Chapter 9

Her entire drive home, Marie fought with herself. Should she stop by work to check if the system was really down? Should she loop back and follow Leo? Who was Alex? Did they actually work in IT? Were they female or male? Maybe that wouldn't matter if Leo were bi. Was he bi? How could she not know? The list of questions was too long to bear.

"Piper? I need to ask a favor of you."

"Sure thing, hon. You okay? You sound upset."

"I'm not… upset. I just want to ask…is there someone named Alex in IT?"

Piper hummed, thinking. "Um, let me think. There's an Alexander in accounting and an Alexis in the mailroom. I can't think of one of the top of my head in IT. Why do you ask?"

Marie faltered. "It's not important. Thank you."

She hung up, chewing her lip. She told herself over and over that it was irrational, but to say she had been burned before was an understatement. Nate had been one of the her only Dom/mes who hadn't cheated on her. And being called away by someone that seemingly didn't exist? It sent her mind in a spiral.

So she did what anyone would do: she texted him.

*How's it going?* She typed, hoping it sounded casual.

Two minutes. Five. A half hour. Still no response. Finally, Marie decided she was justified in going to check at work.

***

Speed limits meant little as she drove to the office. Her vision narrowed to the area in front of her, her mind only on her destination. She skidded into a spot in the parking lot and ran down the stairs to the IT office in the basement. She charged in before she had even thought of how to explain her presence.

The scene before her was strangely calm. The room smelled of spilled coffee and dust and there was little noise aside from typing and the occasional groan of frustration. When the door fell closed behind her, several heads turned and all noise stopped.

"Can I help you?" A young man asked. He had an acne marked face and too-big glasses.

"I'm looking for Leo-"

"Marie?" Leo popped up from under a desk. "What are you doing here?"

She stuttered several times before she arrived on, "Who's Alex?"

Leo looked supremely confused.

"I'll be right back. Don't mess with anything." Leo led Marie into the stairwell. When he turned to her, his face was unreadable. "Why are you here? I told you there was an issue at work."

"I-" Marie was already close to tears. "I'm sorry- I didn't- I just-"

"Just what?" Only Leo could make that not sound threatening.

"Who is Alex?" she asked again.

"He's the intern you talked to just now. Why does that matter?"

Marie set off rambling. "You got called away so suddenly and it seemed like you were making an excuse and Piper didn't know an Alex in IT and then you didn't respond to my text and I got scared. I thought you were- I thought you might be…"

"Cheating on you?" Leo finished for her. He looked so disappointed. "You thought that I was going to fake a work emergency so I could go see someone else?"

"I'm sorry, I-"

"What have I done to make you mistrust me?"

"Nothing! It's-"

"I've never lied to you, Marie. Ever. I've done everything I can to make sure that you never have reason to even think I was lying."

"I know…"

"So why treat me like I've hurt you? I know you've been in bad relationships before, but come on."

"You don't know what happened to me!" Marie shot back. "You don't know how many times I've found out that I wasn't the only one! Do you know what it's like to try to be perfect only to find that you're not enough? You've *never* been called in on a weekend. Why, after two scenes, are you suddenly called away by someone I don't know? Who no one has heard of? And then I don't hear from you. What was I supposed to think?"

"That maybe I was telling the truth! That maybe I forgot my phone in my car! Or maybe that you can just trust me."

"I'm not sure I know how to trust anymore," Marie whispered.

Leo scrubbed a hand through his hair. "If you can't trust me, then there's no basis for our relationship."

She met his gaze through tear-blurry vision. Biting her lip to keep from sobbing, she bolted up the stairs and out the door. Leo called after her, but she ignored him. She ripped the car door open, slamming it shut before releasing the wail caught in her throat.

By the time she could breathe steadily again, the sun had fully set. She pulled out her phone and sent a text before she could think better of it.