Chapter 3: Twisted Thoughts

Callie's POV

Sleep never came easy, hasn't for weeks. Three weeks had passed since the day Stefan never showed up to our meeting place without warning, not a call nor a text. I couldn't say I wasn't worried, in reality I felt as if I didn't have control over my mind. Different scenarios went off in my head like fireworks.

Did he change his mind, and tell his wife?

Did he find something or someone better?

Did I go too far, revealing my feelings for him?

Did our affair really just come to an abrupt halt because of me?

I didn't intend to take things as far as I had with Stefan from the beginning, the night at Georgie's Pub. The waiter had been hitting on me all night, coming to my rescue the second the last drop would escape from my glass. Despite his generosity, I couldn't keep my eyes off of Stefan. At some point during the night, our eyes met and we held each other at the glance for what seemed like hours. It was like our eyes had met in an embrace, I could feel my cheeks flushing red before turning my look away.

I didn't intend to see him beyond that night, when I turned to walk away after our meet and greet outside of the pub, I thought that was it. I didn't realize that was the beginning of a spiraling whirlwind of events, the beginning of my forbidden love affair with a married man.

∞∞∞

I had only lived in Seattle a few months before I had met Stefan. It came to my surprise that he was also one of the state's most profound lawyers. He traveled all over the country, courtroom after courtroom.

I was working for a marketing company as an office assistant, a company that was slowly flushing down the toilet. Regretfully I was working the day my superior needed files delivered to Monroe and Sons Law Firm, Stefan's place of employment. "I'll carry the files to the firm during my lunch break Mitchell," I retrieved the files from his hands gracefully, though I was dreading taking the time out to do so.

He smiled at me almost apologetically, "I would be lost without you Callie! Really, you're a life saver. Please see that they go directly to Mr. Monroe himself, nobody else. Not a receptionist, nobody else." Mitchell repeated his instructions every time he caught my attention up until my lunch hour, which would now consist of a bagel and coffee from the local coffee shop.

He was standing at the register as the barista handed him his coffee cup, "Black just how you like it." He didn't acknowledge the flirtation from her as she gave him a sly wink. He casually made his way to the side table, and added his fixings of sugar and creamer to his cup.

As I was placing my order, I couldn't help but feel a pair of daggers staring through me. I knew I was being watched, and I most certainly knew who it was. I bolted around to face him, standing there with a smirk smeared across his face. "I knew it was only a matter of time before our paths would cross," he continued to casually stir the contents into his cup, before seductively bringing the drink to his lips.

I shook my head almost in an act of disbelief, "I'm sorry, have we met before?"

He seated himself at a booth and motioned for me to join him, "Callie, join me for a muffin. My treat." He cocked his head upwards at the barista, beckoning for her to gather two muffins. I heard her grunt jealously as she made her way into the back of the shop.

"It was nice to see you," I started as I held the files up in the air, "But I'm working. I've got to get these files to Mr. Monroe otherwise I'll be out of a job, and I don't think you want to be held responsible for my bills at the end of the month."

His smile broke the near silence, "Luckily for you, your job just got easier. I am Mr. Monroe. Now please, sit."

Shamefully I made my way over to the booth where he was seated, "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Monroe." I laid the files before him as he continued sipping his coffee, though he paid more attention to my figure than the paperwork.

"Call me Stefan, Callie," he traced his finger along one of the files, "Have a seat."

∞∞∞

It was all downhill from there. What should have been a quick trip to his office to drop off files, spiraled a love affair which quickly grew out of control. Innocent muffins and coffee turned into late night office days, secret meetings at Georgie's Pub, and overnight stays at the motel.

Understanding where it went wrong, that was the hard part. I knew the dangers of getting involved with a married man, and at first the idea didn't occur to me that he was married. Stefan hid his personal life for a few weeks before telling me about Katherine.

"She is the love of my life, there's nothing in this world I wouldn't do for her. She would kill me if she found out. We are risking everything sneaking around in public. Every Monday, we meet here. No more Georgie's."

His confession replayed in my head, and I knew that was the beginning of the end. The guilt was too overwhelming for Stefan, he got in too deep.

I got in too deep.

My apartment was becoming Melanie's second home as she balanced work, maintaining her household, and making sure I wasn't on the brink of losing my sanity. I barely found the energy to leave my couch. The sound of Melanie leaving and coming was my way of telling the difference between what was day and night.

"You know, this place would smell a lot better if you cleaned," she started piling garbage and clothes into bins. I grunted on the couch, refusing to leave what had now become my sanctuary. Melanie stood in front of the TV breaking my trance, "Get up. Get a shower. Do something other than sit here and sulk. I can't watch you beat yourself up like this."

I sat myself up unwillingly, "What do you suggest I do?"

Melanie threw down one of the bins, "I don't know, anything except what you've been doing. You're being selfish and throwing your whole life away over some guy."

"Some guy," I began to chuckle.

"There I said it," she seated herself across from me making my coffee table her perch, "A guy that wasn't yours. He was married, he had a life before you. There was a woman this entire time he was going home to, you had to know this wasn't going to change that. He's living high off the hog right now, and you're sitting here wasting away to nothing when you are better than this. Who do you think is getting the last laugh here?"

She was right. My life had been strictly suffocated by everything that was Stefan for months now. I had lost touch with friends, except Melanie, closed myself off from my family. If it wasn't containing to Stefan, I paid zero interest to it.

Melanie took my hand in hers relieving me from my cowardly thoughts, "I love you, but I can't sit here and watch this any longer. You are an amazing woman, and you don't need love and affection from a man who's only going to stomp on you. Not when there's someone who's out there, and won't do such a thing."

I gave her a slight nod, "I know, you're right."

I couldn't tell Melanie now, but the gears in my brain were in sheer overload, cowering over an idea that would get Stefan back for the turmoil he had caused me. Six months of my life thrown down the drain in an instant, and without warning. I couldn't erase Stefan, and now I couldn't erase the twisted thoughts of revenge. I wanted to make things right, but it wasn't a relationship with Stefan that I found myself craving.

My mouth began to water and fizz as if I was seizing, but in reality I was drawn to twisted thoughts of revenge. I was out for blood, I was out to make Stefan suffer nearly as much as he had made me suffer. It was like a wave of ongoing psychosis, and before I knew it, the thoughts were constant. The craving for blood was constant, and I was going to get it.