Chapter Fourteen
Chessie
Lisa and Ria were both going to the local bar tonight to meet some friends, so when the uber pulls up and I go inside, I’m surprised to see Lisa sitting on the sofa, watching TV, a glass of wine in her hand.
She puts it down when she sees me and gets to her feet. “Chessie! What are you doing here?” She takes one look at my face and says, “Oh no, what happened?”
“Nothing.” Then I burst into tears.
“Babe…” She comes over and gives me a hug. “Aw, come on, it’s okay…”
“I’m not upset,” I sob. “I’m furious.”
“Oh God. What happened?”
I move back and rub my nose. “I’ll tell you in a minute. I want to get this fucking dress off.”
I go into my room, take the dress off, and throw it into a corner. I scoop my hair up into an untidy bun and pull on my PJs, go into the bathroom and remove my makeup with some wipes, then scrub my face hard with soap until my skin is red.
When I’m done, I go out to the kitchen. I retrieve a wine glass from the cupboard, take it into the living room, and sit beside Lisa on the sofa.
She pours me a hefty glass from the open bottle of Sauvignon.
The wine is the cheapest brand we can buy at the supermarket and doesn’t even come close to the champagne I was drinking earlier, but I don’t care and knock back a few mouthfuls. “Where’s Ria?”
She studies her glass. “Still out.”
That’s unusual; normally we stick together when we go out. Then my eyebrows shoot up. “Did she meet someone in the bar?”
“Yeah. Kinda.”
“Kinda?” I frown at her. “What’s going on? Is she okay?”
“Maybe we should talk about this after you tell me what happened tonight.”
“No, come on! I want to know.”
She purses her lips. “She went home with someone.”
I give a short laugh. “She’s so bad. Who was it? Anyone I know?”
Lisa doesn’t reply. And then, finally, she lifts her gaze to mine and says, “It was Tamati.”
I stare at her. For the second time that evening, I feel as if I’ve been punched in the stomach. “She went home with him?”
“Yeah. He was in the bar with his mates, and he came over and asked where you were. We said you were with Kingi. He looked sort of upset for a bit, and Ria told him it was time he moved on. And he pulled up a stool and said ‘Oh, do you have anyone in mind?’ He started flirting with her. And she flirted back. And…” She shrugs.
I look at my wine, feeling a whirlwind of emotions.
On the surface of it, there’s nothing wrong with what they did.
Tamati and I are over. Ria knew that, and I told Tamati the other day, when he sat outside in the car.
Our relationship was done, and I think they both knew I had no intention of going back with him.
So why does it sting so much? I can’t figure out my feelings. It feels as if they’ve both betrayed me, and that’s silly when they’ve done nothing wrong.
“I’m sorry,” Lisa says miserably. “I told her she shouldn’t do it, but she said you didn’t want him so why shouldn’t she have him?”
I have a big mouthful of wine. “She’s right. There’s absolutely no reason they shouldn’t see each other. Apart from the fact that he’s a bastard. She’s seen what he’s like. Why would she want him?!”
“I know! But that’s not the only issue. It’s not the done thing to go with a friend’s ex. We all know that. She didn’t know a hundred percent that you’d never get back with him—how could she when you don’t even know yourself?”
I suppose that’s it. Even though I’ve convinced myself it’s all over, even after what he said outside the dress shop, he’s my ex. We were in a relationship, and we had feelings for each other. It takes a while to sever those ties.
But I have no intention of getting back with him. “I’m glad,” I say fiercely. “She’s done me a favor. I can move on properly now.”
“Are you sure?” She gives me a doubtful look.
I nod. “Tamati and I were done, but it’s like pulling a fly off a spider’s web—all these sticky threads stretch for a minute until finally it comes free. I’m free now, though. It stings a bit, but I’m glad.”
She rubs her nose. “I was so upset when I got in.”
“Oh honey, it’s all right, it’s not your fault.”
“I know, but the three of us get on so well, and I didn’t know what would happen when you found out.”
Good places to rent are hard to come by, and the three of us were relieved when we found each other. Lisa will be worried that we’ve upset the applecart, and that’s not fair on her. I have to be the adult here.
“I know what Ria’s like,” I say firmly. “She’s impulsive and she doesn’t always think things through.
But she’s loyal. She didn’t do it to hurt me.
It’s not as if she slept with my boyfriend.
She would have told herself that Tamati and I were over and put me out of her mind.
It’s okay. Everything’s going to be fine. ”
Lisa looks relieved. “Okay, I’m glad you feel that way. So, come on then. What happened at the ball?”
I tell her everything. By the time I finish, her brows have drawn together, and she looks almost as upset as I feel.
“How awful,” she says. “What a bitch.”
“Yeah,” I reply with feeling.
“Do you think she really is pregnant?”
I hesitate. “He said she’s just trying to ruin him, and that she came up with it after she heard about the engagement. But, I mean, he would say that, wouldn’t he?”
“I suppose. But think about how she spread the story that he’d jumped off the waterfall drunk. You believed him then?”
“Yes, but I knew he wouldn’t have done that. It’s not about whether he’s trustworthy. It’s whether she is.”
“I wouldn’t trust her as far as I could spit,” Lisa says, and I have to agree.
She tops up both our glasses, finishing off the bottle. I haven’t eaten much, but I welcome the fuzzy feeling of inebriation. It eases the pain a little.
“Sabrina, Kingi, Tamati, Ria…” I give a heavy sigh. “All these relationships are so complicated.”
“So stressful,” Lisa agrees.
“I don’t want the stress,” I say fiercely. “I didn’t want all this tonight. Even though I was nervous about going, I thought I’d be like Cinderella, and everything would be magical when I got to dance with the prince. I didn’t even make it till midnight!”
“I know.”
“I’d like to have seen the clock strike twelve—apparently they release balloons and streamers from nets in the ceiling, and everyone cheers and celebrates.”
“And now you’ve turned back into a pumpkin.”
“It wasn’t Cinderella who turned into a pumpkin. It was the stagecoach.”
“Oh yeah. Well, your dress and shoes have disappeared, anyway.”
“My fairy godmother has fucked off,” I say gloomily. “For a little while I got to play at being a rich guy’s fiancée. And now I’m just plain old Chessie.”
“You still have the ring,” she reminds me.
I hold it up and look at it. “Yeah.” Slowly, I slide it off and put it on the table.
“Aw,” she says. “Are you sure it’s all over?”
“We were supposed to announce the engagement tonight, but obviously we couldn’t after Sabrina’s revelation.
I don’t see how we can do it now, if she’s going to insist he got her pregnant.
He’s probably lost the job at the Foundation, too.
They’re not going to take him on if he’s engaged to one girl while he’s knocked another up.
That’s hardly promoting family values.” I have a big mouthful of wine.
“Maybe he’ll propose to Sabrina. Make an honest woman out of her. ”
“God help him.”
The thought depresses me. If she is pregnant with his baby, it would make perfect sense to marry her.
Even if it was all for show, the baby would be legal and have his name.
It would all be above board, and look great for the Foundation.
They could act happy, even if they were spitting feathers behind the scenes. He doesn’t need me anymore.
It crosses my mind that neither I nor Lisa have mentioned the fact that it’s supposed to be a fake engagement. When did it stop feeling fake?
Beside me, on the sofa, my phone buzzes, announcing a call.
I lift it and look at the screen. “It’s him,” I say.
We both look at the phone.
“Are you going to answer it?” she asks.
“Nope.” I end the call and put it down.
Thirty seconds later, it rings again. I stab the red button.
The next buzz announces a voice message. “I’m not listening to it,” I snap as if he can hear me.
“Maybe we should open another bottle of wine,” Lisa suggests. “But I can’t get up.”
“I don’t think I should have anymore.” The room isn’t quite spinning, but I’m not far off being drunk.
My phone buzzes again. This time he’s sent a text.
Him: Please talk to me
I pick it up and text back.
Me: No. Go away
Him: Chessie please let’s just talk
Me: Go back to the ball with the mother of your child
Him: Jesus
Me: Don’t bring him into it
Him: She’s gone I swear, Orson asked her to leave. I had to stay and make sure everything was going okay, but I’m in my suite now
Me: Alone?
Him: OMG
Me: Is that a yes?
Him: OF COURSE IT’S A YES
Me: Don’t yell at me
Him: I’m not yelling, I’m being assertive. I swear I’m alone. I just want to talk
I sit there for a moment, looking at my wine glass.
“Talk to him,” Lisa says softly. “You owe him that.”
“I don’t owe him anything.”
“He’s your friend. He hasn’t done anything wrong, has he?”
It’s true; it’s not his fault that his ex was unpleasant tonight, any more than it’s my fault that Ria has gone home with Tamati.
“All right,” I say. “I’m going to bed.”
“Goodnight.” She hugs me, and I get up. “Good luck,” she says.
“Thanks. For everything.” I blow her a kiss, grab a bottle of water from the fridge, go down the hall into my bedroom, and close the door.
As I get into bed, sitting up against the pillows, another text comes through.
Him: You still there?
Me: Yeah just got into bed
Him: I’m glad, I thought you’d gone
Me: No I’m here. What do you want to say?
Him: I want to apologize. I’m so sorry for what happened at the ball
I let out a long sigh.
Me: It wasn’t your fault
Him: I know, but I’m still sorry. It was embarrassing for you and humiliating