I apologize for going MIA for a two days, had 24 hours to come up with a Plan B for a BIG birthday bash that I had been planning for six months. Thanks so much for the reviews of chapter 7. I don't own any rights to Hollywood Heights storyline or characters; this is the fantasy world I created.

Keeping Secrets Chapter 8

Dear Max

I wish I can do more, it's killing me to watch her desperately call Loren, "where could she be?" Nora asks me crying pressing the call button on her cellphone for the hundredth time. The call goes straight to voice mail. "Lo, please call me back. I just want to know where you are."

"I wish I knew honey," I say wrapping my arms around Nora when she put the phone down on the bar, "this is all that idiot's fault. Loren would be here right now if he would just stay the hell away from Chloe. She has never been good for him why can't he see that? Chloe has done nothing but hurt our family."

Nora pulls away from me, "I don't understand how you can shut him out like this Max. At the end of the day he is still your son."

"Why are you defending him Nora?" I ask getting angry.

"I'm angry with Eddie. I'm disappointed in him. His actions hurt me too. But I refuse to shut him out when he needs me the most. How can you expect him to come to you in time of need when your first reaction is to kill him and shut him out?"

"I don't get you Nora; you once told me that you would go all Mama Grizzly on him if he ever hurt your baby. Your baby is hurting because of his actions; where is Mama Grizzly?"

"Loren and Eddie are adults and have been married for five years, they don't need Mama Grizzly, they need understanding and support. As much as I want to go Mama Grizzly on him, I'm not because you went Papa Grizzly," Nora chuckles, "would you have really choked your own son Max?"

I have to take a deep breath, "you don't know how close I came to giving him what he wanted. I've experienced that kind of pain when Chloe took my Katy from me. I know what it feels like to want someone to put you out of your misery. I'm not going to make it that easy for him," I say walking away from the bar.

Nora follows me wrapping her arms around me from the back, "Max I know Katy was the love of your life and she was tragically taken from you, but do you really think she would want you to treat your son like this when he needs you the most?" I hear the catch in her voice when she said Katy was the love of my life.

I place my hands over hers, "I truly love you Nora, please don't think or feel like I don't. You're not a replacement for Katy," I whisper. "It's so hard for me to understand why Eddie would keep that kind of secret from his wife, from all of us for five years. Then to kiss her? What was he thinking?"

"Did you ask him why?" Nora whispers.

I turn around in Nora's arms and hug her and kiss the top of her head, "I truly love you Nora."

"I know you do Max. I truly love you too," Nora says squeezing her arms around me.

"To answer your question, no I haven't asked him why."

"Maybe you should."

A delivery person walks into the club interrupting our conversation, "excuse me," the he says. "I have a letter for Max Duran," he says holding up an envelope.

"That would be me," I say as he walks over, handing me a tablet for me to sign. "Please sign on the x sir." I sign the tablet and hand it back to him. He hands me the envelope and walks out.

"What is it Max?" Nora asks as I walk back to the bar and sit on a stool.

"I don't know," I reply opening the envelope, pulling out a letter and another envelope.

Dear Max, the letter begins.

I know I'm the last person you want to hear from, but I feel that I need to do this for Eddie and Loren. I made a mistake. No scratch that, I made several mistakes that has caused your family pain and for that I offer is my humblest apologies.

You and Katy raised a caring, forgiving man with a heart of gold. I didn't appreciate what I had until I lost him the first time but I fully know what I'm losing now. I was going through a difficult time in prison and your son was the only person I could think of when I needed a friend. Five years ago I took a chance and reached out him and Eddie came to my rescue.

I don't expect you to fully understand why he did what he did, but please know that the man you and Katy raised is not a liar nor is he a cheater. I'm asking you to please forgive your son and help him repair his marriage.

I'm enclosing a copy of the letter Eddie submitted to the parole committee on my behalf; then you decide if he deserves the heartache and pain of losing the love of his life or if he deserves a second chance.

Eddie and Loren belong together, I know that. I want that for my friend.

Yours Truly,

Cynthia Kowalski

I open the enclosed envelope, pull out the letter, and silently read it. After a few minutes, I hand Nora the two letters, get up from the stool, grab my keys off the bar and run out the door. "Where are you going?" I hear Nora calls out to me.

I ignore all driving laws as I race to my destination. All the time I'm chastising myself. I pull into the drive way, turn off and jump out the car all in one motion. I rush to the front door opening it with my key, "Eddie," I call out slamming the door behind me.

Eddie appears at the top of the stairs still in his pajamas, "get dressed son, let's save your marriage, I think I know where Loren is." I tell my son.

~jm~