Free Affirmation by Sawyer Bennett

Things
are off, and I can’t quite put my finger on it.
    Ever
since Marissa showed up this past weekend and took Gabe, Matt has
been a little withdrawn. When I ask him what’s wrong, he gives
me a bright smile and says ‘nothing’. When I try to talk
about something personal, he deflects and gets me turned around in
another direction.
    Some
things are the same. For example, the sex is still nuclear and
consistent. We can’t get enough of each other and for that, I’m
thankful. Still… I feel like I’m grasping onto Matt,
like he’s on the verge of slipping away, and that is causing me
a lot of anxiety.
    “That
smells fantastic,” Matt says as he comes up behind me while I
stir the spaghetti sauce. He puts his hands on my hips and leans his
chin on my shoulder to watch me cook. It’s a simple gesture,
but one that gives me hope that maybe things will be okay.
    “Why
don’t you set the table? This will be done soon.”
    “Sure.
Will Macy be joining us?”
    I
shake my head. “She’s got a date, and by date, I mean she
has a one-night stand.”
    Chuckling,
Matt grabs a few plates and silverware to take to the table. “I
thought I used that service a lot, but Macy takes the cake.”
    Turning
to look at him, I try to keep the jealousy out of my voice. “Exactly
how often were you using it before you met me?”
    Setting
the last fork down, he turns to gaze at me, with a knowing smile on
his face. He walks up to me and holds my chin between his thumb and
forefinger. Leaning down, he gives me a light kiss. “I used it
a lot, Mac. But none of those one-night stands ever compared to you,
and I don’t miss it in the slightest.”
    And
just like that, Matt has erased some of the uneasiness I had been
feeling about our relationship.
    After
dinner, we both get comfy in my living room. I have to review a
deposition transcript, and Matt is watching ESPN’s Sports
Center. We sit beside each other companionably until I finish, which
is indicated by the fact I throw the transcript on my coffee table
and give a huge yawn.
    Matt
practically pounces on me. “About damn time you got done. I’ve
been dying to fuck you.”
    Giggling,
I wrap my warms around his neck as he kisses me like his life depends
on it. “You could have had me at any time,” I tell him
when we come up for air.
    “I
was trying to be a gentleman,” he says as he lifts me from the
couch and carries me back to my bedroom. “But I’m not
feeling so gentlemanly now. Think you can take it a little rough?”
    I
slide down the front of him when we reach my bed, feeling how hard he
is already, and a thrill of excitement goes through me. “I can
take anything you’ve got.”
    Eyes
firing hot with desire, he pulls me back to him and crushes my mouth
with his. It’s carnal, possessive, and I love it. Just as he’s
pulling my shirt over my head, his phone starts ringing. The ringtone
is Heart’s Barracuda, and Matt tenses up when he hears it.
    “Fuck,”
he says, stepping away from me and taking his phone out of his
pocket.
    Connecting
the call, he holds it to his ear and snarls, “What do you
want?”
    I
watch as he listens to, who I’m guessing is Marissa, on the
other end. The ringtone sort of gave it away, but Matt’s
demeanor pretty much solidifies it. He listens for several minutes,
his face getting even tighter. He even clenches one hand in a fist
until the skin on his knuckles pales to white.
    “Absolutely
not,” Matt says. “I won’t agree to it.”
    He
listens for a bit more, and I can practically hear him gritting his
teeth. Then his face changes, softens slightly. His voice is warm and
open. “Hey buddy. So what do you want to do this weekend?”
    Again,
Matt listens and his eyes close as if he’s in pain, causing my
heart to lurch for him.
    A
wounded smile graces Matt’s lips, and he says quietly, “Okay,
Gabe. Sure… I’ll see you soon.”
    Another
two seconds and, apparently, Marissa is back on the phone because
Matt says, “You