Chapter Seven

ADDING SALT TO THE WOUND

Every evening when Sierra returned home from work her apartment smelled of a new dish her mom conjured up, the past three weeks she spent with her mother around and her father visiting on weekends made her feel a lot less lonely, in many ways it helped keep her mind off Brent who she had yet to hear from. 

She wasn’t sure why she held her breath, perhaps she was hoping he would come to his senses and realize that he was wrong, but that hadn’t happened and she felt herself becoming more depressed every night that she went to bed without a call from him. 

She knew she could swallow her pride and call him, but she didn’t want to force herself on him, the last thing she could handle was hearing that she wasn’t good enough for him again.    

“Honey, Macy came by earlier, she’s been trying to get hold of you.” Her mother informed her from the doorway of her bedroom. It was Friday afternoon, she’d spent the better part of the week giving her friends short answers whenever they called or texted, but she’d specifically been avoiding Macy who seemed adamant about pushing Sierra to feel the extent of her breakup, saying she would feel better once she had. 

“Mom, I don’t really want to speak to Macy right now.” Her mom’s eyes softened and she walked over to take a seat on the bed beside her daughter.

“Macy means well, you know that.” Sierra sighed and nodded. 

“I know she does and deep down I know she’s right, but I’m just not ready yet, you know?” Her mother nodded. 

“I know you’ve been avoiding thinking about him and anything related to him, but shutting out your friends isn’t going to help. Just tell her how you feel and she’ll back off, Macy’s a smart girl.” Sierra pursed her lips, she hated how her mother was always right.

“Why don’t you invite the girls over tomorrow, your father and I will make ourselves scarce and you can have an evening with them?” Sierra smiled at the suggestion, her mother didn’t know they already had a night of mourning, but the mention of a get together got the wheels turning in her head, the clock was ticking, she needed to tell them she was leaving in a few weeks and what better way to do it than announce to everyone at once?

“Mom, what do you say to a little get-together with everyone at the park next weekend?” Her mother frowned, it wasn’t like Sierra to suggest something like that, but she agreed, knowing that her daughter wasn’t quite herself since the breakup.

“That sounds like a great idea, we can invite your Aunt Mitsy too.” Sierra smiled at the mention of Aunt Mitsy, she was Sierra’s favorite aunt on her father’s side.

“Thanks for being here mom, it really means a lot to me.” Her mother smiled and wrapped her arms around Sierra. 

“What are mommas for?” Sierra smiled at her mom’s referral to herself. “Now, freshen up, your dad will be back any moment now and he’s been eyeing that roast leg since he arrived.” Sierra giggled, her dad was a sucker for roast lamb and her mom always made him wait. 

“You’re a mean woman, mom.” Her mom turned back and winked with a wicked look. 

“Only for your father.” Sierra couldn’t help but burst out laughing, their relationship was perfect in her eyes.

***

Sierra was getting ready for bed when her phone pinged on the side table, picking it up she frowned when she saw it was a picture from Elena, she considered ignoring it and finishing up her night routine, but curiosity got the better of her. 

Her heart stopped the moment her eyes zeroed in on the image of Brent with his arms around a beautiful redhead, in the picture she was laughing and he was smirking down at her. 

Sierra felt her heart pinch with grief, it was one thing to deal with being dumped out of the blue, but so much more to be replaced within the blink of an eye. Shutting her eyes tight, she dragged in a deep breath and clicked exit on the picture, she didn’t need to see anymore. 

When Sierra’s heart calmed slightly, she opened her eyes and involuntarily it landed on the box of stuff her mother gathered from around her apartment which belonged to Brent, she avoided having anything to do with the box for two reasons, one being that if she took it back, she would have to see him again and two, giving his stuff back would mean the end for them. 

Sucking in a deep breath, she made a split-second decision to take it to his apartment, she didn’t want him hanging over her head, she hated the helpless feeling she got when she thought of him and perhaps severing ties with him would make it easier to get on with her life. 

She threw on a pair of running shoes, disregarding the fact that she was in pink sweats and a white cropped shirt, she lifted the box from the corner of the room and marched out with determination on her face. 

“Sierra, where are you going so late?” Her dad called out when he heard keys rustling and the door open. 

Sierra turned around with the box in her hand to see both her parents ready for bed, watching her with concern, “It’s time. I’ll be back in a bit, don’t wait up, I’ll be fine.” With those words, she shut the door behind her and walked down to the basement. 

She had no idea if he’d be home or what she would say to him if he was, but she soldiered on, because if he could write her off as if she meant nothing, then she could look him in the eye and walk away for one last time without her heartbreaking all over again. 

Sierra squared her shoulders and entered his building, she didn’t announce her arrival to him, instead, she made use of the liberty of knowing his passcode to enter his building and took the elevator up to the tenth floor. 

As his door drew closer, her heart rate increased, she was determined to do it, but her heart kept shouting for her to turn around. She didn’t even realize she was knocking on his door till she heard laughter on the other side and before she could recognize whose it was, the door flew open. 

Before her stood the same redhead from the picture, barefooted in a pencil skirt and almost see-through blouse. The woman seemed to recognize her as her eyes widened and her cheeks turned red, she fumbled out a greeting. 

“Hi, is Brent home?” She already knew the answer to that, but she wasn’t about to squirm like the woman before her was doing.

“Yes-” Before she could continue, Brent appeared behind her, his eyes widening just as hers had. 

“I’ll let you two talk.” The woman awkwardly squeezed past Brent whose eyes held unmasked guilt. 

“Sierra, what are you doing here? The concierge didn’t announce your arrival.” He glanced behind him before stepping out and pulling the door shut, ouch.

“He didn’t have to, I used your passcode. I came to drop off your stuff.” Brent glanced at the box in her arms and grimaced when he saw the picture of the two of them sitting on top.

“You didn’t have to come all the way down here, I would have picked it up.” Sierra couldn’t stop the roll of her eyes. 

“Brent, you don’t have to look so guilty at being caught, I don’t care what you do with your life. We’re broken up, remember? That was your doing.” She didn’t know where the words were coming from, but she felt victorious when she saw the hurt that passed through his eyes. 

“Sierra I-” She cut him off before he could continue by shoving the box towards him. 

“I said it before, Brent, I don’t want to talk about it.” She shook her head and turned around, but stopped before she could take a step. “Just one question,” She turned back around to face him and glanced at the door when he nodded. “Did she come into the picture before or after?”

Brent didn’t need to answer because his eyes said it all and her heart dropped to her feet, the betrayal she felt before didn’t amount to how she felt in that moment, the moment she found out the truth behind her failed relationship. 

“Sierra, I swear nothing happened before we broke up.” He tried, but all she felt was numb. 

“Cheating isn’t always physical, Brent. But an omission of the truth is still a lie.” With those parting words she hurried towards the elevator, she could already feel the tears gathering in her eyes. 

Going there was a bad idea, deep down she knew it when she left, but another part of her was grateful that she did. She spent the last few weeks blaming herself for their failed relationship, for not seeing the changes in him, thinking she wasn’t doing enough to make him feel loved. 

Truthfully there was something she didn’t see, it was the ghost of another woman in her relationship.