| IMPOSTER BY MARIQUA |
CHAPTER 110 |
IMPOSTER
Part One Hundred Ten Continued
Cursing softly under his breath, Todd shrugged off the light jacket he was wearing and slung it carelessly to the floor. Seconds later, he dropped down next to her on the bed -- his long fingers working quickly through the buttons of his shirt while his eyes dragged intimately across her body and back up to her face.
He was completely unprepared for what he saw there.
"What's wrong?"
Her normally soft brown eyes were hard and glassy as she answered him.
"Do what you want…just get it over with!"
************
"Slider, I told you before…I didn't mean to come here…it's just that…look, I'm sorry."
No sign of emotion registered on his face as his eyes silently evaluated her.
"Are you all right, Slider?
"No," he answered finally. "I'm not."
"This isn't about him, is it? All right…then, what is it…what's wrong?" she asked.
His lips pressed down in a flat, grim line.
"Why are you moving?"
The question was so direct it had caught her off guard, and she once more kicked herself mentally for her weakness.
I should never have come here...
"Aren't you going to answer the question?" he demanded.
"Okay, then tell me this, Sherry…is it that you don't think I deserve to know?"
Suddenly she felt the rise of goose bumps on her flesh. Deciding not to prolong his inquisition, she snapped at him irritably, "All right…you win! I've found a nicer place to live…does that satisfy you?"
"I really don't think my satisfaction has anything to do with it," he said.
"I had my reasons, Slider... which I really don't want to get into right now."
"Your reasons…interesting. Would they be the very same reasons you have for avoiding me?"
It was now obvious to her that he was confronting her and wouldn't rest until he had exacted some sort of confession, but her thoughts were drifting away from the subject at hand. Her eyes had momentarily strayed from his accusing eyes to a few loose strands of blonde hair that had fallen forward over his forehead.
"This wasn't an easy decision for me, Slider. I did plan on telling you, but I've had so much to deal with lately and…"
"And when would that be?" he dismissed her explanation as if it were worthless. "...after you were comfortably set up someplace else…in other words…gone? My mistake...I thought we were friends."
"Of course, we're friends...but, that doesn't mean I have to report to you about every...hold on a minute…how did you know that I'm moving?"
Her dark eyes altered into angry slits.
"Did that loudmouth manager tell you? No wait...that's not it...I have it…the only way you could have known was…you were in my apartment!"
"So what if I was? I had my reasons."
************
A ringing sensation in his ears nearly drowned out the sound of his own voice rising to a fever pitch.
"Tea…what the hell do you think I'm doing?"
"Go on...I don't care…but don't…say her name again."
Now he understood.
This is what I always feared, Tea. Remember...you were the one person who wanted to peel away all my layers and open me. Well, you got what you wanted...this is me. I did try to warn you...
************
Realizing that he wasn't about to let up on her, Sherry decided to go on the attack.
"I don't really care about your reasons...whatever they are. You had no right to snoop around in my apartment...even if you do have a key!"
"Uh huh."
Where is he going with this?
"Okay, this is unbelievable…please don't think that I'm going to stand here and defend myself for moving!"
"Why should you? You haven't bothered to include me in on a damn thing in your life since that night at Todd's house. I got the message, Sherry...loud and clear. You want to get rid of me."
**********
Her cruel words had hacked into the deepest part of him like so many sharp knives, and it instantly brought back a memory that had repeatedly tortured and punished him. Just as quickly the memory faded while the soft, warm body lying next to him continued to exude an earthy sensuality that called out to him like some seductive siren.
What would it matter if it were for one last time?
No...I knew in my gut not to come here. It's too much for her..she doesn't deserve this..
"Get up!" he ordered.
"I told you…it doesn't matter," Tea said flatly.
"You will get up!"
"All right!" she sat up and glared at him.
"No!" his long arm sliced through the air forcefully. "I want you off the bed!"
"Why?"
He had already moved away from her and sat on the edge of the bed buttoning up his shirt in silence. Then, scooping up his jacket from the floor, he walked with long, determined strides across the room. Halfway to the door, he suddenly spun around and spoke to her again.
"I'm ready to walk out of here...now!"
"Wonderful…no one's stopping you."
"You might have...before...but I spoiled your plans, didn't I? Not exactly the happy homecoming you had in mind, was it, Tea?"
There was no hint of sympathy attached to his statement, and even more, he seemed to be enjoying himself.
"Why don't you just say what's really wrong, Tea? You feel cheated. I'm not twisted Todd anymore, and there's no one here to save."
************
"Get rid of you?"
"It's okay to admit it, Sherry."
He moved toward her and out from under the overhead light -- his face now more in the shadows, but his blue eyes still vividly sharp and critical.
"What happened with us...most of the blame is mine…but you're guilty, too."
"What are you…talking about…" she stammered.
"I'm talking about fear."
************
"You're…insane!" she spewed out the first thing that came into her head.
"Careful with your choice of words, Delgado. No…this is what's eating at you. You lost the power you had over me, and you don't like that."
"That's a ridiculous lie! All I've ever wanted was for Todd to be at peace with himself! If you were Todd, you'd know that! Lost the power...this proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that you're just another one of his sick alters playing with me. Oh, and there's something else that confirms to me that you're not who you say you are…Todd loved me…he would never...
"Never what? Make it with some babe besides you, Delgado? Are you sure about that?"
************
"That day…the day I kissed you on the cheek…do you remember that?"
"Of course," Sherry said lightly.
"Something happened that day."
"Slider, it was just a kiss."
"And what about the time I kissed you in your apartment?"
"Well, that was…never mind what that was!"
His tall shape loomed over her making her feel lightheaded.
"There are things you don't know about me, Sherry -- things I've kept private because I didn't like to talk about them. I may seem easygoing to you, but the truth is, it's all a front. Inside me...there's a war going on."
"Slider, really...you don't have to..."
He shook his head again and made a motion with his finger to his lips.
"Don't talk...just listen...we're not finished yet."
************
Tea left the bed and walked over to him with newly charged energy. Of one thing she was certain -- this imposter was not going to insinuate that her husband had ever cheated on her.
"Another lie! Todd had his faults, but he never ran around on me!"
"How do you know that, Tea? I don't remember you being with me every single minute."
He circled around her confidently like a predator closing in on its weakened prey one last time before taking it down.
"The things you didn't know about me, Delgado...I could write a book," he said airily. "Why don't you face it...you were obsessed with a man who conned you every step of the way."
"You know, looking back on our relationship...I still get a kick out of you assuming in that rose-colored mind of yours that I was going to turn into some good boy with your help."
"All of this just proves something to me, Tea," his face transformed into a smile of victory calculated to upset her even more, "you're not all that smart."
Replying in a rush of words, she said, "I'm smart enough to figure out that you're full of it!"
"If," he continued, "as you keep reminding me, you know Todd so well, you would see that poor, old conflicted Todd is still right here. The only difference is that he has a new partner who picks up the pieces whenever he screws up, and it's not you, Tea. That's why I threaten you more than any of those evil alters ever did."
She didn't know how quickly she got over to the door, but she was suddenly directly in front of him -- staring up into his face with eyes white hot with rage and fists clenched tightly to her sides.
"I thought so...that smug, supercilious attitude...you are Nick! I knew there was some reason why I couldn't bear the idea of sleeping with you!"
"Weren't you listening, Tea? I already told you who I am, and for the record, you didn't seem to be complaining one little bit when I carried you over to that bed."
"That was because you had me fooled for about a minute...until you slipped up and said her name. Even if you hadn't said it...I would still know...if we had..."
"Done it? Well, that certainly doesn't put you in a very good light, Delgado. You would go ahead and jump my bones...not knowing if I was really your husband?"
She heard the loud slap as her open palm made contact with his skin.
************
"No," Sherry said as evenly as she could as her body began to tremble uncontrollably. "You have it wrong…we are finished, Slider."
"That's it...run, Sherry...just like you've always run from me."
"You'd better stop now unless you want me be brutally honest."
"I'm not stopping."
"Okay, have it your way. I never..ran from you," she said haltingly at first and then the words spilled out. "I tried my damnedest to get close to you, but you never knew it!"
"Why? Why didn't I know, Sherry?" he said softly.
"Did I have to throw myself at your head? I let you know…I did…you just didn't want me!"
Her skin inflamed at the sudden contact of his fingers on her face. In the maddening seconds that passed, his eyes held hers with vice-like control while his fingers slid slowly down her cheek and rested lightly on her parted lips.
"I wanted you…"
************
"Now we're really getting to it, aren't we?" Todd said in a dangerous tone -- gingerly touching the reddening area on his face where she had slapped him.
As she tried to back away from him, he second guessed her move and grabbing her shoulders, he pinned her close to his chest.
"This is why I shouldn't have come back here, and why I'm finally done with you!" he hissed -- his face just inches from hers and drawn up into tight, cruel lines.
"You can't take the truth, Tea...you never could."
Trying with all her strength to get free, she lunged away from him, but was jerked sharply back.
"Oh no, you don't! Stay here and fight, Delgado…it's what you're good at!"
"Let me go!"
Enough…game's over...
His plan had worked. He had pushed all the right buttons that would end it, and he could now walk away knowing that she would be spared a certain fate. But why weren't his legs moving?
Sherry... at the elevator...I could almost touch her...but I didn't move...I did nothing...
"Wait...listen to me, Tea...there's more!" he said and shook her again until she stopped squirming.
"You've said all you're going to say...just get out!"
"No…not until you understand everything!"
Suddenly his arms loosened their hold on her. Taking advantage of her opportunity to move, Tea wrenched herself away from him and ran through the open bedroom door.
As she clattered down the spiral steps of the penthouse, her eyes rapidly hunted through the confusing darkness of the room below. A feeling of deja vu hit her as she thought of another moment with him when she had run for her life.
It's happening all over again…
Not bothering to switch on a light, she sidestepped the coffee table and sank her hands down into the velvet softness of the sofa.
Please…please be here!
Her fingers finally touched the soft edge of her handbag. Groping frantically inside the bag, another thought made her feel faint.
My keys...where are they?
Quickly looking over her shoulder, her eyes ran up and down the dim outline of the stairway.
It's okay...he's not following me…I would hear him come down the stairs…
She inhaled deeply and tried not to hear the rapid palpitations of her heart.
That's it...I threw the keys on the table in the foyer...
Two large hands positioned on the stair railing flexed and pushed down hard on the surface of the wood. The next sound shattering the ominous quiet was a heavy thud on the floor like the landing of a very large animal.
TO BE CONTINUED
2002 Copyright by Mariqua
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