Oh, father, forgive me

For all my sins

When I meet your eyes

The Devil, he wins

Blinded by your lies

But I play pretend

-Ari Abdul

Throughout the night I find myself chatting as Arthur stares at me from her seat at the bar. I wish she knew how nervous I am getting. My heart is beating so fast as I stare at her as her clawed hand ran along the rim of her glass. She slid down her seat and adjusted her position. Thrusting her hips slightly upwards as she does so. I gulp diverting my eyes as I take a couple of sips of my drink.

The woman standing in front of me continues speaking as I pay her no heed. She's talking about her husband and how his business is thriving in Singapore.

I know I am getting overwhelmed with all the talking as I rub my sweaty palms over the skirt of my dress before excusing myself to go breathe.

I walk up the carpeted stairs and down the long hallways to a study with a large balcony. I do not hear the steps falling behind me, not too close yet not too far off.

I hunch, leaning on the wooden desk with my palms as I breathe heavily.

"Marnie, love." Her hands wrap around my waist, pulling me in.

I breathe heavily before pushing her off. Or trying to, but she just clutches me tighter.

"It's okay, it's okay." She whispers as I push her again.

"Oh, now you decide to speak." I scoff as I look at her.

"I wish I could tell you, love, I really do." She speaks, her breath hitting my face as her dark eyes run over my features. I stay still breathing in her sweet scent before making up my mind.

I push her away harder this time before exiting the room and nearing the stairs to leave the stupid party.

"Tesoro, wait!" She calls out, hot on my heels.

"What? Another stupid excuse?" I laugh flailing my arms in the air.

"Let's figure this out, because I hate being away from you." Art huffs and I scoff in response.

"If you wanted to figure this out, you'd explain everything." I shrug and turn around walking away again hoping that she'd call out again.

Please call out to me.

"Mer, please," Arthur whispers her voice desperate and I sigh turning around.

"How many times are you going to look me in the eye and lie to me? Because I really need a number." I'm irate and I wish for this bullshit to stop.

"I have never lied to you. I've only hidden the truth." Arthur says her hands behind her back as she simply stares down at me.

"What? Oh my God, are you hearing yourself right now?" My eyes are wide with astonishment at her nerve.

"You've got so much fucking nerve. To lie to me over and over again, to take me to meet your fucking grandma and then get with some girl that by the way isn't me. And then lie to me again. And now you're standing in front of me, asking me to listen to some more lies. Sounds fun, huh?" My voice is slightly raised as I take a step toward her.

"Zara? What? No, I only have eyes for you. No one else. God, no one even comes close." She puts her hand out for me to hold but I don't even look at it.

"I want you to know that Marnie." Art says softly and I grit my teeth to contain my tears.

"Liar," I whisper my voice wavering.

"They don't mean anything to me. No one does. God, I don't even think of anyone else the way that I think of you." She says her dark eyes proving honesty but I was still skeptical.

"Oh think of me? Think of me as what? A person you can fool?" I scoff again rolling my eyes, my voice cracking.

"I think of you as someone who is so beautiful inside out, as someone I would beg, borrow, steal and kill for." Art says and something in my aching heart cracks open.

"Liar," I whisper again my hands clutching the cold metal handrails.

"I would lie for you, never to you." Art says taking a step closer.

"I want you and only you." She says leaning down.

"You lie, you lie, you fucking lie," I say loudly my heart pumping blood into my veins so hard.

"I need you," Arthur says softly gritting her teeth. I can see her restraining herself from grabbing my hand.

"Well, you don't need me bad enough," I whisper shaking my head tears falling finally. What happens next makes my entire being wither to nothingness.

Art lowers herself to her knees.

"I'll prove it to you every hour every minute every fucking second." She says looking up at me.

"Arthur, what are you doing?" I sigh my hands on my temples as I close my eyes and shake my head.

"Proving to you how bad I want you. How bad I need you." She says her voice barely a whisper and I take a step back.

"Get up, you don't mean that." I grit my teeth glaring at her but all I hear in my head are chants of 'tell me you mean it'.

Tell me you mean it, please.

"I mean it, Marnie." Art says, her dark eyes desperate as she stares up at me. I stay silent.

"I know I'm bad at this. So, teach me. Teach me how to be good." She whispers inching towards me and I sigh, my chin quivering as I look up at the ceiling trying to control my feelings. I feel like giving in and falling into her arms.

"Arthur, get up," I whisper still looking up. She doesn't get up. She stays there. On her knees. Not going to lie, I quite enjoy the view.

"Not until you understand that nobody comes close to you. Nobody. You're all I have been able to think about and it's quite honestly the most repulsive thing that has ever happened to me but I would rather have that happen over and over again than lose you. And I'm sorry for not saying anything sooner. I'm sorry for lying to you because I thought that would keep you safe. I'm sorry when I say I can't explain and that I can't tell you anything." She says and the dust roaming around us finally settles.

"If we run into an issue again I swear on everything that I have, I'll explain. I promise." She whispers, her words full of pain and passion. Those mixed in with the tears that lined her eyes. My anger dissolves into the tears that flow from my own.

"You cross your heart and hope to die?" My voice is barely a whisper and she nods gulping and chuckling in pain.

"Yes, yes! I cross my heart and hope to die." She crosses her armored finger on her heart while nodding actively.

"I forgive you. But I'm a bitch so I won't forget." I whisper and her shoulders slump as she sighs looking up.

Her eyes stay closed as she breathes in, her eyes open and she stares at my face for a couple of seconds, letting her eyes run over my features as if she is memorizing my face before bringing her hands to her face and covering them.

My face contorts to worry as I kneel next to her and wrap my hands around her tattooed wrist.

"Art," I whisper and she sighs shakily.

"I was worried I lost you." She whispers and I shake my head.

"Not so soon. But you keep me in the dark again and you will." I whisper truthfully as she nods before letting her hands fall into her lap as she looks me in the eyes.

"I won't I won't." Art whispers before her hand near my face, hesitating. I lean forward and she sighs as they meet my skin and I let her.

"God I fucking missed you so much." She whispers before leaning close to me.

It's ridiculous how we're both dressed in such extravagant expensive clothes but here we are, away from the party, sitting on the ground as my lover tells me how much she missed me. The light streams in from the large windows leading to the balcony. The party grows second by second as I lean in and brush my lips against hers.

As Arthur leans forward to capture my lips I lean behind. I smile leaning forward again but back out right before she can kiss me. Our lips brush again but this time her mouth opens.

"Please." She whispers and I grin before crashing my lips onto hers. Oh God, how much I missed her.

Her sweet taste invades my senses and leaves me behind with a world cracked open. I moan as my hands push her shoulders as she her back meets the Persian rug underneath us.

My hand wrap around her throat as my other hand works its way down her body.

"Marnie," Arthur whispers her head thrown back as I tighten my grip on her throat before kissing down her body.

"Yes, darling?" I whisper before tugging on her coat. Signaling her to remove it.

"I fucking missed you." She says again and I look at her for a couple of seconds smiling as I kiss her again.

"Yeah?" I whisper and she nods, her dark eyes running down my face and to my boobs that were literally popping out.

"Very much." Art adds and I grin as she removes her jacket.

"Let me show you how much I missed you then."