The Ultimate Betrayal

by Annette Mori

  Sophia tossed her phone on the bed and several tears tracked down her cheeks. “My father’s had a heart attack. He’s in critical care. My flight leaves in less than two hours. I need to hurry.”

  “I’m coming with. I might not get on the same flight, but even if I have to take a later flight, I’ll be there with you,” Rachel declared.

  “Oh, Rachel, that’s incredibly sweet of you to offer, but it’s not necessary. I’ve already disrupted your life enough.”

  “Sophia, I want to do this and you’ve been the best disruption in my whole life. Friends support one another during the tough times. It’s what we do.” Rachel pulled Sophia into her arms and let her rest her head on her shoulders and cry for a few minutes. She kissed her hair and soothed her as best she could.

  “I’ve got to keep moving if I’m going to hope to catch that flight. You can do me a huge favor and bring Joy up to speed on what’s happened. Tell her that Dad is at New York Presbyterian. I feel a little better knowing he’s at one of the best cardiac hospitals in the nation. At least I have that to alleviate some of my fears.”

  “Look, I know that I’m just someone who’s only known you a few short weeks, but I really care about you, Sophia, and I want to be there to help in any way I can. Besides, I work in a hospital and I know what to ask the caregivers. I can help make sure your dad gets the best care possible. Please let me do this for you—be there for you,” Rachel implored.

  Sophia kissed Rachel on the lips. It was a chaste kiss, but Rachel was pleased.

  “I’m not going to argue with you. I’ll just gracefully accept your support. Thank you.”

  “Is there anything you need in the meantime? Can I arrange transportation to Victoria International for you?” Rachel asked.

  “No, Lara has taken care of everything. There should be a limo waiting right outside the Empress. I just need to pack my bags and get dressed.”

  “Go on, get dressed. I’ll pack your bags, as long as you don’t mind things in slight disarray.”

  Sophia caressed Rachel’s cheek and kissed her again. “I am so blessed that you came into my life.” She turned and walked back into the bathroom after snatching a pair of jeans, shirt, socks, underwear, and bra from the drawers.

  Rachel touched her cheek, feeling the burn of Sophia’s soft caress and then launched into action making her own flight arrangements as she put her phone on speaker and began to pack Sophia’s clothes and personal items with loving precision, placing them into her suitcase. She figured that whatever Sophia left behind, Joy could grab and bring back with her.

  By the time Sophia came out, everything was packed and ready to go.

  “I got a ticket for the next flight out. I’ll meet you at the hospital. I went ahead and arranged for another ticket for Joy. I figured she would want to return to New York as well.” Rachel picked up Sophia’s suitcase. “Come on, let’s get you to your waiting limo.”

  Both women were quiet as they walked out of the Empress and headed straight for the transportation that Lara had arranged. Rachel didn’t want to bring up the elephant that now stood directly in their path. She knew that Lara would be waiting for Sophia when the plane touched down in New York.

  The driver opened the door to the back seat and before Sophia slid into the soft leather, she turned around to face Rachel. Rachel knew this wouldn’t be the last time she ever saw Sophia, but she couldn’t help feeling that something that never had a chance to develop and flourish was already ending. If there weren’t so damn many complications, she would have told her that she was falling in love. Sophia didn’t need any more shit piled on top of her, so she just told her she was right behind her and would be there for her to lend whatever support she needed.

  Sophia smiled and Rachel pulled her close hugging her goodbye and kissing her one final time before she slid into the back of the limousine. The kiss was brief, but for Rachel it was a kiss filled with love—the love she knew she wasn’t able to admit to. She thought she saw a flash of emotion in Sophia’s chocolate brown eyes, but she turned away quickly without comment.

  As the limo pulled away from the curb, Rachel watched until the car rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.

  Rachel jogged back to the suite, mentally preparing herself for all the things she needed to attend to in order for her to make this trip. Work was the least of her worries, but she did owe it to her boss to let him know she would be out for an undetermined period. She worried that Lara would worm her way back into Sophia’s heart, and that made her unreasonably concerned and if she was honest with herself—jealous. She knew that she didn’t really have any business traipsing off to New York to be by Sophia’s side in her hour of need, but she just couldn’t help herself. It felt natural to do this and Rachel always trusted her instinct. Too bad there was some faulty wiring in her head when she’d met Lara. Lust must have taken control and dampened her impeccable instincts. However, she did want to thank the universe for sending Lara her way, because if that hadn’t occurred she never would have met Sophia. Perhaps the universe knew things she did not.

  Joy seemed disappointed that she would be leaving early, but Rachel thought she hid it well. Rachel surmised that Joy was not one to abandon her best friend, regardless of her growing affection for Tanya. She’d confessed to both Sophia and Rachel that she really clicked with Tanya and for the first time in her life, she was considering an actual relationship—even though it would require fancy logistics due to the distance between their respective homes.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Sophia looked out the window and watched as the large fat droplets pounded against the window. She thought how ironic that, after leaving the Pacific Northwest and escaping the constant rain and drizzle that normally overpowered the area, she was returning to her home state and the pouring rain was her reception. Rain and Lara—she wasn’t looking forward to either one.

  Sophia let all the other passengers exit the plane before standing up, stretching, and retrieving her bag from the overhead bin. It was larger than the allotted dimensions, but since she was in first class, they’d discreetly looked the other way.

  She walked into the busy airport and headed to the general area where travelers met their loved ones. Lara was waiting on the other side of the security area and Sophia suspected that her smile was genuine. The divorce wasn’t final yet and her heart raced at the anxiety of seeing her wife after two stress free weeks of vacation. She marveled at how well she’d managed to ignore her complicated life during that time with Joy and Rachel. Every time she’d started to go down melancholy road, one of them distracted her enough to take away the pain.

  Sophia didn’t know why she’d allowed Lara to embrace her, stroke her hair, and murmur soothing words. She guessed that old habits died long, hard, deaths. In her head, she flashed to Rachel and her embrace right before she got into the limo that would take her back to the real world.

  “It’s okay, honey. I’m right here and I’ve been making sure that the very best doctors are tending to your father’s care. I didn’t tell him or Marie anything about what is going on with us because honestly I hope that after the urgency of the situation passes, that maybe we’ll have a chance to talk.”

  Sophia was too tired and too numb to respond, so she just nodded. She hoped this wasn’t a signal that she was willing to work things out, because she wasn’t. She just wanted to get to the hospital and make sure her dad would survive this latest scare and then she would worry about her disastrous and confusing love life.

  “If you have other bags to retrieve, I can send someone to get them so that we can go directly to the hospital right now without waiting at baggage claim,” Lara offered.

  Lara’s small acts of kindness reminded Sophia of how attentive she could be. Lara was a first class bitch most of the time, but she had her moments. Sophia didn’t even suspect her motives. Underneath Lara’s cool exterior, she somehow knew that Lara actually cared and was genuinely worried about her father’s hea
lth.

  “I appreciate you taking care of that. Thank you. Let’s just get to the hospital. I can’t really think about anything else right now.”

  “Of course. The limo is just outside. They’ve been on hold for the past half hour just awaiting your arrival.” Lara linked her arm in Sophia’s and Sophia did not resist the connection.

  On the way to the hospital, Lara held Sophia’s hand, maintaining a gentle caress the whole way there. It felt natural to sit next to Lara while she held her hand and offered her unconditional support. At least Sophia thought it was unconditional.

  Her vow to hold strong and not let Lara manipulate the situation began to wane as she sensed that Lara was genuinely sorry and contrite about her infidelity. Sophia began to wonder if it was possible to salvage her marriage and try again. Would she honestly be able to trust Lara? And what about her growing affection for Rachel? If she were truly honest with herself, she would admit that she wished Rachel were sitting next to her right now and not Lara. Rachel’s pull was difficult to resist. Maybe she ought to be a little more understanding now that she knew what it felt like to travel in Rachel’s orbit. She was honest when she’d blurted out how she could understand how difficult it might be to resist falling in love with Rachel. The sudden realization hit her like a Mack truck. That is exactly what had happened. She hadn’t been able to resist falling in love with Rachel. She was in love and she didn’t have the foggiest idea what she should do about that. She’d have to put those thoughts on the back burner for right now because she had much more important things to attend to.

  †

  The sterile white room with the space age equipment prominently displayed would have been enough to scare anyone. When Sophia looked down on her father’s frail body attached to more wires than she remembered from the past heart attack, her own heart began to beat rapidly and it felt like she was having a mini heart attack of her own.

  Her father’s gray pallor was not encouraging.

  Sophia’s gasp caused his milky brown eyes to open.

  Marie was holding their father’s hand. She looked up, catching Sophia’s eye.

  “Hey, little sis. Glad you could join the party. I wanted it in a different location, but Dad insisted this place is the cat’s meow. I’d ask you why the hell you were in Victoria without Lara, but we have bigger fish to fry right now. You didn’t happen to bring any salmon back? I heard they are the best in the Pacific Northwest. We could start frying them up right now,” Marie quipped.

  “I see you haven’t lost your sense of humor, Marie. I am so sorry I missed all your calls. How is he?” Sophia asked.

  “I’m right here, you know. You could ask me and not your overbearing sister,” Dominick answered.

  “Okay, Dad, how are you feeling?” Sophia asked.

  “A helluva lot better than before. You know, when they were rolling me in and the nurse ripped open my shirt to place those little shock thingies on my chest, she said, Now that I have you like this, it will be easier to have my way with you. Can you imagine me not taking that bait? But, I was in far too much pain to answer. This morning she came in and when I remembered her, I told her that I was ready for her to have her way now. She told me she wasn’t in the mood anymore. Damn, another missed opportunity. How are you, girl? Give your old man a kiss.”

  Sophia raised her eyebrow and leaned forward to kiss her father on the cheek. “You look like shit, Dad. You best save your energy for when a serious offer comes your way.”

  Dominick winked. “What makes you think it wasn’t a serious offer. Even flat on my back, I got game.”

  “Where the hell do you get those sayings? You got game? You’re seventy, Dad, not seventeen.” Marie chuckled.

  “Your son is a wonderful wingman. We cruise chicks all the time. He’s definitely got game and I think he learned it all from me.”

  Marie stuck her fingers in her ears. “La, la, la, la. I did not hear that and I definitely do not want to hear the details of your little jaunts with my son. Just remember that those so called chicks you both are cruising are someone’s daughters. You need to teach my son to respect women.”

  “I guess you got a point there. How’s my beautiful daughter-in-law doing? Lara, come give an old man some excitement and give me a kiss.”

  “You old goat. I married your daughter, not you, and you are definitely the wrong sex to use your charms on me.” Lara kissed Dominick on the forehead.

  “I am surrounded by gorgeous women. I can die happy now with my three beautiful daughters by my side.” A tear snuck out of Dominick’s eye. “I miss your mother so much, I would welcome passing on to the next dimension. I wish I believed in heaven because then I would be with her again, but I can only hope for my sorrow to end.”

  “Sshh, Dad, Mom would not want to hear you talk like that. You promised on Mom’s memory to lose weight and all I’ve seen you do is eat yourself into a third heart attack,” Sophia chastised.

  Dominick started to cry. “You girls are all I have to live for. Your mom was too young to die.”

  “So are you. I haven’t even had my kids yet. They’ll need to know their grandfather,” Sophia stated.

  Dominick perked up. “You pregnant?”

  “No, but I could be in the future, so toughen up and get well. I’ll need a built in babysitter for when I’m too exhausted to care about anything else but getting away for the weekend,” Sophia answered.

  Sophia noted the quizzical expression on Lara’s face. She hadn’t realized until that very moment that she wasn’t willing to wait much longer. She’d have a baby on her own without a partner’s support if she had to. She smiled to herself when she recalled the conversation with Rachel about children. Rachel got a glint in her eye when Sophia mentioned her desire to have kids. Rachel had confessed to her that she’d already starting researching sperm banks and adoptions, but hadn’t yet broached the subject with Lara. It seems that Rachel was on the same page as her regarding the desire to have kids. She suspected that Lara wasn’t even in the same book.

  “Well, get to it. I may die in the next year and I want to see another grandbaby pop out.”

  “Oh, that would be my primary reason for getting pregnant—making sure you have another grandbaby to play with,” Sophia remarked wryly.

  Dominick’s eyes blinked a few times and it was evident that this small amount of banter had tired him.

  “Dad, why don’t you close your eyes? None of us is going anywhere. You can take a nap while Sophia, Lara, and I catch up on all the gossip in our lives,” Marie directed.

  “Ok, honey, but you all should go get something to eat while I nap. They can’t screw up breakfast too much in here. I’m sure with all these wires hanging off every part of my body, except my penis, they’ll know the minute my condition changes.”

  “God, Dad, do you have to make everything sound so—oh, I don’t know, crass?” Marie exclaimed.

  “What? They do have wires connected to everything. I’m surprised they didn’t put one on my dick to tell them when I get an erection.”

  Sophia laughed. “It’s no use, Marie. He’s just trying to get a rise out of you and it worked.”

  At one point in Sophia’s life, she had been very angry with her father. When she found her mother crying in the master bedroom about her dad’s infidelity, it took a long time to separate Dominick the man, from Dominick the father. He’d always been a good father, but a terrible husband. Sophia suspected his infidelity stemmed from his deep-seated insecurity, or maybe he had a sex addiction like former president Bill Clinton, regardless, she learned that he was human. It was a devastating lesson to learn at the age of nine. She’d forgiven her father the indiscretions of youth, especially after he cleaned up his act.

  Sophia wondered if this was ever something she could forgive in her own spouse. Monogamy was an important value to her, especially given the experiences she witnessed firsthand with her own parents. Her mother had forgiven her father and they went on to have a good marri
age so she knew it was possible to mend those fragile threads of trust, but could she do it with her own marriage and achieve the same results? It was all so confusing to her at this moment.

  †

  Once they reached the cafeteria in the hospital, and had gotten an unappealing meal, they sat down in the uncomfortable chairs, Marie narrowed her eyes at her younger sister and asked, “Okay you two, spill. What the hell is going on?”

  Lara had decided that if she had any chance of getting Sophia back, she needed to take full responsibility and hope that Sophia would give her a second chance like Sophia’s mother had decided when she discovered Dominick’s indiscretions.

  “I made a monumental mistake that has forced me to do some serious soul-searching. Sophia filed for divorce and while I don’t like it, I most definitely deserve it.”

  Marie raised her eyebrow. “So, what exactly is this monumental mistake?”

  “I married another woman,” Lara stated.

  “Excuse me, but did you say you married another woman? What’d you do, adopt a new religion?” Marie barked. “I feel like I just got transported into one of those cheesy made for TV lifetime movies with an interesting lesbian twist. You can’t be serious. Sophia, what the hell is going on?”

  “I wish this was a joke. Lara met a woman named Rachel and married her two years ago. When I went to Seattle to surprise Lara for her fortieth birthday, instead of surprising Lara with a wonderful party, I met the other woman. I have to admit, Rachel is an easy person to fall in love with.”

  Lara didn’t know what to make of the comment Sophia just made, it sounded like Sophia was enamored with Rachel. She’d noticed the overprotectiveness that Rachel showed toward Sophia and wondered if they’d become close during the preceding two weeks. She hadn’t known exactly where Sophia had been, only that she had stayed away.