Haunted, Chapter Seven
"Something So Strong"
Chandler awoke with a start, and realized, with horror, three things: 1) He was naked. 2) Erin was not next to him.
3) Monica was...and she was naked too. Chandler closed his eyes, and prayed that he was dreaming. When Erin had suggested he find closure, he was sure that this was NOT what she meant. He looked at Monica, who was sleeping contently, and a wave of euphoria swept over him. He quickly dismissed it, silently scolding himself for even remotely enjoying this. He had just done the one thing he had sworn he would never-ever do: He cheated on his wife. He looked at Monica's bedside clock, which was eerily similar to the one she used to have, all those years ago. In that moment, he was transported back to a place and time when he was free to love the woman next to him, without any fear or guilt. As his eyes finally focussed on the face of the clock, he saw that it was almost five pm. Erin was probably wondering where he was. He sighed, and began to sit up, but froze when he heard the front door of Monica's apartment open. He was trapped.
Monica stirred when she heard her front door close. She opened her eyes, and immediately realized that Steven was bringing Christine back today. She sat up slowly, and began to pull her hair back into a ponytail.
"Mon," Chandler whispered, and Monica's head whipped around. Chandler was standing on the other side of the room, his clothes in his hands, and a nervous look on his face. It was then that the events of the afternoon began to unfold in Monica's memory. She and Chandler had come back here for coffee, and ended up in bed together. She then realized that she had to get Chandler out of here, now.
"Chandler, stay here until I get rid of Steven," Monica whispered, as she threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater, and slipped out of the bedroom.
Chandler got dressed quickly, and then, upon realizing that it was going to take a while for Monica to get her ex-husband out of the apartment, he sat on the bed, and let himself think.
It was the worst thing he could have done. Guilt and sorrow began creeping it's way up through his body again, and he had to fight to control his emotions. After ten minutes of sitting in the darkened silence, he finally broke down. How had his life spun so far out of control?
*
Monica finally got Steven out the door, and asked Christine to go unpack her bag in her room. She sighed, and rushed into her bedroom, where she found Chandler, sitting on the edge of her bed, his face in his hands.
"I'm sorry, he wouldn't leave," Monica whispered.
Chandler looked up, and she could see that he had been crying. She reached out to him, but he pulled away, and stood up, before heading for the bedroom door.
"Chandler--"
"Monica, I'm so sorry about all of this. But I do think that this was the closure we needed. I--I have to go home."
"Okay. Christine is in her room, it's clear..."
"I am sorry Mon. And--I don't think we should see each other again. With or without the others."
Chandler's statement shocked Monica. After all that had happened she had assumed that they could at least go back to being friends. But the look on Chandler's face told her that he was gravely serious. She was never going to see him again. She walked to him, and pulled him into a hug, and never wanted to let him go.
"Goodbye Chandler," she whispered into his chest.
"Goodbye," he whispered, and pulled away. Without looking back, he walked out the door.
As soon as she heard the front door close, Monica melted into tears of grief and rage. It was like losing him all over again, except that this time, it wasn't a cruel accident that took him away from her--this time, he walked away. She collapsed onto her bed and wept, for how long she wasn't sure. Eventually, her daughter came into her room.
"Mommy, are you okay?"
Monica pulled herself up, and wiped her eyes. She held out her arms, and Christine ran toward her. Monica hugged her daughter, realizing that Christine was all she had now.
"Yes, baby, I'll be fine."
In her heart, she wasn't so sure.
***
Chandler arrived home at eleven pm. After leaving Monica, he wandered the streets of New York, trying to gather his thoughts. He knew that leaving Monica was the best thing for everyone.
But that didn't make it hurt any less.
When he walked in, he saw Erin, sitting on the sofa, trying to keep herself distracted while she waited for Chandler to arrive. He smiled, as he recalled an incident five years ago, when he had arrived home from a late meeting an hour later than he had planned. He'd walked into the living room to find Erin, reading a book like she always was when she was waiting up for him...
~2008~
"Hey babe," Chandler said, as he kissed his wife and sunk down into the sofa next to her.
"Hi," Erin replied casually.
Chandler looked at the book, and cocked his head to one side. "Good book?"
"It's okay," Erin shrugged.
"Do you always read up-side down?" Chandler asked, taking the book and turning it around.
"Busted," Erin shook her head.
"So, what were you really doing before I came home?"
Erin's face went crimson. She looked down at her blanket, and began tracing the jagged pattern with her index finger.
"Erin?" Chandler's voice was laced with concern.
"I was...watching for your car," Erin finally admitted quietly.
A large grin spread across Chandler's face, and he chuckled loudly.
"Don't laugh! I...I missed you, is all," Erin said, slapping Chandler on the arm.
"Aw, sweetie, c'mere," Chandler wrapped his arms around Erin, as she tried to wriggle her way out of his grasp. She finally relented, and allowed Chandler to cover her with butterfly kisses.
"You are so cute," he whispered, and she giggled.
~2013~
"Erin?" Chandler whispered, as he made his way into the living room.
"Hi," Erin said, as she looked up, "you look awful, sweetie."
"I know."
"How did everything go with Monica?"
Chandler sighed. He didn't know where to begin. But he couldn't lie to Erin. It would only make what he'd done worse. He sat down next to her on the sofa, and pulled on his fingers nervously.
"Chandler?"
"I'm not going to see her again. Ever."
"What? Why?"
"Erin, before I tell you this, you have to know how much I love you, and the kids..."
Erin pulled away from Chandler, and folded her arms. "What's going on?"
"I told her we needed closure. And we talked, for a long time. But--"
"She wants more."
"Yes. And...There is still a part of me that wants her too. I'll always love her, to some extent, and--" Chandler welled up again, and took a long shaky breath.
"Did you sleep with her?"
"What?"
"Sex, Chandler, did you have sex with her?"
Chandler looked at Erin sadly, and knew that she knew the answer to her own question.
"Erin--"
"You cheated on me, with *her*?"
"I'm so, so sorry. Erin, please, please believe me when I tell you that it is over. We had our closure. I love *you*"
Erin sat in silence for several long minutes. She could see that Chandler was telling the truth--it was one of the things she loved about him--his honesty. But this time, his honesty hurt, and as much as she struggled to understand the position he was in, she was still faced with the sickening fact that he had been unfaithful to her. She finally sighed, and looked at him, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"You need to leave," she whispered softly.
Chandler looked up, his face registering the shocking statement. "What?"
"Leave Chandler. I...I can't look at you right now. Please go."
"Erin, please, we can work this out!"
"Not tonight. Tonight I need to be alone. Get a hotel, or stay with your friends, I don't care. Just give me some time to think. I need--I need to think," Erin began to cry again as she finished her last statement.
"Erin, I love you, so much--"
"I know. Please get out."
Chandler nodded sadly, and made his way upstairs to pack a bag. He had no idea whether or not he would ever be forgiven for what he'd done, but he knew one thing for certain:
He couldn't lose his family.
~*~
Yeah, I know it's short but...uh, I'm the writer, and I can do that if I wanna. And I wanna. And YOU wanna REVIEW!
"Something So Strong"
Chandler awoke with a start, and realized, with horror, three things: 1) He was naked. 2) Erin was not next to him.
3) Monica was...and she was naked too. Chandler closed his eyes, and prayed that he was dreaming. When Erin had suggested he find closure, he was sure that this was NOT what she meant. He looked at Monica, who was sleeping contently, and a wave of euphoria swept over him. He quickly dismissed it, silently scolding himself for even remotely enjoying this. He had just done the one thing he had sworn he would never-ever do: He cheated on his wife. He looked at Monica's bedside clock, which was eerily similar to the one she used to have, all those years ago. In that moment, he was transported back to a place and time when he was free to love the woman next to him, without any fear or guilt. As his eyes finally focussed on the face of the clock, he saw that it was almost five pm. Erin was probably wondering where he was. He sighed, and began to sit up, but froze when he heard the front door of Monica's apartment open. He was trapped.
Monica stirred when she heard her front door close. She opened her eyes, and immediately realized that Steven was bringing Christine back today. She sat up slowly, and began to pull her hair back into a ponytail.
"Mon," Chandler whispered, and Monica's head whipped around. Chandler was standing on the other side of the room, his clothes in his hands, and a nervous look on his face. It was then that the events of the afternoon began to unfold in Monica's memory. She and Chandler had come back here for coffee, and ended up in bed together. She then realized that she had to get Chandler out of here, now.
"Chandler, stay here until I get rid of Steven," Monica whispered, as she threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater, and slipped out of the bedroom.
Chandler got dressed quickly, and then, upon realizing that it was going to take a while for Monica to get her ex-husband out of the apartment, he sat on the bed, and let himself think.
It was the worst thing he could have done. Guilt and sorrow began creeping it's way up through his body again, and he had to fight to control his emotions. After ten minutes of sitting in the darkened silence, he finally broke down. How had his life spun so far out of control?
*
Monica finally got Steven out the door, and asked Christine to go unpack her bag in her room. She sighed, and rushed into her bedroom, where she found Chandler, sitting on the edge of her bed, his face in his hands.
"I'm sorry, he wouldn't leave," Monica whispered.
Chandler looked up, and she could see that he had been crying. She reached out to him, but he pulled away, and stood up, before heading for the bedroom door.
"Chandler--"
"Monica, I'm so sorry about all of this. But I do think that this was the closure we needed. I--I have to go home."
"Okay. Christine is in her room, it's clear..."
"I am sorry Mon. And--I don't think we should see each other again. With or without the others."
Chandler's statement shocked Monica. After all that had happened she had assumed that they could at least go back to being friends. But the look on Chandler's face told her that he was gravely serious. She was never going to see him again. She walked to him, and pulled him into a hug, and never wanted to let him go.
"Goodbye Chandler," she whispered into his chest.
"Goodbye," he whispered, and pulled away. Without looking back, he walked out the door.
As soon as she heard the front door close, Monica melted into tears of grief and rage. It was like losing him all over again, except that this time, it wasn't a cruel accident that took him away from her--this time, he walked away. She collapsed onto her bed and wept, for how long she wasn't sure. Eventually, her daughter came into her room.
"Mommy, are you okay?"
Monica pulled herself up, and wiped her eyes. She held out her arms, and Christine ran toward her. Monica hugged her daughter, realizing that Christine was all she had now.
"Yes, baby, I'll be fine."
In her heart, she wasn't so sure.
***
Chandler arrived home at eleven pm. After leaving Monica, he wandered the streets of New York, trying to gather his thoughts. He knew that leaving Monica was the best thing for everyone.
But that didn't make it hurt any less.
When he walked in, he saw Erin, sitting on the sofa, trying to keep herself distracted while she waited for Chandler to arrive. He smiled, as he recalled an incident five years ago, when he had arrived home from a late meeting an hour later than he had planned. He'd walked into the living room to find Erin, reading a book like she always was when she was waiting up for him...
~2008~
"Hey babe," Chandler said, as he kissed his wife and sunk down into the sofa next to her.
"Hi," Erin replied casually.
Chandler looked at the book, and cocked his head to one side. "Good book?"
"It's okay," Erin shrugged.
"Do you always read up-side down?" Chandler asked, taking the book and turning it around.
"Busted," Erin shook her head.
"So, what were you really doing before I came home?"
Erin's face went crimson. She looked down at her blanket, and began tracing the jagged pattern with her index finger.
"Erin?" Chandler's voice was laced with concern.
"I was...watching for your car," Erin finally admitted quietly.
A large grin spread across Chandler's face, and he chuckled loudly.
"Don't laugh! I...I missed you, is all," Erin said, slapping Chandler on the arm.
"Aw, sweetie, c'mere," Chandler wrapped his arms around Erin, as she tried to wriggle her way out of his grasp. She finally relented, and allowed Chandler to cover her with butterfly kisses.
"You are so cute," he whispered, and she giggled.
~2013~
"Erin?" Chandler whispered, as he made his way into the living room.
"Hi," Erin said, as she looked up, "you look awful, sweetie."
"I know."
"How did everything go with Monica?"
Chandler sighed. He didn't know where to begin. But he couldn't lie to Erin. It would only make what he'd done worse. He sat down next to her on the sofa, and pulled on his fingers nervously.
"Chandler?"
"I'm not going to see her again. Ever."
"What? Why?"
"Erin, before I tell you this, you have to know how much I love you, and the kids..."
Erin pulled away from Chandler, and folded her arms. "What's going on?"
"I told her we needed closure. And we talked, for a long time. But--"
"She wants more."
"Yes. And...There is still a part of me that wants her too. I'll always love her, to some extent, and--" Chandler welled up again, and took a long shaky breath.
"Did you sleep with her?"
"What?"
"Sex, Chandler, did you have sex with her?"
Chandler looked at Erin sadly, and knew that she knew the answer to her own question.
"Erin--"
"You cheated on me, with *her*?"
"I'm so, so sorry. Erin, please, please believe me when I tell you that it is over. We had our closure. I love *you*"
Erin sat in silence for several long minutes. She could see that Chandler was telling the truth--it was one of the things she loved about him--his honesty. But this time, his honesty hurt, and as much as she struggled to understand the position he was in, she was still faced with the sickening fact that he had been unfaithful to her. She finally sighed, and looked at him, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"You need to leave," she whispered softly.
Chandler looked up, his face registering the shocking statement. "What?"
"Leave Chandler. I...I can't look at you right now. Please go."
"Erin, please, we can work this out!"
"Not tonight. Tonight I need to be alone. Get a hotel, or stay with your friends, I don't care. Just give me some time to think. I need--I need to think," Erin began to cry again as she finished her last statement.
"Erin, I love you, so much--"
"I know. Please get out."
Chandler nodded sadly, and made his way upstairs to pack a bag. He had no idea whether or not he would ever be forgiven for what he'd done, but he knew one thing for certain:
He couldn't lose his family.
~*~
Yeah, I know it's short but...uh, I'm the writer, and I can do that if I wanna. And I wanna. And YOU wanna REVIEW!