Chapter 18

Shane stared at the manila envelope in his hands. There was no return address, nothing other than his name, the hotel address, and the word urgent written on it. He signed for it and shut the door. He sat on the bed and opened it. He pulled out a stack of pictures, with a note on top. His heart raced as he recognized the couple in the photos: Destiny and Shannon. He read the note:

"While the cat's away, the mice will play. Just thought you ought to know who your girl is playing with while you are away!" Shane didn't recognize the handwriting and the note wasn't signed.

Shane sifted through the photos. Several shots of Shannon going into Destiny's apartment building...

"Don't get excited yet..." he told himself. "You know they are friends..." He got to the bottom of the stack and couldn't deny what he saw there. Shannon and Destiny dancing... leaving the club together, holding hands... Shannon was carrying her...Destiny's arms wrapped around Shannon's neck, her head on his shoulder.

"Fuck!" He yelled, throwing the pictures across his bed. "Damn, sonofabitch!" Shane sat on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. He should have known it was too good to be true! She had told him she loved him. Why did this keep happening to him? What had he ever done to deserve this? He got up and grabbed his jacket, as he was headed out the door for the nearest bar he could find, Jeff walked in.

"Hey Sugar! Where ya goin'?" Jeff asked

"Anywhere but here!" Shane said vehemently.

"Dude! What's up?" Jeff asked.

"Not a fucking thing, just leave me alone!" Shane stormed out the door.

Jeff stared after him, dumfounded, he hadn't seen Shane that upset since... well since Mandy. Jeff walked into the room and noticed the pictures on the bed. He walked over and picked them up. Destiny and Shannon? What the hell was this about? Jeff felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He walked to the door adjoining the room he shared with Shane to the one Matt and Amy shared and knocked.

"Come in!" He heard Matt yell. Amy looked up as Jeff walked in, seeing the look on Jeff's face, she asked what was wrong.

"Here..." He handed her the pictures.

Matt stood behind Amy as they looked at the pictures.

"Where did these come from?" Amy asked

"I don't know. They were flung all over Shane's bed."

"Shit!" Matt exclaimed as he saw the pictures of Shannon and Destiny.

"He does not need this crap! I thought she loved him!" Matt was yelling now.

"Matty, calm down! These don't prove anything! Destiny would never hurt Shane. She loves him!" Amy said quietly.

"Yeah it sure looks that way doesn't it?" Matt spit the words out.

"Come on Matt, Destiny wouldn't betray Shane and neither would Shannon!" Jeff said

"You're just in denial cause it isn't you she's screwing! I know how much you like her!" Matt screamed at Jeff.

"Hey wait a minute! I backed off because I knew how much she cared about him! Hell yes I wanted her! But she didn't want me! She wanted him! And I refuse to believe that Shannon would screw Shane over that way!"

"Oh Jeff, you are so fucking naive..." Matt said

"Matt, Jeff stop it!" Amy was raising her voice now. "There is no way in hell what it looks like in these is going on! First of all, Shannon and Shane have been friends for far too long...and I don't care what you think, Matt. You don't trust anyone you haven't known forever, but I do. Destiny loves Shane, she would never... and even if she were going to it would be with Jeff!"

"Jeff, where is Shane?" Matt said

"Hell if I know! He stormed past me a little while ago."

"Shit! We better go find him! You know how he gets..."

"Ok, I'll go with you, but no more about Destiny! She would never..." Matt shot Jeff a look that cut him off in mid-sentence.

They spent the next few hours looking for Shane but never found him. They went back to the hotel hoping he was there since all the bars were closed now. He wasn't. Jeff sat on his bed wondering what to do. He reached over and picked up the phone, dialing Destiny's number.

"Hello?" He heard her answer sleepily, it was late.

"Hey Destiny! It's Jeff..."

"Jeff, where's Shane? He hasn't called me tonight, Oh God! Please don't tell me he's hurt!"

"No Destiny, at least not the way you are thinking..."

"What's up then Jeff? Why are you calling me?"

"Destiny I have to ask you something, don't get mad ok? I just have to hear you say it and I'll believe you."

"What Jeff? What the hell is going on?"

Jeff took a deep breath. "Are you screwing Shannon?"

"WHAT?!" Destiny yelled into the phone, "have you lost your freakin mind?"

"Destiny, I..."

"I love Shane! Where in the hell would you get a ridiculous idea like that?"

"Stop screaming at me! I had to ask. I believe you! But Shane..."

"I'm sorry for yelling at you Jeff. Please tell me what is going on."

"Destiny, if you love Shane, I suggest you get yourself here as fast as you can."

"Jeff will you please tell me what is going on?"

"Destiny, someone sent Shane a bunch of pictures of you and Shannon... and well..."

"What?!"

"There are a few that look rather... intimate."

"Ok Jeff tell me where you guys are, or will be by the time I can make it!"

"We are already in Richmond. We'll be here till the show on Friday. It's about a 4 and a half-hour drive from Cameron." Destiny dressed quickly, threw some clothes in a bag and sped off into the night. As she was driving down the highway the thoughts whirled through her mind. She knew who was behind this, Mandy! That bitch was gonna get hers! One way or another, Destiny would make sure of it.