Chapter 29: Chapter 29

Everyone is taking pictures of us with their cells and hugging us before Anna calls out, “Can I get you guys something to drink?” Scott looks down at me waiting for an answer, “I’ll have whatever you’re having,” I say to him. He follows Anna into the kitchen while everyone else follows me into the living room. Lara is beaming when she asks me, “So what does it feel like to be an Olympic champion?”

“I don’t know,” I appear to be contemplating her question, “why don’t you tell me what it feels like being a whore?” I ask her. My words slap her in the face. I think it's well deserved at the time. She goes pale and her smile fades quickly.

“You know,” she says flatly. I can hear the dread in her voice. “Give the bitch a medal!” I announce sarcastically.

Scott hurries back into the room with our drinks. He hands me mine, “Isabella, take this somewhere else,” he orders.

She gets up off the couch and chooses to go into Anna’s room. I stomp up the stairs behind her.

“You have no right to be mad at me,” she states. “No?” I ask.

“No, Anna told me not to date Michael, because it bothered you, so I stayed away from him. Neither of you told me I can’t see Scott.”

“He is my partner,” I emphasize. “Exactly, someone you skate with.” “We kissed.”

“So! You say that he doesn’t allow relationships while he’s training. He was training.”

“How many times were you with him?” I ask quietly knowing she has a valid point.

“Just the once, he called me Isabella by accident and it completely ruined the mood for both of us. I regretted it before he even finished in me.”

Wow, that was too much description for me. I imagine Scott finding pleasure in Lara and emptying himself in her, I’m ready to wretch.

“Did you bring it to his attention?”

“No, it would have made things worse. I just wanted to forget it ever happened.”

“When did you know he was the father?” “A month after he got me pregnant.” “Why didn’t you tell him?”

“He didn’t have feelings for me and I knew there Jeremy did. I was hoping if Jeremy thought the baby was his, he’d step up. Everyone would come out unscathed. He ended up treating me like trash, even when he thought it was his.”

“You acted like trash.”

“If I had ever thought you even had the tiniest amount of feelings for Scott, I would never have given in to his moves. I’m still in love with Jeremy.”

“He started it?” I can’t hide my surprise. “Yes, I swear.”

“I believe you,” I exonerate her; “I just need time to make it a bygone.” “Hug?” She asks.

“Soon, I’m trying to keep it together until I get home. I haven’t been alone to grieve over dad yet.”

“If you need anything,” she offers.

“Thanks,” we walk back to the others, together. My eye snags Anna, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It wasn’t my place to tell,” she admits honestly. “We thought you liked Michael more than Scott.”

Michael’s and Scott’s eyes lock onto each other from across the room, their animosity is palpable.

I break the tension by diverting my attention to Jeremy, “Can I speak with you for a minute?”

“Sure,” he says.

He gets up from the couch and follows me upstairs to Anna’s room. It is the best room to go for privacy.

He stands at the foot of the bed close to where I’m standing and asks me, “How are you doing?” Our friendship is too important to both of us to ruin. He is my go-to friend for anything.

“I’m sad Jeremy, how are you doing? You’ve been through a lot too.” I’m glad to deflect some of the attention off my misery and concentrate on someone else’s. “I want you to know I’ve forgiven her for sleeping with Scott Jeremy. It’s much easier than holding a grudge. You might want to consider forgiving her too. I know she’s still in love with you. She just told me, and I believe her.”

“It's tough, I keep picturing them together. I wasn’t betrayed by my girlfriend with anyone, she went to Scott, my fucking best friend.”

“I know Jeremy, I’m not defending Scott. He betrayed both of us.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to forgive him as easily as you did Lara?” “I don’t think so,” I admit.

“Scott and Michael are both in love with you,” he informs me. “It’s hard to pick, who loves you more, they talk about you so much when you’re not around, I’d have to say, Michael.”

“I’m finding it hard to believe either one of them loves me. Scott sleeps with Lara and Michael moves on after our break-up so easily. Maybe I just haven’t found the right guy yet.”

“He’s right here,” Jeremy flirts with me.

I reach for him, holding him close to me, “I love you, Jeremy.” “I know,” he says, “I love you too! I’m so proud of you” “Thanks, Jeremy.”

“In Michael’s defense, he hasn’t been with anyone since that one girl after you. He dropped her like a hot potato and has been waiting for you ever since.”

He puts his arm around my shoulders and escorts me downstairs. When we reach the bottom I glance at both men who are glaring at Jeremy with jealousy. He intentionally leaves his arm around me just to piss them off. The party isn’t feeling like a party to me, my mood is too dark and there is too much to resolve with too many people. My eyes finally settle on Michael while I feel Scott penetrate me. “Michael, your turn,” I smile. I glance over at Scott to explain, “We need to discuss some things.”

I don’t give Scott a chance to answer. I motion for Michael to follow me upstairs. I turn back to get a second look at Scott. His jaw tightens and he rakes his fingers through his hair, but he doesn’t try stopping me. I look at him apologetically and said, “You don’t mind, do you? I’ll just be a minute.” It won’t stop me if he does mind. I just said it. Michael takes my hand and leads me the rest of the way up the stairs. We go to Anna’s room closing the door behind us. He stands in my personal space cupping my cheek with his hand. His gentle touch comforts me immediately.

“I’m sorry about your dad,” he offers.

“Thanks. It’s been a tragic blow for me and my mother, but I didn’t bring you up here to talk about that. Jeremy told me you still have residual feelings for me, but I need to hear it from you.” His eyes lock with mine, “I never stopped loving you. I think about you all the time. I don’t want anyone else.” I close my eyes feeling lightheaded.

He guides my face to his and gently kisses me. It’s more than a kiss; it was a statement proclaiming his love for me. I never witnessed this vulnerable side of him until now. He is putting himself out there for me. Intrigued, it makes me want to see where this will go.

“I need time to think,” I plead.

“Take it,” he breathes. “Just don’t turn to him while you’re considering your options.”

“I won’t.”

He cups both of my cheeks and kisses me one last time, making me melt into him. He releases me from the kiss and holds my hand leading me back down the stairs. Scott is standing by the door with his jacket on waiting for me so we can leave, “Are you ready to go?” He asks.

“Sure, let me grab my coat,” I say. I start heading towards the closet door when Michael refuses to release my hand and pulls me back into him. He slides his fingers through my hair and sweeps me into this passionate kiss I’m not expecting. I only slightly hesitate before returning it knowing Scott is watching us. There is something wildly erotic about Scott watching Michael and I kiss. Michael is slow to release me; his eyes bore into mine. “Take care,” his tone is warm and charming.

Scott’s eyes are dark with hate, “Stay the fuck away from her,” he threatens. “You had your chance with her and you blew it.”

“You stay the fuck away from her,” Michael warns. “You had your chance with her too, and you more than fucked it up. You messed up your best friend and your girlfriend when you slept with Lara,” Michael snaps.

“Who I sleep with is none of your business.”

“It is my business when you chose to fuck my best friend's girl.” “They were broken up,” Scott defends his actions even though he apologized for them on the plane.

“Which is it, Scott? Are you defending what you did or are you sorry for it?” I confront.

“You’re taking advantage of Isabella’s vulnerability,” Michael accuses Scott. “Nobody’s taking advantage of me,” I tell Michael.

“That’s my girl,” he goads territorially. That’s when Scott’s fist smashed into Michael’s nose. Michael ready for him returns the punch.

“No!” Anna screams.

Johnson and Jeremy come running over to break them up. Jeremy grabs Scott pinning his arms so he can’t take another swing, and Johnson does the same to Michael.

“You better leave,” Anna encourages me.

Jeremy releases Scott first so we can leave, after the door is closed, I assume they released Michael. We can hear him cursing profanities from within the house as we walk in silence to dad’s car. Scott opens the passenger door and waits for me to get in. He runs around to the driver’s side and when he gets into the car he stares out the windshield for a few seconds before starting it. He puts his hand on my headrest the way he always does when he backs up, “Come over to my house,” he invites. “We need to talk and you don’t have a curfew tonight.”

“I’m finished talking Scott, I want to be alone,” I explain. “Not until I’ve said my piece,” he insists.

“You said it on the plane,” I argue.

He removes his hand from the headrest and shifts into drive. We ride in silence.

It is 12:20 a.m. when we pull into my driveway and he turns off the car. We’re both exhausted from the day’s events. He faces me waiting for me to say something. When I don’t, he says with disgust, “Why did you kiss him in front of me.”

“He kissed me,” I correct. “You didn’t fight him off.”

“No, I rather enjoyed it,” I say spitefully. “It was one harmless kiss, I didn’t sleep with him or get pregnant from him after declaring my love to you, the way you did,” I say throwing his indiscretion back in his face.

“You are making a statement. If you want that son-of-a-bitch then go back with him, but don’t shove him in my face to punish me or expect me to pick up the pieces when asshole hurts you, AGAIN.”

“You’re angry,” I lack empathy. “I know exactly how you feel.”

“Too right I’m angry. I watched him hurt you and then you chase after him because of me.”

“He’s chasing me,” I correct.

“Ask yourself why is it so much easier to forgive him over me?” Scott points out.

“Because what you did hurt me way more than what he did,” I confess. “You drop your load into my best friend. What the fuck did you expect to come out of it? Do you love her? Is she prettier than me? Did you want a relationship with her?”

“I MADE A FUCKING MISTAKE! You’re angrier at me than him because you’re in love with ME Isabella; YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH ME. I SHOULD BE GETTING THE SECOND CHANCE NOT HIM,” he yells at me.

“After everything that’s happened between us, he told me tonight that he’s still in love with me,” I think out loud.

“Whoop di do! So am I,” he stabs. “I won’t stay around and watch him hurt you again. I’ve waited long enough to be with you,” he resolves.

“What are you saying, Scott?”

I reached up and touched his cheek where Michael hit him. He takes my hand and in a broken voice he says, “You know what I’m saying, Isabella.”

“No, I don’t. What are you trying to say, Scott?”

“I’m saying that if you want him, go get him, but I’m not watching you do it or waiting around to pick up the pieces after he treats you like shit.”

“There aren’t going to be any pieces to pick up, and I never said for sure I’m going back to him, that’s an assumption you’ve made, and who’s to say you aren’t going to be the one to treat me like shit? You’re in the lead with what you did with Lara.”

I get out of the car, leaving him there. I go inside the house and straight up to my bedroom. I hear his car leave the driveway five minutes later.