Kris threw her hands in the air in exasperation. “I don’t know, maybe if I had paid more attention instead of getting caught up in the moment. I swear I had no idea. I believed it was Jenna. I don’t know what went wrong or whose fault it was. I’m so confused right now.”
Liz slid her chair closer to Kris and put her arm around her. “I know you feel horrible right now, but it wasn’t your fault. There were too many other factors involved, and you couldn’t have known it was Kim. You have to forgive yourself. Kim should have stopped you when she realized you thought she was Jenna.”
“But I cheated on Jenna with her sister. I feel awful. I’m disgusted with myself.”
“Did you go further with Kim than you did with that real estate agent?” Allie asked.
Kris's bottom lip trembled as she gave Allie a slow nod. “We kissed and….”
As soon as the words had escaped Kris's mouth, Allie stormed off through the gate towards her car. Danni and Erin chased after her. They each grabbed an arm.
“Allie, no. Calm down,” Danni said.
Allie turned to face Danni with tears in her eyes. Her face was flush with rage. “Let go of me.”
Danni and Erin both tightened their grip. “No. You beating the hell out of Kim and getting yourself into trouble won’t solve anything. It will only make Kris feel worse if she’s the reason you get locked up.”
Allie jerked her arm free of Erin and hugged Danni. She buried her head in Danni’s shoulder and cried. “We have to do something.”
Danni stroked Allie’s hair and wiped the tears from Allie’s cheeks. “Don’t worry, we will. She’ll pay for what she has done, but we have to convince Kris to tell Jenna. She has to before Kim twists it around and uses it against Kris. Secrets always have a way of coming out one way or the other. It’s easier to forgive an honest mistake, than to forget a secret that was kept.”
Kris watched the three of them walk back through the gate. She thought she would feel better after telling someone, but she still felt ashamed.
Danni slid her chair in front of Kris and held her hands. “We all know you would never cheat on Jenna. We know how much you love and respect her. Kim tricked you into believing she was Jenna. She betrayed your trust. Her only goal was to manipulate you and make you vulnerable.”
Kris let Danni’s words sink in. “But, Kim isn’t gay. Why would she want to have sex with me?”
Danni squeezed Kris's hands beneath hers. “Sometimes sex is about power. Some people use it as a power play. She knows how much Jenna loves you and for whatever reason she feels threatened by that. By manipulating you, she now has the power to hold that over your head threatening to ruin your relationship.” Danni tugged on Kris's hands. “Look at me, Kris. You don’t have to let her have the power. If you tell Jenna what happened, Kim has no control left over you.”
Kris looked down at the ground. “Well, it’s complicated. Technically, she could say that I seduced her.”
Allie who had managed to calm down now became enraged again. “Just what happened? How did this start?”
“Like I told you, I had been asleep. I heard a noise and I thought it was Jenna. I called her into the bedroom. She peaked through the door, but all I could see was a silhouette. I told her to shut the door and come closer. My headache was gone, and I started flirting and kissing her.”
Allie narrowed her eyes and balled up her fists at her sides. “What was her reaction? Kim didn’t say anything to stop you?”
Kris's hand tightened around her water bottle crushing it until it made a loud pop from the sides crinkling in. “It was dark so I have no idea what kind of expression she had.” Kris pounded her fist on her thigh. “If only I had turned the light on, I would’ve realized it was Kim.” She shook her head and cleared the thought from her mind. It was too late for ‘what if’s’ now.
“She asked me what I was doing, but I thought it was just part of the foreplay.” Kris looked around with an anxious look. She felt uncomfortable talking about it. “I pinned her down to the bed…and…well…basically, both of our shirts came off. We kissed. We fondled, but our pants never came off.”
Allie stood in front of Kris rubbing her fist into the palm of her other hand gritting her teeth. “When did you realize it was Kim?”
“When I ran my hand over her lower back where Jenna’s tattoo is and I felt a birthmark instead.” Kris covered her face with her hands and leaned forward. “So, you can see why I’m hesitant to tell Jenna. What am I supposed to say? ‘Sorry Jenna, I accidentally seduced your sister,’ because that’s what happened.”
“Well, it was an honest mistake,” Danni offered.
“Honest or not, it’s a pretty big damn deal,” Kris responded back.
Allie pointed her finger at Kris,“Hey, don’t snap at my girlfriend like that. Danni is just trying to help. We all are.”
Kris hugged Danni. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be so defensive and jumpy. This situation has my nerves on edge.”
Danni put her arm around Kris's shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “It’s okay. I understand, but that’s why you have to tell Jenna now before it affects your relationship more than it already has.”
Liz cleared her throat. “What was Kim’s reaction when you confronted her about it?”
“She accused me of seducing her, of course. She turned the whole thing around on me making herself out to be the innocent one.”
Everyone looked around at each other. They felt bad for Kris, but no one knew the right words to say to make her feel better.
“What should I do now? What do I tell Jenna? What if she doesn’t believe me? Maybe I shouldn’t tell her and just make sure it never happens again. Remember how she reacted when she found out about the other realtor situation?”
Allie who had been in tears found her voice. “Stop thinking about everyone else. We’re talking about you right now. I love Jenna too, but this happened to you. This happened because of her sister.” Allie couldn’t control her anger.
Allie paced back and forth with her fists at her sides. “We are all here for you. We believe you. We love you, and we’ll help you get through this. We will help Jenna get through it too, but she has to accept what her sister has done to you.”
Allie pulled Kris up out of the chair and held her tight. Danni, Liz, and Erin joined them. They comforted each other in silence with tears in their eyes.
“Thanks guys,” Kris said when the moment had passed.
“Anything for you sweetie,” Erin said. “Do you want to be alone when you tell Jenna or would you feel better with one of us there?”
Kris's heart skipped a beat. “I think it’s best if it’s just the two of us. Do I have to tell her everything? I mean, you know….”
“That is your decision. I don’t think you have to give all the specifics if you’re worried about it. Jenna just needs to know what that bitch did to you,” Allie responded.
***
The following Monday, Allie wanted to surprise Danni at the hospital for lunch. She sent Danni a text in case she wasn’t alone and waited outside her office door. She heard footsteps approaching the door and backed away. Danni opened the door and took Allie’s hand pulling her inside the office. She closed the door behind Allie and greeted her with a deep kiss.
Allie broke away from the kiss. “I hope that’s not how you always answer the door. Is that why the pizza delivery girl always sneaks extra pepperoni on our pizza and delivers it with a smile?”
Danni swaggered back towards her desk. “Don’t forget about the chick who delivers our mail now. She doesn’t just drop a package and run. She rings my bell,” Danni said with a snicker.
“Ha, ha. Remind me to get a P.O. box.” Allie sat the bag with their sandwiches down on Danni’s desk and pulled two water bottles out of her messenger bag. “I thought I would bring you lunch. Do you have time to eat now?”
“I should be able to enjoy a few minutes unless someone requests another consult. It has been a bu
sy day so far. Thanks for thinking about me. You’re so sweet.”
Allie handed a sandwich to Danni. “Anything for my girl. It’s been a pretty busy day for me too. I conferenced with a few new clients needing help with their social media accounts, but I’ve had a hard time concentrating. I still can’t believe what happened between Kris and Kim.”
“You have to let it go. It’s not up to you to figure things out.”
“But Kris was so happy. She was finally getting her life together and moving forward instead of dwelling on the past. I’m worried about how Kim fits into this whole situation. Don’t you think she should’ve found her own place by now and let Kris and Jenna have their privacy back?”
“Don’t get yourself worked up over this. I know how you are and how much you care about Kris. I don’t know Kim well enough to speculate about what is going on with her. I haven’t seen much of her, or Jenna as a matter of fact, these past few months.” Danni unwrapped her sandwich. “I’m starving. We should eat before I get called away.”
***
The hospital elevator chimed and the doors opened. Allie stepped to the side to allow everyone to exit. She was busy checking her email on her phone when she stepped inside the elevator just before the doors closed. She pushed the button for the ground floor and leaned against the wall. She noticed a pair of feet and looked up to acknowledge her fellow passenger. Her muscles tensed as she found herself standing toe to toe with one of the Harper twins. Her eyes were drawn to the name tag dangling from its lanyard. “Hello, Kim.”
“Hello, Allie. What brings you here? Just visiting, I hope?” Kim flashed a fake smile that had become so natural now that she did it without having to think about it.
“I met Danni for lunch.” Allie crossed her arms and stepped into Kim’s personal space causing her to back up into the wall.
Kim clutched the rail behind her. “I’m sure Danni appreciated that. I’m headed down to the cafeteria myself for lunch.” She glanced up at the numbers above the elevator doors. They only had two floors to go. She moved sideways to make her way towards the front of the elevator, but Allie blocked her. “Is something wrong?” Kim asked.
Before Allie could answer, the doors opened and Kim pushed past her. Allie followed her out into the hallway. She wanted to confront her. Why else would fate put her on an elevator with Kim if she wasn’t meant to say something? She entered the cafeteria right behind Kim, but stopped when she saw Jenna sitting at one of the tables waiting on Kim. She turned and left. It would have to wait for another time. She couldn’t say anything in front of Jenna.
Chapter Thirteen
Kris stressed over the best way to tell Jenna about what Kim had done. She wasn’t sure if Jenna would believe her or what Jenna’s reaction would be. The only thing she knew for sure is that she didn’t want Kim around when she told Jenna. She also didn’t want to bring it up before going to bed at the end of a long day.
Keeping Kim away would be difficult. Kim continued to involve herself in everything Jenna did. Kris didn’t have any time alone with Jenna any more. Kim would change her schedule around at work so she could ride to work with Jenna. Kim even took up jogging so she could jog with Jenna to work or around town.
Kris hadn’t talked to Kim about what happened either. She didn’t want to tip Kim off for fear of what she might do. Kris had a hard time trusting her before, but now things were worse. She had a hard time sleeping at night. She had a constant fear now about whether Jenna or Kim was in the room with her. Unless she saw Jenna’s tattoo or the scar on Jenna’s leg from the accident, she always assumed there was a chance it was Kim instead. With suggestions from her friends and days of going back and forth over how to tell Jenna, Kris came up with a plan of how to get Jenna alone.
Jenna had just came out of surgery and was in her office going over charts. There was a knock on the door. Danni rushed into Jenna’s office short of breath. “Hurry Jenna, something has happened to Kris. She needs you now!”
Jenna stood up knocking her chair backwards. “What happened? Where is she?” Jenna panicked as her mind fired off different scenarios.
“She’s at home. Let’s go. I’ll take you,” Danni said as she pushed Jenna out the door.
Jenna stopped at the nurse’s station and told them she had an emergency at home.
“Is Kris okay?” Jenna asked when they reached Danni’s car. Jenna felt sick, the same feeling she had when she thought she had lost Kris after the accident.
Danni hated tricking Jenna like this, but it was the only way to get her alone. Besides, Kris was in trouble and she did need her. “Calm down Jenna. Kris will be okay, but she needs you.”
Jenna felt relief, but now she was getting irritated. “What is going on?” she demanded.
Danni stopped in front of the house. “We’re here now. I will let Kris explain.”
Jenna looked around. Everything looked normal from the outside. No police cars or fire trucks, so it couldn’t be anything too serious. She ran up the steps and threw open the door.
Kris was waiting for her by the couch. Jenna gave Kris a hug and held her tight. “I was so worried about you. Are you okay?” Jenna asked concerned.
Kris had slipped her hands underneath Jenna’s scrubs while hugging her to make sure she didn’t feel Kim’s birthmark. She nodded her head against Jenna’s shoulder. She took Jenna’s hand and told her to take a seat. Jenna sat on the couch, and Kris sat across from her on the edge of the coffee table.
This was one of the most difficult things Kris had ever had to do before. She thought she could handle it, but sitting across from Jenna now and looking into her eyes was a different story. She had a flashback to their first night together in the house when Jenna had first told her about Kim. She thought it was ironic that they were sitting in the exact same place about to have another conversation involving Kim.
Jenna was going insane. She leaned forward and put her hands on Kris's knees, “What’s wrong Kris? Tell me please. You’re scaring me.”
Silent tears rolled down Kris's face. She had come this far; there was no turning back now. Kris put her hands on top of Jenna’s and squeezed them. “I love you more than anything in the world, Jenna. I’d never lie to you or hurt you.” Kris hesitated. “Please hear me out. I have to tell you something about Kim.”
Jenna’s face went pale. She knew Kris wasn’t happy that Kim was still there, but this seemed more serious than that. Kris had never called her away from work before. Jenna was getting nervous. Her heart pounded and her stomach churned. She could feel Kris's palms sweating.
Kris looked deep into Jenna’s eyes. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but Kim pretended to be you.”
“What do you mean? Are you saying you thought you were talking to me, but it was Kim? It happens all the time.”
“No, Jenna. Kim tricked me into thinking she was you. Do you remember last week when I had a headache and you left me here to rest while you took care of things in town?”
Jenna nodded her head. “Yes, I remember. When I got back you were still in bed, and that’s the day Kim came back.”
Kris proceeded, “Before you came back, I heard someone across the hall. I thought it was you. I didn’t realize it was Kim and that she had come back early. Anyway, I called out for you to come into the bedroom.”
Jenna swallowed hard and looked down at Kris's sweaty trembling hands. Jenna’s pulse quickened and she bit her lip. She didn’t like the direction this story was going. “What are you trying to tell me? Kim came into our bedroom?”
“Yes. She came in and it was dark, so I still thought it was you. It didn’t help that I was still under the effects of the medication you gave me before leaving.”
“Those pills do make you confused, but they make you feel better.” Jenna smirked. “Then, your libido becomes insatiable after your migraine goes away.” Her expression changed and the lines between her eyebrows deepened. “Wait a minute, are you telling me Kim let you believe she was me to h
ave sex with you?”
Kris averted her eyes down to her hands still holding Jenna’s, but she didn’t say anything.
“What? Why would she do that? That doesn’t make sense.”
Kris couldn’t hold her tears back any longer. “Kim led me to believe it was you. She didn’t try and stop me. She let me seduce her. I’m so sorry, Jenna. I thought it was you. I didn’t know she was capable of doing such a thing.”
Jenna broke free from Kris's hands and stood up. She paced the room shaking her head. “No, no. There must have been some mistake.” Jenna stopped in front of Kris. She narrowed her eyes at Kris in disbelief. “Are you telling me you slept with my sister?”
Kris covered her mouth and sobbed. It was a minute or two before she could speak. When she opened her eyes, Jenna had her arms crossed towering above her with a stern look. “No Jenna, it didn’t get that far.”
“That far? Just how far did you go with my sister?”
“I can’t believe this. It sounds like you’re attacking me. I wanted to come clean and tell you the truth. I don’t want to keep secrets from you. I’m telling you that your sister tricked me. I’m the victim here, not her.” Kris then stormed up the stairs and slammed the bedroom door.
Jenna was on her way up the stairs chasing after Kris when she heard the front door slam behind her. She turned to find Kim standing in the middle of the room hunched over catching her breath.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving the hospital? I came by your office, but one of the nurses said there was an emergency at home and you had to leave.” Kim sat down on the couch to catch her breath.
Jenna walked back down the stairs and sat down beside Kim. “Why are you out breath? Did you run back here?”
Kim shook her head. “No. I was worried and got myself worked up. I drove back here as fast as I could. What’s wrong? Where’s Kris?” She sat back and rested her feet on the coffee table trying to hide the panic she felt.
Jenna's Closure (Dr. Jenna Harper Series Book 2) Page 12
