FIVE – CHEATING BASTARD

MIRA

Darth tries to keep me locked up in Mason’s office but I escape the minute he steps out for a water break.

Fifteen minutes later, I am standing in my best friend’s doorway.

“Vanessa! Where the hell have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you since last night.”

My best friend gives me a not-so- bright smile and continues into the house.

Okay, something’s not right. I close the door behind me and join her on the sofa.

On a closer look, her face is scrubbed free of make up and she looks ten years younger than her normal age.

“Okay, Nessa. Spit it out. What happened?”

She shrugs.

“What happened to you? You look like you’ve been crying.”

I roll my eyes at her.

“I asked you first, Barbie doll.”

Vanessa lowers her gaze quickly, but not before I see the haunted look in those beautiful blue eyes. Her face is swollen and puffy, like she’s been crying for hours. Vanessa never cries – meaning something’s up.

“Are you going to tell me or will I have to force it out of you?”

“I’m fine, Mira. Just let it be.”

I scoot closer and wrap my arm around her shoulders.

“Look at me, girl.”

She hesitates at first, then gives me a wet stare. My stomach tightens with tension.

“You’re crying again. C’mon. Who do I have to kill?”

She heaves a sigh.

“Damon cheated on me.” She deadpans.

I freeze. I’m pretty sure my mouth is hanging open right about now.

“W-wait. You and Damon…?”

Vanessa covers her face with both hands and lets out a long, frustrated groan.

“I thought we actually had something. It was going great and the sex was so intense. God, now I feel so stupid.”

“Oh, baby.” I hug her tight when she starts crying all over again.

“He wanted to take things serious, you know.” She hiccups. “He said he wanted to be with me indefinitely…but I just wasn’t sure…”

I pat her back lightly.

“Then what happened?”

“I decided to prank him.”

My eyes nearly bug out of their sockets.

“Nessa. You didn’t.”

“Oh, yes I did. And he failed. Horribly.”

“Well, what kind of prank was it?”

Another deep breath,

“I lied to him that I was pregnant. I bought a fake pregnancy test and fake test results. I just wanted to lay everything on the table to see his reaction. And he…he…”

She breaks down and tears run down her smooth cheeks in torrents.

“Tell me what happened, baby.”

She wipes at her eyes.

“He went off the roof. He was…so upset. I’ve never seen him that angry at me.”

“What? He doesn’t want kids?” I ask gently.

“Apparently not. He had a bad childhood although he refuses to tell me all the gory details. According to him, he doesn’t think he has any fatherly instincts.”

Her words remind me of a certain dark god and my chest heaves with a painful pang.

“So he cheated on you because he thought you were pregnant?”

“Yup. I got a call from a strange number. Someone who works at his club. She told me that my boyfriend was last seen going into one of the rooms with a stripper. I didn’t want to believe her until I got there and saw things for myself.”

I cringe.

“You actually saw him sleep with this girl?”

Her eyes widen.

“No. No. But he was naked and tangled in the sheets with her. She had this post coital glow and the motherfucking bastard didn’t even bother to deny it.”

Pure, raw anger at Damon's behaviour consumes me.

“They’re bastards. Both of them.”

“I hate him so much.” Vanessa whispers. “I’m done, Mira. I’m done.”

I kiss her hair lightly.

“Hey, it’s going to be fine. At least you’re not actually pregnant for him. Thank goodness.”

Vanessa extricates herself from my grip and gives me a worried look that has my nerves tingling.

“But that’s the problem, Mira. It wasn’t really a prank…I am pregnant for Damon.”

Shit just hit the fan if you ask me.