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Room 114

Amber Brandau

    Room 114 was dimly lit from the flickering light post that stood outside of the hotel room’s window. A tall man sat at the end of the musty smelling bed. A figure was under the bed’s yellow comforter. He looked down at his hands while he shook his head. His hands rubbed down his face. He sighed as he stood. He bent down to retrieve his boxers. The rest of his clothes and a woman’s bra and panties were flung across the hotel room floor.
    The radio hummed some country song as the clock read 4:59 am.
    He grabbed his worn-out blue jeans and slipped into them. His joints popped as his knees bent which only made him grimace in pain.
    Tired groans came from the bed.
    The man turned toward the woman, who was sitting up, sheets clinging to her torso. The comforter tossed to the foot of the bed.
    “Mel, this has to stop. I can’t keep doing this to my wife,” the man said.
    “You’re doing the same thing Sarah’s doing when she’s going on those business trips,” Mel said.
    “I’ll pay for your ride back home.” With that he grabbed the phone from the nightstand.
     “Why not though? You said you loved me and not her anyways.” Mel sashayed over to him with the sheet wrapped around her body.
    He placed the phone back down. “I know what I’ve said and I meant it, but...”
    “But you still love her too.”
    Mel looked off toward the window. She sighed heavily, her hand touching her chest.
    “I’m sorry for any pain I might have caused, but you know I can’t do this anymore,” Axel said as he looked away.
    “I only did this to my sister because you said you loved me. That you always had!” She picked up the pale-yellow table lamp and tossed it at him. It missed him, but the look of shock was on his face.
    “I never meant to hurt anyone.”
    “But that’s what you did.”
    She sat back down on the bed, touching her stomach.
    “What’s going on, Mel?”
    “I’m pregnant, Axel. Pregnant with your baby.”
    His face fell. Then his face twisted up in anger. His fist met the plaster wall, leaving a large dent. Her eyes filled with tears as he approached her. His fists tightened as he tried to take deep breaths.
    “I can’t let you ruin my marriage, Mel. I finally got the promotion I’ve been needing. I can’t let you ruin what I’ve built.”
    Mel’s body shivered as she silently pleaded with him.
    “I’m sorry then. The baby isn’t mine. If you don’t want Sarah to hate us, then don’t pursue this.”
    He finished getting dressed and walked out, leaving her sitting, wrapped in a sheet, on the side of the bed. Her fists clenched as she let her tears fall. She laid down on the comforter, inhaling years of stale cigarette smoke
    “I’m sorry,” she muttered out into the dark room. “Please forgive me, but I have to pursue this.” She sat up and glanced over at her purse. She recached inside and pulled out her cell phone. Her fingers moved quickly as she wrote out a text.

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