Plan Cee (Secrets, Lies, and Second Chances Book 2)

by Hilary Grossman

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CECELIA

  Lying and sneaking around was exhausting. But the feeling of being in Keith’s arms again was totally worth it, or at least that was what I kept telling myself when guilt ate at me. I cried like a baby the first time Keith and I made love. I promised myself I wouldn’t do it again. But I did. Again and again... I hated myself because I couldn’t stop.

  I was shocked at how many afternoons I was able to sneak out of my office and meet up with him. Sometimes we were together for the full afternoon, other times we only spent an hour or two with each other. I expected someone to question me as to what was going on. After all, it was completely out of character for me to miss so much work in such a short period of time. I wouldn’t classify myself as a workaholic, per se. Unlike Keith, I didn’t love working, but I’ve always had been a perfectionist and a people pleaser. My fear of letting people down had propelled me to always go the extra mile at my office. Before I met Bryce I barely touched my paid time off days. I never felt like I had a compelling enough reason to miss a day of work. It was kind of pathetic—I actually worked up until the very last second when I was pregnant with the twins. I knew I had gone into labor hours before I left for my office, but I hid my discomfort from Bryce. I didn’t mention a word to him because I knew he’d rightly stop me from going in. I felt I needed to tie up several loose ends before I could go on maternity leave with a clear conscience. And I did. I ended up working for almost four hours. Half way through my third meeting of the day, it became a struggle to continue to hide my contractions. Anna finally forced me to go to the hospital where I delivered the boys in less then an hour after I was admitted.

  I was sure constantly taking time off this summer would have caused some red flags, but so far no one uttered a word about it. I was extremely thankful the new girl I hired to replace Samantha was a superstar. She accomplished so much and so well, I was positive her overachieving ways helped make my disappearing acts less noticeable.

  I had been strategically scheduling my afternoons with Keith at the beach to coincide with the days Anna worked from home. I hated lying to her, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell her what was going on either. So many mornings I had woken up determined to confide in her that Keith and I had definitely moved out of the friend zone. As soon as I saw her face or heard her voice, I’d instantly lose my nerve. She was so wrapped up in the possible move to Boston—her emotions were all over the map. One day she’d be excited and the next she’d be on the verge of tears at the thought of leaving home. Since Cole and Bryce were such good friends, I didn’t want to add more stress to her plate. I knew it had to be my imagination or my guilty conscience, but I couldn’t shake the feeling she was looking at me differently lately as if she knew what I was doing.

  I wished someone would talk some sense into me, but I had no one to talk to. I had picked up the phone so many times to call Meri. However, I just couldn’t bring myself to forgive her, or even let her explain her past actions to me. I tried calling Katie twice, although the calls were useless. The first time we spoke she lectured me about how cruel I was being to Meri. And the second time, I caught her in the car with her boys shuffling them to football practice. She couldn’t concentrate on anything I was saying because she kept having side conversations with them.

  I pulled into my driveway and checked my reflection in the mirror as a bolt of lightening flashed across the sky followed by the roar of thunder. “Crap!” I muttered to myself when I realized I had gotten a little sunburnt today. As I reached into the back seat for my bag, I decided if Bryce noticed my color I’d say I had lunch in the park down the block from my office.

  “Hey, sweet boy,” I said as I kneeled down to pet Winston. His tail was wagging rapidly. Without fail, my pooch was always the first one to greet me when I got home from work. The television was blasting so I followed the sound and found Dylan sitting in front of it, surrounded by a gazillion Lego pieces. Donovan was on the couch snuggled up with his stuffed rabbit, sucking his thumb.

  “Mommy’s home!” Dylan yelled as he ran into my arms. I picked him up, kissed the top of his head while I simultaneously reached for the remote to turn the volume down. He pulled back to face me. As he stared into my eyes he said, “Oh, Mommy, I love you so much hearts are flying out of me!”

  I laughed and gave him a couple more kisses. “Mommy loves you too, sweet boy.”

  I glanced over at Donovan who uncharacteristically didn’t budge from the sofa. "What’s a matter buddy? Aren’t you glad to see Mommy?”

  His bottom lip quivered as his green eyes filled with tears. “I'm stuck! I can't get up! Help! Get me out of here!" He whined.

  “Let me see,” I said as I put Dylan down and walked over to him. I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing.

  “What’s so funny? Mommy what are you laughing at?” Dylan asked as he craned his neck to see.

  I put my hands on my hips and grinned at him. “Your brother is stuck all right.” I said dramatically before I reached behind Donovan and pulled out a half finished lollipop. “To this!”

  Dylan cracked up and Donovan threw his rabbit directly at his brother’s head, which only caused Dylan to laugh louder.

  “Okay, you two clowns,” I smiled as a peaceful calm, only my kids could bring, washed over me. “You two play nice and build me a house out of these Legos. I’m going to find your Daddy.”

  I walked to the kitchen, expecting to find my husband standing by the counter chopping or sautéing away, but he wasn’t there. I then walked upstairs to our bedroom. Bryce’s back was to the door. There was a large suitcase placed in the center of our bed, which he was hunched over. There were piles of clothes scattered all around.

  “Bryce?” I called out, confused.

  He stood up straight and turned around very slowly. His eyes were red and bloodshot. He looked me up and down, studying me. His mouth was a thin, tight line. He closed his eyes, shook his head, and in an ice-cold tone said, “Oh, you’re home.”

  My stomach cramped, and my mouth went dry, “What’s going on? What are you doing?”

  With venom in voice, “What does it look like I am doing, Cecelia? Playing basketball?”

  I swallowed hard, “Okay. I can see you’re packing. I guess my question is why. Do you have a convention or something I forgot about?”

  He ran his fingers through his sandy hair, “You forgot about a lot of things, Cecelia, but a dental convention sure wasn’t one of them.”

  “I don’t understand. Why are you packing then? Where are you going?” I was blabbering.

  “My office. Good thing last year when I renovated the office I installed a shower and a murphy bed. Aren’t I lucky? At least now I have someplace to stay. It would have really sucked if I had to show up at my mother’s front door and ask her if I could sleep in my old bedroom while I tried to figure out the mess that is now my life.” He turned around and refolded a Polo shirt, which he gently placed, into the bag.

  I grabbed his arm, “Bryce, look at me. Stop packing. I don’t understand what you are talking about. What do you have to sort out?”

  “Really?” He stared at me with eyes full of rage. “You make me sick. I can’t believe you have the audacity to simply stroll into this room, our bedroom, for God’s sake and act all sweet and innocent. Cut the crap!” He screamed. “Stop pretending you don’t know what I am talking about. You know full well what you did. And guess what, so do I.”

  The night sky illuminated with a large bolt of lightning followed by a loud roar of thunder. The storm picked up as the rain began to pelt hard against the bedroom window, oddly almost in time to the frantic beating of my heart. I shook my head. “Bryce, really. I don’t know what you are talking about.”

  He ran his fingers again through his already wild hair. “You don’t have a clue as to why I am packing. No idea why I am so upset? Really?”

  I sat down on my bed. My voice was barely a whisper, “No, Bryce, I don’t.”


  He laughed dramatically, “So this is how you are going to play it, Cecelia? You’re going to just stand here and act like you have no clue what is going on? Nice. I expected a little more from you. I guess when it comes to you nothing should shock me anymore.”

  “I’m not playing. I really don’t understand what’s going on. Everything was fine this morning when we left for work. But now you are acting like a crazy person. You’re talking in circles and not making any sense.”

  My mild mannered husband’s eye’s once more filled with rage. I had never seen him like this. He balled his hands into fists. He looked like he wanted to punch a wall, or me. He took a deep breath. “I don’t believe this shit!” He screamed. “How big of a fool do you think I am anyway?”

  I stood up and reached for his arm. He pushed me away. “Why would I think you are a fool, Bryce?”

  “Oh, I don’t know? Maybe because you think I fell for your lies? Maybe because you didn’t think I was smart enough to figure out you’ve been sneaking around for months? It’s okay Cecelia. You can think what you want, but know one thing.” He pointed at his chest, “I’m far from being stupid. It may have taken me a while because I trusted you. But I finally figured it all out. I know all about your little friend.” He paused for emphasis, “Keith.”

  Bile rose in my throat. “Keith?”

  “Yes,” he smirked. “You heard me. Keith. You know the guy,” he made air quotes, “you never met before the wedding. The guy who just so happened to be your goddamn ex-boyfriend. Do you know whom I’m talking about now? Does this ring any bells?”

  I gasped and rubbed my forehead, “How did you find…”

  “I don’t see what difference it makes. This isn’t about me. It’s about you, Cecelia, and what you have done to me, to our family.” He started to pace, “You know, you really are a piece of work. You’ve been lying to me for months. I knew something was wrong right after the wedding.” He jabbed me in the arm. “I asked you point blank about him. And you had the audacity to tell me you never met him before. Remember?”

  “Yes,” I whispered.

  “Why didn’t you tell me the truth? It’s not like I didn’t think you had a past.”

  “I don’t know,” I said as a tear rolled down my face.

  “Oh, stop the water works!” He yelled, “And stop the lying already!” He went back to packing, although now he was no longer folding his clothes. He was just throwing things into the bag haphazardly. “You couldn’t tell me you knew Keith because you still had fucking feelings for him.”

  I felt all the color drain out of my face, “I…I…don’t know.”

  “You don’t know? You don’t know?” He snickered. “Really? Is that the best you can do?” He shook his head. “You are un-fucking-believable!”

  I sat down on my bed, buried my head in my hands and sobbed.

  “So, I want to know,” he glared at me. “What happened anyway? Did he just reappear and what? You just went running back to him, and jumped into his bed?”

  I sniffed and looked up at him. “No, Bryce, it wasn’t like that.”

  “No? How was it then? Come on, Cecelia. I’m not a moron. You changed right after you saw him again. Don’t you think I noticed? First, you became moody and distant. Then you became completely obsessed with your phone. You’d type away at it all hours of the day and night, especially when you thought I was asleep. You kept coming up with excuses as to why we shouldn’t spend time with Anna and Cole. Except for the boys’ birthday party, I don’t even remember the last time we spent time with them as a couple. I tried to rationalize all of it. But then…” he reached over and stroked my face gently with the back of his hand. “You started coming home from a long day,” he made air quotes, “at the office with a sunburn smelling from a different shampoo, just like you do today. Finally, I knew I couldn’t continue lying to myself.”

  He sat down on the bed next to me and gently tugged at a small chunk of my freshly washed hair. “You know, it is pretty ironic. Most guys probably wouldn’t even notice the smell of their wife’s shampoo. But I do. I’ve tried so hard to be a good and attentive husband to you, Cecelia. I put you first in everything. I’ve done it since the day we met. Even tonight, once I got home, once my worst fears were confirmed, I didn’t stop to think of myself. First I made sure the boys were fed. And then, like a shmuck, I prepared a light dinner for you, which I left in the fridge. I wanted there to be something for you in case you got hungry because I know you wouldn’t bother to make something for yourself. While I am sad and hurt, I don’t regret any of my actions. In fact, I would do everything all over again. After all, I loved you, Cee.”

  “Loved?” I felt as if the wind was knocked out of me. I could barely breathe. “Don’t you still love me?”

  He shrugged his shoulders, “Honestly, I don’t know what I feel for you at this moment.” He rubbed his fingers through his messy hair. “I don’t know what to think about anything right now. I desperately prayed you’d come home tonight and prove to me nothing happened between you and Keith. I hoped I was packing a bag for nothing. Instead, you confirmed my worst fears.” He looked up at the ceiling, briefly., “You slept with another man. How could you do that to me? To us? To our family?”

  “Bryce, please,” I begged.

  “Stop it. I can’t sit here and look at you anymore. You’re making me physically sick.” He got up and threw the last pair of socks, which were on the bed, into the bag and zipped it up forcefully.

  “Why do you have to go? Can’t we talk about it? I can explain everything. I promise.”

  “I don’t want to hear any more lies or excuses, Cecelia. I’m not going to speak to you for at least a week after I leave here tonight. Please don’t go calling me as soon as I walk out this door. If there is an issue or an emergency with the boys, call my mother. She’ll get in touch with me. I already made arrangements with Madeline. She’s going to bring the boys to my office late Friday afternoon and then she will pick them up on Monday morning on her way here. This way you are free to do your own thing this weekend.” He picked up his suitcase. “Have fun.”

  “Bryce, please. Don’t go. I want to be with you and the boys.”

  He started to walk to the door.

  I begged, “Please don’t go. Can’t we talk?” I shivered even though it was really warm in my house.

  “No. I’m done. No, wait. Yeah, I actually do have one question for you.” He turned around to face me, “How long did it take you to jump into bed with him and was it worth it?”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but he didn’t give me the chance.

  “You know what? Don’t bother answering my question. I don’t want to know. Besides, at this moment, I wouldn’t believe one fucking word that came out of your mouth, anyway.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CECELIA

  I didn’t even give her a chance to settle down. As soon as I saw her stroll down the long corridor, I stormed into her office. Her back was to the door, as she placed her Louis Vuitton bag in the top drawer behind her desk. I slammed her door, hard. She gasped and jumped.

  “Oh my God! What are you trying do, scare me to death?” Anna joked, but I didn’t laugh.

  “I could kill you right now. I can’t believe you, Anna.”

  She looked shell-shocked. “What’s wrong?”

  “What’s wrong?” My face flushed, and my head pounded. “Don’t act like you don’t know.” I spat.

  Her eyes widened like saucers. “I’m not acting. I don’t know what you’re talking about, Cee.”

  I ran my fingers through my unwashed hair, “Bryce walked out on me last night.”

  “What? Oh my God. What happened?”

  My voice cracked. “Maybe you want to tell me what happened, Anna. Because I still don’t really know what went down myself. All I do know is he knows about Keith.”

  Anna sat down at her desk and rubbed her head. “What?”

  “Yeah. He knows Keith and I used to be involve
d.” I stared into her eyes. “Now how do you think he found that secret out, Anna?”

  “I don’t know.” She placed her hand on her heart. “I didn’t say anything to him.”

  I felt a small sense of relief she didn’t squeal. “Well, if you didn’t say anything there is only one other person who could have. Did you tell Cole Keith and I used to be together?”

  “Yes, I did. I told him the very same night you told me. ”

  “How dare you?” I banged my hand against her desk. “Who do you think you are blabbing about my past?”

  Anna glared at me, “Blabbing about your past? Are you kidding? I told Cole. I didn’t send an email to the entire office or post it on Facebook. Seriously. Don’t you think you are being a bit dramatic?”

  “No. I’m not.” I spat. “My past has nothing to do with your husband, Annabel.”

  “Oh, come on, Cecelia. Cut the crap, will you? You dated Keith a million years ago. It shouldn’t matter if Cole knew or didn’t know. It only matters now because you weren’t able to keep your past in your past. And since clearly you’ve been up to no good, now all of the sudden it matters. Don’t try to turn your mistakes into mine. And besides, I told Cole you dated Keith before you decided to lie to Bryce and pretend you never met the man. Why would I ever think you’d want to keep your past with him a major mystery?”

  I picked at my nails in a futile attempt to calm myself down. “What else did you tell him? How much does he know?”

  “Not much. After all, I barely know anything myself.” Anna sighed. “You stopped talking to me, remember?”

  I glanced down at my lap as she continued.

  “The last time you mentioned his name was right after you kissed him. But ever since, you’ve clammed up. So I can only imagine what’s been going on. Now here is what I do know.” She started to count on her fingers, “One, you’ve been avoiding me. We haven’t gotten together for weeks outside this office. At first, I chalked it up as me being distracted about Boston, but I’ve been trying to make plans. You have always been busy each and every time. Two, you’ve been very jittery.” She looked me up and down. “You’ve lost weight. I know you can’t eat when you are nervous or under a lot of stress. Finally, you’ve been taking a lot of afternoons off of work, and only on days when I’m not in the office. You’ve never once told me you were out. It didn’t take much brain power for me to figure out you didn’t want me to know about where you were going or what you, or better put who, you were doing. I’m not as stupid as you clearly take me for, so yeah. I’ve got a pretty good idea what’s been going on.”