The Eskimo Sister

Trigger Warning: Themes of a painful breakup and aggression.

The Eskimo Sister: An Unlikely Encounter

Marie was a good girl. A low drama pragmatist who was a staunch supporter of her female friends and valued justice, fairness and integrity above all else. She was always on her friends' side; Listening, offering advice, encouraging them to find their worth so they could hopefully stop dating Losers. But Marie was also a dreamer. She dreamt of a life full of travel, adventure, new experiences and of finding a relationship that made her feel alive; To have passion and a sex life that was gratifying. She fantasized about "turning the bad boy", being so great that he would choose her over everyone else, to validate and worship her the way she yearned for (clearly she hadn't started decompressing her trauma and childhood in therapy yet). She had longed for that so deeply, for so long that in the end she would sacrifice everything in an attempt to obtain it. When she does, not only her reputation comes crashing down. Her whole world descends into what can only be compared to by the chaos that is a day time TV soap opera.

Darren, Marie's first boyfriend was a kind soul. A good man with a good heart who believed in old timey values and could be known as somewhat of a curmudgeon. He was also stubbornness as an ox, had strong values and a desire for a simple life. He wanted to settle down, have a family and become a master of his trade. He was a realist and in his reality travel, adventure, lavishness wasn't in the cards for him. 

In all honesty, by temperament, they were a great match. They were drama free and rarely fought. They were both introverts and got along really well. But problems started to arise for Marie. He wasn't interested in growing with her or learning how to be a better lover or partner for her. He was satisfied and content with their dynamic. They struggled to find things to do together and often fought when they did. Darren enjoyed petty arguments, Marie did not. They seemed to get along best when they just stayed home and watched Netflix together, they were great roommates, but who wants that?

Caleb was exactly what you're expecting him to be. He was the confident bad boy, the town player, the guy who knew how to schmooze his way into any girls pants. Marie had spent years observing Caleb and hating him; Experiencing his shadiness via multiple girlfriends she knew and the community gossip mill. Caleb was a cheater and borderline emotionally abusive. When Marie's friend Marian (the mistress) came crying to her one Halloween because Tara (the girlfriend) had choked her at a party, Marie consoled Marian and recommended that maybe this was a good time for her to part ways from Caleb. To which Marian replied "he makes me feel sexier than I've ever felt and we talk. It's not just about sex, he's my friend too!". Tara and Caleb eventually broke up for good while he and Marian continued to have an on and off again affair spanning eight years. Marie just could not understand Marian, why was she so hooked on this asshole?! Yet secretly, in the deepest recesses of Marie's mind were things that she didn't want to acknowledge, let alone admit to anyone else.

Like the truth that she had been envious of Marian. She was envious of the attention she got from Caleb, of the excitement Marian experienced, of the sex, of the way Marian described her relationship with Caleb. Like the truth that when Caleb flirted with her or directed his attention to her she relished it like something starved. That she had woven various enemies to lovers fantasies about him and that deep down she craved that from him. That she wanted him and she wanted him to want her. She yearned for his depravity, his sinfulness, to break free of this self inflicted cage of goodness and virtue she'd built around herself. She felt a beast scratching behind her sternum, dying to be let out. It Howled and Clawed at her! It squirmed beneath her skin, this beast that was her repressed sexuality. She felt a desperation to release it but she didn't know how. She couldn't break free of the plexiglass walls she'd surrounded herself in. These walls built up by societal programming, her parents' expectations, the self image and reputation she had portrayed, her low self esteem and limiting beliefs. How do you break free of something you can't even see?! Deep down she wanted him and she knew he wanted her. But what would that make her? What would it mean about her if she stopped resisting his call? If she sacrificed being the good friend to be the bad girl? Surely she's too good for that, surely she's too smart to fall prey to him like everyone else, she see's him, she knows him, surely...

The time had come, Marie saw that the ending was nigh. Things with Darren had not improved. Though Marie loved him deeply she just knew deep down that this was not the forever after relationship for her. Too much was missing, too much didn't align. 

Darren and Caleb knew each other. It was a small community where everyone crossed paths regularly. Darren had also never liked Caleb and had told Marie that on more than one occasion Caleb had made comments about her to Darren. He knew Caleb was attracted to her. So when they broke up Darren asked Marie, of all the men in town, not to get involved with Caleb. After all, in a town this small "you don't lose your girlfriend, just your turn in line". Marie agreed and scoffed at the audacity that he would even be worried about it. Darren knew how much Marie hated Caleb and truthfully, Marie hadn't seen Caleb or even thought about him in years at this point. Plus, Caleb was in a relationship with Ashley, who Marie and Darren also worked with.

Marie had just woken up, it was a cloudy snowy day and she was snuggled up under the covers. Snug as a bug in a rug, lazing in the comfort of her warm, cozy bed. She hadn't found a new place to live yet and she was relieved that Darren had already left for work. She picked up her phone to scroll social media when she noticed a message for her on facebook. Her curiosity peaked, she opened the message and low and behold it was Caleb. He had apparently gotten wind of her breakup through the towns gossip mill and had decided to "reach out". "Hey Marie, I heard about your breakup with Darren. I was sorry to hear about it. I can relate though, Ashley and I actually just broke up too. I'm here if you ever want to chat".

Caleb and Marie have been texting for days. The heat is rising, things are starting to ramp up. Marie was just on a trip with her aunt and hadn't told Caleb that she was back in town. Their flirtations are simmering now and less than subtle. Caleb is hot for her and he's not holding back, he asks her when she's back from her trip and she replies, "oh, I got back last night". "Holy shit" he replies, "I just got hard at the post office. I can be home in 45 minutes." Marie pauses, looking at the message, considering her options, briefly weighing the pro's and con's of this exchange, the potential social suicide, her friendship with Marian (who had, it turned out, not been a very loyal friend in return) and decides "fuck it, if I keep finding excuses to say no to things then I'm never going to have the experiences I want to have. No one has to find out"...

Forty five minutes later Marie is pulling up to the parking lot outside her gym where she and Caleb have decided to meet. He pulls up next to her car and she quickly gets in, not wanting anyone to see. As they drive to his house he keeps glancing at her with apprehension. "I can't believe this is real, that this is actually happening. I feel like it's a trap, you've hated me for so long". She seductively looks back, "yea, I have, but it's not a trap and it's really happening. This is my wild and free era and I'm entering it with a bang. That said, you're my dirty little secret and I don't want anyone to know about you". He smirks back, but doesn't respond. He parks his car at his house and they quickly walk to the back door. As she steps into the darkly lit room they take their shoes off and as she moves to take off her coat he grabs her and pushes her back against the door as they lock in a sensual kiss. He slips his tongue into her mouth, his hands pulling her flush against him. This kiss is fire and full of the kind of passion she's always dreamed of. He turns them around and starts walking her backward, stripping her coat off and leaving it on the floor. They enter his room and he rips her shirt and bra off. He turns her around and slowly pulls her pants to her ankles, moaning at the sight of her. She peaks over her shoulder at him and he's on the floor gazing up at her perfectly round, firm ass in utter awe. "Oh my god" he says, in his deep husky voice (God she's always loved his voice), "I can't believe this is actually happening. I've wanted this for so long" he moans as he bends her over his bed and begins to devour her. 

Marie is back home, reeling over the events that had just transpired. Remembering every detail and moment spent with him worshipping her, showering her with compliments and praise and disbelief. It was, by far, the single hottest experience she has ever had and was everything she had hoped it would be and more. He texts her, "I can't get you out of my head, when can I see you again? Maybe you can come over for a movie. Just so we can get a little more comfortable around each other". 

A few days later Marie is at Caleb's house, they're watching a movie. All of a sudden her phone pings. She picks it up and sees a message from Darren. Her stomach drops, "oh shit" she thinks. She opens the text and it says, "I know what you did". Her mind is reeling, panic sets in. She looks at Caleb and tells him Darren knows. He picks up his own phone and says, "shit, Ashley is blowing my phone up too." Marie responds to Darren, "I don't know what you're talking about".

"You fucked Caleb!!"

Marie doesn't know what to do. Caleb offers to let her stay the night. He is still dealing with Ashley. How did this even happen? How did they find out and so quickly?! Four days, four days is all it took for the walls of this secret to come crashing down around her.

She and Caleb eventually stop responding to Darren and Ashley. They can't exactly fix it and she can't go home so she stays with Caleb, both of them majorly in the dog house anyway. They're lying in his bed, she can't sleep, all is quiet, but then she hears something. Something faint, a slight squeak. She looks towards the door and sees through the dark that it's opening and someone is standing in the shadows. She sucks in a sharp breath right as the light flicks on and Caleb leaps out of bed. Ashley has snuck into his house through the dog door and is now standing in his room. Her hair is wild and her eyes are bloodshot and her pupils are dilated from the lasik eye surgery she'd just had. She's zipping and unzipping her blazer at Marie like she's about to jump her in the bed. "You slut, I knew you were here. You tried to hide your car so I wouldn't find out. Fucking whore!" Ashley screams at Marie. Caleb is now standing between them, butt ass naked yelling at her to leave and all Marie can think to do is yell back "he told me you were broken up!" as she pulls the blankets up to hide her uncomfortable smile so that just her big brown doe eyes are peaking over it.  

Caleb comes back into the room after escorting Ashley out of his house. Marie is in shock. She can't believe everything that just happened. It's 5:30am and Caleb is asking her to leave. Where is she going to go? How is she going to go home to face Darren? She has to study today, her books are all at the house. This wasn't supposed to happen, she didn't want to hurt anyone. She just wanted to have some fun, to feel a little freedom, to do what she wanted to do for once. She thought she could hide it, and it's over so soon!

She pulls up to the street that she and Darren share a house on. Ashley's car is in her driveway. She is clearly telling Darren everything that just happened at Caleb's. Marie doesn't know what to do so she parks her car down the street and waits, watching for Ashley to leave and trying to come up with a plan. A way to handle this. She debates just avoiding him altogether, not going home at all, but she has to study today. She has a big test coming up, there's no way around it and her friends won't be awake for hours still. It's snowing and cold outside, she can't just sit in her car. So, after Ashley finally leaves, Marie musters up all her strength and courage and pulls into the driveway. She walks up to the front door and it immediately opens. Darren is standing there, he's clearly angry, she see's a pile of her belongings on the floor behind him. "You can't come in", he says. "This is no longer your home, you're not welcome here". Marie is burning with guilt and shame. "I just need to get a few things. I have to study today, all of my books are here. Please just let me grab those", she pleads with him. "Fine, but tell me what you need and I'll pack you a bag", he says. She starts to list off everything she needs and he sighs. " Just, come in", he says, "It will be easier for you to find it". She steps into the foyer and looks around. The house is a disaster, her belongings are strewn all over the place. The coffee table is gone, something is broken on the floor. She dazedly walks into their bedroom and finds her mattress and bedding are gone too. All that's left is the box spring, covered in debris, there's even blood splattering the walls. She turns around and looks at him. Pain in both their eyes. She starts to cry, hyperventilating, bordering on a full blown panic attack. Her pain crushes him, he reaches for her in an attempt to console her, but she smells like him, Caleb. She knows she does, he can't touch her, he can't get that close. She pushes him away and walks back into the living room. "Where is my furniture?", she asks. "It's in the basement. I had started throwing everything into the front yard, but Matt came over and made me stop", he replies. She starts to cry harder again. She sits down at the table as he sits on the couch, unsure of what to say. She hears a ping on her phone. It's a message from Marian. She opens it to find a short story's worth of vitriol and hatred spewing from her. Calling out her hypocrisy and betrayal. Apparently, Ashley had taken it upon herself to publicly denounce Marie to all her friends and acquaintances, anyone who had been involved with Caleb. "I'm sorry Marie", Darren says, "I'm a hypocrite too. I went to the bar tonight after finding out about you and Caleb and I got drunk. Ashley was there and we slept together. It was a mistake". 

Marie finally moves out. She recognizes how unfair she has been in staying, the pain that it has continued to cause Darren. She's rejected Caleb, finding out that he was the reason Ashley found out about them. She can't believe she was so stupid, that she really thought she could have her cake and hide it too. She knows he's bad, she knows he's lying to her, she's known who he is for years. And yet, she wants him. She wants to kiss him and fuck him and sneak out with him. He makes her feel alive and sexier than she's ever felt in her life. She can finally understand why Marian stayed for so many years. He was like a drug and he'd just found his next addict. Marie manages to avoid Caleb for a week, but deep down she knows, she knows she'll go back. 

A few months later Marie walks into the bar at work and goes up to her friend Bill. She's feeling insecure. She knows everyone knows. It's the first time she's shown her face in public. She's never faced social judgment on this scale before. "Hey Bill", Marie says sheepishly. "Hey Marie, heard you've been gettin' a little crazy. You know I love Caleb, he's my bud, but he's bad news, you know that right?" Bill says. "Yea Bill, I know, I've always known."