Always and Forever (11 page)

I hurry up the stairs and to my room, swipe the card and go in quickly because I don’t
want anyone to A) see me having a total freak-out moment in the hallway B) be privy
to the awesome undertaking of seeing me throwing my phone down then stomping it to
pieces as I jump up and down on it C) have their ears burst into flames because of
the salvo of curse words I’m getting ready to spew or D) all of the above.

Once inside my room, I find I’ve got fifty bazillion emotions coming at me at once
and it’s been proven over the past year that I don’t do so well when that much shit’s
hitting the fan, and Ryan’s helped a bunch, so because of this, I text her. She’ll
know exactly what to do. Well, at least so far she has. It’s Saturday night so I’m
hoping she’s awake. I know she’s not out with Mike because she told me he still hasn’t
contacted her. Jerk.

Me: Brody just texted me. Let me send a screenshot

I click the buttons on my phone to capture the text then send it to her. Two minutes
later she responds.

Easy Ry-dah
(by the way, she entered her own contact name in my phone):
WHAT???!!!

I say a quick prayer thanking the great beyond that my best friend knows exactly how
to respond to this.

Me: What do I do???

Easy Ry-dah: Lemme think

I grab a bottle of water out of the fridge as I wait. Normally, I’d be texting her
during her think time but I’m thinking also. I guzzle half the bottle as I pace, waiting
to hear back from her when I get antsy after five minutes has elapsed.

Me: You fall asleep?

Easy Ry-dah: No, sorry. Joss woke up & had to get her a drink

She’s babysitting her nieces again which doesn’t surprise me. Josselyn, her six-year-old
niece, is Ry’s mini-me in all ways—looks, build and attitude. Josh, Ryan’s brother,
will definitely have to keep an eye on that one when she gets older.

Me: So what do you think?

Easy Ry-dah: What do YOU think?

Me: I didn’t text you to tell you what I think! I wanna know what YOU think!

Easy Ry-dah: I’m not sure

Me: Dammit, Ry, you’re supposed to be my relationship guru here

Easy Ry-dah: Sorry. My rates go up for out-of-towners anyway. You couldn’t afford
me.

Me: WTF do you think he wants?

Easy Ry-dah: Um, apparently to explain and for you to give him a chance

Me: God, you’re such a bitch sometimes

Easy Ry-dah: lol I know, right?

Me: But what do you think he wants to explain?

Easy Ry-dah: Don’t know. Text him back and ask.

Me: NO. I mean, what’s he gonna say? So sorry I fucked another woman and got her pregnant
but give me another chance?

Easy Ry-day: That oughta do it. But, Pipe? I have to tell you something but wasn’t
sure if I should when we’ve talked this week because I didn’t know if it was true…

Me: What??

Easy Ry-dah: Rumor is Brody was with this Hannah chick last year when you were at
Greer’s when Addie was born

Holy shit. I was so stuck on dealing with the fact that Brody
had
cheated, I hadn’t even taken time to think about
when
he’d cheated. I stop pacing and stare into the fire for a moment.

Easy Ry-dah: You okay?

Me: Not so much

Easy Ry-dah: Hang on I’m calling

“Yeah?” I answer my phone when it vibrates.

“Honey, I’m sorry. Should’ve called to tell you that not texted. I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s okay,” I whisper, still stuck on the
when
of it all.

“No, it’s not. But Tuesday, Fin came in to ask about places to send hair donations
so she could write an article on it, and that’s when she told me she’d been asking
around about Brody. She said Sarah Foster told her when he supposedly cheated.”

“Supposedly?” I ask suspiciously.

“Pipe, have you seen this baby? Do you have video of him actually cheating? Nope.
I don’t think you do.”

“Wait a minute. Why are you suddenly on his side?”

“I’m not on his side,” she answers. “It’s just, I’ve been thinking.”

“God help us,” I mumble meanly.

“Hey, I’m just trying to get all the facts here. Look, I’ve known Brody since I was
thirteen. In all that time, I never even saw him cheat on a test much less on you.”

“Home-ec,” I respond.

“Huh?”

“He cheated off me in home-ec class when we were juniors.”

“Okay, so he cheated in some stupid class. My point is I don’t think he’d ever cheat
on
you
, not in a million years.”

“Well, he kinda cheated on Tabitha Jones.”

“She was a bitch.”

“Yeah, but she didn’t deserve to be cheated on,” I state stubbornly but Ryan’s right.
Tabitha was a bitch. She was our age but always acted as if she was so much better
than everyone else. Oh, and she started a rumor that Ryan and I were lesbians together,
so Ryan broke her nose. It wasn’t so much the lesbian comment as it was that she was
talking about us at all that’d pushed Ryan over the edge.

I hear her blow out a breath. “If I recall correctly, and I’m pretty sure I do, we
were at Toby Bastion’s spring break party our sophomore year when Brody started talking
to you, which was
after
he’d caught Tabitha having a make-out session with Brad Dexter. As in an almost-went-all-the-way-with-him
make-out session in Toby’s parents’ room. Then, if I’m still remembering right, which
I know I am, when Brody caught them, didn’t Tabitha tell him she liked Brad, so she
and Brody broke up and not even a week later, didn’t she immediately get with Brad
and the next year get pregnant and have the first of their, what, twenty-five kids
and they’re still going strong to this day somewhere in Dubai or some shit since Brad’s
some kind of chemical engineer? So
she
cheated on Brody, not vice versa. And
then
wasn’t it like two months later when Brody asked you out? Isn’t that how that all
went down? And he’s not once even looked at another woman since he’s been with you.
Am I correct?”

“Uh…”

“You don’t know if any of this shit you’ve heard is true,” she says with an exasperated
sigh.

I sigh too. “Wish I was as sure about it as you are.”

“Dear God. I’ve laid it all out there for you so I’m kinda thinking you should be
sure.” She pauses. “But now I need to tell you something else.”

“There’s more? Jesus.”

“Are you sitting down?”

“No.”

“Sit. You sitting?”

I sit in the chair in front of the fireplace and mutter, “Yes,” closing my eyes and
gearing up for more fabulous news. Ugh.

“Okay, well, Fin also said that Sarah told her that one night when you were at Greer’s,
Brody was at Jen’s celebrating his probie status as a fireman, you know when he passed
his test? She said it was a really slow night, like a Wednesday or something, not
many people there, and she, Stacia, Kensley and this Hannah woman were with Peyton
who was suddenly dying to get her claws into him, kept talking about how hot he was
saying that if she couldn’t have Kade, she may as well go for his little brother.”

I suck in a breath. “What?”

“Yeah. So Hannah tells them she has something that’ll make them feel good and make
this guy want Peyton and she pulls out a baggie full of some rock shit and dangles
it in front of them. She opened the bag and started handing them the shit, Sarah declined
saying she had to work the next day.”

“Wait. Peyton and her bitches took the stuff not knowing what it was?”

“I guess so. All but Sarah.”

“Dumbasses.”

“Yeah. Anyway, I guess since Peyton had her sights set on Brody that night, she slipped
some in his drink. Sarah didn’t exactly see her do it but she said Queen B went to
his table with a big-ass rock of it in her hand. When she came back she didn’t have
it and was all giggly and shit telling them to keep an eye on him.” Ryan pauses. “Now
this is where it gets bad.”

I huff out a sarcastic laugh. “
That
wasn’t the bad part?”

“Not even close.”

I drop my head to rest in my hand and close my eyes. “Tell me.”

“So about fifteen minutes later or so, Peyton goes back to Brody’s table and asks
him to dance. Sarah said he kinda blew her off but Peyton motioned for this Hannah
woman to come over who grabs his hand and pulls him out on the dance floor.” I hear
her take a breath. “Honest to God, Pipe, if you didn’t need to know this, I wouldn’t
tell you.”

My head’s still in my hand, eyes still closed and masochist that I am, I have to know.
“Tell me.”

“Sarah said it was like, um, like they were fucking right there on the floor.”

Swear to God, my heart stops right then and I die a slow, painful death.

The end.

…

Not really.

I’m not lucky enough to die right then which would spare me all the pain I’m feeling.

No, in reality I sit in a lovely chair in front of a fabulous fireplace in a beautiful
lodge resort as a blizzard continues outside the stunning arched windows of my room
and bring my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them as I curl into a tight
ball trying to shield myself from hurting so badly.

“Piper?”

“I’m here,” I whisper. Holy cow. I had no idea things could get worse.

“I know this is a lot to take in, honey. But you need to know it all.”

“There’s more?” I ask incredulously.

“A little.”

“Wait. Did he kiss her? This Hannah woman. Did he kiss her?” I know it’s a weird question
because he was practically fucking another woman on Jen’s dance floor in front of
everyone but kissing is so much more personal. Intimate.

“I don’t know,” Ryan says quietly. I’ve had enough. This shit needs to be over and
I tell Ryan that demanding that she continue. “’Kay, gonna do this like a Band-Aid
and rip it off. Ready?”

I nod then realize I need to speak. “Go.”

“Brody left with Peyton and Hannah. As far as Sarah knew, they went to Peyton’s house.
So if the baby’s his, that’s where they did the deed.”

Just when I thought I couldn’t hate Peyton more, well, there you go. And just when
I thought I was handling things? Yeah, no.

“You okay?” Ryan checks.

I nod again realizing she can’t see me and I need to speak. “Yes.”

“Now, Pipe, I know it doesn’t seem realistic, but I still don’t think he slept with
her.”

What?

What?

“You’ve got to be kidding, Ry! You said they were practically fucking right there
on the dance floor. He left with them! So how can you think he didn’t sleep with her?”
I’m freaking out because I’m not sure why my best friend believes in Brody so much.
“I mean, hell, if they were all on the shit, I don’t see how it didn’t become some
big fucking orgy with Peyton jumping in!” It takes a second for that to sink in and
then I feel like I’m going to puke. “Oh, God, I’m gonna be sick.” My stomach roils
as I torture myself with thoughts of them all together and I let my feet down on the
floor and put my head between my legs.

“Pipe? You doing okay?”

I concentrate on regulating my breathing for a moment before sitting up and answering.
“I think so…”

“Look, you’re gonna have to talk to him. I don’t see any other way around it. This
is all hearsay and you’re not gonna know the truth until you sit down with him.”

I’m still working on this breathing thing but then have to admit, “You’re right.”
And she
is
right. I need closure. Need to face him and get the truth then move the fuck on.

“So, you take this next week there to think about what you wanna say to him when you
get back. That way you’ll know for sure. All right, honey? Josh and Camille just drove
up so I’ve gotta go. Call me tomorrow or any time you need me, ‘kay?”

“Thanks, Ry,” I return before hanging up.

I stand and get ready for bed trying to keep the vision of an orgy of tangled limbs
from entering my mind as I go about brushing my teeth and getting my pjs on. Once
in bed, dread fills me because I know I won’t sleep, my overactive imagination getting
the best of me. But hallelujah and praise be, almost as soon as my head hits the pillow,
I’m out like a light.

Chapter 9

“I’ll have a Belgian waffle, bacon and scrambled eggs, please,” I tell my waiter the
next morning at breakfast.

The lodge is practically empty, most of the patrons having fled because of the snow
which is still coming down and I sit drinking my coffee watching the heavy flakes
fall which is seriously gorgeous. I find myself remembering a day a few years ago
when Brody and I had built the ugliest snowman ever in my front yard. I can’t help
but chuckle thinking about how he’d stuck the carrot in the hideous thing, but instead
of making it the nose, he’d made a penis out of it just when Stacia Mackie happened
to walk by on her way to Shop and Bag Grocery where she was a cashier. She’d given
us a dirty look as if she, Ms. I Wouldn’t Have a Problem in the Slightest about Doing
Naughty Things with That Carrot, was offended. Brody had laughed at the look she’d
given us then grabbed the carrot out of the snowman and chased me around my front
yard with it making obscene gestures with it while I’d screamed my head off. Stacia
had muttered loudly how immature we were which just made Brody act even crazier.

I’m still smiling when the waiter brings my meal but as I’m pouring syrup on my waffle,
my smile fades when I glance out the restaurant door toward the main lobby and swear
I see Brody duck into one of the lounge restaurants.

No way. No fucking way.

I consider getting up to check but rethink it because it’s not possible it was him.
First of all, the weather’s too bad for anyone to get here and second, Ryan or Amelia
or someone would’ve let me know if he was coming up here I’d hope.

As I eat I keep a wary eye on the lobby wondering if my eyes are just playing tricks
on me or maybe cabin fever has set in making me see things. So I decide that if I’m
gonna go ‘round the bend, I may as well go out decently and order a Bellini. Or three.
They manage to take the edge off, and after eating, I head back to my room and grab
some laundry to take to the small laundry room off the lobby. I get brave and put
on my sea foam green bikini with the fringe top before leaving the room, deciding
to swim a couple laps as I wait on the washer, because what goes better with swimming
than alcohol? This makes me chuckle because I’m so living life on the edge and I roll
my eyes as I pull my door closed.