Chapter 11- Wipe That Smile Off You're Face
Pete was staring in horror at Leila. It was like he had stepped out of his body, unable to stop the spiraling disaster. He watched on as Parker talked to her. Not able to hear what was being said, but Leila's face said it all. It started off with a smile on her lips, then it faded; replaced by a look of disbelief. Leila began to shake her head; whatever Parker had just told her was upsetting. Leila looked at Pete, and he looked away; he couldn't bear to look at her. Patrick looked up just in time to see Leila smack Parker across the face. His brow furrowed and mouth dropped open. It was the same reaction across the table; Andy, Joe and Cara were just as shocked. Leila came right up to Pete, with a look of utter betrayal etched on her face. She looked from Pete to Casie and back to Pete.
She didn't even have to ask them for the truth; it was written on their faces. Pete's eyes were pleading with her and Casie couldn't even bring herself to look at her. Leila's breathe caught in her throat. It felt like her world was setting on a carpet and it was just yanked out from underneath her. Parker was still standing where he was when he told Leila, feeling sorry for her; knowing exactly how she was feeling.
"I-It's true then…" Leila stammered out. She could feel the tears stinging her eyes. Not only did Pete cheat on her, it wasn't even with some strange girl; it was with her best friend, Casie. She could feel all eyes on her. Everyone at the table was staring at her; her world was crashing around her. She couldn't breathe.
Pete could say nothing. Some where in the pit of betrayal and guilt, he had lost his voice. All he could do was nod. He looked into Leila's eyes. It was like someone was stabbing his heart with a dagger. She looked so utterly betrayed and vulnerable. Leila's first reaction was to run; and that's what she did. She couldn't take all the people staring at her. It made her feel like such a fool, so she took off running in the opposite direction. Parker watched on in a bittersweet sadness. He had done the right thing, she had to know.
Pete called out to Leila, but to no avail. She either didn't hear him, or heard him and chose to ignore him. Pete was sure it was the second. There was no way he could run after her with his boot on. He just had to watch her run away. He kept picturing Leila's face, when Parker told her. She looked so hurt, more than he had ever seen. He had hoped that she would have yelled at him, punched him… anything to relieve his guilt; and even as he thought that, he felt more guilty, for wanting his own pain to go away; he had just ripped a piece of Leila's heart out in front of everyone in the diner.
The truth slowly inked into the table. They couldn't believe what they had just seen. Patrick was astounded. Never in his life had he seen such hurt on someone's face. There had to be an explanation to what had occurred last night. The full story was not being told; and for good reason, because at that moment the paparazzi showed up. They hurried and paid their bill and took off.
Leila didn't know how long she ran, but that when she stopped, she had a stabbing pain in her side and was out of breath. Also, because she was not from around there, she didn't know where she was. There were no cabs in sight, not which would help her; she hadn't cashed her check yet. The tears had started rolling the second she turned her face away from Pete's. She didn't want to let him see that he made her cry.
"How could they do that to me? Casie, my best friend and Pete my boyfriend!" Leila's thoughts were screaming in her head.
It was starting to get dark and she was getting cold and scared. She walked around for a little while, until she saw this small police office. Leila crossed the street and walked to the door. As she was about to open it, and skinny red-headed man walked out. He seemed to radiate authority, so Leila assumed that he apart of the police force. When he saw that she was crying, he struck a stance and slowly took his shades off.
"What seems to be the matter, ma'am?" the police man asked her. Leila realized that she had tears still streaming from her eyes, and tried desperately to stem the flow.
"Oh this? No… I'm not hurt," Leila spoke fast. "My boyfriend cheated on me, with my best friend; and I kind of took off running, and I don't know where I am, and I have no money. I haven't cashed my check; I'm from out of town and it's just so hard to cash an out-of-state check," Leila hurried, trying to get to the point.
"What's your name?" he asked kindly.
"Leila… Leila Grint," she stated.
"Well, Miss Grint, my name is Lt. Horatio Caine," he said, "and I'll give you a ride home."
Leila then realized that she had no where to go. She was staying at Pete's, and there was no way she could sleep there. Not under the same roof as the both of them. She began to panic and Lt. Caine soon realized that.
"You were staying with your boyfriend, weren't you?" he asked. Leila just nodded, knowing nothing else to do. It was funny how quickly your life can unravel.
"Well, we'll take you back there, and see what we can do. If you still don't think you can stay there, do you have any other friends that might let you stay with them?" Horatio asked.
Leila racked her brain for anyone when Joe and Andy popped in her head. They might let her stay there for a while, until she can find a way to get back to Alabama. Leila looked up at Lt. Caine and nodded.
"Good, well I'm parked just around back, so if you'll follow me…" he trailed off, walking a little in front of her. Leila followed closely behind him, scared of the neighborhood they were in. She thought it a bit odd that this Lt. Caine was still wearing his shades and it was hardly bright outside at this point; but she felt bad for thinking down about a man that was helping her out this much. He opened the door for her on a gold Hummer. Horatio walked around the Hummer and got in on the driver's seat. Leila told her where Pete lived, but didn't tell him who he was; she was trying to avoid thinking about him as much as she could. Every time she thought about him or Casie, she wanted to start running again.
They arrived outside the building and Lt. Caine got out of the Hummer and opened the door for Leila. She looked up at the building that held her misery and pain. Her breath was quickening and she could feel her brain clouding over. Lt. Caine placed a soothing hand on her shoulder and urged her on. The doorman greeted her warmly and opened the door the both of them. Leila led the way to the elevator and pressed the appropriate button. The tension in the elevator was thick and sad. Lt. Caine could tell that this was something this girl was not looking forward to doing this. They stepped off the elevator and walked down the hall of only two doors. Leila knocked on the door, not having a key herself. They heard soft, uneven foots steps from behind the door; it was Pete in his boot. The door opened.
"Leila?" Pete said in shock and relief. He was so worried that she could have gotten hurt. It was at this point, Pete noticed the man standing behind her. He gazed upon him, looking him over; once he saw the badge on his belt, he relaxed a bit. He turned his attention back to Leila, who was staring at anything but him.
"Come in, come in," Pete said, stepping aside to allow them to walk in.
Leila walked in and noticed everyone sitting in the living room. Even Casie. She turned to walk back out of the door, but Horatio stopped her. She needed to face this and confront them. Everyone sitting in the living was not staring at Leila, however, but at the man that had accompanied her.
"My name is Lt. Horatio Caine, and I escorted this young lady back here," he said to the group, stating the obvious. But no one had any reason to mistrust the man. He seemed to act so kind towards Leila. Pete took this chance of silence to talk to Leila.
"Can we talk in private?" Pete asked her, looking around at all the eyes focused upon them. Leila's head snapped around to glare at him. Pete took a step back from the fire shooting from her eyes.
"Anything you have to say to me, Peter, you can say in front of them," she said coldly.
Pete took another step back, as if trying to dodge the venom dripping from each word. If that's all the time Leila was going to give him, he was going to take it.
"Okay," Pete conceded. "Just, listen to me. Please. Don't say anything until, we, get finished explaining," Pete pleaded, looking back at Casie, who was now looking at Leila with complete sadness in her eyes.
"Fine!" Leila said and walked to the couch and flopped down in between Patrick and Joe. Pete sighed resolutely and walked to Casie, whispering something to her and they both walked in front of Leila. She just sat there, with her arms and legs crossed, staring out of the window and holding back her tears.
"First off, what you have to know about that night was that we both had way too much to drink. I have never drunk that much in all my life. I have never been really big drinker; and for good reason. With my stature, height and weight I can't drink that much without losing my mind to the alcohol. I know I'm trying to make an excuse for this, and there is no way I could ever make an excuse for what I did to you. It was a complete accident. I never meant to hurt you," Pete finished.
The more they talked to Leila, the worse she got. She thought that hearing their reasons would make her understand, but it only her madder. Casie stepped up in front of her next.
"Leila, you have to know that I would never do anything to hurt you either. I was just so upset that day; Parker and I had this huge fight and he stormed out on me. I just wanted to go out and dance, but Pete wouldn't let me go by myself. He said that you would kill him if something happen to me and he didn't even offer to go. When we got to that club, I went straight for the bar. And before I knew it, I was drunk. It was an accident, Leila I promise. I wouldn't risk our friendship for anything if I was in my right mind. It didn't even last that long. We both thought about you, and quickly stopped. But the damage was done, because Parker had come out to see me, and saw us. We were going to tell you. We didn't want Parker to tell you; he wouldn't have done it right. And he didn't. We weren't planning on keeping this from you," Casie spoke fast, trying to make Leila to understand.
However, the more Leila heard, the angrier she was getting. Everyone's eyes we're now on Leila. Her lips were pursed and eyes were narrowed, directed at the window.
"Leila, say something, please," Pete pleaded with her.
"There's nothing really for me to say, Pete. What do you want to me say? That I forgive you for making out with my best friend? Well, I can't. I can't because I don't. Of all the people you could have kissed, it had to be her. But it's funny, you know? I told your mother that I would never hurt you, and the moment I leave town, you go locking lips with someone! How can I trust you?" Leila screamed, standing up from her stop in the couch. "I'm not one of those girls that just accepts it when their boyfriend cheats on them; that doesn't fly with me, Peter," Leila said, pacing around, occasionally throwing her hands in the air to match her emotion spikes.
Pete hated hearing her calling him "Peter". He went to reach out to her, but she yanked her arm away.
"Don't touch me! Don't! And you!" she screamed rounding on Casie. "Why? I don't understand how, after all these years of being best friends, that you could do this?" she asked, her voice lowering into sadness.
She was angry at Pete but sad and disappointed at Casie. By this time Leila was crying; not much, but a few tears leaked out of her eyes. Leila started to feel trapped again. She looked around at everyone, who was staring back at her, with sympathy. She couldn't take it.
"I-I can't stay here," she muttered and bolted to her room to pack her stuff. While she was crying and throwing her clothes and shoes into her suitcase, she heard a soft knock on the door.
"Go away!" she screamed, but the door opened anyway. Joe walked in. He seemed to feel a bit awkward in this situation, but never the less, stated his purpose for coming into her room.
"I just wanted to let you know that, you more than welcome to stay at my place. My girlfriend will be there, so you won't be alone," Joe said, looking at her.
Leila was taken aback by Joe's grateful offer. She didn't know where else to go, and was thankful that he was letting her stay with him for a while.
"Joe… I… Thank you. It won't be for too long. Just until I can get back home," Leila muttered.
"No, it's no problem and you can stay as long as you need to…" Joe trailed off. Leila walked over to him and just hugged him. He didn't know what to do, so he just hugged her back. She just cried on his shoulder. He knew that she was hurting and he could have killed Pete for letting this happen. Joe knew it was a mistake, but it still hurts all the same.
Leila gathered all her stuff and walked out of the room. She said good-bye to Cara, Patrick and Andy and walked out and waited for Joe in the hall.
"I'll take good care of her Pete, I promise. Just don't come by. I don't think that would be a good idea. Let her come to you. She's just mad and needs to cool down," Joe assured Pete. However, Pete wasn't listening. His relationship with Leila was falling apart and he couldn't stop it. He felt like such a jerk. Pete walked into his room and slammed the door. They all just stared at the closed door, feeling extremely sorry for him. Casie was miserable. She felt like it was all her fault and didn't have a clue on how to fix it. You couldn't just put a fresh coat of paint over this and fix the details.
Pete paced in his room, wondering how he could have let this happen. When he thought about everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours; Pete wheeled around and threw his fist into the wall, creating a small hole where his knuckles hit.
-note from the author-
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Is everything going to be okay with Leila and Pete? What about Parker and Casie? Just stay tuned!