“You want me to go?” “Well that’s a dumb question,” she popped back. “Was that Lawrence?” “Huh? Oh yeah…yeah,” Shelly nodded. “S... what’s up?” she asked, feeling as though she needed to be nice to make up for the sour comment she’d made a moment earlier. “Oh it’s stupid…I went over to see Lawrence a few days ago and he’s all dogging on Beth about getting fat and I went off on him and told him to leave her alone. The girl’s twelve for crying out loud, ya’know? I mean don’t give her a fucking. But her sister would be back in the night as she have to attend the college tomorrow. I said ok. Then we started to chat about different things and at last the topic slowly came on her marriage. She started to tell me that her hubby had not entered in the bedroom where she was waiting for him. He was with her bhabhi. The whole night she was waiting for him but he have not came to her and have not talked to her also. After two days she came to know that her hubby was having affair with his. She knew he knew she heard him. Knew he was loving the suspense, as her palms got wet and her heart sped up. Knew he was listening to her stuttering attempts at boosting morale.I'm not afraid, she snapped silently. I'm not afraid of you.His laugh echoed in her head, straight through the lie.I-I'm not-She couldn't help it- that laugh ignited a panic in her that Claude had been nurturing for months. She frantically scanned the room- a room she knew as well as her own body - for a way out... .... “You didn’t have to do that for me,” she said to him. “I would have made it up myself.”“This isn’t for you. It’s for me. You get the bedroom.”“No way!” she said to him. “This is your place. I’m stranded here, and I appreciate you letting me stay through the storm, but I will not kick you out of your own bed. I’ll take the couch.”“No,” Martin said. “This couch is old and lumpy, and wicked uncomfortable. You can’t sleep on it.”“It’s fine. I’ve been sitting my fat ass on it all day.”“You.