The Good Ones Go

Chelsea is sitting parked in front of her house. There's no where left to run. She has to admit that she's in a state of shock from everything that's been piling up lately. Colson is trying to get back into her life, Travis is in love with her apparently, and her relationship with Adam is going down the drain. A couple days away from work is not going to be long enough to sort through all the shit that's hit the fan.

Chelsea sighs and pulls her keys out of the ignition. The sound of her nude stiletos against the pavement puts her in a trance as she walks past Adam's Civic in the driveway and unlocks her front door.

Adam is sitting on the sofa just to the left of her with a glass of scotch in his hand. His head lifts just a little to look up at the woman that's walking in. She looks like Chelsea, but he realizes he's not quite sure who Chelsea is anymore.

Chelsea reaches down to pull her heels off. She eyes the ash tray sitting on the coffee table before she sits down across from Adam and lights a cigarette. "You wanna talk, Adam, let's talk," she says. The smoke leaves her lungs with every word and hangs in the air as thick as the tension between them.

Adam shrugs. "You want space, Chels. I'll give you space," he tells her throwing back the liquor in his glass before pouring himself another one. To tell the truth he wasn't expecting her to come home. He had planned to drink himself to sleep tonight before she showed up.

"I should have been honest with you," she starts as she flicks her ash effortlessly into the crystal tray lingering on the massive mahogany table in front of her.

"About the fact that you weren't the one to kiss Travis first? That would've been nice. I could've kept from looking like a fool today," he's mad at her for lying. She shouldn't have covered for him. They're grown men, and they can settle it between themselves without her dishonesty.

Chelsea shuts her eyes for a moment as she brings the Marlboro to her lips once again. "I was honest. It didn’t matter that he kissed me. What mattered was that I kissed him back," she says after a moment of thought. "Besides, I didn't want you two going at it with each other. There's already enough drama in our lives, and we didn’t need to add more," she admits.

"Well, I went over there to tell him I wasn't mad because I thought you initiated it, turns out you didn't, and I am mad," he tells her as he takes a large gulp from his glass. The fact that their mutual best friend started this shit in almost unforgivable. Adam trusted him so much, and he took advantage of it.

"It was nothing," she lies between her teeth. It was something. It was everything.

"There's no need to lie anymore. You and I both know that's not true, Chelsea," he tells her with a stare so intense she thinks it'll make her catch fire.

"You knew I had unresolved feelings about Richard when we got married," Chelsea changes the topic and watches Adam purse his lips. "I had managed to push him out of my life, and opted to ignore anything that lingered instead of facing it head on," she confesses to him as she reaches over to die out the filter of her finished cigarette.

"Yea, well, I didn't realize until we were already standing there, and it was too late," he tells her with a dramatic sigh thinking back to their wedding day. "Had I known before I would have confronted you. I wouldn't have stood up there. I wouldn't have bought this damn house," his words are so bitter she can almost taste them.

"Well, I guess now that he's back I have no choice but to face everything. I don’t know if I really need space, but I know I do need time to filter through some things, and I would appreciate if you were patient with me," she asks of him. Making a rash decision about a divorce is something she wants to avoid.

"I've been nothing but patient, Chelsea," the look he gives her is heartbreaking. "You should just tell me if I'm wasting my time," he suggests in a tone as cold as ice.

"I can't because I don’t know," she affirms as she watches him roll his eyes. "Look Adam, I really do love you. I mean I'm not that heartless. I wouldn't have agreed to marry you if I didn't care about you, but I need to come to terms with some stuff before I can decide if being married is what I want," she sighs out.

"If being married to me is what you want," he specifies for her, still bitter.

"God, Adam, you don't have to make it more difficult," she's getting frustrated as she reaches for another cigarette.

"And you don't have to dance around the situation. We are where we are because we've been sugarcoating shit from the get go. I think we're doing both of ourselves a disservice if we just keep beating around the bush pretending like the elephant in the room doesn't exist," he faults her, and she lets out a smoky sigh knowing that he's right.

"Do you really think you wanna be with this guy after everything?" Adam manages to ask after a moment of silence. He never understood what she saw in Colson, and now after all this time he can't believe she isn't past it.

"Since we're not beating around the bush anymore, I don't know what I want," her words are as honest as he's ever heard them, and Adam nods in response with pursed lips.

"And Travis?" he's nervous as he asks, but he has to know.

"What about Travis?" she asks. Thank God the cigarette was on her lips because she may have forgotten how to breath otherwise.

"Chelsea," the name rolls off his tongue like a caveat, but she still doesn't respond. "A few days ago I would have assumed that that was the last thing on your mind, but now I don’t know, and I need to," he almost pleads. How could he trust her to be around him anymore without it driving him insane?

"I love him, if that's what you're asking," she has no choice in that confession.

"In the same way you love me?" he raises an eyebrow, and she chuckles at his condescending tone.

"God, Adam, you're just full of questions tonight," she's avoiding it because she's scared of the answer.

"And you're full of 'I don’t knows,' but I'm not judging," he retorts eliciting a snicker from her lips. Her bare legs are crossed, and she fidgets with the hem of her pencil skirt as she listens to him talk.

"Really? Because it sure sounds like you are. I'm not trying to make this complicated, but it is, and if I could answer all your questions then we probably wouldn't be having this conversation," she's mad that he keeps putting her on the spot. She watches him take another gulp of scotch, and her eyes linger at the skin peering behind the half unbuttoned shirt he's wearing.

"You're the one stringing me along, Chels. There's no one else that you're sharing me with, and the fact that I have to share you warrants some questions," Adam is getting frustrated by her constant desire to divert the attention she brought upon herself.

"Fine, Adam. If that’s what you wanna hear then I'll tell you. I didn't think Richard would ever come back into my life, and I accepted it until you decided to make a big deal about it forcing me to dig up these emotions. Until Travis kissed me I didn't think there was anything there either, but now there might be. All this fighting we're doing doesn't exactly make you the top ranking candidate here. I'm not trying to hurt you or anyone, I'm just trying to figure myself out," she shouts throwing what's left of her cigarette in the ash tray and watching the smoke rise between them as it continues to burn. Her legs settle next to each other now as she crosses her arms in front of her blouse.

"The top ranking candidate? I think the fact that I'm your husband should automatically make me the leader on the score board of whatever sick game your playing," he doesn't want to be spiteful, but she makes it too easy so he can't hold back.

"Fuck you, Adam! You think I want this, huh? You think I wanna put you through a sham marriage and force you to deal with emotional infidelity? It wasn't a conscious decision. I want to save this. I want to save us. I just need some goddamn time," she spits back like hellfire.

"I'm sorry, Chels," it leaves his mouth in a whisper as he stands to make his way over to her. He sits down and wraps her up in his arms wishing he could protect her from the turmoil she is going through. He loves her so much, he'd give anything to see her happy again. Having to deal with the thought that she may love another man more is painful, but if it leads her to happiness then he doesn't have much of a choice.

Chelsea breaths out and lets herself relax back into Adam's chest. The comfort is what she needs, and she knows it's selfish of her. "I'm sorry too, Adam," her sad voice sits on her lips for a second before it's replaced by a gasp at the feel of his hot lips on her neck. That's the last thing she expected.

She turns around in his arms, and the sultry look she gives him is enough to make him melt on the spot. Chelsea leans over and their lips connect for the first time in months. The heat of the moment makes her lips tingle, and she can feel herself dripping at the thought of his arms on her bare skin. It's been so long, and maybe it's a mistake, but she needs it.

"Chelsea," his breath is heavy as he reluctantly breaks their kiss.

"Adam," his name is a moan from her lips as she tries to meet his again.

"I don’t know if this is a good idea," he pulls back mentally kicking himself for even instigating it.

"Okay," she nods sitting back up. She's disappointed, but she can't expect Adam to want anything to do with her anymore. If she was him, she wouldn't want to either.

The pout on her face is too hard for him to look at though, and he closes his eyes hoping he doesn't regret what he's about to do as he leans forward and wraps her mouth up with his own again.

Chelsea is about to push him back, to tell him she understands, but as his big warm hands aggressively push her blouse up she caves. He wastes no time pulling at the top, and the only sound for a moment is the bouncing of buttons across the hardwood floors. His lips move with a ferocity she hasn't felt before as his hands work at the clasp of her bra effortlessly undoing it.

Chelsea moans as he tangles his hand in her hair and tugs it back to leave a trail of wet kisses down her neck. Adam pauses for a second as he stares at her chest. He's mesmerized by the sight of his beautiful half-naked wife who he hasn't seen like this in months. Just as he's about to continue his trail down her body the front door opens and Travis's tall figure emerges from the entryway.

Her head shoots up at the sound, and when she locks eyes with Travis she sees his adam's apple move in a hard gulp. His eyes can't help but fall to her bare chest and Adam's hands on it before he averts his gaze as she quickly scrambles to pull her ripped blouse back on. Without another word he turns back around and leaves, and Chelsea shouts, "Travis!" from the couch. She lets out a groan when she hears the door slam shut, and Adam pulls back to sit on the couch.

He watches his wife's frustration grow as she shuts her eyes and runs a shaky hand through her chestnut locks. He doesn’t want to stop, but the mood is dead as soon as he can tell that she wishes they hadn't been caught in the act. Her face reads like guilt as he watches her reposition herself, and he realizes that she probably would wake up regretting it if they weren't interrupted.

Chelsea feels like her heart is about to beat out of her chest. She doesn't know why she feels like she just cheated on Travis, but the shame is threatening to swallow her whole instantly. God, what the hell is she doing? She just doesn't know how to stop. Her answer to everything is sex, like it was a magical antidote to all her poisons. Her only ways of dealing with things have been ignoring them and having sex, and she doesn't know where to go from there.

The sound of the door slamming shut is still audible in her mind, and she knows that Travis is upset. He should be. How could he even love her? How could anyone love her? Her head sits in her hands, and she fights back tears because she doesn't know how her husband will react. She's been so selfish that she never stopped to think about him.

Adam's hand finds it's way to Chelsea's shoulder, and he squeezes gently in attempt to persuade her that things will work out.

"You don't deserve this, Adam," she sighs as she leans back into him. She lets the torn blouse fall back from her body, and lights another cigarette.

Adam's eyes trail down her chest. He hears himself gulp as the sight of her bare perky breasts makes his cock twitch. "I don't," he can't seem to find anymore words as his body is refusing to listen to his head. He's never had trouble keeping his composure before, but his wife makes him crazy.

Chelsea's atmosphere of smoke settles around them with a breath, and she turns to face her husband raising an eyebrow at his facial expression. She lets out a smirk when she notices his eyes are locked on her chest before taking another hit.

Adam blushes when he notices he's been caught. He closes his eyes for a moment before saying, "you don't owe anyone anything, Chelsea. Travis has had chances, so has Colson. You have to do what's right for you. I know you don't want to hurt anyone, but it's unavoidable sometimes." Adam pauses to lick his lips. The effects of that scotch are starting to dwindle, and he's left feeling thirsty now, or maybe that's just his best explanation for wanting to subconsciously devour the unfaithful woman next to him. "I love you more than anything, Chelsea. It sucks to know that you're doubting how much you love me, but I'm a reasonable man. If there's a way to get through this, I'll get us there. I'm not giving up on us until you ask me to," he resigns.

Chelsea wants to reach over and kiss him. She takes a final hit of her half smoked cigarette before standing up and bending over to put it out in the ash tray.

Adam's eyes lock on to her ass, and he sighs as he gets up thinking it's time for a glass of water. Chelsea watches him walk away for a moment before reaching back to unzip her skirt. It falls to the floor as swiftly as she moves after her husband. He doesn't see her walk in, but she wastes no time turning him around and locking her hot lips with his. She nibbles on his bottom lip, and he can't help but let out a groan. She reaches for his hands and places them on her now bare hips, and Adam's eyes open in shock.

"Chelsea," he gasps out pushing her back and trying his fucking hardest not to look down at her body which he knows is only covered by a pair of underwear.

Chelsea looks at his face before looking down at the floor. "Oh my god," the embarrassment in her voice is as clear as day. "I'm so stupid," she lets out an almost desperate chuckle, though it sounds more like a sob on his ears.

"Chelsea, no, hey," he coos taking a few steps to wrap her up in his arms again.

"No, Adam. I'm so sorry. I'm sure you can't even look at me anymore without being repulsed," she says with a nod as if she understands the situation. Her hand is lingering on his chest pushing him away.

"What?" Adam furrows his brows as he looks down at his wife. "Chelsea, you're gorgeous there's absolutely nothing wrong with you," he holds her at arms length trying to peer into her eyes. She needs to believe him. This is not about how she looks. God if they weren't going through this bullshit he'd drill her into the fucking counter right now, but he's scared she'll regret it later.

Chelsea lets out a snort. Disbelief. She remembers looking in the mirror all those times Colson cheated and finding plenty things wrong. Her past is like a ghost.

"Hey, look at me," Adam commands pulling her chin up. She looks miserable, and he's so sorry for it. "I just don't want you to think you made a mistake when you wake up tomorrow," he admits. He knows better than to think it would mean she chose him. She has enough regret built up, and he doesn't want to add to it.

"Maybe it is a mistake," Chelsea admits. She looks up at him without any choice as his hand is still hoisting her head up. His eyes don't seem to change as she peers into them. He's not judging. He's so collected, and she's jealous of it. The green burning into her sets her on fire and gives her a confidence boost as she says, "but I want to make it."

Adam doesn't give her another chance to rethink it. His lips are on her now, and his hands grab her waist so roughly that she can't help but moan into the kiss. He smiles against her lips as he pulls her closer with his hands on her back. Her fingers are tangled in his hair and the kiss is wet, and sloppy, and yearning. She breaks it reluctantly and pulls him toward the living room. Taking the stairs to the bed would take 30 seconds longer, and she can't wait anymore because she might change her mind.

Adam unbuttons his shirt with his free hand, and when she turns around she watches him frantically undoing the buckle of his belt and the zipper of his trousers. They fall on the ground, and he steps out of them, but his eyes never leave the woman sitting on the cushion of the sofa. On his knees now he pulls her thong off greedily, and she throws her head back as his tongue slurps at her pussy. The moans that escape her drive him wild, and he has to break away to pull himself up on the couch and ram this throbbing cock inside of her.

"Fuck!" she shouts when she feels him force himself in, creating space that she's sure isn't there. Her teeth are digging into her bottom lip as she looks up at him with lust so strong it's almost enough to make him cum in that moment.

"You're so fucking beautiful, Chelsea," his heavy breaths tell her, and Travis' face flashes before her for a moment as she remembers him telling her the same thing the first time they had sex.

She redirects her gaze downward watching him enter and exit her in hopes of forgetting the eyes that look at her in shame from the depths of her mind. She pushes him back to get on her knees, and Adam doesn't waste any time impaling her from behind. His hands grab at her ass, and Chelsea tries to focus on the feeling to keep her mind off of Travis and what he's thinking right now. When she feels him snake his arm around and rub her clit, all her thoughts disappear, and she moans into the couch feeling herself at the edge of an orgasm.

"You like that, baby?" Adam's whisper reaches her, and she can't help but feel herself even closer at the sound of his deep voice. His fingers move faster and so do his hips, and he's proud that he's driving her wild.

"Yess," she gasps, and then it hits her. She holds on to the cushion so tightly as bright lights fill her vision. Her nerves are tingling as an electric shock overcomes her body. Adam groans when he feels her tightening around him, but she doesn’t even hear him as she convulses beneath him in excruciating pleasure.

The sight of her writhing under him brings him there, and he feels himself fill her as he thrusts into her collapsing body with a groan. He lets himself fall onto the couch next to her as he tries to catch his breath, but she doesn't stay.

Chelsea heaves her body up and walks to the bathroom. She sits and pees mindlessly before standing on her shaky legs and looking into the mirror. Travis' disapproving face stares at her behind her shoulder. She sighs. What did he expect her to do? He can't just tell her this shit and expect her to drop everything else for him. Chelsea gulps at the thought when she realizes that’s what she's been doing to him for years. She washes her face trying to scrub the guilt off her features before heading upstairs to get dressed. She has to go talk to him.

"Where are you going?" Adam is surprised to see her walk in to the room wth jeans and a sweater so quickly as he is still naked on the couch.

"I'm gonna go talk to Travis," she's honest as she pulls her jacket on and slides her feet into her heels.

"It can’t wait?" he asks. He knows this wasn't that kind of sex, but, shit, she's treating him like a one night stand. She could at least sit with him for a few minutes even if it doesn't mean anything.

"I don't know. He looked…" she doesn’t know how to finish that sentence without pissing Adam off. "I just want to make sure he's okay, and I'll come back," she tells him. It's the truth. She wants this to work.

Adam purses his lips and nods. He can't stop her. Space and time. That's what she needs. Patience. He has to find it in himself somewhere. "Be safe," he tells her, and she flashes him a sad smile as she walks out and shuts the door behind her.

Adam sighs rubbing his face. The smell of Chelsea still lingers on his fingers, and he groans at the thought of her going to see his friend. None of this is right. He shouldn't be so lenient with them. He should just make her chose. Adam shakes his head at the thought because he knows it would only chase her away faster. Still, did he deserve this? Pretending they can maintain a relationship that she might not even want? His gaze falls on the decanter of scotch on the coffee table, and he reaches to put his underwear on before grabbing the liquor and taking a few swigs out of the bottle, taking it with him upstairs to the bed.