She sat opposite me sipping her tea, the tracks of her tears still evident on her cheek.

"I'm sure things will be ok," I tried to re-assure.

"I don't know, this time he's gone too far," fresh tears left her eyes. It was painful for me to watch her like this. I had loved her for so many years, from the first time I saw her on the school playground. Her husband of just two years was fooling around with some slut he had picked up in a pub.

"It's not that I wouldn't do anything he wants," she sobbed, "so why does he need her?"

"I sure it's not serious," I said, "it's just he idea of a bit of fun."

"Yeah that sounds like him" she attempted a smile, "anyway I must be off, he'll be home soon and he'll be wanting his tea. Thanks for listening to my troubles, yet again."

"You know you're always welcome here," I said with feeling.

"Yeah, I know," she smiled for the first time, her hand reached for mine, "now I must go." She reached up and kissed me lightly on the lips, then she was gone; my flat became cold and empty again.

I've known Katie for what, ten years now, from that first sight in the playground. We had never been an item in any sexual way, but we had become firm friends, helping each other out over homework and first loves. But I've always loved her and of course she knew it, but she didn't love me. When you have a love in your heart it will reject all others. I've seen a few girls over the years, some quite seriously, but it's never been love. I keep telling myself to get over it and find myself someone to spend the rest of my life with, but they never hold up in comparison with Katie. To some people Katie is not a pretty girl, only five one, with a slim figure, but to me she is the epitome of female beauty.

I was seeing a girl called Lucy, a rather top heavy lady with a coarse mouth, but I'm seeing her for what she takes in her mouth, not what she spills out of it. Of course I'm not being fair towards her, despite her shortfalls, she is a nice fun loving girl whom I spent a lot of good times with. I'm not sure what she thinks our long-term commitments are, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm just having fun. She came over and we went out for a nice meal, I'm afraid I wasn't very good company for her, what with Katie problems on my mind. In the end I took her home and fucked her brains out in my bed. Lucy has a very sexy body, large firm tits on a slim frame, this causes her to be noticed where ever we go, and I'm sure she had a very active sex life before she met me. There's not a lot she wouldn't do in bed, in fact I've yet to find anything she won't do, but then I'm not very adventurous.

Some weeks later we went to a party of a distant friend and there also was Katie and her husband Ted; we said our hellos and then parted. Lucy and I drank and danced lots, and before we knew it was quite late. I was just think about getting our coats and going when some guy I knew whispered in my ear.

"Don't go yet Nick," he said, "some guys upstairs is offering his girl to be gang fucked.

Well if I was on my own I might have been interested, but with Lucy along, I need to fuck with some strange girl like a hole in the head.

"Yeah you should check it out," my friend whispered, "nice she is, slim with long blond hair."

The hairs on the back of my head became erect, Katie matched that description and I could see her bastard husband doing something like that. While Lucy went to get our coats, I went upstairs to see.

It was obvious where things were happening, the doorway to one room was crammed with guys. I tried to push through the mob, but all my efforts were to no avail. In desperation I craned my head to look over the top of them all, I saw Ted, her husband holding court.

"That's it mate," I heard him say, "fuck the slut." as a results of his words I must have gone berserk, somehow I forced my way into the room, by kicking and punching everything in my path. There on the bed was a naked Katie, her hands tied to the bedpost and a man thrusting between her legs.

"You bastard," shouted, throwing a punch at Ted, luckily I connected, knocking him over. I then grabbed the guy on top of Katie and throw him to the floor. I was grabbed from behind, but I managed to get free, long enough to untie one of Katie's wrists. Before I could undo the other one I was pulled from behind again. Luckily it was enough, Katie could now finish off freeing herself, she grabbed her dress and ran. I instead got a right pummelling for my troubles and in the end someone had to call an ambulance for me.

I don't remember much of what happened after being kicked from behind, but I woke up in hospital. Despite my heroics, I was treated like the usual Saturday night drunken brawler. The police came for a statement, but I was claiming memory loss. Lucy came in later to hold my hand, she claimed no knowledge to how I was attacked either; I didn't enlighten her. I was discharged later the following day, with a bottle of painkillers. Lucy drove me home, I kissed her and thanked on the doorstep and went to bed. My bruises faded after a couple of days and I was fit enough to return to work.

When I came home one night, she was there.

"Come in Katie," I said.

"Thanks," she replied, I'm staying with my mother at the moment." She said, "I've left him."

"Well I'm not surprised," I said.

"I don't know what got in to him," she said, a new tear rolling down her face.

"We had a row, he said I was having an affair, trying to shift blame on to me I suppose, then he dragged me upstairs and tied me up. He then invited everyone to take me; it was a nightmare."

"Yeah, I sorry I didn't stop it earlier," I said.

"That's ok," she smiled at me, "no other bastard tried to stop him, all they wanted was to get between my legs. Why is it I fall for a bastard like him, instead of a decent guy like you."