25.

                                    

                                          
"Ow, stop, Mike… please," Brett whimpered on the other side of the wall. Eddy had laid down on the couch to listen and make sure Brett would be okay. The soft thumping of the bed hitting the wall didn't stop no matter how much Brett begged and pleaded, though. It never did. 

                          
"You love me, don't you?" Mike snapped back in between moans and thumps. A yelp was heard from Brett, but Eddy couldn't tell the reason for it just from the sound. He just knew it wasn't a sound made from pleasure. No sound coming from Brett ever was when Mike was causing it. 

                          
"I do love you, b… but it hurts…" Brett cried in a shaky voice. "Please, I'll… I'll suck you dry I'll…" 

                          
Eddy wanted to gag at the thought of the small man's head being forced down by big hands. He didn't feel any better about it when he heard a "fine" grunted from the big, terrifying man and then the sound of the couple moving, probably to get into the right position. 

                          
"You better swallow." 

                          
That was what made Eddy roll off the couch and stand up. He couldn't deal with the helpless whimpers that would come from this. What could he do, though? If he called the police, Brett would just say they were having sex. If he knocked on the door, Mike surely would just knock both him and Brett down. 

                          
To make time go faster and to drown out the sounds, Eddy decided he would practice. Maybe Mike would hear it, maybe he would know Eddy could hear? Maybe he would stop hurting Brett? The last part seemed unlikely. 

                          
There was a pause in the sounds from the bedroom on the other side of the wall when Eddy started tuning, followed by some mumbling Eddy couldn't make out. He set his bow to his strings to start with some scales, but was interrupted by a thump to the wall and the sound of Brett's voice. 

                          
"I… I'm a… a slut…" it stuttered in between sobs, clearer than the other talking Eddy had heard before, like he was talking up against the wall. "I'm… I'm…" 

                          
A slap was heard, followed by a squeak from Brett and a few sobs. Eddy flinched, but felt like his feet were glued to the ground and his limbs had frozen in place. 

                          
"I'm… Mike's good little whore…" Brett cried shakily against the wall. "And I… I won't…" 

                          
Another slap was sounded, then another and quiet whimpering. 

                          
"I p… promise I… I… won't see… other people… anymore…" 

                          
The nausea and lightheadedness hit Eddy hard, forcing him down to his knees with his violin held in shaky hands. The guilt was eating him. He knew Brett was being made to say this because of him. 

                          
"I won't cheat… w…" 

                          
"Say his name!" Mike snarled, followed by another slap and another cry from Brett. 

                          
"I won't cheat on Mike with Eddy anymore, b… because… because I love Mike. I love him."