at him and he went into a combat stance.

“Carson stop. STOP!” Nikki grabbed him trying to pull him away.

Carson turned his attention to her, pointing in her face. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I was just helping paint the mural. I passed by yesterday and...”

She tried to stay calm but the rage on Carson’s face was terrifying.

“And, what? You decide to come to make nice with this loser. You fucking him?”Carson got in her face scowling down at her.

Reece managed to get in between them to calm the situation. “Bro, nothing happened. She just offered to help paint the mural. I forgot to give you my number for the car and she brought by the quote and info. That’s it.”

“Why should I trust you?“ Carson was furious.

Nikki went to him placing her hands on his chest hoping he would relax. “It’s true, Carson. It’s not his fault. I just haven’t painted in so long and thought it would be fun. I should have called and told you.”

“Damn right you should have. I would have told you hell no. Get in the damn car. I better never see you near my wife again, Maddox. Or, I’ll give you a bigger ass-kicking than the last time.” He grabbed Nikki's arm pushing her to the door.

“Sorry, Reece. Good luck with the gym.”

Nikki looked back at him with sadness in her eyes. Reece felt bad for her. He knew Carson was a jerk, but this was far worse than he remembered. Carson was always a coward for the most part. Toward her, he seemed aggressive. He figured stepping in would make it harder for Nikki so he just watched in silence as they left.

Carson shoved her in the car leaning over the door frame to scold her. “What the hell were you thinking helping that jackass? What if someone saw you? I have a reputation to uphold, you know?”

Nikki glared at him. “That all you care about? Your precious reputation? What about the fact that your wife is begging for your love and support, and you have another woman in our home? Carson, do you even still love me? Did you ever love me?”

“Nikki, what kind of question is that? I married you didn’t I? I gave you a nice house, cars, luxury.”

“I never cared about that. Those things were important to you. Not me. I just wanted to be loved. But, you can’t even tell me that anymore unless it’s making up for an argument.”

They drove in silence to her apartment. She felt numb watching the passing cars and rows of trees that were starting to turn in the fall weather. Her heart felt as if it would never mend.

Carson got out of the car and they went into her little apartment. The same general area he and his mother lived in years ago when he was a child. It was dirty, ran down, and had a slight rat infestation. Thankfully, the place was full of families that were, for the most part, good people. They watched out for each other. That at least made it bearable.

“Get in there! You're an ungrateful bitch. Do you know that? I gave you everything. Mercedes is not moving out. So deal with it. Reece Maddox is off-limits. I better never see you with him again. Got it?”

Speaking in almost a whisper. “You can’t say it can you?” Nikki dropped her head fiddling with her fingertips.

“Say what?” He knew but he wasn’t going to.

“That you might still love me. Do you tell her? Is... is she in our bed? Are you sleeping with her? Carson, answer me. Please say you still love me.”

“You expect me to say that after finding you with him?”

Carson got closer. Nothing but anger and decent behind his cold dark eyes.

“You know that I never touched him. You... you’re sleeping with her! Aren’t you? You bastard! Tell me the truth!” Nikki screamed.

She couldn’t take much more. Looking in his eyes she knew but her heart wasn’t ready to believe it. Carson went in a rage at the accusations before him. Grabbing her arm he slapped her across the face with his free hand.

“No! I’m not. Don’t you ever accuse me of cheating! Do you know who I am? I’m a legend in this town.”

He hit her again this time with his fist to the gut.

“Carson stop! Please. Please stop! You’re hurting me! AHH!”

She fell to the floor after one last blow.

“You will pretend from now on to be one happy family. You will tell everyone it's your fault you moved out. You want to play best friends with my fucking enemy? Bitch, you just became enemy number one. From now on you go to work and here. That’s it. In two weeks get your ass home. Mercedes will stay in the big house, like it or not. No more if this guest house shit. So you better get used to it. You brought this on yourself.”

Crying in a heap on the floor she was broken. More broken than she had ever felt. She was bleeding from her nose and holding her stomach in pounding pain. Her heart hurt most of all.

She looked up to meet his eyes. “What happened to you? You never touched me. Not once. Now, look. Look at me.”

He grabbed her ready to hit her again when he suddenly realized what he had just done. Dropping her, he backed away. “My God. What have I done? Nikki, I’m sorry. Baby, please...” He dropped to his knees trying to console her.

She shoved him away cowering away. “No. Don’t touch me. Don’t hurt me. Please? Just go.”

Carson had been a jerk but never hurt her physically. She scooted back against the wall cowering just wanting it to be over.

Carson sat on the floor just looking at what he had done. “Baby, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened. It’s just that damn, Reece. He makes me so mad. I just saw red.”

“You said you would never hurt me. But, you keep doing it. Now... now, this. Please, just leave?”

She cried holding her ribs and wiping the blood from her face on her shirt. Carson scooted next to her pulling her into his arms and kissed her forehead.

“I will never hurt you again. I don’t know what came over me. Listen. Tomorrow, we can go to the country club. We haven’t been out for a long time. We just need to get back to normal. Please forgive me. You know I’m not like this. Just seeing Reece again has been really hard. And, Mercedes being in town. I guess just old anger came back about him and I. You know how mad he makes me. Can you please forgive me?”

She looked terrified. She had to agree. She didn’t know what he would do next. This wasn’t the Carson she once knew.

“Okay. I... forgive you.” The words were like venom and vomit felt like it was pooling at the back of her throat.

“Let’s go get you cleaned up. I will take my baby shopping. Buy you something nice for our date.”

He kissed her softly. When he touched her lips she felt nothing. For the first time since they married there was nothing there to hold on to. She knew then what she thought was true. He really didn’t love her. As much as she tried to make it work. He didn’t even realize it himself. She was just another trophy for his collection.