Chapter 26
It was all a dream. A horrible dream. A nightmare. This wasn't happening. None of it.
Ethan had slept with another woman.
Not just ANY other woman.
No.
As horrible as that thought had originally been, she realized.
Nothing was as horrible as this.
"Theresa," he pleaded. With sorrowful blue eyes. "Theresa.say something."
Tears poured freely down her cheeks. Somewhere in the back of her mind, it all added up.
Whitney held a shaky hand to her mouth to hold the sobs in.
"Theresa.please." Ethan lay a gentle hand on her arm.
"Get your hands off of me," she shrieked. Stunning him with the violence of her words. Her actions as she jerked her arm from his touch.
"Oh god," Whitney cried. Beyond the point of hysteria. "I'm so sorry. Theresa.please believe me."
She wrapped her arms about her middle. Willing the shaking, the trembling, the shock, and the rage to stop. And raised tormented brown eyes to her.
Whitney wasn't her best friend. Not now. Maybe she'd never been.
Best friends didn't screw each other's husbands and then pretend to be guilt-stricken.
"Theresa.Honey," Whitney cried desperately. Her knees buckling.
She felt the smallest twinge of compassion for her.near collapse.until Ethan came to the rescue.
The door slammed behind her. Tiny shock waves traveling through the room, and a vase fell from the mantle over the fireplace. Only to shatter on the floor.
"Oh god," Ethan raked his hands through his dark blond hair. "Whitney.what have we done?"
Whitney sobbed.
Words couldn't describe.
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"Why didn't you marry her?"
An innocent question really.
A question he didn't have the answer to.
The moon reflected on the water as it lapped against the pilings of the pier.
There was a time.a time when that question would have made him laugh outright.
Kay was his best buddy.
Wasn't she?
He couldn't love his best friend.
Could he?
There was a time he thought he might.a time he'd pushed from his mind. A time he'd tried so hard to forget.
He didn't know what happened that night. What made it so different from all the others.
She wasn't his best friend that night.
She was more.
She was.
Beautiful.
Soft.
Vulnerable.
Alive.
And for that night.
Charity didn't exist.
But morning came. And with it.a clearer head.
He couldn't possibly love his best friend.
Charity was the girl he loved. Charity was the girl he was to marry that summer. Charity was the girl he was going to spend the rest of his life with.
Kay.she didn't fit into his plans anymore.
And he'd hurt her beyond measure.
The guilt gnawed at him. To this day.
He'd hurt her.
And lost his best friend.
Forever.
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"You didn't have to call them you know."
Chad turned at the sound of her voice.
Her black hair tangled about her face, and her dark eyes were wild. The silk pajama shirt hung just above her knees. Her skin starkly pale against its rich tones.
"Your pops deserved to know. You almost died tonight, Kay. He deserved to know. Alright?"
She lowered herself into the leather sofa across from him. Bringing her knees to her chest. "Then why am I still here?"
He didn't answer for a moment. But.she deserved to know the truth. Just like anyone else. "Your moms called. They had to rush Charity's little girl to the hospital."
"Oh my god!" Kay gasped. "Miguel," she cried. "He must be so worried."
"Yeah.well. They can't find him. They tried his cell, but he must have it turned off."
Kay ran her fingers through her hair. Chewing on her bottom lip in intense concentration. "I know where he is," she suddenly announced. Jumping to her feet.
Unfortunately for her.the events of the night had taken their toll.
Chad slipped a steadying arm around her waist as she wobbled on unsteady feet. And found himself staring into her eyes.old eyes. Eyes that hinted nothing.
"Thanks," she mumbled. Disentangling his arms and stepping away. "Thanks for everything," she called out. Disappearing into his bedroom.
"Kay," he yelled. Trying the knob on his bedroom door. Surprised when it gave way easily. Shocked at what he saw.
She didn't even flinch when she felt his eyes on her naked back.
"You're not going to stop me."
"I know," he admitted with a sigh. "But Kay.the sedative."
"Obviously, it's worn off," she shrugged her slim shoulders. "I'm fine. Not that I wasn't before. But I'm fine, Chad. And no one.least of all you.is going to stop me from doing a damn thing. What are you doing?"
"I'm driving. Okay? No arguments," he warned. Jingling the keys in front of her face.
She rolled her eyes. "Like hell you are," she scoffed. Stalking past him out the open door.
"Kay."
"Shut up, Chad. You're not driving. No arguments," she smirked. "Get rid of the keys," she ordered.
He narrowed his eyes at her. "You really are crazy if you think I'm taking orders from you."
"Fine. Be that way. Think what you want to think. I wouldn't be so quick to believe everything I heard if I were you, Chad," she shot over her shoulder as she paused at the door to his apartment. "I can walk there from here. Unless, of course, you're afraid I'm going to try to 'kill' myself again."
"Kay! Damn, girl. Wait up," he shouted as she disappeared down the winding steps with purposeful strides.
She smiled to herself as he struggled to catch up to her. Had to keep 'em guessing.
It was all a dream. A horrible dream. A nightmare. This wasn't happening. None of it.
Ethan had slept with another woman.
Not just ANY other woman.
No.
As horrible as that thought had originally been, she realized.
Nothing was as horrible as this.
"Theresa," he pleaded. With sorrowful blue eyes. "Theresa.say something."
Tears poured freely down her cheeks. Somewhere in the back of her mind, it all added up.
Whitney held a shaky hand to her mouth to hold the sobs in.
"Theresa.please." Ethan lay a gentle hand on her arm.
"Get your hands off of me," she shrieked. Stunning him with the violence of her words. Her actions as she jerked her arm from his touch.
"Oh god," Whitney cried. Beyond the point of hysteria. "I'm so sorry. Theresa.please believe me."
She wrapped her arms about her middle. Willing the shaking, the trembling, the shock, and the rage to stop. And raised tormented brown eyes to her.
Whitney wasn't her best friend. Not now. Maybe she'd never been.
Best friends didn't screw each other's husbands and then pretend to be guilt-stricken.
"Theresa.Honey," Whitney cried desperately. Her knees buckling.
She felt the smallest twinge of compassion for her.near collapse.until Ethan came to the rescue.
The door slammed behind her. Tiny shock waves traveling through the room, and a vase fell from the mantle over the fireplace. Only to shatter on the floor.
"Oh god," Ethan raked his hands through his dark blond hair. "Whitney.what have we done?"
Whitney sobbed.
Words couldn't describe.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
"Why didn't you marry her?"
An innocent question really.
A question he didn't have the answer to.
The moon reflected on the water as it lapped against the pilings of the pier.
There was a time.a time when that question would have made him laugh outright.
Kay was his best buddy.
Wasn't she?
He couldn't love his best friend.
Could he?
There was a time he thought he might.a time he'd pushed from his mind. A time he'd tried so hard to forget.
He didn't know what happened that night. What made it so different from all the others.
She wasn't his best friend that night.
She was more.
She was.
Beautiful.
Soft.
Vulnerable.
Alive.
And for that night.
Charity didn't exist.
But morning came. And with it.a clearer head.
He couldn't possibly love his best friend.
Charity was the girl he loved. Charity was the girl he was to marry that summer. Charity was the girl he was going to spend the rest of his life with.
Kay.she didn't fit into his plans anymore.
And he'd hurt her beyond measure.
The guilt gnawed at him. To this day.
He'd hurt her.
And lost his best friend.
Forever.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
"You didn't have to call them you know."
Chad turned at the sound of her voice.
Her black hair tangled about her face, and her dark eyes were wild. The silk pajama shirt hung just above her knees. Her skin starkly pale against its rich tones.
"Your pops deserved to know. You almost died tonight, Kay. He deserved to know. Alright?"
She lowered herself into the leather sofa across from him. Bringing her knees to her chest. "Then why am I still here?"
He didn't answer for a moment. But.she deserved to know the truth. Just like anyone else. "Your moms called. They had to rush Charity's little girl to the hospital."
"Oh my god!" Kay gasped. "Miguel," she cried. "He must be so worried."
"Yeah.well. They can't find him. They tried his cell, but he must have it turned off."
Kay ran her fingers through her hair. Chewing on her bottom lip in intense concentration. "I know where he is," she suddenly announced. Jumping to her feet.
Unfortunately for her.the events of the night had taken their toll.
Chad slipped a steadying arm around her waist as she wobbled on unsteady feet. And found himself staring into her eyes.old eyes. Eyes that hinted nothing.
"Thanks," she mumbled. Disentangling his arms and stepping away. "Thanks for everything," she called out. Disappearing into his bedroom.
"Kay," he yelled. Trying the knob on his bedroom door. Surprised when it gave way easily. Shocked at what he saw.
She didn't even flinch when she felt his eyes on her naked back.
"You're not going to stop me."
"I know," he admitted with a sigh. "But Kay.the sedative."
"Obviously, it's worn off," she shrugged her slim shoulders. "I'm fine. Not that I wasn't before. But I'm fine, Chad. And no one.least of all you.is going to stop me from doing a damn thing. What are you doing?"
"I'm driving. Okay? No arguments," he warned. Jingling the keys in front of her face.
She rolled her eyes. "Like hell you are," she scoffed. Stalking past him out the open door.
"Kay."
"Shut up, Chad. You're not driving. No arguments," she smirked. "Get rid of the keys," she ordered.
He narrowed his eyes at her. "You really are crazy if you think I'm taking orders from you."
"Fine. Be that way. Think what you want to think. I wouldn't be so quick to believe everything I heard if I were you, Chad," she shot over her shoulder as she paused at the door to his apartment. "I can walk there from here. Unless, of course, you're afraid I'm going to try to 'kill' myself again."
"Kay! Damn, girl. Wait up," he shouted as she disappeared down the winding steps with purposeful strides.
She smiled to herself as he struggled to catch up to her. Had to keep 'em guessing.