Chapter 13
I sit on the couch while Mychal grabs us some coffee, a blanket, and a movie to watch. He still looks somber after putting the movie in and joining me.
We get comfortable; me settling into his arms. As the opening credits begin to roll, I see he has chosen one of my favorites, Sweet Home Alabama. I can’t help but laugh, “I love this movie!”
“I know.” He says with a wink.
“You will seriously watch this with me?”
He shrugs, “Sure, why not... if it makes you smile like that it’s worth it.”
“Thank you.” I grin.
He kisses the top of my head, holding me against him.
At some point, I must have fallen asleep.
I am startled awake when I hear someone banging on the door followed by Kenzie’s shout. “Guys, answer the door already!”
With a sigh, Mychal shifts from behind me to go open it, before she breaks it down. “What the hell, Kenzie? Chill! We fell asleep watching a movie. Sorry we didn’t hear you knock right away!” He says to her, clearly frustrated.
“And you’ve both forgotten how to answer a phone!?”
Tyler walks in behind her with an apologetic look on his face. “Sorry guys. I tried telling her you were probably just sleeping, but she insisted we come and check on Piper.”
I give each of them a hug and reassurance. “I’m fine. I didn’t sleep well last night, so I ended up falling asleep while we were watching a movie. I haven’t taken my phone out of my purse since we got home after everything that happened.”
“Home?” Kenzie repeats with curiosity.
“You know what I mean.” I say trying to brush it off before glancing at Mychal, who now has his eyes locked on me. He obviously heard what I said, and I just hope he is not bothered by my slip up. I know this is his home, and mine is still the apartment I share with Kenzie, but I feel at home in his arms… regardless of the bed I am sleeping in.
“Whatever. You had me worried. After everything that happened and then trying to call you… both of you.” She glares at Mychal before continuing. “I was just worried.”
“I’m sorry.” I hug her again. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”
At this point the guys subtly try to give us some time to ourselves by hanging out in the kitchen. I lower my voice before asking, “Hey, do you think you could give me some makeup tips? You know,” I motion to my face before continuing, “to try and cover this a little?”
“We can try… but honestly, it will be hard to cover.” She frowns.
“I have to at least give it a shot. I need to email my boss and ask for some time off… but I have a feeling he is will want to talk to me in person.”
“Come on.” She says while pulling me towards the bathroom.
Mychal and Tyler both look at us curiously.
“Makeup lesson.” I shrug as she drags me away.
Half an hour later, and what feels like a pound of makeup, I at least look semi-presentable. You can still see the scrapes, but the bruises are mostly hidden. Hopefully, I can retain Kenzie’s valuable tips, and do this again on my own.
“I know you don’t like makeup, but that should help in the short term.”
“Thank you. I just want this all to go away.”
“Are you really ok?”
I take a moment to gather my thoughts before answering. “Honestly? I don’t even know, Kenz. I feel guilty.”
I put my hand up to halt her when she attempts to tell me I am wrong. “Seriously. We’ve known Drake forever… he is Mychal’s best friend for crying out loud. I’ve fought off his advances for years. I keep replaying last night over and over in my head. What made this time different?” I feel the first tears fall from my eyes, quickly grabbing tissues because I don’t want to mess up my makeup.
“Because HE was serious this time, Piper. He was just playing around before… this time he truly meant to have you. He was drunk, and the alcohol fueled him, making him even stronger. This time, he had you pinned so you couldn’t fight him off. I know it sucks, but you cannot blame yourself. NONE of this is your fault.”
“I’m the reason Mychal beat the shit out of his best friend… his best friend since we were little kids.”
“No, Drake is the reason Mychal beat the shit out of him. Please, listen to yourself. Mychal loves you. Drake wanted you. Drake didn’t give a damn about Mychal when he came after you… so, what kind of friend is that anyway? Surely not a best friend? I mean, would you go after Tyler?”
“What? No. That’s different.”
“Really? How so? You’re my best friend… Drake was supposed to be Mychal’s best friend. I’m in love with Tyler… Mychal is in love with you. That didn’t stop Drake from coming after you… yet, I know that even if you weren’t in love with Mychal, you would never go after Tyler. Why? Because best friends don’t do that. It sucks, I agree, but the fact that he was willing to rape you to get what he wanted… proves that not only is he a piece of shit… but that he doesn’t give a damn about Mychal.”
“I know you’re right.” I sigh. “I just hate that all of this happened. I hate Drake. I hate Tara. I want everything to go back to how it was 24 hours ago.”
“Me too, but unfortunately we have to deal with what has happened. We are all here for you and we aren’t going anywhere. When that bastard gets out of the hospital, he is going to jail, and hopefully he is there for a long time. As for Tara, well I’m not sure yet, but we will figure it out as we go.”
“I love you, Kenzie.”
“I love you, too.”
We hug one last time before heading back out to the kitchen where our guys are waiting for us.
Kenzie and Tyler hang out with us for a few hours. It was an uneventful day of eating junk food and watching movies, just what I needed.
Now, it’s just Mychal and I, nestled in bed for the evening. With my head on my favorite pillow, his chest, I’m about to fall asleep when he says, “You know earlier… when you were talking to Kenzie… and you said, ‘since we got home’, I know it was just a general reference to being done with everything that happened… but, I liked… really liked, hearing you say it.”
“It doesn’t matter what apartment we’re in, or what bed we sleep in. When I’m with you… when I’m in your arms, Mychal, that is home for me. You are my home.” My response is sincere, coming from deep within my heart.
He kisses me, and we fall asleep in each other’s arms.
Sunday, I seem to be unable to bring myself to leave Mychal’s apartment.
When I emailed my boss, I was nervous, unsure of what he would say. Do I care if he denies me personal time off? Do I even want to go back there to face Tara?
Just a few short hours later when my phone alerted me to a new email, it was from him.
Ms. Pearson,
I am granting your request for one-week of personal time off. I am unaware of what has brought this on, but I do understand that situations arise from time to time. I have arranged for this to be a paid leave since you are an exemplary employee and typically work so much more than required by your contract.
There is no need for you to worry about your work, Tara has volunteered to fill in for you, should the need arise.
I would like to speak with you on Friday around lunchtime if you are available. In your request, you stated that you needed ‘at least one-week personal time off, if possible’. I just want to touch base with you then and see if you are ready to return.
Best regards,
Nick Thomas, CEO
Thomas & Associates Accounting, LLC.
I am both relieved and furious after reading this. Of course Tara would volunteer to fill in for me, in all aspects of my life!
I send him a quick email thanking him for the time off and assuring him I will be there Friday at noon to follow up. I want to tell him to keep Tara away from anything that has to do with me, but on what grounds? I cannot prove that she is a vindictive bitch. All she did was give me an envelope with photos. All she would need to say is that she was trying to look out for me.
The week has been uneventful. I have only left the apartment once, and that was pretty much Mychal dragging me out to have dinner with Kenzie and Tyler on Thursday. I’ve just enjoyed this time being a hermit.
On the plus side, Mychal’s already clean apartment, is spotless. I was able to get caught up on a book series I had been reading. And I have been able to cook Mychal dinner three nights, having it waiting for him when he arrived home.
Now, it is Friday, and I have no choice but to venture out into society to meet my boss.
“Back to reality.” I say to myself as I grab my keys, heading out the door.
I arrive just before noon and I’m instructed to sit in the waiting area.
Right on time, Mr. Thomas walks out to greet me. We exchange pleasantries before heading into his office; an office I dream of one day having.
It is huge. One wall is nothing but windows looking out over the downtown area of this small city. The others are muted earth tones with décor to make the clients feel comfortable. It’s very welcoming. An oversized leather sofa rests along the wall nearest the door. His desk is a rich mahogany color and the size of at least three of mine. A laptop and a family photo are all that adorn the top.
He motions for me to have a seat across from him. I feel his eyes studying me.
“Thank you for allowing me the personal time off.” I say breaking the silence.
“You are more than welcome.” He pauses, as if choosing his words carefully. “Tara informed us of the situation. You have my sincerest apologies, and if there is anything myself or the company can do to help, please let me know.”
I am pissed, but I don’t know why I am so surprised. “Thank you.” I say around the lump in my throat. “I’d really rather not discuss it.”
“Understandable.” He says. “Do you feel you are ready to come back?”
No! Not now that everyone knows what happened! “Yes, I believe I will be fine to come back Monday.”
“Great.” He says as he stands. “It will be great to have you back, but if on Monday you find you need more time, just give me a call. I will not pretend to know what you are going through… I mean it, if there is anything we can do to help, just let me know.”
I thank him again before heading out the door and deciding to stop by my desk before leaving.
When I reach my cubicle, my anger has turned to full-blown rage. I want to just toss the few personal items I have into a box and leave, never to return; I know that is letting her win, I can’t do this anymore.
I take a deep breath, attempting to calm myself, just as Tara steps into my line of sight. “How are you holding up?” She asks.
“Cut the shit, Tara! We both know you don’t give a damn about how I’m holding up. If you did, you wouldn’t have put me in the situation to be attacked!”
She has the audacity to look hurt by my reaction. “Look, Piper, I’m sorry. Can we go somewhere and talk?”
“Why the hell would I go anywhere with you? The last time I followed you to try and talk, I ended up being assaulted!”
She is looking around as if she is afraid someone can hear. “Please, just give me a chance to explain.”
“Explain what? That you are a vindictive bitch that isn’t happy unless I’m miserable? I already got that message loud and clear. Thanks anyway.” I start to walk away.
“Please. I honestly had no idea that Drake was going to hurt you. All I’m asking for is a few minutes of your time, in public. Maybe grab a cup of coffee at the shop on Main Street?”
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“You don’t have to say anything, please, I just need you to listen.”
I take a moment to collect my thoughts before answering her. Part of me wants to tell her to fuck off, but another part of me wants to hear what she has to say. Wondering what could possibly be her reasoning for treating me the way she does, I give in. “You have 10 minutes. If it takes 9 of those minutes to get your coffee, I don’t give a damn, you had better talk fast.”
“Thank you. I just need to grab my purse.” She says heading to her cubicle.
“I will meet you there. You have 10 minutes from the second I walk through the door.” I turn and leave not giving her a chance to respond.
When I’m in the comfort of my car, I let out a breath of frustration.
What the hell was I thinking even giving her a second of my time? Even more pissed at myself, I grab my phone to send Mychal a text and let him know what’s going on.
Me: Hey just talked to Mr. Thomas. He knows everything, thanks to Tara’s big mouth. Anyway, I agreed to come back Monday.
His reply is almost instant.
Mychal: Are you sure you are ready to go back? You know you don’t have to.
Me: I do, at least for now. BTW, I’m meeting Tara at the coffee shop on Main St. She says she wants to ‘explain’ things to me. I told her she has 10 mins.
Mychal: What!? I don’t think that’s a good idea.
Not knowing what to say, I rest my head against the seat and close my eyes. When my phone rings, I don’t need to look to know it’s Mychal.
I answer with a soft “Hey.”
“What the hell are you thinking!?”
“Look, I know it’s stupid… but part of me wants to hear how she tries to rationalize this.”
“Yes, it’s stupid! Damn it, Piper, you know you can’t trust her.”
I knew he would not like it, but I’m surprised at how angry he is. “I’m sorry. I’m only giving her 10 minutes…and we will be in public the entire time.” I try to reassure him.
“You were in public when she led you straight out to that bastard, too!”
The line goes quiet, both left without words.
When he finally speaks his tone is a little softer. “Baby, I don’t get a good feeling from this.”
“I know. I’m sorry. If things seem sketchy, I will leave without hearing her out. I need to know why she hates me so much.”
“For such a beautiful, smart girl… you make some pretty dumb choices at times.” He lets out a heavy sigh before continuing. “I don’t like it, but I can’t force you to not go.”
“Mychal, I’m…” I start before he cuts me off.
“I’m not finished. I won’t lie to you; the whole situation pisses me off. If I had my way, you wouldn’t be anywhere near her, ever. Call me when the two of you finish with your little chat. I love you.”
He doesn’t even give me a chance to respond before disconnecting the call.
Feeling like shit, I head to the coffee shop.
When I walk inside, I see Tara is already here. She is sitting at a table with two drinks. She looks up as I approach and says with a smile. “I was worried you had changed your mind. I got you a coffee.”
“I’m still debating.” There is no way I am drinking whatever is in that cup.
“I’m just glad you’re here.”
“You are down to nine minutes… do you really want to waste it with pleasantries?”
She has the nerve to look embarrassed. “No, umm, sorry. Please, have a seat.”
I sit. “So, talk. You said you wanted to explain, so start explaining. I have no idea why you hate me, but curiosity is the only reason I’m here.”
Curiosity killed the kitty. Is the thought that instantly crosses my mind.
“I don’t hate you.” She pauses only a second, looking ashamed she continues. “I’m jealous of you.”
Laughter is my only response.
She looks up, and I see her anger before she quickly masks it. “I’ve been jealous of you for years.”
I am confused, and it must show on my face. “What? You haven’t known me for years.”
“Oh, but I have.” Now she looks smug. “I’ve known all of you for years. You… Kenzie… Tyler… your precious Mychal… Drake; I’ve been on the sidelines while all of you had the fun.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Now it is her turn to laugh, and all signs of her falsities gone. “You see Piper, I’ve always been around.”
“That doesn’t explain what your problem with me is.”
“Well, little miss perfect.” She rolls her eyes before proceeding. “Somehow along the way, our roles got reversed.”
I look at her as if she has lost her damn mind, because I am pretty sure she has.
“Aww, what’s wrong, Piper? You don’t remember me? No, of course you wouldn’t. They cast me aside when you came into the picture. You probably never even knew I existed.”
She has left me speechless, with a million questions running through my head.
“I was you, before you came along! I was Kenzie’s best friend. It should have been me that ended up with Mychal!”
“Tara, I don’t even know you. I moved here when I was ten, so whatever happened before I came here… well, that has nothing to do with me.”
She disregards what I have said and continues with her rant. “Yeah, my parents sent me away for a few months… forced me to stay with my grandparents while they were off doing god knows what. While, I was gone, you moved here.”
She looks up with disgust before continuing. “You and Kenzie became instant best friends… and me, well I no longer mattered. I tried to be friends with her, but my friendship was no longer wanted.”
“As I said, Tara, I didn’t even know you. How is any of this my fault?”
“You don’t get it. Everything that is yours, should be mine! Especially, Mychal!”
I’m getting more pissed by the second. “No, that’s where you are wrong.”
“I tried, when we were teens. Mychal and Drake were just starting their playing. I tried to hook up with him. When he shot me down… I tried to be a part of one of their threesomes. But again, I wasn’t good enough for him. He would fuck any girl that would spread her legs, but he wouldn’t look twice at me.”
“So, for the last five years, I’ve been fucking Drake… and plotting of course, hoping that one-day Mychal would notice me. Don’t get me wrong, Drake is a great fuck… you really should have tried him out.” She says with a wink, and I want to vomit.
“But just as Kenzie cast me aside for you, Mychal had always had eyes for you… and then, even Drake became obsessed with you!”
“Wait, if you’ve known all of them since you were kids, how is it Kenzie and Mychal don’t seem to know you?” I inquire.
Now, her laughter sounds maniacal. “You see, I’m guessing you never told them my last name? Worked out perfectly for me.” She says as if thinking out loud. “Growing up, I always went by my middle name, Danielle… or Dani, as everyone called me. That, and it is truly amazing what hair dye and colored contacts will do for a girl’s image.” She sounds smug.
I attempt to send Mychal a text under the table.
Me: Who is Dani Messing?
Making sure my phone is silenced, I rest it on my leg so I will feel it vibrate if there is an incoming text.
I’m trying to figure out what the hell is going on; my only conclusion, Tara… or Dani… or whoever the hell she is, is certifiably crazy! I should not be here.
“What’s wrong, Piper? You seem speechless.” She smirks.
“Well, hmmm, let’s see… I’ve just found out that not only are you hell bent on making my life miserable, but you’re crazy. Are you even listening to yourself? You are basically blaming me for living my life, one you claim should be yours. I didn’t even know you existed until I met you at work!”
“Aww poor, poor Piper, trying to put all the pieces together. Let me help with that a little. When Mychal picked you up from work that first time, it was obvious that the two of you had finally gotten together. It pissed me off, fueling my need to ruin you.”
“Yep, you have definitely lost your damn mind!” I roll my eyes.
Ignoring me, she continues. “The day you called and said you were going home sick… imagine my surprise when he showed up, such a devoted boyfriend.” Now, it’s her that is rolling her eyes. “I decided ‘what the hell, here’s my chance’. But of course, he turned me down; making it clear he wasn’t interested in my charms.”
“Why not just give up? Move on?”
“Because, I don’t want to. I’ve always wanted him, and if you are out of the picture, I know he would be mine.”
There is humor in my tone as I respond to her absurd conclusion. “Not likely. He knows you are a crazy bitch, besides… there must be other reasons Kenzie left the friendship. She is too good a person to just turn on anyone.”
“You don’t know what you are talking about! You know nothing about my friendship with Kenzie!” She snaps furiously.
“Maybe not, but I know Kenzie. She doesn’t just turn on people, in fact, she is one of the most forgiving people I know.”
Risking a glance at my phone, there is nothing from Mychal. He must really be upset with me; he’s right this was a bad idea. I just wish he wasn’t ignoring me. I hover over my message to him until it gives me the option to copy, I quickly copy it and send it to Kenzie.
My phone vibrates on my leg almost instantly. I check it as discreetly as possible while Tara continues her incessant rambling.
Kenzie: How do you know her!? I haven’t heard that name in years… she is crazy! Stay away from her!
“Well, we’ve gone over your 10 minutes.” I say interrupting her. “Time for me to go.”
“Wait, what?” She looks at my untouched cup. “But you haven’t even drank your coffee.”
“Do you honestly think I would drink anything you gave me?”
“Please, I bought it here. What the hell am I going to do, slip something into it, in public? I’m not stupid. Drink the damn coffee.” Her persistence is even more reason I’m not touching that cup.
“Nah, thanks anyway, but looks like yours is all finished... how about you drink this one too?” I say sliding the cup toward her.
She looks at it as if it is going to attack her. “No, it’s yours!”
“Whatever.” Just as I stand, the door to the coffee shop opens.
Mychal rushes through the door and over to me, “Are you okay?” He sounds frantic. Once I nod my head in reassurance, he turns, putting himself between Tara and me.
“What the hell are you doing, Dani?” He says through gritted teeth.
She looks shocked before recognition crosses her face, “So, your little toy sent you a text telling you who I really am. I should have known.”
“How I found out doesn’t fucking matter. I want to know what the fuck you are doing?”
“Oh, come on, Mychal! Isn’t it obvious? She needs to go away, so I can reclaim what was always mine.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
She has the nerve to look hurt. “You, Mychal, I’m talking about you. And Kenzie, of course.”
“You are insane, you know that? I’m not yours, Kenzie is not yours. We’ve never been yours!”
“How can you say that?”
“Because it’s the truth!” He shouts, gaining the attention of the others in the shop.
“You’re lying.”
“You’re delusional and need to go back to the hospital your parents sent you to years ago.”
This pisses her off. “I’m not crazy! Everything was fine… until she came along! My parents sent me away because they didn’t want me that’s all!”
“Is that what you’ve been telling yourself all these years? You are even crazier than I thought.” Just as Mychal says this, Kenzie comes flying through the door.
“Oh my god, Piper, are you okay?” She asks while hugging me. Once I give my reassurance, she turns to look at Mychal and Tara.
“Kenzie? What are you doing here?” Tara asks surprised.
Just then the manager of the shop, a petite lady with long red hair, steps over to us. “I am going to have to ask all of you to leave, you are disturbing our other patrons.”
“Not a problem, we were just leaving.” Mychal says while putting his arms around both Kenzie and me.
As we reach the parking lot, Tara is still talking, trying to catch Kenzie’s attention.
I know Kenzie has had enough when she stops and turns to her, getting right in her face. “Stay away from me, stay away from my brother, and stay the hell away from Piper or you will regret it! You have all these insane, delusional fantasies inside your head; NONE of them are real! I tried helping you years ago, I ended up in the hospital. I will not go down that road again, and I certainly won’t let you hurt anyone I love! It’s over, now that we know who you are, if you don’t stay away from us… all of us… I will have your ass thrown in jail! Get it?”
Without another word Tara turns and walks to her car in defeat. This is far from over, I feel it. She will keep coming after me. She is not going to give up this easily.
Walking over to our cars, I can feel the tension. “Piper, are you sure you’re okay?” Kenzie asks.
“Yeah, just a little weirded out by all of this.” I tell her while I try to read Mychal’s mood.
He is furious. As soon as Tara was out of sight, and we were near our cars, he let go of me. Bracing himself against my car as if trying to calm himself. After a few seconds he pushes back, running his hands through his hair in frustration. “Look, I have to go back to work, I have a meeting I can’t reschedule. Do you think, for the sake of my sanity, you can go back to the apartment with Kenzie… and just stay there till I get home!?” His tone is snippy, he has never talked to me with such anger.
I don’t say a word; I am too upset to speak. I just turn away from him and get into my car, not wanting him to see the tears that are about to fall. He doesn’t try to stop me. He speaks to Kenzie for a moment before they each get in their vehicles. Mychal heads out in the direction of his work; I turn in the opposite direction.
I know Mychal meant for us to go back to his place, but I head toward Kenzie’s instead.