[Time for Love 01.0] 8 Weeks

by Bethany Lopez

  “What?” Shelly asked.

  “The guys and I were talking at Craig’s game the other night, and TJ mentioned that he was going to pick up some work with Brock at his painting company, and Scott said he’d thought he was an ass, but they only met once … At that New Year’s masquerade we all went to.”

  “That was a great night!” Shelly remembered with a smile. “I do remember Brock hitting on Gaby, but she was dating that Roger guy at the time.”

  “It explains Scott’s attitude toward Brock. I can’t believe they had a one-night stand though, that’s crazy … I’m gonna give Scott some shit for this!”

  “You can’t,” Shelly exclaimed, putting her hand on my arm as if to hold me back. “If you say something to Scott, he will know Gaby told us, and Gaby will know I told you. She’ll be pissed.”

  “Why’d you tell me?” I asked, turning to look into her eyes.

  “You know I always tell you everything,” Shelly answered simply.

  I couldn’t stop the smile that I knew took over my whole face.

  Chapter 26 – Shelly

  I couldn’t believe how nervous I was. I mean, Cal’s family is my family, but I hadn’t seen them since before Vegas. I was nervous that they would treat me differently, and would be upset that I was planning to divorce their son.

  I wonder if he told them that I was.

  I probably should have asked him what exactly his parents knew, before I’d said I’d meet him at their place for Craig’s birthday.

  I stood on the front porch and smoothed my hand across the floral-print sundress I was wearing, trying to calm the nerves that were fluttering furiously beneath the surface.

  I raised my hand to knock, then shook my head and opened the door instead. I hadn’t knocked on this door for six years, it was silly of me to feel like I had to now.

  I opened the door and smiled at the sounds and smells that greeted me.

  I walked up to where Craig and Scott were talking in the living room. Although Cal had said this would be a family-only dinner, I’d known that Scott would be included. He was just like another brother to Cal and Craig. Rose, Cal’s mom, had always treated him just like her own boys. She’d even grounded him the weekend she found him and Cal sneaking beer from the fridge when we were all still in high school.

  “Hey, birthday boy,” I said with a smile when Craig turned around. He enfolded me into a hug, and I was struck by how much he looked like Cal had at eighteen.

  “Not a boy anymore,” Craig replied with a devilish grin. I could only imagine how the girls at school responded to that grin on the same handsome face as those amazing eyes.

  I chuckled and turned to give Scott a hug.

  “Hey,” I said smiling up into his face.

  He looked a little stressed around the eyes. “Hey,” Scott replied. “I’m glad you came.”

  I just nodded, eager to keep this night about Craig’s celebration, and not about mine and Cal’s relationship.

  “There’s my favorite girl.” I looked up and watched Rose maneuver toward me from the kitchen. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” She turned and smacked Scott on the arm, “Don’t just stand there, go get Shelly a drink … And help Cal set the table.”

  “Haha … I get a pardon cause it’s my birthday,” Craig yelled out after Scott.

  “Just for that, you can go help your dad with the projector,” Rose said with an arch of her eyebrow.

  I stifled a giggle at the forlorn look on Craig’s face as he turned to walk down the hall.

  “Birthdays used to mean special privileges,” Craig said to no one in particular as he walked.

  Rose and I both laughed, and I felt my heart lurch as she tucked her arm in mine.

  “Let’s walk a bit before dinner,” she said.

  I nodded and followed her lead out the door.

  Once we were outside, Rose didn’t waste any time getting to the point.

  “Shelly … Cal told me about what happened, and I am sorrier than I can ever explain, for you … and my son. I can’t begin to understand the hurt and betrayal that you must have felt … must still feel … I can only imagine. And I understand that your first instinct is to cut and run, but Shelly, I have to tell you, I’m really hoping that you won’t.”

  We both stopped and turned to look at each other. I knew and respected Rose enough to let her finish what she felt she needed to say, but a part of me was burning inside, and I wanted to tell her to mind her own business.

  But I didn’t.

  “Cal has loved you since the moment he saw you in that gymnasium, and as much as Harry and I worried that you kids were getting too serious too young, Cal never wavered. He told me the summer after you met that you were the girl for him, and that he would marry you as soon as he could. And he did. My son may have made a horrible mistake, but I know his heart as well as you do, and we both know that he loves you with a passion, and he always will. All I’m asking is that you take into consideration the past six years of your life, as well as that one night, before you make a final decision. I also want you to know that I love you dearly, and that no matter what decision you do end up making, you will always be my daughter.”

  I choked back a sob as my eyes filled, and we smiled at each other through our tears. I pulled her into a hug, and we both stood there for a moment, crying silently and holding on to each other.

  I loved this woman dearly … No, I loved this family dearly, and the thought of not having them in my life was like an added weight on my shoulders. I felt it crushing me and I wanted nothing more than to be able to get out from under it.

  Suddenly, my body felt coiled with frustration and rage.

  I wished whole-heartedly that Cal had never went to Vegas and fucked up our lives. His indiscretion was affecting everyone around us and I wanted to rail at him for being such an idiot.

  Rose and I walked silently back to the house, and I tried to tamper down the feelings of anger. I don’t know if she felt the change in me, but she patted me on the shoulder and smiled before leaving me standing on the front porch.

  I breathed in and out deeply, trying to release the anger that had flooded me so completely.

  “Everything okay?” I looked up just as Cal stepped out onto the porch. “I saw Mom come back in alone, so I wanted to check on you.”

  I looked up at him and saw my worry reflected back at me. I knew he could tell that I was upset, but didn’t want to ruin the evening.

  “I’m fine,” I responded. “Can you come by my place later though, so we can talk?”

  “Of course,” Cal said with a frown. “Look, Shelly, if it’s too much for you to be here, I understand. I can tell everyone you didn’t feel well or something, and stop by later.”

  “No, that’s okay,” I replied, gesturing for him to lead the way back inside. “I want to be here for Craig … I’ll be okay.”

  We both walked quietly back inside, and I knew it was going to be a difficult meal for both of us. I just hoped we could put on brave faces for his family.

  Chapter 27 – Cal

  I always loved spending time with my family, the way we joked with each other, the love that was always in the room, and the laughter that inevitably filled the house. But sitting through dinner tonight was unbearable.

  I was so apprehensive, worried about what Shelly wanted to talk about. I mean, I had a good idea of what she wanted to talk about, but it was the first time since we started our dates that she seemed to want to. I couldn’t help but be worried about what she wanted to say. I only hoped that she wasn’t going to try and back out of the last three dates.

  I needed that time …

  I knew that at this point, Shelly wasn’t ready to forgive me or change her mind about wanting a divorce, and I couldn’t handle the thought of her giving up without giving me the shot we’d agreed upon.

  I physically, and emotionally, could not handle even the thought …

  I tried to smile and laugh with everyone, but I knew m
y mom was watching Shelly and me carefully. Especially after she came back inside after talking to Shelly. I wondered what they’d had to say to each other, and my imagination was rampant with possibilities.

  Scott could tell something was wrong too, and when we went to the kitchen to put candles on the cake, he pulled me to the side.

  “Everything alright, bro?”

  “I don’t know,” I whispered to him. It always seemed like my mom heard everything, and I didn’t want her coming in the kitchen to batter me with questions. “Shelly asked me to come by later to talk.”

  Scott clapped his hand on my shoulder.

  “Let me know if you need anything, and try not to let your anxiety show …”

  “I was trying not to,” I countered.

  “Well, your acting sucks,” Scott replied as he lit the candles. “Don’t quit your day job.”

  That got a real grin out of me, so I whispered, “Asshole,” as I carried the cake out, which earned me a glare from my mother.

  Once the cake was devoured, we didn’t have to stay long, because Craig had made plans to meet up with some of his friends. So, Shelly and I made our goodbyes rather quickly, and after promising my mother that I’d come by in the next few days, I followed Shelly to her house.

  I didn’t jump right out of the car after I parked; instead, I took a few minutes to try and calm my nerves. I looked up and saw Shelly waiting for me at the door, “Quit being such a pussy,” I muttered to myself, then took a deep breath and got out of the car.

  I followed her wordlessly into the house, and back into the kitchen. She motioned toward the table, so I walked over and grabbed a seat.

  I wondered momentarily if I’d ever see any part of the house other than the kitchen.

  “I’m so mad at you,” Shelly said softly. The sound of raw pain in her voice made my stomach clench. She sat and looked at me, her face shuttered. “I need you to tell me everything that happened that night.”

  I looked at her for a moment, wanting to make sure she was sure that this was what she wanted. When I met her stony glare, I took a deep breath and began to recount that night in Vegas.

  “We started at the craps table. We spent a lot of money and had a lot of free drinks in about an hour. We skipped dinner. I don’t think we meant to, it just kind of happened. We went from Bellagio to Paris, and then took a cab to the other side of the strip. We would stop and gamble and have some drinks, and then we ended up going to a club.. I guess it was the lack of food and the insane amount of shots we did at the club that really fucked me up. Once we said that we were celebrating Scott’s bachelor party, everyone was buying us shots. I was trashed before midnight.”

  I paused, my stomach in turmoil and my palms starting to sweat, but Shelly just sat there watching me silently, almost as if she was trying to separate herself emotionally from the conversation, so I continued on.

  “I remember telling the guys I had to go, and they kept ragging on me, calling me a pussy, a lightweight, and whatever else they could think of to try and get me to stay, but I was too fucked up to care. They said they got me in a cab, and told the driver where we were staying. They even gave him some cash … I don’t know. I don’t remember anything from that point on.” I wrung my hands and stared into Shelly’s eyes, which were starting to tear up.

  “When I woke up, I was naked and in bed with the worst hangover I’d ever had. I couldn’t make it to the bathroom, so I puked in a trash can by the desk in the room. I don’t know how long I threw up, but I heard the toilet flush and looked up, expecting to see one of the guys walk out, but it wasn’t one of the guys.”

  “What did she look like?” Shelly asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

  “Shelly ... it doesn’t matter,” I said, desperate for her to stop. I didn’t want to hurt her more than I already had.

  “It matters to me,” she replied. “What did she look like?”

  “She was blonde. Tall and blonde,” I responded, my voice laced with regret.

  “Where did you meet her?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “But you had sex with her.”

  “I don’t know, Shel.”

  “Maybe you didn’t have sex with her then, if you can’t remember,” Shelly asked, and I got a glimpse of hope through the tears that were falling down her face.

  “We were both naked, Shelly. And although I don’t remember meeting her or having sex with her, it’s the only logical conclusion that I can come up with.” I was sure my face reflected the regret that was filling my heart.

  “So we’ll never know … Not for sure,” she surmised sadly.

  I reached out my hands to hers, then took them back when she flinched.

  “No,” I replied softly, although my entire being wanted to scream out loud.

  It was like we were back to square one. Back to the night of our anniversary, like the last five weeks didn’t matter. I was crushing Shelly all over again. “I don’t think I’ll ever know for sure.”

  Shelly nodded, then brought her hands up to wipe her face.

  “I need you to go now.”

  My heart dropped, and I wanted nothing more than to take her in my arms and hold her until both of our hearts were whole again.

  “Shelly, please …” I started, but the look on her face stopped me. I stood up, but stopped and asked before leaving, “Will you still see me on Saturday?”

  “I’ll let you know,” she replied, then brought her haunted gaze to mine. “I’m so mad at you,” she said again.

  “I know,” I replied. “I’m sorry.”

  Chapter 28 – Shelly

  “What do you think?” I asked Sasha, pushing my shirt up my arm to show off my new tattoo. Strength was written in script across the inside of my left bicep.

  “That looks wicked!” Sasha said, running her finger gently along the script. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t go with you and Gaby. There was no other time I could show that house, and I really wanted the commission.”

  “How’d it go?” I asked as I moved up in line. We were waiting at the local deli to order our lunch. They had a killer Greek salad.

  “I got it,” Sasha said with a beautiful grin. She looked gorgeous with her red hair pulled back into a high ponytail and wearing a sophisticated, yet sexy, gray pinstripe suit.

  “’Atta girl,” I replied, putting my hand up for a high five.

  I stepped up to the register to put in my order, then shifted to the side to wait for Sasha to put in hers.

  I glanced up when the door jangled, signaling someone’s entrance to the deli, and my heart fluttered when I saw it was Cal.

  I took advantage of the fact that he hadn’t yet noticed me, and I looked him over slowly.

  He had always been the hottest guy I’d ever seen.

  He still was …

  He was dressed for work, so he had stains of grease scattering his clothes, and his hands had streaks of gray … Like he’d tried to wash up, but hadn’t had time to get his hands totally free of grease. I’d always thought he’d looked hot when he was working. Some people may be turned off by the mess, but not me. I’d always loved knowing that Cal was a strong, capable man who could make something that was broken, whole again.

  His hair was mussed, like he’d spent the better part of the day running his hands through it, and his face was dark with the shadow of a day-old beard.

  As I watched him, my body became flushed and aware, as if it was attuned to the fact that my mate was in the vicinity.

  “Shit,” Sasha said from behind me, causing me to jump. “You’re making me horny … You’re looking at Cal like he’s on the menu, and you’re starved.”

  “Shut up,” I hissed at her, but she just chuckled and yelled out, “Hey, Cal!”

  I shot her a look that I hoped conveyed that I wanted to chop her into bits, then turned and smiled as Cal walked over.

  “Hey, Shel … Sasha,” Cal said when he got close enough for us to hear him. “I’m just picking up
lunch for TJ and me, how’s it going?”

  He had a smile on his face, but his eyes looked troubled as they searched my face.

  Things hadn’t ended well after Craig’s birthday, and I hadn’t contacted him yet to let him know whether I still wanted to go out Saturday or not. I’d been able to think of little else … but it seemed like our relationship is all I’ve thought about and I still had no idea what to do about it.

  I loved Cal, and I probably always would, but I didn’t know if I could continue to be his wife … And I didn’t know if I could continue giving him hope.

  “I’m gonna go to the bathroom,” Sasha said suddenly, walking off quickly to give Cal and me privacy, her heels tapping across the linoleum as she did.

  “How’s it going?” I asked.

  “How’ve you been?” Cal asked at the same time.

  We both chuckled nervously, him looking toward the register, while I looked around the room, neither of us meeting each other’s eyes.

  “I’m sorry about the other night,” I said softly, running my hand through my hair with a sigh.

  “Hey, what’s that?” he asked, his hand coming up to touch the beginning of my tattoo.

  I lifted my sleeve up to show him the word, then pulled it back down.

  “Tattoo,” I responded.

  “I like it,” Cal said, his eyes still on my arm.

  “You do?” I asked, not sure I believed him.

  He must have heard the disbelief in my voice, because he looked at me with a puzzled expression.

  “Yeah, why wouldn’t I?”

  “I don’t know …” I said with a shrug. “I just didn’t think you would.”

  He peered at me quizzically for a minute, then looked me over before a hurt expression crossed his face.

  “Is that what all of this has been about?” he asked with a wave of his hand. “The piercing, the hair, and now the tattoo … Are these all things you’ve wanted to do, but somehow thought that I wouldn’t allow you to do?”