Good Wives Club [11]
Lee Bodecker/Reader. Word Count: 10k || Spin-off to American Pie
Chapter Ten ✾ Chapter Twelve
Summary: It’s been more than a year since she’s escaped the ghost of her past but life is never fair to a girl like her. Lee doesn’t care that she has a husband, a nice house, and sugary fake friends, he wants what’s rightfully his.
Content (this chapter): Infidelity, marital issues, neglect, emotional abuse, oral sex.
MINORS, AGELESS BLOGS, AND BLANK BLOGS DNI, YOU WILL BE BLOCKED.
The jovial spirit of snowy December had passed over Y/n until it had become too palpable to ignore. Tacky garland, strung up lights, and flyers for a fake Santa were on every street corner of Brewer Heights. Mothers, who would usually leave their kids behind for their day trips, held their hands tightly, and fathers scoured the makeshift Christmas tree lots for the trees that were healthy and full.
Y/n isn't annoyed by others' joy, nor did she dislike the holidays, but she could not be happy.
Christmas has not always been the happiest time for her, but at least in her past she can say that there were some decent times. The year she had entered middle school, her grandmother gave her a homemade dress. It was outdated and pretty ugly, but had looked like something her grandmother would wear and that's all Y/n cared about at that age. She had admired her grandmother so much and no amount of teasing from the boys in her class could deter her from wearing that dress.
Last year was fine too. Lou's sisters and their husbands came back home for the week. They were surprisingly so kind to her, trying their best to make her feel it included in their family traditions. Lou's sisters especially did their very best to make Y/n feel like one of them, one of the daughters of this beautiful family. She had received popsicle stick figurines and colored pages from kids who called her "auntie", to show how much they loved their uncle Lou and auntie Y/n (and to show thanks for Lou letting them climb on him and Y/n being lenient about them eating candy). However, despite their courteous attempts, Y/n felt like an outsider, a voyeur watching a close family enjoy their Christmas. She's much younger than his sisters so it was hard to relate to them and their struggles of managing a house and motherhood.
Still, she'd take that awkwardness ten times over and over again if it meant leaving behind the bitterness that has seeped in her life.
Lou's oldest sister had called and said her family wasn't coming for Christmas this year. It wasn't hard to guess that his younger sister would follow suit in calling with the same statement just a few hours later. Y/n wondered how the sister's could be fine with not visiting their father right after his wife, their beloved mother, died. Lou's father had always been strict, but she's never heard something that would make his two girls not come visit him right after losing the most important woman in their lives. Y/n found it unsettling how they were just so quick to move on; the whole family is just strange. She thought Lee and Sandy were an odd pair, but nothing beats the odd bunch of siblings she's married into. They were more secretive than she had expected, putting on the front that left her fooled and stuck in a marriage with a man she thought was excited to be with her.
With no reason to celebrate, their house is the plainest on the street. If Y/n had kids, or maybe one on the way, maybe she'd feel a spark of joy that would make her dig out those red lights in the basement, but any joy she had is a dull flame. Their house stuck out like a sore thumb being the only house that didn't look like Santa threw up all over it. Their plain house represented the fabric of their current lives; everyone goes on while they're so shut in.
Just a handful of weeks ago Y/n was putting so much effort into this "life" with her husband. She looks back and feels stupid for those mornings she spent extra time and effort putting on make-up or picking out her outfit just to walk around the house all day. None of that shielded her from her husband's ugliness over something beyond her control. She had reverted back to who she was before she tried dressing herself up like a gift. She doesn't tell Lou when dinner is finished, she just eats alone and pops the leftovers into the refrigerator. Lou was forced to take care of himself once again, and he was not happy about it. He stopped ignoring Y/n and instead began to lose his patience with her. He yelled at her and he was fond of breaking things to make her jump. Rage filled him every time he saw her face. Y/n won't blame grief for this, this is something that has been stirring inside of him for a long time. Was he regretting his choice? What did he even see in her when he first laid eyes on her? Was he just desperate because he was getting to the age we're all The men in his life, past and present, settled down?
All of her mother-in-law's children had turned into unrecognizable versions of themselves; the daughters' turning their cheeks the other way and the only son unleashing his anger on his poor wife. His mother would be ashamed of them. But, most importantly, Y/n's grandmother would be ashamed of her for staying. Her nona, a hellion during her youth, would tell her to run off with another man and never look back.
"Is there any way you could come get me tonight? It's been long enough, and I need to see you."
What she wanted to hear from her lover was a comment of agreement, not a laugh. It was not an attempt to make a mockery of her desperation, but his inability to contain his enjoyment in being able to get her so worked up. Two days must have felt like forever for her.
"C'mon, sweetheart," Lee coos, "what would your husband think if he finds you hiding out at another man's house? A married one at that."
"He won't care," Y/n responds flatly.
It's not like Lee believes Y/n is capable of lying to him, but as a man he finds it hard to believe that her husband just 'doesn't care.' He can believe that she is being neglected (it shows in the way she touches him), but to act like Lou wouldn't give a damn if he knew what was happening sounds naive; men are possessive even of things they've discarded. Lee was not necessarily cautious like he once was, but he isn't ready to parade Y/n around in broad daylight. Trying to disappear and stay with him for more than a night was out of the question.
"Lee," she mewls his name in a similar fashion she does when he's on top of her. The call of his name, the tone of her voice, trips the memory of their last time together. He shakes his head in disbelief at her attempt to try to persuade him. He won't budge.
"Y/n," he says her name in a firm manner. She becomes so silent on the other end of the phone that he thought she had hung up until he heard her stirring.
"Please?" She asks once again, but she knows her efforts are futile. And while her voice sounds so sweet to him, he doesn't fall for it, telling her once again that they can't meet tonight.
"Besides," he begins, "don't you want to patch things up with your husband before Christmas? If you two don't get it together then his family is going to know what's up right away."
Y/n frowns on the other side of the phone. She clutches it harder and sits up straight. For some reason it felt embarrassing to explain her situation. Never once did Lee feel hung up about complaining about his sister to her, so why was she so nervous to tell him that she's going to be alone for Christmas.
"We're not having dinner," she says plainly. There is no emotion in her voice. She wants to gloss over the subject as much as she can, Lee can feel it.
"Okay...but it's still cold out and they're saying the weather is about to get bad. A true white Christmas," his attempt at a joke was his way of trying to make both her and himself feel better. It didn't feel good to keep shooting her down knowing that she's probably struggling to stay in that house. It wasn't easy for Lee either considering that he's going to be alone for Christmas too. Not a single call from his wife in the last week, nor anything from her mother.
"What's the point of calling me when you're at work just to reject me? Do you even want to be with me?"
Lee had not expected such a heavy question, it stumped him and left him silent. It shouldn't have been as unexpected as it was considering that he's been distant. But, two days, three at most, shouldn't be enough for her to start feeling some doubt.
"Don't ask dumb questions like that."
"Well why don't you want me around?" She whines, now sounding like a petulant child.
Lee pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. His patience begins to slip away and he's very close to just ending the call altogether.
"Stop asking me dumb questions. If I didn't want you I wouldn't put up with you whining like a baby all the damn time."
His words were loud and clear; harsh, but Y/n clung on to Lee's insinuation that he does in fact want to be with her.
That had shut Y/n up and she didn't even think to complain again. " Okay," was all she said to him. Lee felt a sense of relief wash over him as he felt himself gaining control over her again.
"I'll come get you in the morning, but you better have an excuse to cover your ass if that husband of yours starts asking questions."
Y/n nods as if Lee could see her through the phone. He had finally budged.
-
After her phone call with Lee, Y/n had laid on the couch until she fell asleep. What she intended to be an hour, or two long nap, she woke up many hours later to the sound of her husband coming in the door. Not a single word was spoken to her, a now common occurrence. Y/n watched as he trudged from the front door and into the kitchen. She watched him like a hawk, but the truth is that his behavior is unpredictable.
Y/n pushes herself up and it feels like she hasn't moved her limbs for a thousand years. She's exhausted yet pushes through the ache she feels in her body. Her movements aren't any more smoother as she follows the trail her husband just took. She rests against the frame of the entryway and watches him once again. It takes a lot for her to muster up the courage to say something to him.
"Hi."
Her voice is weak and scratchy, an indication that she had just woken up. Lou doesn't respond so she assumes he hadn't heard her. It's embarrassing, despite not having an audience to witness this.
She clears her throat and speaks louder and clearer, "hi, Lou."
This time he had heard her without a problem but he didn't say anything. He doesn't turn around or does anything to acknowledge her presence. It makes her feel small. And she can't help but wonder, was Lee like this with his wife when he was cheating on her? Florence isn't the type to let her husband walk all over her even though she is still docile.
Y/n walks closer to him and stupidly decides to place a hand on his back. Both of them flinch at the physical touch they hadn't experienced with each other in a few months. Lou slightly turns his head and all she can see is his eyes. They're so hard to read at times, but one thing she always notices is the resentment he has for her, something he feels deep inside.
He mutters the first words he has said to her today, "what?"
"How was work?"
Neither of them feel comfortable talking to each other. Lou doesn't care to hear what Y/n has to say or, ironically, doesn't care about what she can do for him.
"It was work."
Lou shrugs her hand off of his back and turns away from her; he was icing her out.
"Oh...okay," Y/n replies lamely, "I-"
Y/n stops herself before she can finish. Her trying is pointless, especially when she doesn't even want to try with this man anymore. She doesn't see a clear out for this marriage, at least one that would end with a good outcome for her. Some day Lou is going to come home with a woman and she will be the one to replace Y/n and he will probably not be as mean to her as he is to Y/n. It wouldn't be much different than Lee replacing Florence with her, but she tells herself their situation is different. Still, things were complicated and it made her think that sometimes Sandy had the right idea by fucking off to a different state.
"Clean up this house," Lou interrupts the silence that had seeped in for a few minutes.
Y/n frowns. That's all he has to say to her?
Their house feels barely lived in with Lou being elsewhere and Y/n being on and off with Lee. Y/n gives Lou the decency not to question where he goes at night (even though she suspects that he's no longer going to his parent's home to "check-in" on his father). She would be lying if she said she cared about what, or who, he's doing. The only thing she wanted was for him not to come home and treat her like this.
'The house wouldn't be messy if you didn't toss your stuff on the furniture just so I can clean it up'
If Y/n would mouth off to him, she would feel vindicated, but she feels muzzled in his presence. He would lash out at her in a heartbeat, possibly taking out all of his anger on her.
Visions of his possible violence is what scares her the most. She notices the clenching of his fist and furrowing of his brow whether he wants her to notice it or not. He's angry and it may boil over some day and spill onto her. The hardest lesson in her life is that there is no rhyme or reason to a man's destruction.
"I-I cleaned up earlier," she keeps her voice clear of any disdain so it doesn't sound like she's talking back.
Lou doesn't turn around, so Y/n is unsure of what he thinks. He stays still until he moves his hand to swipe the glass he left there onto the ground. The sound of glass hitting the ground and eventual shatter made Y/n flinch while her husband was unmoved. She watched the drinking glass that was a part of a set given to them by his older sister break off into a million pieces.
"I told you to clean up the house."
Tears well in her eyes, not in sadness, but frustration. She wanted him to get the hard part over with already, just discard her instead of leaving her in a situation where she was unsure of what the day would be like. He was doing this on purpose.
He walks out of the kitchen, stepping over what he had done, without saying another word. Y/n feels stupid for crying but she can't help herself. She feels helpless knowing she has no choice but to be subjected to this for what may be a long time. Every man in her life was being cruel to her today -- Lou with his anger and Lee acting like he didn't want to be around her. This is the lowest she had felt in months, and holding on to the idea of seeing Lee tomorrow was only a little helpful. To be on the ground and cleaning up the large shards of glass was utterly humiliating. Absent-mindedly, she moves her foot and it comes down a chunk of glass. A sharp pain shoots through her foot which causes her to yelp. Half-a-minute goes by before she registers the piece of glass sticking out of her foot. Her wails of pain didn't draw the attention of her husband. Y/n began to panic as the pain worsened. Seeing the glass sticking out of her foot was jarring, and almost made her sick to her stomach. She clumsily pulled the glass out of her and watched as blood began to seep out and drop onto the linoleum floor.
The sight of her own blood makes her lightheaded, but if she just continues to sit there then she might pass out. She musters up the strength to stand up using the counter as leverage. Her wound is only her second concern as she desperately tries to avoid making the same grave mistake she made just a few seconds ago. She hops onto the counter and grabs one of their nicer dish towels to press against the wound. The white, embroidered fabric begins to turn red as she bleeds into it. She presses hard on her wound to stop the bleeding. Her eyes sting from the burning sensation spreading throughout her body.
She whimpers pathetically before her whole body begins to shake from crying. Worse than the pain from the physical wound was the deep cut of betrayal. Lou hates her, she's sure of it. So, why waste his time being with her? Divorce is not easy nor cheap, and his parents would've told them to keep trying. However, his mother has passed and his father seems likely to go soon too to be with his beloved wife, which means Lou should just get it over with already. She's ready for the hard part because it won't be as painful as this.
-
If Lee could be honest for a second, he was kind of embarrassed to have Y/n come over to his home. He didn't mean to avoid her or make her feel unwanted. He hasn't had the time to really clean up after himself, nor is he used to doing so. Everything that was Florence's job was a struggle. He's not incompetent, but when you come home everyday to the house picked up and dinner ready to be eaten, losing that makes a hard adjustment.
Lee turned off the radio as soon as he got into his cruiser. He isn't in for another three hours, but he's got to go get Y/n before she snaps on him. He doesn't know how she feels about being alone for hours in a home that has the traces of another woman. She said it was fine, that she didn't mind being alone while he works during the day, but without seeing her face he can't tell for sure.
His routine of turning off his headlights when turning down her street makes his cock stir a little bit. It's been a week since he's been inside of her and this morning he was feeling a little bit anxious about getting off of work tonight to do just that.
As he pulls up, a figure on the porch becomes prominent, illuminated by the yellow-ish Christmas lights of the house next door. For a moment there Lee thought it was the last person he wanted to see. If he ever had to confront her husband, which he is not willing to admit he is paranoid about but does think about often, he won't hesitate to make sure he comes out on the other side clean.
But, it's not her husband. It's Y/n herself, waiting patiently for him, a small bag in her lap. The paranoia he felt turned into irritation that wasn't fueled with rage, but with worry. He watched her get up and rush down the steps, the wood creaking with every step yet she walked down them without a care in the world. The door opens and the cold air enters his war car and smacks Lee in the face. He can't believe her sometimes.
"Hi," she says enthusiastically. She doesn't realize Lee is bothered until she gets settled and looks to him only to see a look of disdain on his face instead of his version of happiness. She frowns at him and asks, "what's wrong?"
"Are you stupid?"
"W-What? What did I do," Y/n panicked thinking that she had fucked up some how. She glanced over to the house to make sure Lou wasn't standing in the doorway or something. Seeing that no one was there, she was confused as to why Lee was pissed with her.
"How long have you been sitting out there?"
"Just ten minutes..."
"It's damn near below zero and you're sitting in the cold at 5 am in a shitty jacket. Unless you want to get sick and end up in the hospital, don't do that shit again."
Lee almost sounded like her grandmother. That nagging annoyed her as a child, but her grandma always followed up with, 'I'm always getting on you because I love you!'
"I'm sorry, Lee," she backs down rather quickly, something that shuts him up. Y/n was just too happy to be in his presence. Even if he called her dumb, she feels warm inside with the belief that it was because he loves and cares for her.
The sound of his tires crunching the snow in her driveway was soothing. It hasn't even been five minutes alone with him, yet she's in la la land. She can imagine hearing that crunch every winter morning when he leaves her for the day, and the same when he comes back home to her. She would never say these thoughts out loud in fear of being called delusional by her lover, but all she could do for the last week was imagine a life with him. For years, and much more recently, they have only found solace in his car, but she wants to be home with him.
"I-I got you something," she interrupts the silence once they're two blocks away from her house and his headlights have come back on. Lee doesn't live that far, but there are times where Y/n wished she didn't live in Brewer Heights again just so she could enjoy the longer car ride with Lee.
"Oh yea?"
His annoyance with her had dissipated as soon as she said that. He was curious as to why she got him, and he also had that warm feeling inside.
She rummages through her little tattered bag, One he thought was filled with items for herself but was for him. He glances over to see her pull out an envelope and he catches a peak of what can only be a bag of candy.
"I got you a Christmas card and some Hershey's Kisses. It's not much, and I wasn't sure what to get you," 'but I hope you like it' Y/n continues in her head. She feels slightly embarrassed that she feels like a lovestruck little girl inside. There was once a time where Lee was the scariest man she knew. That time feels like it was decades ago, a time before she was even thought of.
She pushed the card back into its bag, careful not to bend it in anyway. Lee is not a sap, but he's also not hard inside. His affection is shown through physicality. This time it wasn't shown through a harsh grip on the waist or his hand around a pretty neck, but his hand resting on Y/n's thigh. The sun threatens to peak over the houses in his neighborhood. His thumb strokes the fabric of her dress. The heat she feels isn't coming from the vents of his car, but from between her legs.
The cruiser comes to a stop in his driveway. It feels like forever since Y/n has been here. His house was just as plain as hers, save for a reef on the door. It was a surreal reminder that Florence is really gone. She hasn't heard anything from Susie, and Lee doesn't tell her much, so she assumes that Florence is gone and just not coming back. As much as Y/n disliked the woman, she can't help but admire her for being able to leave without thinking twice. Y/n doesn't have the privilege to escape to a loving embrace -- unless you count Lee. The irony of her running into the arms of a man who just had his wife run from them.
"I won't be gone all day," Lee explains as he leads her into the house. He had picked her up in his plainclothes so she assumed he had the day off, but he promised her that it's just a short shift; just tying up some loose ends before he gets to enjoy some time off for Christmas.
Y/n did her best to hide her disappointment. Waiting for him here is better than being at home though. Lou will probably wake up and wonder where she is, but she struggles to see him making an attempt to find her. A part of her is sad that that's her reality, however she knows there isn't much she can do to change it for the time being.
As Lee walks comfortably inside of his home, he expects her to follow along right after him. Y/n stops and stands a few feet within the house though. He turns around to see just how much space is between them now. She looks so stiff, like she had seen a ghost that he hadn't seen.
"What's wrong?" He asks playfully. She knows that tone of voice, the one he uses to get her to lighten up.
She smiles weakly at him. It should be a bit obvious what's "wrong" with her. She feels awkward and uncomfortable being in a house that is so Florence. He had feared that she would react like this, but pointing it out may make her feel worse.
"C'mon Cherry don't just stand there," he motions for her to come to him which she obeys. "You're going to be here by yourself for a while, so you better get comfortable."
'Do you really have to go?'
She kept her mouth shut and sat on the couch instead of begging him to stay. She has a growing fear of coming off as too desperate for him. Deep down she is, but she doesn't want to annoy Lee. If he were to shrug her off because she kept clinging to him she wouldn't be able to process.
Y/n felt herself sink into the couch. She could tell that it was expensive, just another reminder that Florence liked the finer things of life. There was a baby blue knitted blanket thrown on the back for decoration. Every single accent of the room was perfect and seemingly untouched; although it was hard to ignore some loose garments that Lee had discarded once he stepped foot into the house. But that didn't stop their home from being so warm and beautiful. Y/n wonders how could Florence just up and leave a place that has her written all over it.
Lee had left her to go upstairs to get ready for work. She wanted to follow him, but something about it made her feel like an intruder -- a voyeur for even just hearing his footsteps above her head. She compared his footsteps to her husband's. They were heavier than Lou's but not as menacing. She waited for him to come back downstairs with patience, and when Lee had noticed that she hadn't moved an inch since she sat down, he frowned.
"What's gotten into you?"
He asks, now standing in front of her with the uniform she had gotten so used to seeing him in.
"Nothing," she answers quickly.
Lee hums at her answer. She's a terrible liar.
Lee, for some reason, didn't feel like it was appropriate to pry and poke fun at her at the moment. He felt a tinge of guilt for getting mad at her this morning. He had never seen her act like this before, yet he can't quite put his finger on exactly how she is acting. She is not telling him the entire truth, knowing that it would probably set him off in some way.
"Fine," he says with a light tone. She's almost as stubborn as him.
He bends over and kisses her forehead. It was the most affection Y/n had received in a while she felt like she could melt into a puddle. She wanted to grab his collar and pull him on top of her. If she were to initiate sex right now, Lee would definitely stay home. But she doesn't feel brave enough to do so.
"Be good and be safe," his words are almost like a warning, one to which she adheres to.
And just like that, he's gone.
Once he closes the front door she loosens up a little. It is still awkward being in Florence's home, but without Lee being there she feels free to roam around without being caught. She's always had a burning curiosity about how Lee lived. Ever since the days he would come to the bar for her, she wondered what his home life was like.
Knowing what state Lee would leave his cruiser in from time to time, she expected him to be a bit messier. Perhaps he still acted like Florence was around even though he's in this nice house alone. There were some clothes in the living room along with candy wrappers and a McDonalds' cup left on the coffee table. Y/n feels obligated to pick up after him. It doesn't feel like a burden like when she does it for her husband at home. Lee works a lot, and very hard, harder than her husband. She can imagine the praise she'll receive from him when he comes home. The house is perfect. Even if it makes her feel like a little lap dog, she'll graciously assume the role for him.
She begins to move about freely, as if this is her house and she won't be judged for anything she does. She can remember the few times she had been here and all of them were because of Florence. Her entire being is threaded within this place, which makes it harder for Y/n to pretend she doesn't exist. After she picks up some of her lover's mess, her feet carry her around to wander about. It's like touring through a museum of someone's life.
Florence was keen on saving something from every milestone in her and Lee's life, both together and separate. The photos on their wall stare back at Y/n. Their eyes beaming at her as if she's some intruder unwelcomed to be here. Photos of the Bodeckers' wedding and photos of Lee at various stages in his career. Yes, these photos spanned over more than a decade, but Y/n was taken back by how young Lee looked in some of them. By the time she had gotten to him the lines in his face were visibly there. Florence got to have him while he still looked youthful with a babyface; she gotta have him for the majority of his adulthood.
A sense of jealousy rises in Y/n as every photo reminds her of what her place had been in Lee's life for years. She glances at the photos of him with his real family, a family that didn't include her. She could stare at these pictures until they drove her insane. She only stops when she notices him wearing a green flannel and a 'God Loves America' pin. He had come to see her in that very same outfit one night at the bar. She remembers poking fun at the pin and asking him where he got it. He had brushed her teasing off and made her lay down in the back of his cruiser for him. The pin stares back at her just like it did that night. She wonders how many of these photos have a hidden back story of cheating and betrayal. Then she begins to wonder how she would look in these with Lee. She can see herself beaming standing next to him, and Lee smiling wider than he is in these photos with his wife.
Soon it becomes more bearable to be in this house. Y/n feels a sense of relief hit her for no particular reason. She feels a weird sense of appreciation, gratefulness even, for Florence instead of the usual contempt. It's unfortunate that she had to leave her husband in this way, but Y/n is happy that this house is waiting for her to make it a home with Lee.
After walking around for a little more, Y/n decides to go upstairs. She doesn't care for any other room besides the bedroom. It's surprisingly nice and neat -- the only explanation is that Lee hasn't slept in here much. Slippers, women's slippers, rest on the left side of the bed. The room seems to have gone untouched since the day Florence left, almost as if it was a crime scene.
There was a beautiful dresser pressed against the wall. It was covered in mostly Florence's things: jewelry boxes, a few tubes over her favorite shade of lipstick, and perfume bottles. There were virtually no traces of Lee in their bedroom save for a corner in their room signified by his work hats and a jacket. Y/n thinks about how suffocating it must've been for him and believes that lead to him making their relationship all about him. She's curious on how Florence was able to be dominant over her husband in the most subtle ways that were still acceptable to others. Lee was always someone who seemed to be impossible to pushover, but what's glaring at her now is the truth that Lee was just not as steadfast with his wife as he was with her.
She picks up a tube of lipstick, opening it up to find that it had not been used yet. Y/n almost decides against putting it on, trying to take into consideration that Florence may come back home one day and see it’s been used, but she tells herself that that won't happen. As the more fashionable women of society wore nude lipsticks with a little gloss, Florence was a classy woman and stuck to her cherry red lipstick. Y/n wasn't familiar with the brand, but the color was undeniably Florence. She runs the color against her lips carefully yet still she manages to put too much on. Y/n looks like a clown in the shade but she powers through, wiping the excess lipstick off of her teeth and the corners of her mouth before continuing to rummage through the rest of Florence's makeup. She was something akin to a little girl playing in her mother's make-up; fitting because she always did feel like a little girl compared to Florence. She wasn't coordinated enough for eyeliner so she settled for Florence's fancy mascara she often bragged about and globed it on her lashes. She looked worse and worse as she continued, but she looked closer to Florence than ever before. Y/n's identity had always been hazy for her to decipher, but this winter had caused it to slip away completely.
Y/n wants to make Lee happy. She's not sure if Florence ever made him happy, so parroting her may not work out in her favor. But, Y/n wants to do things the right way. There must've been somewhere where Florence made a misstep -- she couldn't have been perfect all the time. She'll learn to make herself look prettier in Florence's make-up, and she can wear her dresses better than her. She can be better.
-
The work day was short but felt too long for Lee. The sun was almost down by the time he left the station, and the snow was beginning to fall. There's no chance of Y/n going back home tonight (even if she wanted that). Lee is a little nervous of what the consequences may be if her husband decided that tonight was the night he gave a fuck about what his wife was doing. He's mulled over it a lot for the past two weeks. He does not like to admit when he doesn't have a plan, but he can't ignore reality. It's not an easy path like Y/n thinks it is. Trying to file for a divorce will be hard for both Y/n and Florence due to them being women. While it is embarrassing, Lee is not completely against divorcing Florence, but he also isn't sure about jumping into a marriage with Y/n soon after it happens. However there is no doubt in his mind that after whatever happens, it will be Y/n in his house and not any other woman.
For the first time in a long time he comes home to lights being on in his house. It makes his chest feel warm. To come home to his house feeling like a home makes a man feel good -- Lee likes being taken care of.
The house is warmed to combat the bitter chill of outside, and Lee can smell something cooking on the stove top. Y/n had really made herself comfortable compared to how he left her. One would think that it was their anniversary the way Y/n had set up the house for him. Cherry vanilla candles were lit, the first time Lee had smelled them in about a year. Florence kept them in the storage part of the house. It gave away that Y/n had snooped around in his stuff. He wasn't upset at the slight invasion of privacy, he probably would've done the same if he was in her shoes.
"Y/n?" He calls her name to make his presence known.
"I'm in the kitchen!" She calls out to him.
There is a stark difference in her tone of voice from earlier to now. She seems cheery and much happier. Lee liked that she had gotten comfortable here alone, but Lee didn’t know to what extent until he saw her. The liveliness of his kitchen is shocking and something he hadn't seen in a few weeks now. Y/n had a pot on the stove going and something in the oven. His pork chops sizzled in the skillet. The smell had made his stomach growl even though he had his lunch three hours ago. This is not what he had expected to come home to, and especially something he didn't expect from Y/n.
"Hi honey," Y/n greets him, taking long strides with heels clicking against the tiles, and places her hands on his face. She pulls his face closer within reach and kisses his cheek.
Lee had quickly noticed the particular shade of red that stains her lips and now his cheek, but it took him a few seconds to recognize the dress she was wearing. It was a dress that Florence had worn two summers ago when they went to Myrtle Beach with her parents. It was ill-fitting on Y/n due to Florence being slightly taller than her.
There was a look of confusion on Lee's face when Y/n pulled away. She furrows her brow, repeating the same confused stare.
"Honey, what's wrong?"
There was something sweetly artificial about Y/n's concern. While they did not look alike, the similarities to Florence in style and demeanor are hard to ignore. She wore heels that must be too painful because she kept wincing every time she walked on her left foot.
"Why are you all dressed up?" He tries to laugh to play off the obvious that Y/n isn't just dressed up but that she's dressed up like his now estranged wife. She's trying to act like her too. It's surreal, scary even.
"Do you like it?" She smiles almost naively.
If Lee were to say no, tears would well in those bright eyes of hers. Her desperation is palpable and almost smothering. She grips his arm tightly as if he's going to shake her off and tell her to get out for being an imposter. She waits for his answers, but she's done the impossible and left the sheriff speechless.
It's not a matter of whether he likes it or not. It's more so about why she felt like this was a necessary thing to do. She doesn't have to audition for him when she already has one foot in the door. Calling Y/n a "replacement" would be crass, and Lee doesn't see her as such. Maybe in her own head she sees herself as someone who is secondary and has to do this. To him it's silly.
"You look really pretty," he answers after the bout of silence, "but you don't have to get dressed up for me."
Y/n nods her head, but Lee isn't sure if she really understands. He is attracted to the floral dresses and bright make-up, but he doesn't like seeing Y/n in Florence's clothes. He'd rather burn all of her stuff and buy Y/n new stuff to wear.
"But I want to do it for you. You work so hard, and things haven't been easy for you lately. I want to make you happy, Lee."
Her arms slip around his neck, prompting Lee to rest his hands on her waist. He buries his face into her neck to take in more of her scent. Of all the things of Florence she put on, she didn't use any of her perfumes. Y/n smelled like herself instead of that tart, floral smell. He could skip dinner, make her take that dress off, and have her make-up smudged within ten minutes. His lips press against her neck just once before he decides against taking anything further. He pulls his face out of her neck and leans in to kiss her forehead. Y/n can't help but feel like a puppy being praised for doing a trick.
"What did you make me?"
The dining room table had been set up for them and Y/n urged him to go take a seat while she finished up their dinner. His favorite beer was already opened and sitting next to his plate. It had been a while since Lee had seen his dining room set up like this. Still on his mind was the burning question of what has gotten into Y/n. Had Lou said something to her that set her off? She was a completely different person from this morning, which Lee felt was a more honest depiction of herself. He'll take the pampering, but wants to leave behind anything that could remind him of Florence and her phony ways; Y/n isn't like that.
Y/n comes into the dining room no less than 10 minutes later, with the main dish in her hands.
"I hope you don't mind that I cooked the pork chops you had sitting in the freezer. I didn’t want them to go bad."
Of course he wouldn't mind when he laid his eyes upon the glazed meat. He wasn't eating home cooked meal these days. He often settled for McDonalds and some diner food. His lack of cooking over the years had made it easy for him to burn noodles in a pot. It was embarrassing to not be able to take care of himself — the prospect of Y/n swooping in to do so was promising.
"It's okay, don't worry about it."
Eventually she had his dinner laid out in front of him; glazed pork chops paired with mashed potatoes and roasted green beans. If he's being honest, there isn't anything particularly spectacular by the meal Y/n laid out in front of him beside the high quality meat he bought yet hadn't had time to cook. The mashed potatoes were made from old potatoes that probably should have been thrown out, and the green beans looked like they were more on the crispy side.
"Sorry if it's not perfect," she notes when she catches him staring at the side dishes for longer than usual, "I haven't been cooking much lately so I'm a little rusty."
"No, no, it's okay baby. Just sit down and eat with me," his words placate her and she gladly takes the seat across from him.
Y/n feels giddy sitting across from her lover. This is what she had wanted all those years ago but was afraid to admit. They didn't have to hide — he could come home to her and enjoy an evening talking to her. She had asked him questions about work, even prying a little bit about what he was working on. That level of curiosity about his work was foreign to him coming from a lover. Y/n probably doesn't care, but she just wants to hear him talk. The night was about him and making him happy. But, Lee gets tired of talking about himself for so long. He's a selfish person, but his insecurities come out when he's with someone he's intimate with and talking about himself for an extended period of time isn't his favorite thing in the world.
"What did you do today, Cherry? Did you have fun when you were alone?"
Lee didn't think the question was malicious in any way although the two of them both knew what she had been doing all day. But, Y/n's reaction made him think he fucked up somehow. She grew real quiet and put her fork down. Her eyes darted away from him and down to the edge of the table.
"What?"
"I think you should stop calling me that, Lee."
For a second he thought she was just joking, which is why he let out a laugh, but then she looked up at him. She was serious.
"I can't call you Cherry? Even when you're so sweet to me?" He reaches his hand across the table and takes her chin between his fingers. As much as he tries to play it off, he is dumbfounded, and slightly offended. The pet name was cute and special to him. However, to Y/n it was too attached to her past for her liking.
"It doesn't seem appropriate to call me that anymore, Lee. You used to call me that when...when I was a different girl," she responds sheepishly.
Her explanation sounds ridiculous to him. Did she think that he only called her because he thought she was a whore? He only used to call her that because it would leave her flustered the first few times he called her that, and then the name stuck. Nothing about it had been salacious to him, only when he would moan it as he fucked her.
"But it's a pretty name for a very pretty girl."
Lee's thumb swipes against her bottom lip, stickied with the sweet glaze she had made special just for him. He tries but it's so hard to pull his eyes away from her pretty lips. He was starting to ache for her again and he's not sure how long he'll be able to last without doing something about it.
"I don't want you to see me as unworthy," she whispers, "I want to be good for you. I don't have anyone else Lee, and neither do you."
It was a hard reality to accept. The last time he had spoken to Florence she was talking like she didn't want to come back. Thinking about going through a divorce complicates and muddies things, but it won't be the end of the world. Of course there is the problem of getting Y/n out of her marriage too, which will be more difficult for her than him to do.
"You need to be patient Y/n," Lee reminds her in reference to the urgency in her voice and actions of the last week. "You know me, you know I always have a plan to get you out of trouble."
"Yeah, cus' you always cause my trouble," she jokes but there is truth to it.
Y/n wants nothing more than to trust Lee, but she has the sinking feeling that she won't come out of this unscathed. It's easy to polish herself up to look pretty and new again, but deep down she's scared. She begins to feel uneasy in Florence's clothes, as if she's wearing someone else’s skin. It's not her and Lee was right to question her earlier. Yet it feels so good to pretend that everything is alright, even if it's just for a night. She doesn't let her smile falter even though it's hard not to frown at the more than likely upheaval of her life. She wants all this shit to be worth it.
"I'm not hungry anymore, Lee."
"I still am. Dessert always follows dinner, right?"
"I didn't make anything else," she says shyly, understanding what he's getting at, but becoming bashful. He takes a piece of her hair between his finger and coils it.
"Now you want to act like you don't know what I'm talking about. As if you weren't begging me to fuck the shit out of you yesterday."
"Lee! Don't talk like that," her eyes darted away from him.
"Like what? How am I talkin', Cherry?"
No matter how much she protests, Lee's not gonna change how he talks to her. It's fun and that is how he decided to talk to her.
She repeats his words back to him shyly, acting as if she hasn’t said things more lascivious to him before. Lee is the only man she has ever talked with like this; not any other man from the bar and certainly not her husband. She felt like she was giving him the privilege to have her and all of her completely, but in reality it is something he decided was his from the moment he laid eyes on her. This is the closest thing to love Y/n has felt and experienced, no matter how fucked up it may seem to those who aren’t her. She isn’t a woman like Florence, Susie, or their friends in the town and she may never be.
"You’ve taken good care of me tonight," Lee coos as he plays with her. "There's something else that I really want from you."
-
Lee reclines in the chair, spreading his legs for her to place herself perfectly between them. She unzips his pants and tugs at them to get them down. His bulge is staring back at her, straining to become free.
"See how hard you got me? Getting all dolled up for me like that..."
Lee places a hand on her cheek and runs his thumb over her warm skin. Y/n is avoiding all eye contact with him as she becomes a little sheepish under his gaze. She shouldn’t be so shy, she has done this countless times before, but today she can't help but feel a little more demure than normal. This isn't like one of their trips they have to take in the dark to hide themselves from consequences. No, Y/n is in his house, lights turned on, and so intimate that anyone without context would think they are indeed husband and wife.
She doesn't want to seem eager, because it isn't particularly ladylike, but she wants his big cock in her mouth so bad. When his cock finally springs free, the tip knocks against her jaw making her gasp. The tip leaks precum from their unofficial form of foreplay earlier at the dinner table. He's throbbing and red, cock angry from the few days of neglect it has received. Y/n's mouth salivates for him more than it did for the dinner she cooked earlier. Lee's comments from earlier implied that he would be the one to have "dessert", yet here she is receiving such a sweet treat.
Taking him in her hand, she earns a sturdy groan from her lover. His size was always so intimidating, but she was able to take him. She gives him a light squeeze just to see what reaction she can get out of him. Lee does not like to be teased so she doesn’t do it for long. Instead she immediately placed the tip of his cock against her tongue. Lee sighs in content, enjoying her warm mouth treating him to something special.
"Look at me while you suck me off baby...yea, good girl...let me see those pretty eyes."
There was something so hypnotic about the look in her eyes; something between innocent and coquettish. Lee is too prideful to admit that he's whipped. It's not really a noble story of him and his second wife -- meeting at a tawdry bar, cheating on his wife, and then crossing paths with Y/n later down the line only to end up doing the same things they used to do together.
Y/n keeps her eyes glued to him, watching to catch the moment the corners of his mouth might curl up. His furrowed brow and the sweat on his forehead makes her feel proud of herself. He tries so hard to contain himself when he's being pleasured, but it's easy for him to fall apart at the seams when Y/n's warm tongue is pressing against the underside of his length. She engulfs him almost completely with a small gag as he hits the back of her throat. A part of him still wishes he could be inside of her, but her mouth is almost as good.
"Just like that," his hand comes to rest on the back of her head, forcing his length further down her throat. The amount of pre-cum that leaked from him paired with her saliva made things sloppy. Lee had to stop himself from cumming prematurely a handful of times, but it was just so hard to hear those noises and remain in one piece. The wetness fell into globs on his exposed thighs. Her fingernails, whether purposefully or not, rake against his skin. "God baby," he whines pathetically. A tear threatens to slip from his eyes and Lee can't believe himself. He feels submissive to her tongue lathing him over and over. She barely comes up for air, determined to make him cum all over her tongue.
His hips stutter, thrusting sporadically into her mouth, and for the first time in days the tears that rain from her eyes are from something other than sadness. He fucks up into her mouth as if she's a cheap whore, but his hold on her is loving in Y/n's eyes.
Y/n swiftly pulls herself off of his cock. He swears and his eyes shoot open with anger. She wraps her hand around him and begins to pump him furiously before he can get mad at her. He missed the warmth of her mouth, but the rapid pace of her hand renders him useless -- delirious even.
"Shit-"
"Are you gonna cum, Lee?" Her voice is so soft yet haunting. He looks down at her through half-lidded eyes as she stares at him with nothing but lustful intent in them.
His last words before he erupts is a whisper of her name. Y/n gasps right when the first shot of his release hits her cheek, involuntarily letting go of his cock. Lee grabs onto himself and jerks the rest of his cum out of his cock. Another rope of cum lands on her nose before Y/n opens her mouth to take in whatever he has left for her. A few drops on her tongue and lips, and Lee has nothing else to give her.
"Shit," he says in disbelief at how good that felt. "Shit," he says this time, completely content. He feels drained, in more ways than one, and what he knows for sure is that he's not leaving the house again tonight.
"Here," he hands her a tissue from the box on the table next to them. She takes it and starts cleaning off her face. He watches the makeup on her face smear into the cum on her face as she attempts to wipe it away. She had made a big fuss about being addressed properly and not by her "whore" name, but he thinks 'Cherry' is the most fitting name for a sweet girl like Y/n.
Y/n felt like she needed to shower. Her skin was sweaty as if they had messed around and done more than what they actually did. She was exhausted and wanted to feel like herself again. It was like she was having a post-orgasm come down with Lee; acquiring some sense of the blues now that he isn't in her mouth anymore. She began to realize that the dress on her body was foreign to her, so was the hair and now ruined makeup. She was stupid to think that looking like this would make her seem more alluring to Lee when he didn't treat her any different.
She was unsure what was going on in Lee's head though. He didn't have much of a readable expression on his face, but he did look utterly worn out. Her throat was burning to speak, but she didn't want to seem hasty or overstep. However, she's not ready to go.
"Lee?"
He doesn't say anything, just looks up at her with knowing eyes. He meant it when he told himself he's not leaving the house for the rest of the day. Whatever consequences anyone dares to try to instill on him want to stand up to a man who has institutional power backing him. He has nothing to worry about.
"I have a shirt you can wear to bed. You probably don't mind going to sleep without your ass being covered."
Y/n was stunned that he offered this without her having to ask. She didn't want to have to humiliate herself again and beg him to let her stay. She knows that this is what Lee wants too.
She went to bed without showering, but told herself she'll take one in the morning and try to convince Lee to join her. She was so happy she could cry. The everyday things that Florence, Susie, and their friends called monotonous -- cooking for their husbands and giving them a "treat" after dinner -- almost moved her to tears. She can hear their voices swirling in her head mixed in with the voice of her grandmother. Y/n isn't going to be like one of those women who get tired of their husband, she believes it. Lee is not perfect, but he's the person she deserves.
Y/n wonders what's going through his head. He's been quiet since he told her she could stay. Matter of fact, he was as vocal as usual when she was pleasing him. She knows that he has something going on in that head of his, but she doesn't want to pry. It's not like Lee would tell her anyway seeing that he's never been the person to be fully honest with her. She won't worry about that for tonight though; she has what she wants. He ascends up the stairs before she could, but she is quickly behind him. She changes out of Florence's clothes and into the white shirt Lee gave her which is much more fitting despite it hanging off of her body like a white sheet.
She's the first one in bed, making herself feel like she's at home. He joins her, stretching his arms and yawning before relaxing into the bed. Nothing has felt as comfortable in life than being in this bed together. Lee presses his front to Y/n's back and his arm engulfs her completely. She is grateful he can't see her face because the smile on her face probably makes her look goofy.
Staring back at her on the nightstand is a photo of Lee and Florence on their wedding day. She hadn't noticed it earlier, but she saw it the moment she laid her head on the pillow. Florence must've stared at that photo every single night until she fell asleep. Seeds of apathy for this woman were beginning to set inside of her. She waited until she heard Lee's soft snores in her ears before she carefully reached over and flipped the photo so it was facing down and no longer at her. She'll never see that face again.
