I cursed myself as I jogged into the recording studio. I’d promised you I wouldn’t be there today. “It’s for bass and drums only,” you had informed me, jabbing a finger into my chest with every syllable you spoke. “If I see you there, I’ll divorce you.” But I’d forgotten my set of lyrics for the new song Tom and I had composed only yesterday, and he wanted to revise it today while you two were recording.

“People marching to the drums

Everybody’s having fun

To the sound of love

Ugly is the world we’re on

If I’m right then prove me wrong

I’m stunned to find a place we belong.”

I smiled proudly as your vocals flooded my ear as I stepped into the control room. No-one was actually there, but you were practicing your chorus in the other room. You stood, eyes closed, one hand holding your left headphone firmly to your ear so you could hear the musical playback we’d already recorded as you sung. “That’s my Dougie,” I murmured to myself, picking up the lyrics off the side.

You stopped singing suddenly. “Are you sure it’s not too high? The rest of it sounds really low,” you remarked, turning to someone else in the room.

I jumped slightly as Harry stood up from a chair. I hadn’t even noticed he was there. Now he crossed the room, the working microphones picking up everything said for me to hear. “No. Danny has a couple high notes, so does Tom later on. Plus, the contrast is effective.” I found myself nodding along with him.

“Are you sure?” you asked doubtfully. I smiled at your nervousness. This was the first time you’d had a prominent vocal part on an album. You were so scared you were going to mess it up. Nothing I said helped.

“Certain.” Harry looped an arm round your waist, making me frown. I knew you were close, but it still put me on edge. “Besides, you know I think your voice is sexy…” he murmured. His lips met yours in a heated promise, and my whole world fell apart.

“No…” I whispered, laying a hand against the pane of glass that separated us.

You pulled back, and I gained a little hope. “You just like my voice when it’s screaming your name,” you said seductively, and all hope faded.

He tilted his head to the side in consideration, “A nice bonus, I’ll admit.”

“Take me, Harry.”

You were still wearing your wedding ring, I noticed with disgust as you pulled him close, plundering his mouth with yours and driving your hands into his hair. Goddamn it, Doug! You were still wearing your damn wedding ring! I fled from the control room and down the corridor. “Ah, Danny. I-”

“Not now, Fletch,” I requested stonily. He looked concerned.

“Is something wrong?” he asked. I raced from the building, choking on my sobs as they threatened to arise. I couldn’t believe it! How could you? Why? What did I do wrong?

*****

“Dan?” you called, stepping into the dark flat. You giggled nervously, “Baby? Where are you?”

I raised my head up, though my brain felt heavy, as though it were made of lead. “Kitchen.” My voice was hoarse from crying.

“What are you doing in the dark?” you asked as you came in. The light turned on, and a gasp escaped the lips that Harry had kissed as only I should. “Danny! Are you alright?” In a moment, you were by my side. “Have you been crying?”

“Yes,” I said, handing you a glass of orange juice, knowing you often got thirsty after a recording session. You took it, and sipped, eying me suspiciously.

“Why?”

I shrugged loosely, “To vent some anger.”

“Did it work?” you asked, a hint of nerves in your voice.

“No.” I turned towards the sink to wash my own glass. I heard you set down yours.

Your hand touched my shoulder, “Dan, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong with you?”

I glanced sideways, and saw the ring glinting on your finger. A sign of our love. I took hold of your hand, trailing my thumb delicately over the gold band. “There’s nothing wrong. It’s just the stresses of an album.”

You smiled kindly, “It was never going to be easy.” You put your other hand over mine, and squeezed, “Just remember: I’m here for you.”

My gaze locked onto yours, “Really?” Sensing the cold tone in my voice, you backed off, but I pulled off your ring deftly before you could get away.

“What are you doing?” you exclaimed, trying to get it back off me, but I pocketed it calmly.

“I’m righting a wrong.”

You took a deep breath, and held out your hand, palm up. “Give me my ring, Danny,” you said evenly. You grabbed hold of the counter as the sleeping pill I’d crushed into your drink went into effect.

I placed my mouth next to your ear as you fought to keep your eyes open. “Tell me you’ve been faithful, Doug.” Your eyes and mouth opened wide in realisation, before you crumpled to the floor.

*****

Your eyes opened slowly, and you blinked a couple of times, taking in your surroundings. “Danny?” you asked in confusion, as you realised you were chained to the chair you were sat on. I didn’t respond, just continued to stand by the sink, watching you. The only light was coming from the small ones under the cupboards, filling the room with a dull glow.

“Did you have a nice sleep?” I asked coolly.

“Wha-? Did you drug me?!”

I didn’t move, but stared you down. “I thought you would be tired. I was trying to help.”

“Why would I be tired?” you asked, obviously struggling to keep patient.

“Well, surely sex with Harry wouldn’t be a walk in the park,” I commented. “He’s a very-” I flicked my wrist so the blade of the knife in my hand caught the light. “-demanding man.”

“Danny!”

I moved towards you slowly, “Did you enjoy having him inside you? Where only I should be? Did you crave the taste of him? You knew you shouldn’t, but you couldn’t resist. Was it exciting to lead me on? To see me completely clueless about what was going on? About your sordid little affair…?”

“Baby, I-”

“Don’t ‘baby’ me,” I snapped. “I’m not your ‘baby’.”

“You took my wedding ring.”

“Well, I was following orders. Didn’t you say if I went to the studio you’d divorce me?”

“You were there,” you said breathlessly. “You saw.”

“There shouldn’t have been anything to see!” I yelled. You flinched. I brought the tip of the knife up to your cheek. “Why did you do it, Dougie? Am I too boring for you?” I dragged the blade lightly across, making a shallow cut along your left cheek.

You cried out, “No! I love you! You would never be boring to me!”

I mirrored the movement on the other side, had you writhing. “Then why did you sleep with Harry?” I hissed venomously.

“I don’t know!”

I set the knife aside and began to undo the buttons on your casual shirt. “Come on, Doug… You don’t just sleep with someone when you’re married… It doesn’t work that way. Especially when you claim to love your husband.”

“I do.”

“Then enlighten me.” I ran my hands up the flawless chest I’d revealed. You shivered, your eyes fixed on me. I pressed a soft kiss to your chest. “Why, Doug?”

“We were having a fight!” you blurted out. I reached for the knife again slowly, and watched your eyes widen drastically as my fingers closed around the handle.

“And?”

“I went to him to talk. Just to talk, I swear. We had quite a lot to drink. I can’t remember. It’s all fuzzy. But when he kissed me, I didn’t reject him.”

“Why not?” I swiped along your side with the knife, and you gritted your teeth admirably as you absorbed the pain.

“Because he was being so kind, and thoughtful,” you said in a strained voice. “I was hurt, Danny! You were cutting me off- saying problems with your family weren’t my concern. Bullshit, Dan. It was completely my concern.”

I met the fury in your eyes with my own, “That was over a year ago. Are you telling me that for about half our marriage, you’ve been cheating on me?”

With the blade of the knife mere millimetres off your throat, you spoke easily, “No! Well… He just kept wanting more. And when I refused, he got violent.”

“You should’ve told me!”

You gasped as the blade nicked your neck, “And what would you have done? He would’ve hurt you, Danny. Then what would I be?”

“Honest!” I shouted. “That’s what you would be! You can’t justify it with all this crap!” I carved a star onto your chest, watching in satisfaction as you squirmed. “Just as you’ll never know how much it broke my heart to see you kissing him in that recording room.”

“Stop it!” you ordered. “Please, just stop it!”

“Did you ‘stop it’?” I asked coldly. “Did you push him off? Did you remember you were married to me?” I shifted the knife, marring more flesh. Your warm blood seeped over my fingers.

“Of course I remembered!”

“Then why did you do it?” I snarled. You cried out as I sunk the knife deeper, but never enough to end it.

“Danny! Please! Just put the knife down! We can talk rationally!”

“No, we can’t,” I said softly. “If you had come to me and told me straight out, we could’ve talked rationally. I saw you at it, Dougie. And it crushed me.” I leaned in closer to you, “You’ve killed me…”

“Danny!” you stammered. I got to my feet.

“It would do you a lot of good to shut up and stay quiet right now,” I said softly. I pressed a kiss to your forehead, “I love you, Dougie.”

“No! Danny!” you exclaimed as I walked up to the sink. I spun sharply, raising the knife up, and threw it at you. You screamed loudly, and it hit the ground between your feet, just as I’d hoped.

I moved over to the back door, and pulled it open, glancing back into your scared eyes, “Goodbye, Dougs.”