Leonard was driving home from the Halloween party. Sheldon was sitting up front with him and Penny and Amy were talking in the backseat. They went on and on about the party and all of the costumes and how much fun they had being each other. Although they both decided very easily that trading places for one night was enough for them.
Sheldon was still being very quiet. Leonard was too. Quite frankly, given the news he just found out from Penny, he had no idea what to say to Sheldon.
Leonard was shocked when Penny told him tonight about Amy's secret. Shocked that first, Amy had been kissed by another man while away last summer, and second that she kept that a secret from Sheldon.
He knew that Sheldon really had a thing for honesty at all costs. I guess he also knew that Amy had kept things from him before. She lied to Sheldon about being sick years ago so he would stay and take care of her. She lied to him about when her apartment was fixed early from being flooded so he would stay and live with her.
But those were pretty harmless white lies. Her heart was in the right place. Maybe it still was and she just didn't want to hurt Sheldon. Leonard could understand her reasoning. After all, that is why he kept his make-out session with Mandy at the North Sea a secret from Penny for so many years.
When the couples arrived home and began walking up the stairs, the girls continued to chat while the guys continued to be just as quiet. They both said there goodnights and went into their respective apartments.
Penny went straight to the bedroom to change and Leonard sat in his chair and leaned his head back rubbing his eyes. His contacts weren't the only thing bothering him tonight. He was worried about his best friend.
Amy went straight to the couch to sit down when she and Sheldon entered their apartment. She immediately removed her heels.
"I can't imagine wearing these torture devices every day. Oh my goodness, I almost fell a dozen times. I thought for sure I was going to break an ankle" Amy complained. Sheldon didn't say anything. "Sheldon, are you alright? You've been very quiet. Did you not have a good time at the party?"
"Why did you not tell me about Dr. Turken?" Sheldon asked her.
"What?" she said.
"Why did you not tell me about Dr. Turken?" he repeated a little louder. "I distinctly remember telling you that if while at Princeton you found yourself working with a male scientist that looked like Thor you should tell me immediately." Sheldon glared at her. "Well?" he asked.
"Sheldon" Amy began. "He doesn't really look like Thor that was just a costume."
Sheldon started to protest but Amy interrupted.
"But, I understand what you are trying to ask me" she said quickly. "I didn't really work with him. He was just part of the biology department. I told you about the people I did work with on project team though. You even met the main ones, remember? When you came to propose."
"Of course, I remember" Sheldon said with a huff. Amy of all people knew he remembered everything due to his eidetic memory.
"Did you know him well?" Sheldon asked hesitantly.
"Oh, I wouldn't say well" Amy said as she moved to the kitchen to get some water.
"Well, what would you say about him" Sheldon asked starting to get frustrated.
"What do you mean?" Amy asked innocently between sips of water.
"Amy!" Sheldon whined.
"Okay, okay. Sheldon. Sit down with me" Amy said as she sat down on the couch and patted the cushion next to her.
Sheldon quickly sat down beside her.
"Sheldon" Amy began hesitantly. "There is something I need to tell you. Something I've been keeping from you for a while."
Sheldon gulped. She sounds very serious, he thought. What could she have possibly been keeping from me and what does it have to do with that other man?
Amy looked at Sheldon. Oh dear, she thought. I don't know where to begin. If I tell him the truth he will get upset but I can't lie to him. I don't want our marriage to have secrets. He will understand. After all, he was in a similar situation with Dr. Nowitzki last year. She had kissed him but he did not kiss her back. Was it a similar situation? Amy took a moment to collect her thoughts.
"Amy?" Sheldon questioned when Amy had not spoken.
"Sheldon" Amy finally said. "Steve, Dr. Turken, returned to Princeton's biology department last summer about a week or so after you where there. He had just finished an expedition in Aruba to study the coral reefs there and everyone was very excited to hear about his new research. He was like a superstar."
Amy stopped for a moment to evaluate Sheldon's demeanor. So far, he seemed okay. She continued.
"So although we never worked together, I did know him by reputation. As the weeks went on, I did meet him at a department meeting and ran into him from time to time. It actually wasn't until my last week at Princeton that we spent much time together. The department was finishing some budgeting requests related to inventory and it was all hands on deck. He came to help me in the lab and I came to help tag his coral samples. We spent a few late nights together working."
Amy stopped again to gauge Sheldon's reaction. Hmmm, still calm.
"Is that your secret?" Sheldon asked. "That you spent time with him working late? You've done that with other men before. Howard, for instance. Why would you not tell me that?"
"No Sheldon that is not it." Amy took a deep breath.
"One of those nights, Steve invited us all for a late dinner. Everyone was invited but only I was able to go. So I did. We were at a bar close to campus, we ate some food, had a few drinks, he walked me back to my place, he kissed me goodnight, and then the very next week I was back here with you planning our wedding." Amy said and finally took a breath again.
Sheldon shot up like a cannon from the couch.
"What!" he yelled.
"Sheldon, calm down" Amy said.
"Calm down! Calm down! Amy, you kissed another man and did not tell me about for over a year. You kept it a secret from me AND THEN MARRIED ME!" Sheldon screamed at her.
Oh, thought Amy. She had seen Sheldon upset before many times but he was livid! She was actually getting a little frightened of him.
"Sheldon. I did not kiss another man. He kissed me. If you recall, it was just like the situation where Dr. Nowitzki kissed you last year" she said calmly.
"Oh, yes Amy. I recall that very well. I recall that the very first thing I did when she kissed me was come directly to you and tell you about it. And you knew about it before you made your decision to marry me. No secrets Amy. It is not just like the situation when Dr. Nowitzki kissed me at all" he spat through clinched teeth.
Amy didn't know how to respond to that statement. She didn't want to make things any worse.
"I cannot believe…I never thought…" Sheldon tried to speak but he could not continue. It was not just the fact that she had been kissed by another man. Although that was not good, she said she had not kissed him. He had seen her kiss another man once. The night he went to propose after their break up. He eventually got past that haunting memory.
No, what hurt the most was the fact that Amy, his perfect Amy, had betrayed him. If she did that, then how could he trust anything she said. He saw how she acted around this man at the party. Why didn't she tell him about this guy? Was it because she...she did kiss him back? Did she have some kind of romantic feelings for this other man?
He felt like he was having a heart attack. Maybe he was. He felt light headed, he could not catch his breath and his heart actually ached like it was going to break in half. He could not stay here. He needed to leave. This was too much for him. He headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" Amy said as she rose from the couch.
"I have to go" Sheldon stammered. "I cannot stay here. I cannot stay in a marriage based on secrets and lies. I can no longer trust you Amy." He opened the door.
"Wait Sheldon" Amy voice was wavering and she was on the verge of tears. "Where will you go?"
He stopped and turned to face her. He looked at her for a long moment.
"I am just going across the hall to stay with Leonard and Penny in my old room. Please do not follow me" he said finally in a soft voice. "Good-bye Amy" he said and then he walked out of the apartment and closed the door.
The tears that Amy had been holding back came freely as she fell back onto the couch and sobbed.
