A Kiss Revealed

by Frances Hoelsema

  Marissa sighed. It was time to hear the whole story. She softly tapped twice on the door before walking in.

  Laura glanced at her, a sad smile stretching the lips. “Hey, Marissa.”

  “Hey.” She took a seat on the oversized chair next to the bed.

  Laura turned the TV off. Her gaze remained forward.

  “So, do you want to tell me what happened?” Marissa asked, as she sat back and crossed her legs.

  Laura started to sob. “I lost him,” she shared.

  Marissa rolled her eyes. “Lost who?”

  “Connor.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Through her tears, Laura gave Marissa a look that stated she should know what she meant. “We had a fight, and he said he couldn’t be with me anymore. Then he walked out.”

  She’d get back to Connor in a minute. Right now, she wanted to know about the bandage. “Okay. But how did you get that wound?” she asked, pointing at her friend’s head.

  “I panicked. I must have passed out and hit the table going down.” Laura took in a couple of quick breaths.

  “You’ll be okay, though?”

  “Yeah.”

  The two of them didn’t say anything for a moment.

  Marissa went back to the topic that had her friend in a tizzy. “So, you and Connor broke up?”

  Laura’s eyes shut. She was about to cry harder. All she did was nod.

  “He’s probably cheating on you anyway.” How easy that came out of her mouth surprised her.

  Laura’s head shot up and over to her faster than she’d ever seen. And she didn’t look happy. “How could you say that?”

  “Well, isn’t it obvious? He’s gone a lot and you can’t get a hold of him half of the time!” she replied defensively.

  Laura sighed.

  Calming down, Marissa asked, “Does he still have an issue with you having been in jail and all? Is that why he broke up with you? Or was it something else?”

  “Yeah.” Laura lay her head on her pillow, looking up at the hospital ceiling.

  Again, there was silence, except for the constant beeping of the machine.

  Out of the blue, Laura quietly said, “I’m thinking about going home.”

  “Well, when the doctors are done here, I can take you.”

  Laura’s head turned to Marissa. “No, I mean, home home. Back to Bennington Hills.”

  “WHAT? Why?”

  “Life just sucks here now. I don’t even want to go back to my duplex.”

  Marissa paused for a moment. She couldn’t have her friend go back to Bennington Hills. That would ruin a lot of things. A thought hit her. It wasn’t the best solution, and definitely one she was surprised to think of in the first place, but it was better than the alternative. “Why don’t you stay with me for a couple of days? You know, cool down a little. Relax. Get some perspective.”

  “You’d let me do that?” Laura asked through misty eyes.

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Well, yeah. What are friends for?”

  “Okay. I’d like that.” This time her smile was brighter.

  A nurse knocked on the door and walked in. “Hi, Laura. I just want to double check everything, and then I think you’ll be able to go home.”

  Marissa didn’t feel the need to hang out while the nurse was busy. “I’m going to go make a phone call a minute. I’ll be right back,” she informed her friend.

  “Okay.”

  As she left the room, she dug in her purse for her phone. Her boyfriend was not going to like this news. She didn’t even like it. But hopefully it would last just a couple of days, and hopefully it would make Laura realize that Crimson Shores was where she needed to stay.

  There was a private section of the hallway where Marissa decided to make her call. As soon as Garrett answered, she was sweet and flirtatious. She had to warm him up first. But then she got to the reason for the call.

  “WHAT? That’s not what we planned!”

  He shouted so loud, she had to remove the phone from her ear. “Well, what am I supposed to do? She wanted to go back to Bennington Hills!”

  Someone came walking by her. They gave her a tight-lipped smile. She did her best to give one back, and then turned around toward the wall for more privacy. She also had to be sure to talk a little more quietly.

  When Garrett finished speaking, she said, “Look, I’ll be careful. It’ll be fine. We’ll get through this.”

  He sighed deeply. “This isn’t good.”

  “I know. I know.”

  Silence.

  “If something goes wrong, it’s your fault. You know that?”

  “Nothing will go wrong. I hope you can understand,” she said. Then she hung up without waiting for any response.

  Marissa headed back to the room. The nurse was gone. Laura now had her feet dangling from the edge of the bed, looking ready to get up. She did her best to don a smile.

  “Did they say you could go home now?”

  “Yeah, as long as I’m careful,” Laura replied.

  “Okay. Well, let’s get your things and go.”

  Not having much to gather, the women walked out of the hospital within minutes, discussing their plans for the night.

  * * *

  Laura snuggled onto Marissa’s couch with a cozy blanket wrapped around her. Her friend was busy setting up the spare bedroom so Laura would have a place to call her own for a little bit.

  “Feel free to make yourself comfortable!” Marissa shouted through the walls.

  “I am!”

  A few seconds later, “You can turn the TV on if you want!”

  Laura repositioned herself in her seat, making sure the blanket was just right. “I’ll wait for you!”

  When Marissa finally finished, she grabbed the TV remote and took a seat next to Laura on the couch. She flipped through some channels, finally resting on The Hallmark Channel. “Will this movie be okay?”

  “Yeah, I like watching Hallmark.”

  “I know, but I didn’t know if it would bother you considering what you and Connor are going through.”

  Laura was silent at first. Then she shrugged. “I’ll try not to get too bummed.”

  Marissa snickered.

  After getting through some of the movie, Marissa started to appear restless. Laura tried not to think much of it. Perhaps she just wasn’t into the movie. Or maybe it was possible she wished she was spending time with someone else tonight. Either way, Laura didn’t want to bring it up.

  A commercial advertising a local frozen yogurt shop came on. “Hey, do you want some ice cream?” Marissa asked.

  That sounded like a good treat! Maybe it would even make things more relaxing. “Ooh, yes. What kind do you have?”

  “Um, let me check.” Her friend got up and went to the kitchen. There were some sounds of digging around. Then came her loud voice. “There’s black cherry, moose tracks, and cookie dough!”

  “Cookie dough, please!”

  The two of them enjoyed their bowl of ice cream as they continued to watch the movie. Laura scraped hers clean. It had been a while since she had her favorite. “Thanks. That was good.” She smiled over at Marissa.

  “You’re welcome,” her friend replied, taking her last bite. She got up, grabbed Laura’s bowl, and brought it back to the kitchen. The whole time she was rather quiet.

  Laura felt it was awkward. Something was off. Maybe she just needed to sleep? It was getting late. There was something, though, she wanted to ask about. “Hey, Marissa?”

  “Yeah?” She was busy getting a blanket unfolded to put over her lap.

  “Why did you say what you did about Connor earlier?”

  Marissa’s brows furrowed. “What did I say?”

  Laura brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them tight. “You said he was probably cheating. Why would you say that?”

  “Oh, I don’t know, I was just –”

  “Have you seen something?”

  Marissa didn’t respond right
away, but her eyes told Laura everything.

  “You did.”

  “I’m sorry, Laura.” She cocked her head to the side. Her eyes and lips were downcast. All sure signs she didn’t want to have to share what she was about to. “I did see him with another woman a while back. But I didn’t want to jump to conclusions or anything. I know he’s a great guy. That’s why I didn’t say anything to you before now.”

  Laura’s eyes started to tear up.

  “Look, it could be nothing. I probably shouldn’t have said anything. I’m sorry.”

  “No, it’s okay. I’m glad you did.”

  “I guess I blurted it out because it makes sense. But I still should have gotten the facts first.”

  “Do you think I should confront him about it?” Laura asked.

  Marissa thought about it. “Not tonight.”

  They watched the rest of the movie in silence. Laura used the time to process things. It was possible that Connor and this other woman being spotted together meant nothing. It’s not like he was caught kissing her or doing anything else he shouldn’t be doing. However, with the way her life was going lately, she wasn’t going to hold her breath.

  A faint, but noticeable headache started to present itself. It was time for her to take her medicine. After that, she might as well just go to bed or at least retreat to her space for the night. “I think I’m going to call it a night, Marissa,” she said, standing up to fold the blanket she had been using.

  “Okay. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Laura smiled, plopping the blanket on the couch. She headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth and comb out her hair. She surveyed the wound, cringing at what she saw. Opening the cupboard, she got her medicine. Filling a small cup, she guzzled it down. Afterwards, she went to Marissa’s spare room, changed into her pajamas, and laid down.

  It was different being here. The sounds were different. The smell was different. But there was also a sense of safety with having someone around. Somewhere along the way of trying to drown out the noise she heard from Marissa moving around, she drifted off to sleep, albeit a restless one.

  Her mind started showing her images of Connor in his apartment. She was there to surprise him, but instead was surprised. Another woman was there. Someone she had never met before but could immediately tell why Connor had her there. The blood boiled in her veins. She could feel her teeth clench as she heaved in and out.

  The next thing she knew, there was a knife in her hands. Where had she gotten it from? The first person she went after was Connor. If she couldn’t have him, no one would. Thrust, after thrust, after thrust, she dug the blade into his chest. Blood was splattering all around. Then he was lifeless.

  There was a sense of justice she felt. But she wasn’t done. One more person deserved to pay for what they did. Walking through Connor’s apartment, she searched for her. Of all places, she hid in his bedroom. Laura flinched, thinking of what the two of them did in there. Good thing it was over.

  In a flash, she struck the woman. Not once. Not twice. Not even three times. But again, and again, and again. Even more times than she struck Connor. When the woman’s body hit the floor, a pool of blood spread from it.

  Satisfaction brought on a deeper sleep.

  Chapter 16

  A

  s soon as she was able, she drove toward town to the tallest building. That same building was on a hill, only aiding in its height. All around were floor-to-ceiling windows that offered spectacular views of everything around it. And being strategically located between downtown and the beach, it was a hot spot. The real estate to be had. This was where Connor lived, as well as many other big-time executives or people with no shortage of cash.

  She was on a mission. Connor needed to be paid a visit. Some things needed to be worked out.

  Not a space available in the parking lot, she had to resort to parking across the street, in parallel fashion. She hated doing that, and was pretty sure she did a horrible job, but that was the least of her worries. As soon as the busy street quieted down enough to open her door and go across, she took the opportunity.

  Inside the building, she bypassed a large chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling and then someone at a desk. The man said something, but he was given the shaft. She continued her journey down one hall. In front of the elevator, her pointer finger hit the up arrow, and then she waited.

  A bell sounded. The doors opened. A man and woman walked out. They seemed a little tipsy. The woman was giggling. The man was strutting as if he was king of the world. She had to roll her eyes at the annoying behavior. She pushed the number seven and begged the thing to move already.

  The doors were about to close when someone quick snuck in. It was a man in a suit that had a nametag on the front. He smiled at her and pushed what floor he wanted. Neither of them said a word to the other on the four flights they had together. He exited. She was alone, clinging her purse to her body as if it held the most precious valuables. And this time she came prepared, knowing full well she’d probably have to deal with more than just Connor. There was no way she would let what happened at the lawyer’s office happen again.

  Another bell told her she made it to her desired floor. The doors opened, and down the hallway she walked. Finally, she stood in front of Connor’s door. In gold-plated numbers, it read 776. One number away from the holy, complete number. Just a simple reminder he would never be a perfect person, though others thought he was. She took a minute to think about that, but then came to reality. She wasn’t here to dink around. Raising her hand, she pounded on his door.

  Connor opened it. His hair was a mess, probably due to unnecessary hands running through it. His shirt was only half buttoned and a pair of boxers was all that covered his bottom. She was right, someone else was here.

  The look on his face was priceless. “Um, hey,” he nervously laughed. “What’s up?”

  “We need to talk,” she answered with a scowl.

  He sucked air in through clenched teeth. “Now’s not a good time.”

  She didn’t care. She shoved passed him like she owned the place.

  The precise moment she was fully in, a blonde-haired woman, even less clothed, walked out of the bedroom. “Hey, what’s going on?” Her playful smile faded to a frown. “Oh, I didn’t know –”

  “HOW COULD YOU?!” she yelled at Connor, her face contorted in a mix of anger and hatred.

  He stuttered, trying to respond. “Wh…what? H…h…her?” His arm flung up in the blonde’s direction. “She’s just a…um, friend!”

  “Maybe I should just go.” The woman turned around, twisting a piece of hair through her fingers, and went back to the bedroom.

  When the woman was gone, she focused back on Connor. She was sick of him. How dare he lie about something that was completely obvious? “Yeah, right. I wasn’t born yesterday!”

  “I didn’t say you were.”

  She huffed. “You know what? This is it! I’ve had enough. I warned you.”

  Her gloves were on. All she had to do was get a weapon out of her purse. She opened it as Connor continued to spew out words, digging himself further and further into a pit he dug for himself when this whole affair originally started.

  “What we had was great, but…”

  She mm-hmm-ed but was clearly not paying any attention.

  “It got a little old, and I got lonely…”

  If she had a drink in her mouth, it would have been spit out.

  “But she…” and again he pointed in the direction the blonde was, “She actually comes along with me on my trips and looks good to my business partners. Not to mention, her past is squeaky clean!”

  “If only you knew the truth,” she uttered, shaking her head.

  His eyebrows arched in. “What do you mean? I do know the truth.” He paused, looking at her. “Wait, what are you doing?”

  “You think this is all okay?”

  “Look, it’s been over for a long time, I just…just didn’
t say anything.”

  “What? Did you forget? Why wouldn’t you say anything? And again, how could you do this to her?” At this point she was breathing out fire, her heart pounding with purpose. It was time to move.

  “I just…just…wait, what is that?” He was looking down in her hand.

  She stood there shaking her head, not even deeming it necessary to tell him. He’d find out soon enough when the sharp end of the needle was lodged through his neck. She stomped her way to him. He slowly backed up, putting his hands up in surrender, trying to get her to fill him in on what she was doing. She didn’t respond.

  Connor had nowhere to go. He was up against the door. “So, it’s you?” he asked, recognizing reality. What he thought he knew all along was being melted into a puddle. He was seeing the truth for the first time. And was he sorry? Was he surprised? Was he regretting anything? Did he realize his huge mistake and wished he could do the last several months over?

  She didn’t care. He deserved what was coming to him.

  “It is!” she growled. Raising her hand, she jabbed him right in the jugular.

  He screamed when the needle made impact. One arm went to care for the wound, the other arm shoved her away. It took her off guard a little, causing her to almost fall on her butt. Thankfully, she was able to catch herself and get balanced once again.

  Her eyes locked with his. He was asking her all kinds of questions, calling her all sorts of names. Falling to his knees, she noticed the sweat on his brow. He was having difficulty breathing.

  When he quieted, she walked right up to him. With her right foot, she kicked him to his back. “You’re a pig. A no-good, filthy pig,” she hissed.

  Connor lay there, wincing in pain. She didn’t feel like standing over him, watching him die. Instead, to pass the time, which wouldn’t be much longer, she decided to look around his place for any memorabilia she might want to take with her. But after scanning the large, open space, there was nothing. Pictures and gifts meant nothing now.

  The moon was shining through the windows. She decided to walk over to gaze at it and anything else she could see. Overall, this really was a nice place. Too bad something like this had to happen here. But all things considered, there shouldn’t be a problem renting it out to someone else. If she had the money, she’d move in.