“Being a dick to whom? Me or Charlie?”
Confusion spread over me and I had no idea where Heather was going with this. But somehow I knew I better be apologizing to her.
“Heather, in my mind we haven’t broken up. Yet, we have in reality, but you are here with me now. I feel I should apologize to you. For Charlie. It seems everything would be different if I hadn’t broken up with you.”
“You’re right. We’d probably be married right now with a family of our own. Instead, you’ve wasted years with someone else. I’m not even sure if this is going to work.”
What was she saying? “Heather please…please forgive me. I want you, no one else.”
“Hopefully you’ll be able to show me that soon instead of just telling me. I couldn’t help but notice the nice rock on Charlie’s left hand. That should be mine, Mitch,” she said, glancing over at me with a slight glare in her eyes.
“You’re right. I fucked up,” I said, putting my hand to my head. All of this stress was giving me a headache.
“Well, we can talk more after you’ve had a chance to rest,” she said, pulling up in front of my parents’ house.
We walked in, not saying much. My mother greeted us enthusiastically.
“Mitch, are you all right?”
“I just have a headache. The doctor said I would have some.”
“Have you taken your meds yet?”
“No.”
“I’ll bring it to you with a glass of water. Why don’t you go lay down?”
I made my way to my room. It felt like I’d just been here a few days ago. I couldn’t even imagine living with Charlie in the apartment I’d just left. I also wasn’t sure why Heather was saying her life had moved on. I couldn’t lose her. I loved her so much. Didn’t I?
Heather and my mom came in with my pill and water. I took it and then lay on my bed.
“I’m going to let you rest.”
“Will you be here when I wake up?”
“Of course she will, honey. Heather’s going to visit with me while you sleep.”
I nodded. “Can you give us a minute, Mom?”
“Certainly,” my mom said and then left us.
Reaching my hand up to Heather’s, I pulled her down to the bed to sit next to me. “I’m sorry. I know things are difficult. Please just promise me you aren’t going anywhere.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Mitch. I love you, even though you broke my heart.”
“Maybe when I’m up to it we can talk about that. I’m going to make everything up to you.”
“You get some rest. I’ll see you when you wake up. I’m going to visit with your Mom. Catch up on things.” Heather kissed me on my forehead. Then she left, closing the door behind her.
***
“How about we have a glass of wine while Mitch is sleeping?”
“I’d like that.”
“White okay?”
“Yes.”
“Why don’t we toast to new beginnings? I’m assuming you did what I told you to.”
“You were right, Lillian. I did your take away plan in the car. Mitch apologized and promised to make things up to me the moment he thought he might lose me. How did you know that would work?”
“Honey, I know how to get my way when it comes to men. They always want what they can’t have. He’ll work hard to keep you now and Charlie will be out of his life for good.”
“Looks like I have a lot to learn from you.”
“Well, you and I always were two peas in a pod. We are both women who know what we want and go after it. It’s just too bad you got greedy in high school.”
“I was an idiot. I never should have cheated on Mitch.”
“You were dumb for getting caught. You’ll learn. I’ve never been caught after all these years being married. Edward has no idea what I do and he never will. Mitch will be a good husband and you’ll get to do what you want, just like me.”
“Well, I actually love Mitch more than I realized. I’m not worried about finding someone else right now.”
“Oh, I know. But you might at some point. And I’ll teach you everything I know. You’re the daughter I never had.”
“I’m glad you’re here for me. With my mom dying a few years back, I’ve felt kind of lost.”
“Consider yourself found, Heather. You’re part of my family now. I’m your mother and you’re my daughter.” We clinked our glasses together and continued sipping our wine.
Chapter 21: Charlie
I hadn’t touched the food Garrett brought out to me. I just sat there on the sofa, waiting for Kate, staring into nothingness. She couldn’t get here soon enough. Garrett had stayed quiet and given me space by cleaning the kitchen.
Kate was my best friend in the whole world and she knew everything about me, Mitch, our relationship. I needed her like I needed air. The forty-five minutes seemed like an eternity.
“I’d like to see Kate, but if you’d prefer I leave, I’ll understand.”
“You can stay,” I said, still staring. Even turning my head seemed like a feat I wasn’t capable of doing. Every muscle in my body felt weighed down. Even talking had become a chore.
Garrett sat next to me and picked up my hand. “Don’t say it’s going to be okay. Mitch just broke up with me and left with Heather.”
“He and Heather won’t make it. She’s too much like our mother. Very controlling and manipulative. He’ll see through her.”
“So far, he’s not seeing anything but the past.”
“I wish I could make it better for you, Charlie.”
“Me too,” I said as I heard a knock on the door.
I got up to answer it. Kate and Neil stood there. Kate immediately hugged me, harder than I ever thought possible. She stood there, holding me. I didn’t want to let go. Finally, I told them to come in.
“Garrett,” Kate called out. He got up to hug her and then she introduced him to Neil.
I filled Kate and Neil in on everything that had happened right up to the moment Mitch abruptly dumped me.
“I can’t believe it. Charlie, I’m so sorry you’re going through all of this.”
“Why would Lillian contact Heather?” Neil asked.
“My mom can control Heather and through Heather control Mitch. When he got the courage to break up with Heather, my mom did everything in her power to get them back together,” Garrett responded.
“Yeah, I can see that. Oh, no…” Kate said, but didn’t finish her thought.
“What?” I asked.
“This means Mitch doesn’t remember David dying. He has to go through that all over again.”
“He asked me about David and I told him what happened. I’m sure he probably wants to talk to you about it, Kate. He kept asking about David, so I had no choice but to tell him,” Garrett interjected.
“Of course. Who knows, maybe after talking to me it might jar his memory? He was just so broken up over losing David, I hate that he’s going to have to deal with it again.”
Tears rolled down my cheeks as I thought about everything. Kate put her arms around me and just held me as I cried.
“Neil, maybe you and Garrett could get us something to drink?” Kate said.
Both of them got up and left us.
I looked at my best friend as she wiped the tears from my eyes. “I know everything has gone dark and you can’t see a way for this to be okay, but the Charlie I know is strong and no matter what, you’re going to get through this. I will be with you every step of the way. I promise. Next to Neil, you’re the most important person in the world to me.”
“I feel the same way. Why does everything you’ve said sound so familiar?”
“You basically said the same thing to me when David died. I couldn’t have gotten through that without you, Charlie.”
“That’s what this is like. It is as if Mitch has died. It feels the same. He’s simply gone.”
Kate squeezed my hand. “I wish I could make everything go back to normal. I know
your heart is breaking.”
“I know you would if you could. We’ve been through so much together. With you by my side I can face anything.”
“I’ll always be here for you. And just so you know, you can stay with Neil and me if you don’t want to stay here or with your parents. I have a guest room with your name on it.”
“You and Neil are newlyweds. You should have your privacy.”
“I’ve already talked to him and he has no problem with you staying in our guest room. The house is big. We could go for days without seeing you,” Kate said with a chuckle.
“I might take you up on that.”
Neil and Garrett came back in with water for each of us. “How about we go get something to eat,” Neil suggested.
“Sounds good. It’s getting close to dinner time. Have you eaten anything today?” Kate asked.
“Garrett made us omelets.”
“Charlie, you really didn’t eat any of the omelet. You need to eat.”
“That settles it. Let’s get some Italian. Have some wine, fresh bread, pasta. We can go to Ciao’s. You love their lobster ravioli,” Kate said.
The idea of going anywhere made my head hurt, but the alternative was sitting amongst friends in my home, where Mitch would seemingly never return. As much as I didn’t want to go out, it seemed the better option.
“Okay. But, I need to take a quick shower and freshen up. I’ll be right back.”
Chapter 22: Mitch
I woke up from a dream I was having about Charlie. I was proposing to her at her parents’ house, just like she had shown me on her phone. The only problem was I didn’t actually remember it, I remembered her telling me about it and seeing the video.
I felt bad about how things had gone down between us. She was a victim in all of this and I had been a complete bastard to her, for Heather’s sake. Something was off, but I didn’t know what it was. I needed to talk to Garrett and find out why I broke up with Heather in the first place. And also why he had spent the night at my fiancée’s house. That didn’t sit right with me either. Anger was coursing through my veins at the thought of him touching her.
My bedroom door opened and the light from the hallway shone in. Heather was peeking in.
“I’m awake,” I said so she could enter.
“Are you hungry? I thought we could get some dinner together.”
“Yeah, I’m starved.”
“What sounds good to you?”
“How about Italian?”
“That’s my favorite.”
“Okay, I’ll get dressed and be out in a minute.”
Heather drove us to a quaint restaurant I had no memory of. “Have we been here before?” I asked.
“No, I only discovered it a few years ago. The food is really delicious and they have a great wine selection.”
“I probably shouldn’t mix my meds with alcohol. It’s not a good idea.”
“Oh, I’m sure it will be fine. You’re not going to get carded. You’re twenty-five, not eighteen.”
“Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting. How do you always know what I’m thinking? Losing my memory has been surreal. It seems like we should be about to graduate.”
“Well, you’re already a college graduate. It’ll take a little bit of time, but you’ll get used to the changes. You’re smart, Mitch, you’ll catch up.”
“I hope so.”
We made our way into the restaurant and I stopped dead in my tracks. Kate was sitting at a table with some guy and I could see the backs of Charlie’s and Garrett’s heads. I just wanted food. I didn’t want to deal with all of them right now, but Kate saw us and began making her way over to me.
“Mitch,” she said, pulling me in for a hug. Of course I knew who she was, my best friend’s girl. I needed to know everything that happened to David.
“Kate, I’m glad to see you. I really need for us to talk, but not here, not tonight. We just came for a quiet dinner. You remember Heather, right?”
“Of course. Hi Heather.”
“Hi Kate.”
“You have my number in your phone, so why don’t you call me when you are up for a visit. I can be available anytime.”
“I’d like us to talk tomorrow if that’s good for you.”
“Sure. Just tell me the time and place.”
“Can you come to my mom’s house around two maybe?”
“Yes, I’ll see you then. Enjoy your dinner.” Kate returned to her table.
I asked the hostess to seat us away from Kate and Charlie. I really didn’t want to be in Charlie’s view. I didn’t want to hurt her any more than I already had. I wasn’t that man. Somehow Heather had beguiled me. Is that how it had always been? I had to figure out what bugging me about the situation. But for now, all I wanted or needed was lasagna.
Chapter 23: Charlie
Knowing Mitch and Heather were just tables away from us was excruciating. I downed my glass of wine and then another. We had already been served our food, so there was no leaving until we finished eating.
Garrett leaned over and quietly asked me if I wanted him to take me home. But what would that accomplish? I couldn’t just run away every time I saw Mitch. In fact, I wanted him to see me. Maybe, just maybe seeing me would bring forth some memory. We had dined here together many times. There was no way I was leaving.
“Thank you, Garrett, for being so considerate of my feelings, but I’m fine.”
“Just checking.”
I poured myself a third glass of wine. I needed to numb the pain in a hurry. Neil ordered another bottle of the Riesling Kate and I liked since I had already killed the bottle. He wasn’t just attentive to her, he seemed to be very attuned to what I needed as well.
“So, tell us about your trip to Santa Barbara,” Garrett said.
“We had such an amazing time staying at the Four Seasons. It’s an incredible resort. We rented bikes and rode on the boardwalk, walked along the beach…it was beautiful and romantic,” Kate said, beaming at her husband.
“Sounds great. I do miss California.”
“You’re living in New York, right?” Neil inquired.
“Yes, for the last few years.”
“Kate told me you’re an accomplished architect. We’ll have to come out and see some of the buildings you have designed when everything gets back to normal.”
“Yeah, I’d like that,” Garrett said.
“It will get back to normal, Charlie, and when it does, we can all do another trip together like Vegas,” Neil said, as though he was reading my mind.
I looked over at him. “Thanks, Neil,” I said, nodding. He was so much more than smart and handsome. He was kind and compassionate. I was grateful my best friend had such an amazing man in her life. For so long, I had been the only one with a love life. Now Kate was a wife and I imagined would be a mother soon, too. Seeing her beaming glances toward her husband did my heart good. She made me believe in happily ever after.
We continued eating, but I couldn’t help but peer in Mitch’s direction every chance I got. He and Heather seemed quite cozy and all I could do was have another glass of wine to soothe my broken heart. The buzz was helping take the edge off. I had a feeling Garrett was going to have to physically escort me out of here when it was time to leave. Neil had just flagged the waiter for our bill. Within moments, we were heading toward the door and Garrett had his arm around me, steadying me so I could put one foot in front of the other. I couldn’t remember when I’d ever had this much to drink.
Neil and Kate dropped us off, leaving me in Garrett’s very capable hands. Once we were inside, I wrapped my hands around his neck and asked him what he wanted to do.
“How about we get you to bed?”
I scrunched up my face and slurred, “Okay, but only if you’re going to stay with me, otherwise I’m going to my parents’ house.”
“I’ll stay. You’re in no condition to go anywhere.”
Staggering down the hall to my bedroom, I began taking off my clothes, dropping
things along the way. By the time I was standing next to my bed, I’d removed everything but my bra and thong. I heard Garrett breathe in sharply. Everything was hazy as I fumbled with unhooking my bra, but I finally got it. When I let it fall to the floor, Garrett just stood there, frozen. I skimmed my thong off and there I was, stark naked. Garrett pulled the covers back for me and I got into bed. He covered me up quickly.
“Please tell me you’re not leaving me? I don’t want to be alone. Stay with me?”
“Of course I’ll stay. I don’t want you to be alone either.”
I scooted into the bed and made space for him to get under the covers with me. “Garrett, I want you to make me forget everything. Can you do that?” I asked, gazing up at him.
“Charlie, if I do everything will change between us. I’m not sure you’re ready for that. But I will stay and hold you, make you feel safe and loved. But we don’t have to make love for you to feel better. I don’t want you to do anything that’s going to betray your relationship with Mitch.”
“What relationship?” I choked out. “You were here when he broke up with me. Do you think Mitch and Heather are just holding hands? That he’s waiting to be with her? He can’t even comprehend anything past high school. I’m not on his radar.”
Garrett got into bed with me, not answering my question. But how could he? We both knew the answer anyway. I always knew he was a good guy and he was proving it tonight by not rushing to take me to bed. I had just offered myself to him, but he put Mitch before himself. Another great quality they shared.
It was so good to have his body next to mine. I put my head on his chest and nestled under his chin. My body was pressed against his, but I wasn’t taking into consideration what he could be going through. I closed my eyes and began falling into sleep. I knew I’d sleep well with Garrett by my side.
***
Charlie had wrapped herself around my body and I couldn’t help but have a reaction. If this was a test, I was beginning to fail. Making love to her had been something I’d wanted for so long. She was the only woman I’d ever loved. Sure, I’d dated my fair share of women and had more than my fair share of sex, but I’d never felt about any woman the way I felt about her. I wanted her to actually want to be with me. To love me.
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