Chapter 20: Betrayed
*****Wednesday Evening*******
Weevil was leaving work Wednesday evening and decided to swing by Veronica's and see how she was doing. He couldn't imagine how badly both she and Logan were probably feeling right now.
Logan answered the door. "Hey, come in," he said, opening the door. Before Weevil got very far, Logan added, "Oh, by the way, I did tell Veronica about my visit to Portland and seeing her mother."
"How did it go over?" Weevil asked.
"Better than you expected. She was annoyed, but with the miscarriage, I think she has other things to focus on," Logan said grimly.
"I am really sorry, man," Weevil said sympathetically.
"You and me both," Logan said with a sad sigh.
"So you met up with her mom? How did it go?" Weevil wondered.
"Really good. I called her mom earlier today and told her about the miscarriage," Logan shared. "I didn't want her showing up and upsetting Veronica by asking about the baby."
"Good thinking," Weevil said. "Is V home?"
"Yeah, she's out on the patio trying to ignore her urge to pick up Richie, Trina's baby," Logan said.
"Why's that?" Weevil asked in confusion.
"She's really attached to the baby and now is scared of losing him, too, if Trina decides to leave Neptune. And I think it also hurts her a bit to see a baby and be reminded of what we lost," Logan said, a sad glint in his eyes.
Weevil nodded. "That makes sense," he said.
Logan went back to his nephew who was lying on a blanket on the floor in front of the television kicking his legs. Logan was playing with him while Trina was having dinner with a client. He felt he needed to stay home as much as he could so that he could be near Veronica. He decided to ignore Veronica's behavior about Richie. Given enough time, he felt confident that Veronica would be able to play with her nephew again. "You're too perfect to resist for long," he told Richie as he waved the plastic keys at him.
Outside on the patio, Veronica greeted Weevil as he joined her on the deck. "I wanted to see if you were okay," Weevil said, sitting down in the chair next to her.
"As okay as could be expected, I guess," Veronica said. "I'm still trying to come to terms with it."
"Well, it's only been two days. It'll take some time," Weevil said. "Do you know what caused it?"
"Madison Sinclair," Veronica said coldly. She filled Weevil in on the events over the weekend and Monday. "My baby survived my hit and run. I guess the last blow was too much for him."
"It was a boy?" Weevil asked in surprise.
"Yes, I had them test the DNA. I had to know," Veronica said. "We hadn't agreed on a name yet. I wanted to name him after you. Eli Keith Echolls. Logan said he'd consider Keith Eli Echolls." She gave him a bittersweet smile.
Weevil was moved by her confession. He had sort of thought she was joking when she suggested she wanted to name the baby after him. He figured it was just a way to yank Logan's chain. "I can't believe you were serious about that!" he said in surprise.
"Of course, I was," Veronica said vehemently. "You saved Logan's life. I wouldn't have had any baby without you."
"All I did was put my hand over the hole in him. It wasn't anything heroic. What he did for you was heroic. He jumped in front of the bullet," Weevil reminded her.
"You were moving to do exactly that yourself, though, so it doesn't matter. In my book, you're a hero. You called 911 when I was nearly comatose from terror. I was useless, but you weren't. You did the same thing when I was hit by the car. You never hesitate," Veronica said. She reached over to grab his hand. "I know I can't keep blaming this sentimental side on my pregnancy hormones still, but life is short, Weev. I want you know that I love you like you're my brother, and I will be forever grateful for what you did for me and Logan."
Weevil had been raised by a very passionate and emotional grandmother, so he wasn't unused to a woman's sentiment. However, it wasn't a side Veronica showed him often. "I lost a lot in high school, V. But you never gave up on me or quit helping me. You crossed barriers most would never even try to befriend me. When I had no one, I knew you would be there for me, so I feel the same way, mi hermana." He gave her hand a squeeze and then leaned back in the chair. "So tell me what you got plan for the putada. 'Cause I know you got payback planned." He flashed her a bloodthirsty grin.
"I got Leo and Sacks tailing her when she drives. They won't have to make up anything because she is always speeding and driving recklessly," Veronica said.
"Careful, V. Your daddy may not appreciate you requisitioning his deputies like that," Weevil warned.
"He'll get over it," she said flatly. "Remember last time I had you get your uncle to tow her car?"
"Sure. You chickened out, though," he reminded her with a grin.
"I won't this time," she said grimly. "She's going to know what misery really is."
"I can get on that. No problemo," Weevil said.
"Wait a week, though. I want her to accumulate some driving citations first. She got one today. It won't be the last," Veronica said with gleeful satisfaction. "One day next week."
"Consider it done. If there's anything else, call me," Weevil said.
"So how's it going with you and Jazmin? Any better?" Veronica asked, changing the subject.
Weevil's expression became both guarded and grim. "No. She called me from the hospital Monday, but she wouldn't let me come see her," he replied, still pissed and hurt at the memory. "I know your miscarriage has got to be bringing back bad memories for her."
"I saw her on campus today. She's okay," Veronica said. She considered what she needed to share with Weevil. She had told Jazmin that she'd let her be the one to tell him about her betrayal. "I'm sure she'll talk to you soon."
"Did you get a chance to find out anything? I know she was talking to you when you started having pains. What did she tell you? Am I crazy for thinking something's going on?" Weevil asked.
"No, you're not. There is something, but she wants to tell you herself," Veronica admitted. "If she doesn't contact you in another day or so, I'd make a point of going to see her."
Weevil nodded, trusting her. "Well, thanks for talking to her. Jason hasn't been any help. He's so wrapped up in Daisy, he can't see straight," Weevil said in annoyance.
"I'm glad for the two of them," Veronica said. She watched Weevil stand up. "Weevil, do you really love her?" Although she knew the answer, she wanted to gauge how badly this was going to go for him.
"More than I ever knew I could love anyone. She's the most perfect woman I have ever met," he said reverently.
"Well, she's not perfect, Weevil. And if you keep her on that pedestal, the fall for you both will be very painful," Veronica advised.
Weevil frowned, detecting hidden meaning in her words. "She's perfect for me," he stated confidently.
"Do you love her no matter what?" Veronica asked.
"Of course!" he said in surprise.
"I hope so," Veronica said softly. She looked away, out at the water. It made her sick to know that Weevil was about to get his heart broken, and she couldn't do anything to stop it. Sudden anger at Jazmin filled her. Why would she cheat on such a man? She truly didn't understand infidelity. If you don't love the person you're with, then you should leave them. If you love them, why would you violate their trust? She just didn't get it. And she never saw Jazmin as being capable of such a thing. Something wasn't right about it. She frowned and looked back up at Weevil. He was frowning, trying to puzzle out what Veronica was hinting at. "Just talk to her."
"I've been trying to for two damn weeks! I've gotten nowhere!" he complained. "Now she's avoiding me, demanding space."
"So give her another day or so. Then make an issue of it," Veronica suggested. If Jazmin didn't tell him by this weekend, she would. She wasn't going to keep something like that from one of her closest friends, especially when he was the wronged party.
Weevil nodded. "Will do," he said. "You hang tough. Call me if you need anything."
"I will," she said as she waved goodbye. She wished things weren't going to be so awful for her friend and hated that she couldn't protect Weevil, who by nature was the fiercest protector she knew.
******Thursday Afternoon********
Eli decided that enough time had passed. Jazmin hadn't contacted him yet, so he dropped by her place determined to get past the barriers she had constructed. He rang the bell, and Mac opened the door. She looked a bit distracted.
"Hey, Weevil. Come on in," she said, stepping back. "Jazmin, Weevil's here!" she yelled at the bottom of the stairs.
"How's things?" Eli asked.
Mac shrugged. "Okay, I guess. I just got off the phone with Madison Sinclair's mom, my bio mom. She's pretty pissed. I guess Veronica tasered Madison yesterday on campus," Mac shared. "Since I'm Veronica's BFF, she expects me to put an end to poor Madison's torment."
"Seriously?" Eli asked in surprise. "Don't they know what Madison did?"
Mac gave a tired sigh. "Look, I don't want to argue. I know Veronica's probably already convinced you Madison caused her miscarriage. That's not true. If she was going to miscarry over Madison's shove, she would've done so that night. Not two days later. There was something obviously wrong with the fetus," Mac said with conviction.
Jazmin came down the stairs. "A person can't go around putting their hands on pregnant women without holding some responsibility for the outcome," Eli said with equal conviction.
"Maybe so," Mac said sadly. "I just wish so very much Madison Sinclair was not a part of my family."
"You consider her your family?" Eli asked, taken aback.
"No, but she is a part of my family. She is my sister Lauren's sister. She is my parents' daughter, both sets. I think of her like a stepsister. You know. Not related but obligated," Mac said. "Well, I'm going to go to my room and try to only think about my last project before Thanksgiving break." She nodded to Jazmin and went down the short hallway to her room.
Jazmin gave Eli a longing look for a moment. Then she went and sat down on the couch. "I guess we should talk," she said to him, a look of sad resignation on her face.
"Are you finally ready to tell me what's going on with you, Princess?" Eli asked. "I miss you." He sat down next to her and reached out to take her hand.
She let him hold her hand for a moment, closing her eyes at his touch. God, how she missed him. She had made such an unbelievable mess of everything. Opening her eyes, she gazed at him, her eyes filled with sorrow. "I miss you, too," she admitted. Then she moved on the couch and pulled back her hand. She turned her body so that she could look at him fully. "I'm really sorry, Eli. You'll never know how sorry I am for putting you through all this, for hurting you. In my wildest dreams, I never thought I'd be in this position. I never thought I'd be the one to hurt you so much. I really, really hate myself."
"Don't say that! You shouldn't ever say that! I could never hate you," Eli insisted.
"Don't be so quick to say that," she admonished. Bracing herself for his explosion, she trudged ahead. "I told Veronica that I'd tell you why I was so freaked about the possibility of being pregnant."
"I understand why," he said easily. "I know you're not ready."
"No, that's not it. Well, it's true I'm not ready, but that's not why I was so upset," she explained. She took a deep breath, trying to steel her resolve. "I was upset because I had sex with another guy. A guy I hate. A guy who isn't you. I'm so sorry, Eli."
She looked at him with eyes rimmed with tears, but he barely registered her expression. His mind was still trying to take in what she had just revealed. "You had sex with another guy? I don't believe you!" he exclaimed. He got up from the couch and looked down at her with stunned disbelief. There was a roaring in his ears. Surely, he heard her wrong. He looked at her expectantly.
The tears that were threatening fell. "I'm sorry. It happened only once a few weeks ago. It was a horrible, horrible mistake," she said. She wiped the tears. She shouldn't cry. She didn't deserve any sympathy. Not after what she was doing to him.
"Who is the guy? I want to know! Tell me!" he demanded angrily.
"I can't, Eli. I can't! It was a mistake. It shouldn't have happened. I shouldn't have let it happen! You can't know how sorry I am!" she exclaimed, her hurt breaking at his betrayed looked.
"You're sorry? You screw another guy, and you're sorry?" he asked in disbelief. "How could you do that? I thought you loved me."
"I do! I do love you, Eli!" Jazmin said vehemently. She got up and reached a hand out to him. This time it was he who pulled away from her touch.
"Don't touch me!" he said angrily. "I can't believe you! All this time I was feeling sorry for you, worried about you! I actually thought something awful had happened to you! What an idiot I am! I didn't realize the terrible thing was the fact that you didn't know how to keep your damn legs together!"
Jazmin sucked in a sharp breath. It felt like he'd slapped her. She couldn't say she was surprised by his words, but it still hurt. She knew how he felt. Joseph's betrayal still had the power to sting her after three years. "Please forgive me, Eli. I wish I could change what happened. You don't know how badly," she said almost on a whisper.
Eli gave her an incredulous look. She tells him that she'd slept with another guy, and he's just supposed to forgive her? She can't be serious. "Forgive you? I can't even look at you!" he said in disgust. "I thought you were in love with me the way I'm in love with you. I guess you were just slumming after all. I never ever thought you'd have something in common with Lilly Kane." He gave her one last loath-filled look and turned to leave. On his way out, he couldn't resist slamming the door in anger.
Jazmin was frozen, staring after him. She'd finally done it. She'd destroyed the last good thing in her life. She hadn't reported David because she didn't want to lose Eli; she didn't want to see him destroyed. However, she'd managed to do both on her own. Now she didn't have him anyway, so what did it matter? Nothing mattered. Now he hated her.
Mac came out of her room to inquire about the commotion. She glanced at the closed front door and saw Jazmin standing in the living room looking crushed. "What's wrong? Is everything okay?" she asked in concern.
Jazmin blinked, tears streaming down her face. "No, it's not. I ruined everything. Eli and I are over," she said in despair. She headed to the stairs, wanting desperately to escape to her room, away from Mac's compassionate gaze. She didn't deserve Mac's compassion.
"What happened?" Mac asked.
"I told Eli that I had sex with another guy," Jazmin said flatly. The story was going to come out, so she saw no reason to not tell Mac. "I don't want to talk about it." She went up to her room, knowing nothing would make what she did any better. No words could wipe away the look of hurt and betrayal she'd put on Eli's face.
******Blue Angel*******
Eli was so angry and so hurt by Jazmin's revelation that he sat outside in his car for a full ten minutes. Her betrayal immobilized him, left him ripped a part. He didn't know it was possible to feel this badly. Finally, he started his car and drove aimlessly around, his mind racing. Who had she been with? Duncan Kane? He was lonely and heartbroken with the Piz fellow stealing back his girl, Parker. Maybe he seduced Jazmin. They had been lovers. Eli knew the allure of former lovers. Or maybe it was Wallace. She had really cared about Wallace. Maybe Wallace talked his way back into her pants. The thought made him angry, but it also didn't feel right. Jazmin said she hated the guy. Wallace was not someone anyone could really hate. Feeling heartsick, he decided that he needed a drink. No way was he ready to go home and face Jazmin's twin. He didn't trust himself not to take his anger out on her brother. Maybe Jason knew there was another guy. Maybe that's why he hadn't been so concerned about his sister's odd behavior. Maybe Eli had been duped by both of them.
That ugly thought took root inside. Jason and he had become tight, but blood was thicker. If Jazmin stepped out on him, would Jason tell him if he knew? Disgusted with his musings, he pulled into the Blue Angel. It was a dive bar he used to go to with Hector and Felix back in the day. Felix loved to play pool. It had been awhile since Eli'd been. He headed for the bar and ordered a Jack Daniels. , he was going to get so drunk that he'd black out and forget about the sudden nightmare that had unfolded.
About fifteen minutes later, Dick stopped into his favorite little bar for a drink. He had left his fraternity house more annoyed than usual. This was Chip's last year as fraternity president, and he was pressuring Dick to take over next year. Dick tried to explain he was running a business (no need to explain his burden was shared by a few), had a full load of classes, and a demanding girlfriend. Of course, most of that was bull. Mac wasn't demanding, but Dick was. He wasn't about to sacrifice his time with her to babysit a bunch of shitheads. His phone beeped as he was getting out of his car. Frowning, he read the text Mac sent. She was having a crap night herself. Veronica's campaign to punish Madison was under way and Jazmin was having a meltdown. Dick pulled opened the doors of the Blue Angel and text a question What's going on with Jazzie? He looked around for a table when he spotted a familiar shaved head. Weevil was sitting at the bar. His phone buzzed again. He read the message. Frowning at the former PCHer, he walked toward Weevil. Looked like the poor dude was trying to drown his sorrows.
"Surprised to see you here," Dick said as he sat down next to Weevil at the bar.
Weevil glanced over. "Not in the mood. Go away," Weevil snarled. He did not have the patience to put up with Logan's too sunny, annoying sidekick.
"Yeah, sorry, dude. I heard you and Jazmin broke up," Dick said with sympathy. He gave his drink order to the bartender and munched on some nuts. "Oh, add an order of buffalo wings," he said as an afterthought. "Dude, they have the best wings here! Have you tried them?"
Weevil frowned in annoyance. The guy wasn't going away but was settling in. He resigned himself to Dick's company. "Bad news travels fast," he said.
"So what happened?" Dick asked.
"What? She didn't tell you?" Weevil asked with a bitter edge.
"I haven't seen her since we were at the hospital on Monday. I just got a text from Mac saying Jazzie was having a bad day due to your breakup," Dick explained.
Weevil didn't respond—just took another drink.
Dick frowned at him in concern. He didn't know Weevil all that well, but the guy looked like he was hanging on by a thread. Maybe he should call Jason. Then he remembered that Jason was catching an early flight to Puerto Rico to be with Daisy. And Veronica had enough on her plate right now. So Dick figured he could at least give the guy his ear. The guy had always had Logan's back since he hooked up with Veronica. Dick sort of saw them as friends by extension.
"You know breakups don't have to be forever. The girls usually get over whatever stupid shit we did and take us back," Dick said cheerfully. He took a sip of his drink.
"Who says I want her back?" Weevil said pointedly.
Dick looked surprised. Weevil was crazy about Jazmin. It was obvious to everyone even Dick. "You don't? Why not? I thought you were nuts about her," Dick questioned.
"Yeah, well, things change. She told me she slept with another guy," Weevil said flatly.
"No way!" Dick exclaimed in disbelief.
"She'd not been acting herself the past few weeks, and I've been worried about her," Weevil shared. "Imagine how I feel to discover that her inability to stay faithful was the problem."
Dick had trouble wrapping his mind around Jazmin's infidelity. "Who's the guy?" he asked.
"I don't know. She wouldn't tell me. Said it was a mistake, and she hated the guy," Weevil said.
Dick frowned. "I don't know, dude. This doesn't sound like Jazmin," Dick said doubtfully.
"Yeah, I'm having trouble believing it, too. But it makes sense. She'd been feeling guilty. That's why she was acting so odd lately," Weevil said. He finished his drink and ordered another one.
The bartender gave Dick his wings. Dick was thoughtful as he began eating. He was slowly chewing and looked over at Weevil. The guy was brooding, but Dick knew he was devastated. He couldn't imagine how he'd feel if Mac suddenly told him that she'd slept with another guy. Dick would go ape-shit. But this didn't feel right. "I'm having a hard time, dude, believing this," Dick finally stated.
Weevil gave him a pissed off look. "What? You think I'd make this up?" Weevil asked in disbelief.
"No. I just can't see Jazmin doing that," Dick replied. "I've spent a lot of time over at Mac's since the semester started. Not a lot lately 'cause we've been at my dad's since he's out of town. But I just can't believe Jazmin would step out on you."
"Yeah, well, I can't believe it either," Weevil said. "But she looked me in the eye and told me."
"But she got screwed over that way by Joseph. She knows how it feels. Not to mention she bitch-slapped Wally-World when he got caught just kissing another girl. You weren't there, dude, when that happened. You didn't see the look on her face when she wailed on Wallace," Dick said adamantly. "I just don't believe it. That is not a girl built to cheat."
"You think I want to believe it?" Weevil asked angrily. "This woman is my world. I thought she was the best thing that ever happened to me. Her brother has become my best friend. Now I have to wonder if he knew and was keeping it from me."
"Was she drunk? Maybe she didn't realize what she did. That's why she slept with a guy she hated," Dick said. "Logan slept with Maddie when he was drunk, and he's always hated her. I made out without another woman when I was drunk once. Maybe it was like an accident."
Weevil hadn't thought of that. He didn't know if it made it better, but it would explain why if she loved him like she said, she'd betray him like this. "I don't know," he admitted. "She wouldn't say anything but that it was a mistake."
"Well, it doesn't make any sense to me, dude," Dick said. "This isn't Jazmin. Either she's lying for some crazy reason or she was drunk." Then a thought occurred to him and his eyes widened in surprise. "Beaver."
"What?" Weevil asked confused. "What do beavers have to do with this?"
"Not beavers. Beaver. My brother," Dick explained. "He had sex with Veronica when she was practically unconscious. She'd been roofied. And those douche bags freshmen year roofied Parker and raped her and a bunch of other girls. Maybe it was something like that, but she didn't think about it. She was at a party and had some drinks and woke up in bed with another guy. She couldn't believe what she did, so she didn't think it might not have been her fault."
Weevil looked at Dick like the man had thrown him a lifeline. He wouldn't have believed that Logan's dumb friend could manage to make him feel better. Maybe the guy wasn't so dumb after all. "You think?" he asked hopefully.
"Well, it makes more sense than Jazmin just falling into bed with some other guy," Dick said confidently.
Weevil really wished Dick would end up being right, but Jazmin had looked so guilty. He took another drink. He couldn't think about anything but the fact that he was in love with a woman who admitted to having sex with another man. Sighing at the image it produced, he took another drink.
*******Friday on Campus*******
Wallace and Veronica were having lunch together in the food court. Wallace was unbelievably sad about the loss of their baby. It was so hard to believe. He was relieved that Veronica was back to school so soon. He didn't know what to say, so he started telling her about his new favorite topic.
"Thea says I should think about getting my master's. What do you think?" Wallace asked.
"Well, the market is highly competitive now a days. Every advantage is a good thing. You'll be the smartest jock I know!" Veronica teased. She really liked the positive effect Wallace's new girl was having on him.
"Oh, last night I had dinner with my dad," Wallace shared.
"How's he liking his new job?" Veronica asked.
"Fine. I think he's glad to be away from the cold. It's already cold in Chicago at this time of the year, so he's diggin' the new climate," Wallace said. "Guess what he told me?"
"What?" Veronica asked.
"He did a background check on Thea and checked out her family and get this: they are completely without criminal connections of any kind!" Wallace said with a grin. "High five!" Veronica laughed as Wallace high-fived her.
"So you aren't mad at your dad for being so evasive?" Veronica asked.
"Are you nuts? I was going to have Keith run a check myself!" Wallace said with a grin. "After Julie, I'm not taking any chances. Or finding out Jackie had a baby in another state and was lying practically from the dad we met."
Veronica nodded in understanding. She couldn't really blame Wallace. Like Veronica, he was a trusting person by nature, but hard events had caused them both to be less trusting. Wallace still retained more of his trusting nature than Veronica had, but the past events had begun to weigh on his soul. "So how's it going with Thea?" she asked.
"Great! I really like her, V. She's so different and so focused. I was really relieved that I'm not going to be blindsided by skeletons in her closet," Wallace admitted. "Things are going so perfect that I'm a bit freaked. We've not been officially dating a full week, but she's let me kiss her goodbye every day!"
"Progress," Veronica observed with a smile at Wallace's enthusiasm. It was good to see someone so happy when everyone else in her life was so miserable, including herself.
"Yep!" Wallace said happily. "I never knew I could be satisfied with so little, but I'm taking it slow. We're going on our first official date tomorrow night."
"Good for you. I'm glad for you, Wallace. It's nice to see someone so happy for a change," Veronica said. "Weevil and Jazmin broke up."
"Really?" Wallace asked in surprise. "Why?"
"She cheated on him," Veronica said with a frown.
"Jazmin? I don't believe it!" Wallace said in surprise.
"Yeah, it's hard to believe," Veronica said sadly.
Wallace shook his head. "I really have a hard time seeing that. Are you sure?" he asked.
"Well, she said she did. But I don't know the details. She's reluctant to talk about it," Veronica admitted.
"It just doesn't sound right. It's not the woman I know, and I know her quite well," Wallace said doubtfully.
Veronica knew Wallace had a point. It did seem out of character. "Sometimes people make mistakes. I never thought you'd step out on her either," Veronica pointed out to Wallace.
Wallace grimaced at the reminder. "Okay. I get it. Let's talk about something else. How are you doing? I know it can't be easy right now," Wallace stated.
"I'm doing okay. I'm distracting myself by focusing on Madison," Veronica said.
"You planning her demise?" Wallace asked knowingly.
"You know it," Veronica said with a satisfied grin. "I got Max to hack into her school records and make public all Madison's dismal grades to the entire school—employees and students."
"Max? Not Mac? Is your Q in retirement?" Wallace asked in surprise.
"Mac doesn't think Madison caused my miscarriage, and she doesn't want to upset Lauren, Madison and Mac's sister," Veronica said.
"Yeah, I can see how it may be tricky for her," Wallace said. "But you had been hit by a car, so being hit in the stomach couldn't have been good for you. How can Mac not see that?"
Veronica frowned. "I don't know. We've never fought before, but I was really kind of mean the other day when she was taking up for Madison. I just couldn't believe it. She knows more than just about anyone how much I hate Madison even before this happened," Veronica said.
Wallace winced in sympathy. "It's not easy for her either with that whole switched-at-birth thing," Wallace pointed out.
Veronica sighed. "Yeah, I know. That's why I apologized Wednesday in class, and she agreed to take me to my doctor's appointment this afternoon," Veronica said.
"Doctor? I thought you said you were okay?" Wallace asked in concern.
"I am. It's just a follow-up appointment," Veronica stated.
Relieved, Wallace nodded. "Good. I hate worrying about you," he said.
"I know," Veronica said in understanding. "So why don't you tell me all about your plans for Thea tomorrow?"
Wallace grinned and eagerly began filling her in.
******Afternoon*******
Madison Sinclair was driving home from class with her hands clenched tightly on the steering wheel. She was fuming. Yesterday, she had gotten pulled over again on the way to class by Officer Leo for rolling a stop sign. Two tickets in two days. Madison figured that Officer Leo was lying in wait for her. After her confrontation with Veronica on Wednesday, Madison now knew Veronica was behind her sudden police harassment. Her latest attack involved public humiliation. Madison was pointed at and whispered around all day. Finally, when she had a chance to check her email, she saw an email titled, "Dumber than a door knob." She clicked on it and was shocked to see a picture of herself with a caption under it that said, "Madison Sinclair was too dumb for USC, but she is just rich enough for Hearst." Her marks from high school, her SAT score, and her grades since coming to Hearst were posted. Madison's cheeks had burned in humiliation.
"She must have Mac helping her," Madison said aloud to herself. This sudden thought gave her some comfort. She couldn't wait to get home to tell her sister and her parents that their perfect and precious new daughter wasn't so perfect. Lauren would see that Mac wasn't any better than Madison. Madison was so angry and busy picturing the upcoming confrontation that she never noticed when she passed a police car going way over the speed limit. It wasn't until she was almost home that she noticed the flashing lights. Groaning in frustration, she pulled over. Not again!
*******The Doctor's Office********
Mac drove Veronica to her doctor's office without saying much. Veronica speculated on who the guy was that Jazmin cheated on Weevil with. Mac honestly had no idea and felt uncomfortable talking about it. She couldn't help but feel guilty that she was so oblivious to whatever had been going on with Jazmin lately. When they arrived at the doctor's office, it wasn't long before Veronica's name was called.
When the doctor finished examining her, Veronica asked, "Why did this happen?"
Her doctor looked compassionate as she replied, "I wish I could give you a clear answer, Veronica. I know it's hard. What the ER doctor told you is true. Most miscarriages are due to something being wrong with the fetus," she said.
"But you just gave me an ultrasound, and I was at the ER two days before the miscarriage! I don't understand!" Veronica said in frustration.
"Ultrasounds can sometimes detect problems, but not always," the doctor replied.
"Do you think it was being shoved into that corner table last Saturday night?" Veronica asked. "My best friend Mac told me that if I was going to lose the baby over that I would've started bleeding that night."
"She's right. Most of the time if a trauma has occurred, you know right away something is wrong. However, you were hit by a car early on. It is true, too, that unborn babies are fragile. It isn't unheard of for a woman to miscarry if she's hit in the stomach. It's very rare, but it is possible," the doctor stated. "The important thing is that there is nothing physically wrong with you that would prevent you from having kids in the future. Was this pregnancy planned?"
"No. I was on the pill," Veronica admitted.
"Well, the next time you can plan the perfect time to be pregnant. It'll happen when you're ready," the doctor told her.
"When will it be okay for me to have sex again?" Veronica asked.
"Not until you're no longer bleeding. Your cervix needs some time to heal. Two weeks is the norm. You don't want to put tampons or anything else inside of you until then. However, you may want to wait a bit longer before trying to get pregnant again," the doctor said.
Veronica looked alarmed at the suggestion. "Oh, I don't want to try to get pregnant again!" she exclaimed. "Not until I'm done with school at the very least."
"Well, come see me if you change your mind," the doctor said. "And Veronica, it's not a good idea to waste your energy on blame. Many women miscarry. I miscarried the first time I was pregnant. It was traumatic and awful, but I went on to have three healthy babies. My oldest will graduate from high school this year."
Veronica knew what the doctor was trying to do, but she just wasn't ready to think about having another baby and going through the disappointment again. There was no guarantee that she could carry another baby to term. However, a big part of her knew that there wasn't anything wrong with her or the baby she lost. Her baby shouldn't have died. The pregnancy was unplanned and unexpected, but it was a life that she and Logan had created together, a life that was precious and perfect. A life she would never know, never get to hold.
When she met Mac in the waiting room, she felt both depressed and angry. Everyone wanted her to just move on and forget about the life she had had inside of her, but she just couldn't do it.
"Is everything okay?" Mac asked as they walked out of the doctor's office.
"As okay as it can be considering my baby's dead," Veronica said sourly. When Mac looked taken aback by her sour reply, she felt a pang of guilt. "I'm sorry. The doctor tried to make me feel better, but I just feel kind of worse. She said she had a miscarriage and went on to have three healthy kids. I know she was trying to help, but all I could think about was that my baby is gone, and everyone wants me to just pretend like it didn't happen."
"I don't think anyone wants that. We just want you to feel better," Mac replied.
"Well, I'm not going to feel better until Madison feels as badly as I do," Veronica replied bluntly. "The doctor told me that since I was involved in the hit and run, getting shoved into a table could have been too much for my baby. We may never be able to say unequivocally that Madison caused my miscarriage, but I know it in my heart!"
Mac was torn. She had seen the email Veronica had managed to spread across campus about Madison. She knew about the sand the police harassment. She'd already endured one angry call from Marilyn over Veronica's actions. It broke her heart that Veronica and Logan lost their baby, but her pragmatic nature just didn't allow her to react irrationally. Even though Madison had said hateful things to Veronica just two days ago, Mac didn't want the payback to escalate. It wouldn't make anything better. At the end of the day, Veronica's baby would still be gone. However, she didn't want to fight with her best friend or upset her further. Mac knew she'd been through enough.
"I don't know what you want me to say, Veronica. I know this is awful for you, and I'm sorry," Mac said diplomatically.
They arrived at Mac's car. Veronica didn't make a move to get inside. She stopped and faced Mac. "You really think I'm wrong, don't you? You don't think Madison is responsible for my miscarriage," Veronica stated.
Mac's eyes reflected her inner turmoil. Veronica's friendship for the longest time was the most important relationship in her life. Then she had Dick, and now she had her sister Lauren. For a few short months this year, Mac's life was as perfect as it had ever been. All her worlds fit. Her school, her new business, her family, and her personal life had been in perfect harmony. Now she could feel it start to unravel. Even more than Wallace or Logan, Mac knew the lengths Veronica had gone through when on a case. When someone she cared about was involved, she'd go the ultimate distance. She had committed a felony for Duncan. She and Mac both had for Wallace when they took down the Castle. Mac wanted to always be her Q. Always be the one Veronica turned to when she needed help. But now it was her family that was being threatened. Mac hated confrontation, and she hated disappointing her parents. Now that she had two sets, it made the position she was in with Veronica and Madison very difficult. She wanted to be the friend Veronica always counted on. However, for the first time, Mac wasn't sure she could be.
******TO BE CONTINUED******