Текст книги "Love Unscripted"

Автор книги: Tina Reber

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Текущая страница: 37 (всего у книги 40 страниц)

back up on my shoulder.

I wished I had an umbrella to shield me from the rain. I flipped up the little collar of my shirt just to keep the water from dripping down my back.

Two men were standing near the corner, huddled next to a building, wearing plastic rain jackets. Both of them held cameras with long, white

lenses covered by a clear plastic sheath. Their lenses pointed towards the opposite street corner.

I looked across the street to the window. There was the restaurant and there was Ryan, visible from the street. My breath caught from seeing

him. Rain dripped from my hair and down my face; my mascara bled and burned my eyes as I tried to focus through the downpour.

I saw Ryan lift Lauren’s hand off the table. The two cameras clicked in a rhythmic hum.

He twisted the ring on her finger.

I felt the tears build in my eyes and unbearable pain cracked into my chest.

He picked her hand up and wrapped it in his, smiling at her before kissing her fingertips.

Horror and denial swirled through my soul like toxic fumes.

“No,” I whispered out in pain.

Then Ryan stood up from his chair, leaned across the table, and pressed his lips to hers. Right there in public… The cameras sounded like the

knives that sliced my heart to shreds.

Anger, resentment, and pure hatred welled in me as the last fragment of my heart was torn from my chest. I made it halfway across the street

before I was stopped by oncoming traffic.

A car came screeching to a halt, hydroplaning in the rain and missing me by inches. I was frozen in place; my eyes were locked on Ryan’s face.

No other vision mattered.

The driver honked his horn repeatedly, but I couldn’t move. Part of me wished he would just hit me and end the pain once and for all.

Do it! Hit the gas and finish me!

Lightning flashed over my head but I didn’t flinch this time. It would take a direct hit by a bolt of electricity to restart my heart.

The driver was impatient; his hand stayed on the horn longer the second time.

“Why?” I sobbed in the street. Losing our unborn child was nothing compared to the excruciating pain I felt now.

Right at that moment, it happened – before my very eyes – my greatest love turned into nothing more than another man I wasn’t good enough

for.

“Hey lady! Get out of the street!” the driver yelled at me through his open car window, blaring his horn at me again. I glanced in his direction; his

viscous tone distracted me.

“What the hell is wrong with you? Are you trying to get yourself killed?” the man continued shouting.

What the hell was wrong with me?

The lights of the oncoming traffic made starbursts in my blurry eyes. I was crying so hard that I forgot where I was for a second. My feet moved

unconsciously; I followed the yellow lines, hoping they would lead me to a place where the pain would stop.

My fingers found a door handle in the dark. I dropped Lauren’s poison-penned note, leaving it behind on the sidewalk. I didn’t need it with me

anymore. I had witnessed all the proof I needed with my own eyes.

“Taryn!” my memory called out in a muffled tone, strangely in the sound of Ryan’s voice, but I couldn’t respond to it. Darkness had already taken

me under.

“Where to Miss?” Some man asked me. “Miss?”

“Hu… home,” I breathed.

“And where is home?” the man asked.

My lips quivered as I found the will to speak. “Airport.”

Desolation and despair enveloped me again, choking my ability to breathe. All my hopes and dreams that involved Ryan were shattered.

My phone chimed that stupid ringtone, reminding me of his biggest lie that crushed my soul... he wasn’t mine anymore.

I rolled the car window down and tossed out my cell phone, releasing his song to the wind.

“Taryn?” I heard a man’s voice calling my name. My mind must really be playing tricks on me. Now I’m hearing voices. So this is what a

nervous breakdown feels like. At least I’m not crying anymore.

“Taryn, wait up.”

My legs trudged on their own, instinctively following the rest of the people hurrying around me. If I follow them far enough, maybe the flashing

lights will stop?

“Hey! What are you doing in the airport?”

My eyes glanced over to my right; someone was talking to me. That’s when I noticed Kyle’s face.

“Stop taking her picture! Enough guys!” he yelled.

I saw an arm press out in front of me, shielding me.

“Why are you soaking wet?” Kyle asked quietly. “Taryn, just keep walking.” Something annoying was pushing into my back, forcing me to walk

forward faster.

I felt cold and numb and utterly devastated. Creeping death must be inside me now, devouring everything.

Kyle glanced around my feet. “Where is your luggage?” he muttered.

I looked down at my hands – they were empty and trembling. The edge of my blue cast stuck out the end of my sleeve; water dripped from the

gauze packing.

I couldn’t remember if I was supposed to have anything in my hands or not. Instantly my chest tightened and it felt very hard to breathe.

“Hey, hey…” Kyle pulled me into his chest. “Calm down. Shh, it will be all right. I’m here.”

I tried to block him with my hands. I wanted him to stop touching me. No man would ever touch me again.

He whispered in my ear, “Don’t worry, babe. I’ll take care of you. Let’s get you home.”

Chapter 34 – Shattered

“Taryn, sweetie. Thank God!” Marie rushed to my bedside. “It’s gonna be okay. We’re here.” She wrenched her hands around my neck and

shoulders to hug me.

Pete was frantically turning on all my bedroom lamps. It was dark outside so I presumed it must be night again. My eyes were swollen; I had a

hard time focusing them in the new light.

“Should I call Nine-One-One?” Tammy asked in a panic from the opening where my bedroom door once stood.

Marie ran her hand across my face to wipe my hair from my eyes.

“Taryn, talk to me. Do you need to go to the hospital?” Marie’s voice cracked when she asked.

Extreme sadness burst back into my chest and I started to weep again. I doubted any hospital in the world would be able to mend a shattered

heart.

“I don’t think she needs an ambulance, Tammy,” Pete said from the other side of my bed. I felt him pet my hair.

“Oh, Taryn, it will be all right!” Marie hugged me tightly. “Sweetie, what happened?”

“It’s… over,” I choked out. It was pure agony to say the words out loud.

Marie looked over at Pete and shook her head.

“Tell us what happened,” Marie whispered.

“I saw him with her,” I uttered between sobs. “I saw it with my own eyes. He touched her face, and kissed her hand, and I watched as he leaned

over the table to kiss her. Right there in the restaurant for everyone to see.” The magnitude of my admission crushed me again.

“Who, Taryn? Who was he with?” Pete asked gently.

“Lauren. He was with Lauren. All the rumors about them… they’re true.” I barely had the will to speak.

“Taryn, Ryan was filming,” Marie spoke cautiously.

I stared at her face through my tears, wondering why she believed him.

“Sure he was. That’s why the paparazzi were there,” I muttered.

She grimaced at me. “What’s all over your shirt?”

I looked at my chest, noticing yellow spots on the fabric.

“I think I threw up last night,” I sputtered. Another crack of unbearable sadness struck my heart.

“Come on; let’s get you in the shower.” She tore the blankets off my body and wrapped her arm around my back to help me out of bed.

“Have you eaten anything?” Marie asked, walking me to the bathroom.

I felt confused and weak. I couldn’t remember when I ate last. When I shook my head, the motion made me feel dizzy.

“Tammy, see if you can make something for Taryn to eat,” Marie requested.

“I’m not hungry,” I whispered. I deserved to feel the emptiness inside my chest. After all, it was the result of my own stupidity.

“Taryn! You have to eat!” Marie scolded, turning on the shower.

“What happened to your cast?” She peeled a big chunk of the casing off. The gauze padding was hanging out over my hand.

“I got it wet,” I answered, pulling on a piece of cotton thread that hung out from the hole around my thumb.

“Pete, do you have any tape? Look at this! It’s falling apart. I’ll call her doctor tomorrow.”

Pete came back with his toolbox. I wished he would have just cut it off instead of wrapping it in silver tape.

“Why didn’t you call us, Taryn? We’re your friends!” Tammy stressed, pulling my sweatpants off my body. “You’re not alone in this!”

“Tammy, let’s just get her washed.” Marie pulled my T-shirt off over my head and tossed it across the bathroom. “We need to wrap her cast in

plastic first.”

“I’ll go strip her bed then,” Tammy volunteered. “Are these her antidepressants? Here Taryn, take this. Drink.”

“Can you stand or do you want me to run a bath?” Marie asked, pushing back the shower curtain.

I stepped into the shower, noticing that the bruises on my stomach were almost completely gone but I had a fresh black and blue mark on my

thigh. I couldn’t remember how I got that one.

The hot water actually felt good on my skin although it stung a little on my face where I had been rubbing my eyes.

I used my right hand to push the water through my hair, hoping that the stream would somehow reach my memories and cleanse them of the

nightmares.

A few long strands of hair dislodged and tangled around my fingers like a spider web. Oh how I wished they would have been strong enough to

pull the misery from my mind before breaking away from my head!

Marie handed my toothbrush to me. “Brush your teeth while you’re in there.”

I let the water stream into my dry mouth, swallowing some to quench my thirst. I was feeling weak and tired and utterly miserable, so I leaned up

on the wall.

Will I ever find the strength to move on?

The shrill of a cell phone ringing startled me. I knew it wasn’t mine. My cell phone was probably in pieces on a Florida highway by now.

“We found her,” I heard Marie whisper. “She’s in the apartment…” Her voice trailed off.

I knew it was Ryan she was talking to. I wondered why he even cared. Maybe he was feeling guilty for crushing me? I had no pity for him. He

could wallow in his guilt for the rest of his life for all I cared.

The shower curtain pulled back slightly and Marie popped her head into the opening.

“You’re not going to get clean that way!” She frowned at me. “It helps if you actually let the water touch your body.”

She pushed her sleeves up on her arms and turned the water diverter to shut the overhead shower off.

“Here, let me help. Sit down in the tub.” Marie pushed the drain plug down and started to fill the tub with hot water. She swirled her hand around

in the water by my feet.

“Sandy said that she’s having a bunch of specials down at the salon this month. We should go get our nails done. She has this new foot soak

stuff; she says it smells like peppermint…”

“Who were you just talking to on the phone?” I interrupted her.

She stopped washing my shoulders and put more soap on the sponge. Her lips pursed together and I knew she didn’t want to say his name.

“I wasn’t talking to anyone,” she lied. “Here, wash your body.” She squeezed some shampoo onto my hair.

“Sandy also told me about this new shampoo she got that has seaweed and plankton mixed in it, but I told her that it didn’t sound very

appealing. I mean have you smelled the ocean lately? Who wants to wash their hair with crap floating in the o…”

“Marie, I heard you talking to someone,” I interrupted again. “Please don’t lie.”

Her fingers froze for a moment in my hair.

“I love you, Taryn. We all love you. You are the closest thing I have to a sister in this world. And I know you are in pain right now, so I want to help

you get past it so you can see things clearly.” I felt her fingernails scrub my scalp.

“You know exactly who I was just talking to. I know you’re upset, so I’m not going to say his name out loud, but he is the reason we knew to look

for you,” Marie admitted. “He called me. He called Pete. He begged us to get through to you when you wouldn’t answer his calls. None of us even

knew you came home.”

“I don’t want you talking to him anymore,” I commanded hoarsely.

“Let’s just finish getting you clean and then we’re going to get some food into your body. You need to re-examine the situation with a fresh

attitude, okay sweetie?” Marie dismissed my order.

“Promise me you won’t talk to him anymore. It’s over,” I whispered.

“I can’t do that,” she muttered.

“Promise me!” I begged, looking her in the eyes.

“No!” Marie said with conviction. “I will not promise that!”

“Then choose – right now – him or me!” I demanded with new tears in my eyes.

“Tammy? Can you get me a big plastic cup from the kitchen please?” Marie yelled over her shoulder. “Wash your stinky pits. You smell like shit,”

she fired back, rummaging through the cabinet below the sink. “Here’s a new razor.”

I took it from her hand and threw it at the garbage can. “Those aren’t mine. You can throw all of those blue ones in the garbage.”

“Listen! I know you’re hurting. And I also know you’re miserable and confused. But don’t piss me off on top of it!”

Tammy handed her a cup. Marie repeatedly filled it with water and dumped it on my head to rinse my hair.

“I made spaghetti,” Tammy informed while Marie was helping me get dressed. “That’s about all the food she has in this apartment. I’ll have to go

grocery shopping.”

“Thanks, Tammy,” Marie said. “But I think it’s time that Taryn resumes her life. Tonight we’ll just relax and make sure she eats and takes her

medicine. Tomorrow she is going to get out of this apartment and start pulling her life back together.”

Marie tossed a T-shirt from the dresser to me. It was one of Ryan’s.

“This isn’t mine, it’s his.” I cast the shirt aside on the bed.

“So what? Put it on.” Marie tossed it back to me. “Maybe you’ll remember all the reasons why you love him and used to trust him?”

The sobbing started again. “I don’t want to remember.” I threw the liar’s shirt at the wall. “The sooner I can forget the better.”

“Does it smell like him?” Marie asked, sniffing the cotton shirt she retrieved from the floor. “No? Well I can fix that.”

She took his bottle of cologne off the dresser and spritzed his shirt. Then she spritzed the air a few times, wafting the air with her arms.

“Stop! Don’t do that!” I cried out. I didn’t want to deal with anything that reminded me of him.

“Stop what? Stop remembering the man who loves you? Stop remembering that he exists?” Marie yelled.

“Marie!” Tammy barked. “Is that really necessary right now?”

“Yes! Yes it is! It’s called ‘tough love’ and she needs to snap her ass back into reality as quickly as possible!” Marie insisted, stabbing her

finger at me. “Time is of the essence here.”

She threw his T-shirt at me. “Put it on,” she ordered – almost a dare.

“Go to hell!” I spit my words at her.

Marie spritzed his cologne in the air again. The smell of his scent permeated the air, reminding me of happier times.

“So help me God, I will kick your ass if you do it again!” I screamed at her.

“Go ahead and try! You’re so weak from starving yourself that a light breeze could blow you over,” she sneered. “Put on Ryan’s shirt.”

“Why are you doing this to me?” I cried in my hand. “I flew all the way down there. I went to the restaurant that they told me to go to!” I started to

hyperventilate.

“It’s over! I saw it! I saw it with my own eyes! I saw him lean over the table to kiss her and watched as he shoved his tongue in her mouth! Right

there in a public restaurant! Just like Thomas. Just like a fucking coward. He’s a liar! All those rumors of him cheating on me with that whore were

true. Why are you doing this to me?” I cried again.

“Because you’re wrong and I can prove it,” Marie sighed. “Come on… put a shirt on.”

She led me by the hand to my computer, where my friends proceeded to circle around me so I couldn’t escape.

“You need to see these.” Marie opened an email from Ryan. “Is this what you saw?” she questioned as she opened the files attached.

The first picture was the same view of what I saw in that restaurant window. There was Ryan and Lauren sitting at a table, visible from the street.

It was like reliving the nightmare all over again, seeing Ryan kissing Lauren. The searing pain made me look away.

“What time did you go to this restaurant, Taryn?” Marie asked.

“Why? What difference does it make? Didn’t the cheating bastard want me to see this?”

Marie asked the same question again, emphasizing each of her words.

“I don’t remember. Four, four-thirty?” The tears were streaming down my cheeks. Tammy was rubbing my shoulders tenderly.

“Why did you even go here?” Marie pointed to the screen. “The plan was for you to go from his hotel to Key Biscayne.”

A moment of total surprise slipped into my sadness.

“Key Biscayne?” I questioned her comment. “What are you talking about?”

“Nevermind,” Marie quickly dismissed.

“Wait, how do you know where I was going when I didn’t even know?” I asked.

Marie ignored my question and tapped her fingernail back on the image of the restaurant window.

“How did you know Ryan was here?” she asked a second time.

“Someone called my cell and told me that I needed to come quickly and see what was going on with my own eyes.”

“Who called you?” Marie’s head whipped around to look at me.

“I don’t know – some guy. He said I needed to know the truth.”

Marie gave Pete a dreadful look. “Did he give you a name? What did he say exactly?” She pressed anxiously for answers.

“He didn’t give a name. He said he was a reporter or something. He told me where Ryan was – even gave me the address. I had a cab drive

me there.”

“Shit, Pete! Ryan needs to know this!” Marie flashed her eyes back to me. “Taryn, where did you think Ryan was?”

“I thought he was going to be at the hotel.” I wiped my eyes. “He was only scheduled to film until two o’clock. I tried calling him but his voicemail

picked up. I went into the bedroom to unpack and I found a love note from Lauren to Ryan.”

Marie bowed her head in disgust.

“I know. Ryan found the letter on the sidewalk by the cab stand,” she muttered.

“He was planning on leaving me,” I sputtered. Tears streamed down my cheeks again from the pain of his betrayal.

“No, he wasn’t!” Marie insisted loudly. “I don’t get it, Pete.” Marie groaned, questioning him with her eyes. “Taryn, I asked Ryan point blank if he

ever cheated on you and he said no, absolutely not,” she stated firmly.

I scoffed. “And you believed him?”

“Well, there are other things. I can’t say – I promised. Yes, I believe him.”

“You’re right! You don’t get it! None of you get it!” I shouted, angry that my friends were siding with him.

“I saw them having dinner together! I read her little love letter encouraging him to break up with me. I found the whore’s panties on his bedroom

floor. I saw him touch her and kiss her with my own eyes! That’s it, it’s over! She can have him!” My throat strained from screaming. I had no fight left

in me. “Turns out I wasn’t enough after all.”

Tammy wrapped me in her arms, gently trying to shush me while I became more and more hysterical. I was shaking all over.

“Taryn, come on! You have to admit this doesn’t sound right. I mean how would some reporter find out your cell phone number?” Pete asked.

“What does it matter?” I sobbed into Tammy’s shoulder. “Feel free to go down there and break his face.”

“No way! Not knowing what we know. I agree with Marie. Ryan wouldn’t lie about this – not now. Somebody set you up… but who?” Pete

pondered.

I glared at him. “Yeah, sure. There’s some big conspiracy going on.” I wiped my eyes. “What else could it possibly be?” I said sarcastically. I

didn’t understand why my friends were so gullible.

“Taryn, look at this picture. Is this what you saw?” Marie pointed to my computer screen.

“Are those the pictures he sent to cover his tracks? They could have been taken on any number of days.”

“Turn around and answer my question! Is this what you saw?” Marie showed me another picture.

“Similar,” I murmured. All the pictures she showed me were taken from inside the restaurant. Why are there pictures of this quality from inside

the restaurant?

“No, this is exactly what you saw. Do you see that?” Marie pointed to a long, thin block at the bottom of each picture. “Ryan said all of these are

date/time stamped as they film it.”

The date and time matched when I was there. My birth date was on all of them. My pulse quickened from the shock.

“What’s that?” Marie pointed to something gray at the top of the picture. It was hard to discern what it was.

“I don’t know,” I whispered out.

“How about in this picture? Don’t look at him kissing her.” Marie covered them with her hand. “What is that?” She pointed again to something

gray at the top of the picture. The elongated oval shape was more pronounced.

I gasped.

Marie turned to look up at me. “Do you see it now?” She smiled.

It was crystal clear what the gray thing was now… it was the microphone boom.

Ryan was on location filming, and the date and time stamps proved it.

“No, but why?” My vision became blurry and the room started to spin. “She left note… I read… wha? Not stupposed be filmin.”

A high-pitched tone started ringing in both of my ears and I couldn’t feel my legs. That’s when the room tilted sideways… and disappeared.

“Taryn?” I heard the familiar voices urgently calling my name. Something cool and wet was touching my face. Something annoying was

smacking my cheek.

“Hey there! Welcome back.” Pete smiled, dabbing my face with a cold washrag.

“What?” I tried to sit up. “What happened?” The room was still spinning slightly.

“You blacked out. You’re okay. Here, can you drink this?” Pete held the cup to my mouth.

“Ugh! That tastes awful!” I picked a small chunk of something grainy off of my tongue.

“Tammy crushed some vitamins into a cup of water. We need to get some nourishment into you,” he gently spoke. “It’s either this or we’re going

to take you to the emergency room.”

I reached for the cup. “I don’t want to go to the hospital,” I muttered. “Reporters…”

The next hour was spent quietly getting me to eat and drink, and most importantly – to stay calm.

Parts of my trip to Florida flashed through my thoughts, but I couldn’t remember all the details for some reason. Perhaps my last fragments of

self-preservation and survival suppressed the memories deep in my subconscious to protect me from having a complete mental breakdown?

I remembered crying on an airplane. I remembered Kyle helping me into a car.

“I can’t do this anymore,” I whispered, staring blankly at my bowl of spaghetti. Tammy was sitting in front of me on the ottoman. She patted my

leg.

“You need to eat some more, Taryn.” Tammy nudged me. “Marie will get to the bottom of it.”

I couldn’t eat. Marie was filling Ryan in on my current state of mental collapse.

“Stop it, Ryan! She is not sneaking around with Kyle behind your back!” Marie groaned angrily. “Because you didn’t see the state she was in

when we found her, that’s how I’m sure!

“Ryan, what part of we had to kick your bedroom door in to get to her is unclear to you? We almost called for an ambulance – she was that

bad! Believe me, Taryn is far from happy and in love with some other guy right now. Yes, she knows I’m talking to you. I’m looking right at her.”

I scoffed. Of course this would get turned around on me! My supposed infidelity with Kyle gave him an excuse.

“Ryan! Listen to me! Taryn said she found the note in your suite, and then right after that someone called her on her cell. This mystery caller guy

is the one who told her where you were! He led her to believe you were cheating on her. I mean, how else would Taryn be able to find you when you

were out on location?”

I watched Marie pace the floor while she talked to him.

“No, Taryn said he never gave a name. He told her that they were taking pictures of you, so I guess he was paparazzi?”

She moved the phone away from her ear. I could hear Ryan shouting.

“Ryan! Calm down, all right? Think. Who else has her number?” Marie asked.

She looked at me. “Taryn, do you remember if there was a name or number on your cell?”

“No, there wasn’t,” I whispered.

“Where is your phone?” She grasped the air. “Get it for me.”

I regretted my foolishness, but there was nothing I could do to change it.

“It’s on a highway in Florida,” I admitted.

Tammy rolled her eyes at me.

“Ryan, I’m telling you, she didn’t know you were still filming! Well, did you tell her that your schedule changed?” Marie yelled back at him.

“He said the morning shoot got pushed back because Lauren was feeling sick but later she felt better so they were behind schedule when they

filmed the restaurant scene,” she whispered to me. “He didn’t get a chance to call because you were already on the plane and he was on location.”

“I guess he was in such a hurry to see her that he forgot to throw her love note away?” I muttered, thoroughly disgusted with the lies. “Ask him

how long he’s been fucking her.”

Marie gave me a dirty look and covered her phone with her hand so Ryan wouldn’t hear me.

“Let him cover his tracks,” I said scornfully. “Go ahead and believe him because I sure don’t.”

Marie groaned. “Ryan, she hasn’t been answering your calls because apparently she no longer has a cell phone.

“Quit yelling in my ear!” she yelled back at him. “Stop it, Ryan! You love Taryn and Taryn loves you. She’s a mess; you’re a mess. You both need

to chill out!

“Ryan, listen to the facts! Does any of this sound logical to either one of you?”

Marie spent another twenty minutes trying to calm him down. Eventually, she snapped her phone shut. “He’s going to call back.”

While she talked, my mind collapsed from the strain.

“When he calls back, tell him he can come and get his shit out of my apartment, because I’m done with all of this. I’m done with the lies, and the

rumors, and the photographs, and having my boyfriend shove his tongue in some other girl’s mouth when he thinks I’m not looking. It’s over,” my

voice cracked. The familiar pain rippled through my chest again.

“Just calm down. Nothing is over. You’re overreacting,” Marie patronized me.

“Get out,” I seethed. “Just get out and take the rest of the Ryan Fan Club with you.” I stormed past her, wishing my bedroom door wasn’t broken

so I could slam it shut.

“Tar, don’t be like this.” Marie followed me.

“I don’t get it, Marie! I thought you were my best friend? Aren’t you supposed to be on my side? Or are you so blinded by worshiping mister

actor man that you believe him?” I yelled at her. “Call him back. I’m sure he’ll fuck you too.”

Marie gritted her teeth and before I could react, she slapped me across the face.

My hand covered the sting she left on my cheek. She smacked me hard enough that my eyes started to water. Tears formed right after that.

Everyone I loved in this world had just betrayed me.

“Get a grip already, damn it!” Marie screamed at me.

“I told you that if you ever screwed this relationship up I would kick your ass myself. And here you are, royally screwing up the best thing that has

ever happened to you! Ryan loves you, you idiot! He’s not screwing Lauren!”

Marie started to pace my bedroom floor. Tammy was trying to hold me as I sobbed on my bed.

“Pete! I’m gonna…!” Marie stated emphatically, losing her patience.

“No, Marie, don’t!” Pete lunged forward. “Last resort…”

Marie held her breath for a moment before turning her glare back to me.

“If you want a future with that man then you need stop thinking this way – immediately! Do you think that Ryan Christensen, the man who has

been insanely in love with you since the first day he met you, would do that to you? Do you honestly think he would put you on a plane, fly you first

class to stay in a luxury suite so he could accidentally let you see some bogus love note and break up with you?”

She gaped at me, waiting for my response. I had none.

“What was waiting for you in his hotel room?” Marie asked angrily.

“Marie!” Tammy cautioned.

Marie waved her off. “Taryn!”

“Nothing.” I sniffed. “Heartache and devastation… and some skanky ho’s panties.”

Marie groaned. “No, Taryn. I’m talking about the dresses.”

“Oh, yeah… the rest of Lauren’s clothing,” I muttered. “A whole rack of her glamorous things. More evidence of her staying in his room.”

“Taryn!” Tammy scolded. “All those gowns were for you!”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t think so. Wait, how do you know about the dresses?”

“Versace, Vera Wang, Jimmy Choo… sound familiar?” Marie asked. “Please tell me you at least looked at the dresses!”

“I did. I thought I was in the wrong room; I mean why would Ryan have evening gowns on a rack?” I asked.

“They were for you!” Marie insisted. “Ryan arranged to have a variety of dresses there – he wanted you to have your pick of what you would

wear to dinner.”

I looked at Marie, surprised that she knew all these details and shocked that the dresses were for me.

“And why do you suppose Ryan would want to dress you up in an expensive dress and Jimmy Choos? So he could leave you for Lauren?”

Marie shook her head. “He made a ton of arrangements…”

“Marie!” Tammy and Pete both yelled at the same time.

Marie gave them both a reproachful look and continued. “To take you on a private, romantic dinner on Biscayne Bay for your birthday,” she

finished.

I felt my heart lodge into my throat.

Marie crouched down in front of me. “All of us want to see you happy, not miserable and broken like this. Ryan is so in love with you!” She

smiled. “Don’t give up on him.”

“Tar, pull your end over a bit more,” Tammy asked, fixing the clean bed sheet on my bed. “Marie, we need one more pillow case.”

Pete had gathered overnight bags together and everyone was staying with me. My friends weren’t about to leave me alone.

“We could always play cards,” Pete suggested. He looked hopeful.

“That’s up to Taryn,” Tammy answered.

I crawled onto my bed and pulled the quilt up over my shoulder. “Not tonight,” I muttered.

Marie had her pajamas on already even though it was only nine thirty. She hopped onto Ryan’s side of the bed and turned on his bed lamp.

“I’m sorry for slapping you.” She snuggled behind me, patting my back.

“You really hit me hard,” I whispered.

“I didn’t mean to.” Marie sounded remorseful. “You were getting irrational. I hope you forgive me. I promise I’ll never do it again.”