Be With Me (6 page)

“I know.” Was all I could
manage to spit out.

“We’d better clean up and
get out of here before someone calls the cops.”

“Oh shit! Okay.” I lifted
myself off of his thighs and watched him remove the condom and
fling it out the truck window.

“That’s littering!” I
exclaimed.

“So write me a ticket.” He
smiled.

I righted all of my
clothes and slipped my shoes back on. “I need to go.”

“No you don’t, stay the
night with me.”

“Tyler, you live with your
brother and his wife, I can’t stay there.”

“Then I’ll stay with
you.”

“No!”

“Jeez, what’s the big deal
Maggie?”

“Nothing, I… I just have
to go.”

I opened the door and
slipped out into the night toward my car. I couldn’t have him stay
at my parents’ house, that wouldn’t be good for anyone. And I
couldn’t let this go beyond what just happened.

Guilt washed over me and I
began to feel tears prick the back of my eyes.
What had
I done?
With a few moments of pleasure I ruined the best chance at a
normal happy life, and I was devastated. What would Richard think?
Should I confess to my infidelity? Yes. I had to tell him what I
did; I couldn’t let it hang over my head like a stormy grey cloud.
He had to know and soon. But how to tell my fiancée that I was
planning on marrying in four months that I fucked a complete
strange in a parking lot?

I was damned to suffer for
my actions one way or another.

Ten

After Maggie jumped out of
his truck, Tyler was left bewildered. What had he done? She seemed
to be satisfied with their tryst in the front seat of his ride, but
something didn’t seem right. It could have been that she was
feeling remorseful about what she did; after all, she was
engaged.

Tyler felt like an asshole
for leading her astray like that, but it took two to tango, if she
didn’t want to do anything with him she only had to say the word
“no”.

Damn. What was he going to
do? This woman had only crossed his path just days ago and already
she was seared into his mind.

The next day Tyler felt
horrible about what had transpired, not the hot sex of course, but
the way things ended. He had to talk to her and see what was going
on.

He rehearsed the things he
would say to Maggie on the drive to her parents place, and had a
game plan ready to go. When he turned down the dusty drive his mind
went blank.
What the fuck?

He parked near her rental
sedan, and climbed down from the cab of his truck. Taking two steps
at a time he reached the front door and gave a few brief
taps.

The door swung open and
Maggie had a look of surprise on her beautiful face. She looked
breathtaking standing there in just a t-shirt and cut off shorts.
All he wanted to do was eat her alive at that moment, but knew he
should tread lightly with her.

“
Tyler. What are you doing
here?”

“I came by to see if you
needed any help out here.” He lied.

“Um, not
really.”

“Okay…well I guess I will
leave you alone then.” He turned to walk away.

“Wait. I’m sorry; I have
so much on my mind right now…it’s just crazy. Please come in.” She
opened the door and let him slip past her into the stale interior
of the house. It was dusty and smelled of mildew, and it made his
stomach turn.

“I lied.” He
stated.

“Huh? About what?” She
questioned.

“I didn’t drop by to see
if you need help, I came by to make sure you were okay after last
night.”

“Oh. Tyler I’m
fine.”

“Now you’re the liar.” He
frowned.

“What do you expect me to
say? That I’m happy I cheated on my fiancée and ruined my future?
Please excuse me if I don’t jump for joy.”

“Maggie look, I felt
something last night, and I know you did too.”

“Sure, I felt you between
my legs, end of story.”

“Dammit!” He
yelled.

Maggie jumped back at him
lashing out and seemed to cower in front of him.

“I’m sorry…” He reached
out for her.

“Don’t. Just don’t touch
me!”

“What the fuck is going
on? One minute you’re all over me, and the next you freak out. I
can’t seem to believe that cheating is the only thing at play
here.”

“Tyler, there are things
that you don’t understand and I think it’s better that way. Let’s
just go our separate ways, it was fun but nothing can come of all
this.” She pleaded.

“What? Because I’m not a
slick city boy with a stick up my ass, you think I’m not fit to be
around you?”

“That’s bullshit and you
know it Tyler!”

“Then enlighten me
Maggie.”

“No, I…I can’t.” She began
to shed tears.

“Please tell me what’s the
matter, I want to help you.”

“There is no one that can
help me, I’m sorry. Please go.”

“Fine.”

Tyler turned around and
exited the house, he could hear Maggie crying as he descended the
steps off the porch, but he kept on walking. She didn’t want to
talk to him, and maybe it was for the better, he didn’t need the
complication in his life anyway.

Eleven

I watched Tyler leave and
it made my insides hurt. I shouldn’t have pushed him away like I
did, but what was I supposed to do? I had made a huge mistake by
being with him, and the shame was overwhelming me terribly. I
needed someone to talk to…maybe Hayley would sympathize. I grabbed
my phone and dialed her number.

“Maggie! Where the hell
have you been I’ve been so worried!”

“Hey, I’m really sorry I
haven’t called sooner, things have been…fucked up.” I
sighed.

“Sounds like you need a
girl chat lay it on me Mags.”

I blew out a breath and
decided to tell my best friend everything. “I fucked up so bad
Hayley. There is this guy and things…happened. I didn’t plan on it
but it just did and now, well…” I trailed off.

“Oh.” Haley
whispered.

“Yeah I know I’m an idiot,
what the hell am I going to do? I have to tell Richard, it wouldn’t
be fair to keep something this epic from him. Not when he trusts me
the way he does.”

“Um…look Mags, there is
something I need to tell you. Please don’t be mad, but you’re my
best friend and you know I love you.”

“What’s going
on?”

“Richard came back from
Bermuda early, I saw him last night at Club Terrace.”

“Okay. I wonder why he
didn’t tell me he was arriving back so soon, that’s
odd.”

“Maggie, he wasn’t
alone.”

“I don’t understand
Hayley, what are you saying?”

“He was there with a
woman, and they were close…too close.”

I felt my guts tighten,
and I wanted to hurl at the thought he betrayed me like that. But
how much of a heartless bitch was I? I had done the exact same
thing to him.

“Look Mags, I didn’t want
to tell you, but you needed to know. I think you guys should talk,
or something.”

“You’re right, we do need
to talk, thank you for telling me. I doubt I would have found out
otherwise.”

“So what are you going to
do? The wedding is in a few months.”

“I’m not sure, but I will
let you know soon, I promise.”

“Okay, well if you need
anything I’m here.”

“Thanks Hayley, I love
you.”

I hung up the phone, and
almost felt a sense of relief wash over me. Sure I had done some
unspeakable things behind Richards back, but he was obviously doing
the same. It wasn’t right either way, but I had to tell him what
happened, I didn’t want to live with it on my conscience
forever.

I messed around the house
for a while and finally got up the nerve to dial Richards number.
My hands were shaking and my stomach was nothing but one giant knot
of queasiness. The line started ringing and he picked up on the
third ring.

“Hey.” He answered in a
clipped tone.

“Hey there, I was
wondering if you had a few minutes, there are some things we need
to talk over.”

“Yeah sure, what is
it?”

His demeanor on the other
end of the line was not something I was accustomed to coming from
him. His voice was short, and he acted like I was interrupting
something extremely important.

“Where are you
Richard?”

“I’m uh…”

“Save it, I know you are
back in Chicago, no need to lie.”

“Look Maggie I was going
to call and tell you that some things came up and I was needed back
in the office.”

“Fine, whatever. It really
doesn’t matter. I guess what I wanted to know is do you really want
to marry me? Or is this just some preconceived notion that this is
the next step in a relationship?”

“Why would you doubt that
I wanted to marry you? Are you having doubts?”

“Yes, I am Richard. I
don’t want you to think I don’t care about you, because I do, I
just can’t see me giving myself to someone until death do us part
without more than that.”

There was a silence on the
other end of the line that told me I wasn’t the only on that had
this type of feelings.

“I fucked up Maggie.” He
breathed.

“Don’t okay, we both
fucked up.”

“No you don’t understand I
fucked up so bad. I have been seeing someone behind your back for
almost eight months.”

“You what!” I
screamed.

“I never meant for it to
happen, but it did. I was going to tell you when you came back from
Texas. I know that’s a chicken shit excuse and everything
but…”

As angry as I was at his
revelation, I was no different than him, I may not have been in an
ongoing relationship with someone else for months, but I did fuck a
stranger in the front of a pickup truck.

“Richard, please don’t
beat yourself up about it, I know I’m not.”

“So you aren’t going to
scream and yell, and tell me what a bastard I am?”

“That would be pointless,
I have wasted too much emotional energy on this relationship as it
is to go flying off the handle about you screwing someone else. And
besides, I haven’t been entirely faithful to you. Granted I wasn’t
fucking someone for eight months though.”

“Look I know this is not
the conversation we should be having just a few months from our
wedding, but I can’t go through with it. I am in love with
Lauren.”

“Lauren? Your secretary?”
I gasped.

“Yes, my
secretary.”

“Wait, isn’t she pregnant?
Holy shit! Is she knocked up with your kid Richard?”

“Yeah, I was going to tell
you I swear. Things just came up and I didn’t get around to
it.”

“How the fuck do you not
get around to telling your fiancée that you knocked up the help!
Are you stupid? Oh my god!”

“Okay so there is the
yelling I was bracing myself for…”

“You know what; you’re
right, forget it. I hope you two have a wonderful happy life
together Richard”

Before he could reply, I
hung up and threw my phone at the wall, shattering it into tiny
pieces.
Fuck!

It wasn’t bad enough I was
stuck in Texas with my dead parents shit to take care of, and the
fact that my past was looming over my skull like a rainy cloud, now
I had a broken engagement. What a life to live.

Twelve

“Dude you look like
someone kicked your puppy, what’s up with you?” Jake
teased.

“Fuck you man!” Tyler
huffed.

“Emily said you have been
a major dick lately, just wanted to see what the hell your problem
is.”

“Maybe my problem is none
of your business Jake.”

“Well it becomes my
problem when you are an asshole to my wife, and are staying in my
home.”

“Then I’ll fucking
leave!”

Tyler abruptly scooted
back the chair he occupied and stomped out of the house. The door
slammed behind him, making a loud cracking noise. When he reached
his truck, Jake was on his heels, with a determined look on his
face. Tyler pivoted around just in time to feel Jakes fist connect
with his jaw.

“What the fuck!” He lunged
toward his brother.

The two hit the ground and
rolled until Jake was pinned underneath Tyler. Tyler raised his
fist to lay a punch onto Jakes face, and heard screaming from the
porch.

“Stop it!” Emily was
running to where they were scuffling. “Tyler get off of him now
dammit!”

Emily had a look of horror
on her face, and it immediately disarmed Tyler. What was he doing?
This wasn’t him; he didn’t fight with his family.