Chapter 1 #2
“That skank! Ima beat her skinny ass into next Sunday.” Fuck that confirms it.
I shake my head in denial; I’m not in the right headspace.
I don’t do confrontations. I don’t want a confrontation.
I absolutely hate making a scene. The air feels too thick, my lungs are heaving, trying to get in more air as I start to gasp.
My throat feels tight and constricted. Shit!
Am I having a panic attack? I need to calm the fuck down.
Evie grabs me by the shoulders and pulls me towards her so we’re face to face.
“Breathe Ellie, in through your nose, out through your mouth.” I follow her instructions and I can feel my throat start to open slowly.
I repeat the process again and one more time for good measure.
Passersby are glancing at us with curious gazes.
Great, so much for not making a scene. I need to leave.
I need to get a grip and haul ass out of here.
“I’m going in. I need to give that scumbag a piece of my mind.”
Evie makes to leave but I reach out so fast that I even surprise myself.
I grab her by the wrist, pulling her back.
She stops, looking down at my hand around her wrist, then looks up to meet my gaze.
Her rage is palpable and I can feel it. I can feel the anger surge through her, radiating heat off her even in the bitter cold.
“No!” I whisper. “I can’t, I don’t want to go in. I need time to think, to process. I just need to leave this place, now! Please understand, I just can’t. Don’t make me go in there.”
My voice is a bit hoarse from all the emotions I’m battling.
My inner turmoil is probably reflected on my face.
Evie looks at me for a second before her features soften with a look of sympathy and understanding.
She nods and immediately my tension dissolves.
I turn back towards the pub and watch the awful scene playing out in front of me.
It all seems like a bad dream. I’m thinking about Pandora’s box when I’m broken out of my spell.
“You ready babe?”
“Yes, Evie I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” She gives me a look before launching herself at me in a bear hug.
“I’m fine Evie.”
“At least you found out now rather than after the wedding, I’m glad you didn’t ask her to be your bridesmaid. She doesn’t deserve the privilege.”
I smile at her while my mind wanders again. There’s no going back from this. Things will never be the same.
“So, what do you say?” I must have missed that last part.
“Huh, I’m sorry I didn’t get that last part.” I murmur sheepishly having been caught drifting in my thoughts.
“Yeah, you kind of zoned out on me for a hot minute there, babe. I just suggested that you spend the night at my place. We can have some wine, eat chocolate, watch The Notebook and cry our fucking eyes out till we pass out. Then, tomorrow when you’re less hostile and more coherent, we can figure out what to do next. So… I ask you again. What do you say?”
I don’t deserve this woman. My eyes start to blur and my lips wobble as I look at Evie and nod, seemingly having lost my ability to speak. Another tight hug and a quick wipe of my face, Evie pats my cheeks and promises me that I’ll be fine. God how I want to believe her.
Urgh… My head feels like someone had a go at it with a ten-pound hammer.
The incessant throbbing is making my stomach churn.
Perhaps chocolate and wine weren’t such a good idea after all.
Rolling over to my side, I turn to see Evie laying sprawled out on the plush rug.
Did she sleep on the floor all night? Sitting up on the sofa I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror on the wall opposite me.
I flinch. The sight is alarming. I’m still fully dressed in my airport ensemble, hair a tangled mess, my mascara is smudged and running down my cheeks in long haunting streaks, a result from all the crying leaving me with the distinct features of a dying raccoon.
Red rimmed eyes stare back at me. I look and feel awful.
Events of the night weigh heavy on my mind and body, rendering me physically and emotionally exhausted.
With that I let out a wide un-lady like yawn and stretch my arms above my head to release the built-up tension.
Bringing my arms back down, I place my hands on my shoulders, rolling my head from shoulder to chest, to shoulder and around while adding pressure to my stiff shoulders with my hands to soothe my aching muscles.
I stretch again hearing a crack as the pent-up tension releases.
I take in a long deep breath and exhale when another wide yawn creeps its way to the fore.
Yikes, my breath is rancid. The lack of brushing last night coupled with over indulging on booze has left my mouth dry and my breath is tinged, rather heavily with a mix of what I can only describe as skunk spray and dead rat.
The thought makes me gag and I bolt off the sofa, racing to the bathroom, grabbing my hair in a tight fist at the top of my head while I race to the toilet.
Collapsing on the floor I dry heave into the toilet.
Slouched over the bowl, I retch and heave but still, nothing.
My stomach is doing somersaults and my brain feels like fog rolling in through creepy woods.
Not a good start to the day. I stay in place, sitting on the cold, hard tiled floor with my back against the tub for support.
Tilting my head back onto the edge of the tub, I think back to what happened yesterday.
To what I saw. Matt, holding on to Heather like his life depended on it.
Her hands were in his hair, around his neck, groping, moving up and down in desperate need.
He had one hand at the back of her head while the other hand circled her nonexistent waist, pulling her close.
They fit so well, even I could admit that much.
Like two pieces of a puzzle finally finding their place, interlocked with each other.
And that kiss- Yep that will do it, I crouch over the bowl again and heave.
This time though, the wine and chocolate make a violent reappearance.
“You okay in there, babe?” Oh God take me Now!
This is humiliating. “Yes, I’m fin-” I don’t finish before another fit of gagging, coughing and retching takes over and my stomach empties violently.
“I’m sorry you had to bear witness to that.” I apologize while running the back of my hand across my mouth. I’m a mess.
“How are you feeling?” I ask concerned. We both indulged in copious amounts of wine last night and I would feel terrible if Evie was subjected to the same misfortune as I am currently enduring.
“Yeah, babe I’m good. Just a regular Saturday night for me. You on the other hand, look like you crawled out of Hades’ asshole, and, you stink!”
Evie lets out a chuckle at my expense but I don’t mind. She’s right. I’ve looked in the mirror; I know what I saw and it isn’t pretty. I slump on the floor with a huff of breath which causes my bangs to fly around.
“Alright Ellie, get up off your ass. Let’s get you cleaned up. Why don’t you get in the shower while I organize us some breakfast? Pity party is over, now it’s time to decide what we’re going to do.”
“We’re, not going to do anything. This is my mess and I’m going to figure it out on my own. You’ve done enough for me.”
“Hah! Wrong answer. You should know by now that I’m here for you. Ellie, listen to me. I got you. You never have to deal with anything alone. You’re my best friend and I’ll always have your back.”
I manage a small nod. I owe her so much.
She’s been there for me through so much.
She’s given me the confidence to put my thoughts onto paper and pushed me to have my first manuscript published.
It wasn’t much. Just a short Christmas novella, a holiday romance.
Evie loved it and felt strongly that with a little editing and a bit of tweaking it could do very well, and it has.
Which is why we were on our way to Chicago in the first place.
In three days’, time, I am due to attend a promotional event at a store called Book Besties in support of Indie authors.
Yes, thanks to Evie I am a self-published author of my Novella Christmas Kisses and a few other short stories.
Some of which were featured in an anthology.
So yes, I owe a great deal to Evie. She’s always been there for me.
Evie extends her hand to me, her palm open with two little pills in the center and sets down a glass of water on the counter.
She must have gotten it while I zoned out - again.
I take the pills from her knowing they’re most likely aspirin and pop them into my mouth while eyeing the glass suspiciously.
She hands me the glass and motions for me to drink.
I trust her so I do. Reading my expression she explains.
“It’s just sparkling water. The aspirin will have you right as rain in no time. Thank me later.”
She gives me a quick wink as she takes the empty glass from me and saunters out of the bathroom in that sexy Evie way. Hips swaying as she retreats.
Left to my own devices, I fish my toothbrush out of my carry-on that I had left on the bathroom counter and brush my teeth.
I rinse with some mouth wash for good measure.
Twenty minutes later and I’m already feeling better.
My head is clearer and the nausea is fading.
Standing with the large fluffy towel wrapped around me, I swipe my hand over the steamed mirror and look myself in the eye.
“Never again.”
With that, I smile and get ready to take on the day.