Lovebirds

by Lisa Moreau

  After a few minutes, Emily stopped in her tracks. “I can’t believe I’ve been so selfish. Have you heard about the audition results yet?”

  Sydney pulled out her cell phone. “Doesn’t look like I missed a call.”

  “Are they supposed to let you know today?”

  “That’s what Sue said. Considering it’s so late, I doubt I got it. They want the person to start this Wednesday.”

  “That soon? You’d have to leave tomorrow.” Emily looked terribly sad.

  Sydney put an arm around Emily’s shoulders. “You’ll have things wrapped up here in a couple of days, and we’ll be together again before you know it.”

  “I know, but I’ll miss you.”

  “Me, too.” Sydney placed a kiss on Emily’s lips.

  Tonight. Sydney would tell Emily about Owen tonight. She’d been deceiving her long enough.

  * * *

  Emily reached under the table and placed a hand on Sydney’s knee. She seemed upset, probably nervous to find out about the PowerBar job. Emily was tempted to ask her about it but figured that might make things worse. For Sydney’s sake, Emily hoped Sue would call soon.

  “Thanks for dinner,” Emily said. “It was delicious.”

  Sydney had cooked spaghetti and garlic bread. The bread was so scrumptious, Emily could have filled up on it alone, but she was planning to seduce Sydney later and didn’t want garlic breath.

  “You’re welcome.” Sydney pushed her plate aside and turned her chair to face Emily. “Do you remember when we were on Meditation Mount?”

  “Vaguely.” Emily grinned seductively to let Sydney know she was joking. How could she forget one of the most amazing nights of her life?

  “Actually, I meant when I said that I had something to tell you. Something you weren’t going to like.” Sydney inhaled a shaky breath.

  Emily gently squeezed Sydney’s knee. “Hey, you can tell me anything.”

  “It’s just…I care about you so much. I would absolutely hate for anything I’ve done to hurt you.” Sydney’s hand quivered when she grabbed her glass and swallowed several gulps of water.

  “I don’t know what this is about, but I’m sure it can’t be that bad.”

  Sydney cleared her throat several times and jumped up. “I’m going to get more water.”

  Emily watched as she disappeared into the kitchen, curious as to what was going on. A ringing caused Emily to look around the room. It was coming from Sydney’s cell phone on the coffee table. She rushed into the living room and looked at the display, noting the Los Angeles area code.

  “Sydney, I think Sue is calling you! Hurry. She might hang up.”

  “Answer it for me,” Sydney yelled from the kitchen. “I’ll be right there.”

  Hurriedly, Emily placed the receiver to her ear. “Hello?”

  A strange man’s voice spewed a jumble of confusing words. “We made a deal. I paid you good money to find out what story Emily is working on, and I expect you to help me.”

  “W-what?”

  “You heard me. Now tell me what’s going on.”

  Maybe that wasn’t such a strange voice after all. It sounded familiar. Really familiar.

  “Owen?”

  “Who is this?”

  “Emily. Why…how…what are you doing calling Sydney?” None of this made any sense whatsoever.

  Silence.

  “How’d you get her number?”

  “Ah. She didn’t tell you about our little deal after all, did she?” Owen chuckled.

  Emily’s chest tightened, and she inhaled short, shallow breaths. What the hell was he talking about?

  “I paid her to spy on you,” Owen said. “You might as well tell me what story you’re working on because I’ll find out soon enough.”

  Sydney rushed out of the kitchen and whispered, “Is it Sue?”

  Emily stared, the phone slowly slipping from her grasp.

  Sydney grabbed it before it fell to the floor. “Hi. Sue?”

  It was as though Sydney had been struck by lightning. Her entire body jerked and stiffened, and her eyes bugged. After less than ten seconds, she disconnected and lowered the phone.

  Emily had a million questions, but her mind was such a jumbled mess she couldn’t form intelligible words. She saw Sydney’s lips moving and heard her voice, but nothing she said registered.

  “Wait!” Emily held up a hand. “You’re in cahoots with Owen? He paid you to spy on me?”

  All the color drained from Sydney’s face. “It’s not like that. I met him when we first came to the cabin. You and I didn’t even know each other, and we weren’t exactly friendly. He offered me money to tell him what story you’re working on.”

  “Oh my God.” Emily couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

  “After we became friends I sent the money back to him and told him never to contact me again. Please understand. If―”

  “Understand? I understand that you lied to me and stabbed me in the back.”

  Emily’s head spun. She sat on the couch, afraid she was about to faint. Sydney sat beside her, too close considering the circumstances.

  “I’m so sorry.” Sydney’s voice cracked.

  “What did you tell him?”

  Sydney rubbed her forehead. “I told him you were doing a lovebird story. That’s all. I didn’t say anything about the Madagascar birds.”

  “Wait a minute.” Emily looked directly at Sydney. “That’s why you started being nice to me. You didn’t want to be my friend. You were trying to get information for Owen. You used me.” Emily’s stomach soured. Where was a barf bag when you needed one?

  Sydney opened her mouth but then closed it. It was true. She couldn’t even deny it. Emily stood and placed a hand on the armrest for balance.

  “I want you out of the cabin before sunrise tomorrow.”

  Sydney gazed up with pleading eyes. “Please believe me. That may be how it started, but it’s not how I feel now.”

  “Good-bye, Sydney.”

  Emily ran upstairs and into Jill’s office. She closed the door, leaned back against the frame, and slid down until she was sitting. She seemed to have a gaping hole in her heart, a hole that would never be filled again. She wanted to cry and punch something all at the same time. Never before had she experienced such emotional pain. But then again, she’d never been in love.

  * * *

  Regret is a terrible thing, especially when you can’t do anything to change what happened. Sydney sat on the couch for God knows how long chastising herself for hurting the person she cared about the most. Sydney hated the way Emily had looked at her as though she’d never seen her before, like she didn’t even know who she was. Emily would probably never forgive her, not that she could blame her. Sydney had to try to talk to her again. She couldn’t give up on the love of her life that easily.

  Sydney turned out the lights, grabbed her cell phone, and went upstairs. She knocked on the office door.

  “Emily?” No response. “I’m so sorry I hurt you. When I met Owen I was broke and really needed the money. I know that’s no excuse, but you and I were arguing about who would stay in the cabin. We didn’t even know each other. Yes, I was being nice to get information, but that changed after I fell in love with you. Please. Can’t we just talk about this?”

  Sydney put her ear against the door. Complete silence. Maybe after a night’s sleep Emily would be more receptive. Sydney shuffled to the bedroom and lay down in the bed. After a few minutes, her cell phone rang. She halfway hoped it’d be Owen again just so she could tell him to go to hell.

  “Hello.”

  “This is Sue from PowerBar.”

  Sydney sat upright. “Hi, Sue.”

  “Sorry it’s so late, but it’s been quite a day. You were impressive in the audition…”

  Sydney waited for the “but.” When it came to Sue, there always was one.

  “And I’d like to offer you a full-time position.”

  Sydney felt a jolt of adrenalin
e. “Seriously? Wow.”

  “Can you start day after tomorrow? I need you to teach three intro classes.”

  “Um. Sure.”

  “Great. Get there at seven sharp so we can get all the new-hire paperwork out of the way.”

  “Will do. And thanks. You won’t regret this.”

  Sydney hung up, completely stunned. She’d actually got the job. The only thing she wanted to do was run and tell Emily. She would have been so excited and proud of Sydney. If things were different, they would have celebrated with champagne and a night of making love. Instead, Emily despised her and would probably never talk to her again.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Break a Leg

  A golden sun peeked over the pine trees, shooting beams of sparkling rays on Emily as she stood on the deck of the cabin. It was going to be a beautiful day, much too beautiful considering how empty she felt inside. She’d cried herself to sleep last night and awoke with burning, itchy eyes and a pounding head. None of that, though, could compare to the pain in her heart. Even though she was hurt and angry, she couldn’t simply flip a switch and turn off her feelings for Sydney. Emily still loved her, which made all this even worse.

  Emily turned when she heard a noise behind her. It was Sydney. She looked like Emily felt: exhausted and terribly sad. For a moment, she almost felt sorry for her until she remembered the betrayal.

  “I asked you to leave,” Emily said in an emotionless voice.

  “I’m not giving up on us. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  “Wish I could say the same thing.”

  Sydney winced, like Emily had just stuck her with a sharp needle. “Do you think you can ever forgive me?”

  “You don’t get it. Not only did you spy on me and put my magazine in jeopardy, but worse than anything, you pretended to be my friend. It was all just an act.”

  Sydney looked like she’d just lost the final game of the World Series. She probably knew better than to say anything more, knowing it would have no effect.

  Emily breezed past Sydney and said, “Be gone by the time I get back.”

  She was tempted to turn around and look into Sydney’s soulful blue eyes one last time, but she couldn’t. Walking away was hard enough as it was. Instead, Emily grabbed her keys and left.

  The drive to Fran’s was a quiet one. Every song on the radio reminded Emily of Sydney, so she shut it off. She thought about what Sydney had asked: Could Emily ever forgive her? She wished she could. She wanted nothing more than to turn back time to when everything was perfect with the world. But she didn’t see how that was possible. This was a wound that went too deep.

  “What the…” Emily screeched to a halt when she saw Owen’s truck parked outside Fran’s gate. She got out and marched right up to him. “What are you doing here?”

  Owen smirked and cracked his knuckles. “It took me a while, but I know what story you’re after.”

  Emily’s stomach turned inside out. “Get out of here, Owen, or else Fran will call the cops. She doesn’t allow anyone to trespass on her property.”

  “Oh, yeah? Well, what do you think you’re doing?”

  “I have a key. Fran and I are friends. I’m serious. You better scram.”

  Emily opened the gate, drove through, and locked it again. She flashed Owen a dirty, warning glare and headed down the trail to the fig farm. Was he serious? Did he really know about the Madagascar lovebirds? Maybe that was just a ploy to make Emily nervous. Either way, she needed to finish taking photos and write the article fast.

  Emily hiked to the fig tree, hung her Bird Cam around her neck, and climbed up the ladder. Strange how seeing the lovebirds didn’t excite her as much as before, probably because Sydney wasn’t here to share it with her. Would she ever feel as blissful as she had with Sydney? Would her heart ever heal? Funny how breaking it off with Sydney had been a hundred times worse than with Gretchen. Even though Emily was crushed, she couldn’t regret meeting Sydney. She’d shown her what true love felt like, even if for a short time.

  Emily shook her head, hoping it’d rid her mind of thoughts about Sydney. The lovebirds were all that mattered now. She zoomed in on a bird resting in a tree hole and snapped several photos. Maybe its mate was foraging for food since the species was rarely seen alone. Emily scanned the area and focused on two lovebirds practically necking. They lightly pecked beaks just like the ones Emily and Sydney had seen yesterday.

  Amazing how much had changed in just one day. No more than twenty-four hours ago she and Sydney were as close as two lovebirds, and now they couldn’t be further apart. A hard lump formed in Emily’s throat and tears pooled in her eyes, blurring her vision. She licked her lips and tasted salt. Great. Standing at the top of a ladder was not the time or place to start bawling.

  Emily sniffed and wiped her eyes with her hands. Her heart lurched when she swayed backward. Quickly, she grabbed the ladder, but the steel slipped through her wet fingers, and she tipped sideways, losing her balance.

  Oh, God. Not again!

  * * *

  Sydney looked at the clock for the zillionth time. She’d been waiting for Emily to get back to the cabin to try to talk to her again. How long could she possibly stay at the farm? She’d left early that morning. Sydney could track her down there, but she didn’t think that’d go over very well, considering the chilly reception earlier.

  Sydney pressed the speed dial on her phone. She’d texted Monica last night to tell her about the PowerBar job, and she’d insisted on taking Sydney to dinner to celebrate. It’d probably be a night of drinking, even though Sydney had to be at work early, but she’d reluctantly agreed.

  “Hey, Monica. It’s me.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Still in Ojai. I’m about to leave.”

  “You better get your ass over here. It’s a two-hour drive, and we have seven o’clock reservations. What’s wrong? You sound down.”

  “Nothing. I’m fine.” Sydney was glad she hadn’t told Monica about dating Emily. The last thing she wanted to talk about was the breakup.

  “You should be ecstatic. You finally got the job you’ve been bitching about for years.”

  “I know.” Monica was right, but the success had little meaning without Emily in her life. “I’ll be there by six thirty. See you then.”

  Sydney hung up, moved the living room blinds aside, and peeked out, desperately wishing Emily would drive up. Ten minutes passed before Sydney’s cell phone rang. It was probably Monica again, checking to see if she’d left yet. Sydney’s breath caught in her throat when she looked at the display. It was Emily’s number. Maybe she was calling to make up.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, it’s Fran.”

  Sydney wrinkled her nose. “What are you doing calling from Emily’s phone?”

  “We’re at the hospital.”

  Sydney’s stomach dropped. “Is Emily okay?”

  “She’s fine. Mostly.”

  “What happened?”

  “Well, I’m not really sure. Maybe you should just get over here, and I’ll explain everything.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  For a brief second, Sydney paused to let the information sink in. Emily was obviously either hurt or sick. Hospitals didn’t hold people unless something was terribly wrong, but Fran had said she was fine…mostly, whatever that meant. Sydney grabbed her keys and was out the door in a flash. Luckily, the hospital was only a couple of miles away, so she was marching through the entrance in no time.

  Sydney approached the main desk. “Hi. I’m looking for information about Emily Wellington.”

  A nurse glanced at Sydney, typed something into a computer, and asked, “Are you related to her?”

  Ugh. They only asked that when it was serious. Sydney had seen Grey’s Anatomy enough to know that. “I’m her girlfriend.” Well, was her girlfriend.

  “I’m sorry, but I can only give patient information to a relative.”

  Sydney’s
heart plummeted. That sounded life-threatening. “Where’s the waiting room?” Hopefully, Fran would be there.

  “Down the hall to your right.”

  Sydney bolted down the corridor and immediately spotted Fran sitting in a chair flipping through a magazine. She looked awfully relaxed, considering the circumstances. Sydney rushed over to her. “What’s going on?”

  Fran tossed the magazine into an empty chair and stood. “I’m glad you’re here. I don’t know why Emily told me not to call you, maybe ’cause she’s loopy on drugs, but I figured you’d want to know.”

  Sydney felt an ounce of relief. At least Emily was coherent and talking, even if it was to tell Fran not to contact her. “What happened?”

  “I was just minding my own business when I heard sirens and saw flashing lights barreling toward the farm. They said they got a 911 call about someone hurt in the fig trees. At first I thought it was a mistake until I remembered Emily was out there. I showed them where she was, and sure enough she was lying on the ground unconscious. She came to after we got here and said she fell out of the tree.”

  “Oh my God.” Sydney covered her mouth with her hand.

  “Don’t worry. She’s okay.” Fran looked like she was going to hug Sydney but then changed her mind. “Except for a mild concussion and a broken ankle.”

  That’s okay? Even one scratch on sweet Emily’s body would be too much. But this? This was major. “What did the doctor say?”

  “She has to stay overnight for observation, but he doesn’t foresee any problems.”

  “Poor Emily. Who did you say called 911?”

  Fran shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe Emily did before she passed out. Do you want to see her?”

  “Can I? The nurse said only relatives are allowed.”

  “Balderdash. She’s in room twelve. Do you care if I head back to the farm?”

  “No problem. I’ll take care of things here.”

  “Call me later and let me know how she’s doing.”

  “Will do. Thanks, Fran.”

  Butterflies flitted in Sydney’s solar plexus as she walked to Emily’s room. She stood outside the door and stared at the number twelve for a full minute. Undoubtedly, she was the last person Emily would want to see. Still, though, Sydney had to make sure she was okay. She put her hand on the cold steel handle, turned it, and peeked into the room, her heart melting at the sight of Emily lying helplessly in bed with her eyes closed. She tiptoed into the room and stood beside the bed, wincing at the sight of a cast up to Emily’s knee.