"Intoxicated Love"

Ashley sighed, her frustration and worry slowly giving way to a mix of emotions as she gazed at Gerald's disheveled form. She had been prepared for anger, for yelling, for another argument, but instead, she saw a man who was broken, who was escaping his problems through the bottom of a bottle. As she looked at him, Gerald's eyes slowly focused on hers, and he smiled weakly. He reached out a hand, his fingers brushing against her cheek, and Ashley felt a pang of sadness. This was not the man she loved, not the man she thought she knew. Gerald's hand dropped, and he pulled himself up, his movements slow and labored. He leaned in, his lips brushing against hers, and Ashley felt a shiver run down her spine. It wasn't a romantic kiss, but rather a sloppy, drunken one. She didn't pull away, though, didn't have the energy to resist. As Gerald's lips moved against hers, his hand wandered, coming to rest on her breast. He squeezed, laughing, and Ashley felt a wave of disgust wash over her. "Mine," he slurred, his words barely intelligible. Ashley lay there, frozen, as Gerald continued to touch her, to kiss her. She didn't know what to do, didn't know how to react. Part of her wanted to push him away, to tell him to stop, but another part of her felt sorry for him, felt sorry for the pain he was trying to escape. A few minutes passed, and Gerald's kisses grew slower, his touch less aggressive. He eventually fell asleep, his body heavy against hers. Ashley lay there, awake, her mind racing with thoughts of what had just happened, of what it meant for their relationship. As the night wore on, Ashley's thoughts turned to the pregnancy, to the future they were supposed to be building together. She wondered if this was what she could expect from Gerald, if this was the kind of love he was capable of giving. The darkness of the room seemed to press in around her, making it hard to breathe. Ashley felt trapped, trapped in a relationship that seemed to be suffocating her. She didn't know how much longer she could endure this, didn't know how much longer she could hold on. As the first light of dawn crept into the room, Ashley closed her eyes, trying to shut out the thoughts that haunted her. She knew that when Gerald woke up, things would change, that he would be different, that he would pretend like nothing had happened. But Ashley knew the truth, knew that this was just the beginning of the end.