Intensity (27 page)

“Celine!” Ruthie pleaded, taking a breath. “I’m sorry! If I had known he was standing there, I would never have said anything! I was just angry!”

“Don’t ever talk to me again,” Celine said quietly, turning away. She wiped away her tears and couldn’t bear to look at her friend.

“You don’t mean that!” Ruthie gasped, taking a step towards her.

“Just—don’t.” Celine shook her head and began walking down the street. She ignored the barks of neighboring dogs and the pain of her screaming muscles, which were still sore from the crash.

“Celine! Where are you going?” Ruthie called out, attempting to run after her. She quickly grabbed at her Louboutins and threw them on her front lawn, running down the street barefooted.

“SHUT UP!” her neighbor yelled, but once again Ruthie ignored him. She easily caught up with Celine, running out in front of her to block her way.

“I told you to leave me alone,” Celine said. Without looking at her, Celine sidestepped Ruthie and continued making her way down the street.

“It’s dangerous out here! Come inside! Noah’s just mad, this will blow over in the morning,” Ruthie pleaded.

“I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE!” Celine turned and glared at her friend. Her thick eyelashes framed the intense look in her eye. The anger—even hatred—in her eyes was enough to make Ruthie stop in her tracks. It was a look she’d never seen on Celine before.

Celine continued down the street, unsure of her destination. She took the first turn she could, leaving a silent Ruthie behind.

Everything felt as if it were falling apart. Her friendship, her love life were in broken pieces. Everything was ruined. Usually Celine called Ruthie in times of turmoil, but what would she do now that Ruthie was the cause of it?

Biting back her cries, Celine fished for her phone and began dialing quickly. She leaned against a nearby tree and succumbed to a fit of sobs. Her shoulders heaved up and down as she listened to the ringing phone. After the fourth ring she finally heard someone answer.

“Hello?”

“I’m sorry to call you so late,” she whispered. “I just didn’t know who else to call. Can you pick me up?”

***

The steam rose from the bright blue mug, dancing through the air in wisps. The smell of green tea hit her nostrils, but Celine ignored the fishy scent. Blowing her nose, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. How did her perfect life turn into shambles in just one night?

“Hey, how are you holding up?” Melissa looked down at her little sister and began smoothing out Celine’s hair. “Did you get any sleep?”

Celine wrapped herself inside Melissa’s oversized sweater. All her clothes were either at Noah’s house or Ruthie’s and she had no choice but to borrow anything Melissa had to offer. She shook her head sadly. “No.”

“Did you try to call Noah?” Melissa sighed.

“No,” she repeated. “He hates me.”

“He doesn’t hate you.” Melissa laughed softly. She pulled up a chair beside her sister, balancing her fourteen-month-old on her lap. The baby cooed and reached for her aunt, but Celine wasn’t having it. She looked away.

“I think you should try calling him,” Melissa advised with a somewhat snippy tone. “It was all a misunderstanding, right?”

Celine blinked. “Yeah, it was. What’s with the tone?”

Melissa took a breath and leaned forward, placing her hand on Celine’s arm. “Answer me this, are you happy with Noah?”

“Of course!” Celine answered, leaning back into her seat. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

With pursed lips, Melissa asked, “Then what’s the deal with Brian?”

“There was no deal.” Celine huffed, eyeing her niece. She couldn’t help but feel a bit envious of the tiny baby. She was too young and too innocent to have screwed anything up in her life just yet. Celine swallowed, lifting her chin. “He was just an old friend.”

“An old friend, hmm?” Melissa shook her head with amusement. “Celine, you hate dressing up. What was with that ensemble last night? What’s with spending quality time with Brian alone? What’s with—”

“I get it, I get it.” Celine exhaled. She rubbed her eyes and sighed. “I guess it looked bad, huh?”

“Yup,” Melissa answered with a nod of her head. She narrowed her eyes curiously. “Why’d you do it? Do you still have feelings for Brian?”

Celine didn’t answer.

“Celine?”

Biting her lip, she attempted to answer. “No. I don’t know. I don’t think so?”

“Celine.” Melissa’s voice was stern.

“I think this wedding stuff is just getting to me.” She reached out and ran her finger over the rim of her mug, trying to focus on anything but Melissa. But Melissa was all she had right now. She needed her big sister’s advice no matter how strained their relationship had always been. With a tilt of her head, Celine asked, “When you got married to Dale, were you nervous?”

“Terrified.” Melissa laughed. “It’s a big change; it really is. The thing is, it’s a good change. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have this little bugger.” She pressed a sloppy kiss on her daughter’s chubby cheek, eliciting a squeal of delight.

Celine smiled softly. “Yeah, well, I guess I won’t have a little bugger to look forward to,” she whispered.

Melissa pinched her daughter’s cheek and snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous. You and Noah will make up. I promise.”

Celine leaned her elbow against the table and rested her chin into her hands. She gazed out the kitchen window, watching the cars pass. One by one, different vehicles drove by; none of which were Noah. She looked down sadly, watching the steam rise from her cup. In a quiet tone, she whispered, “Honestly, I don’t think we will.”

Chapter 45

Four days had passed and still no change. The duplex felt empty. What once felt like home was just an empty box, devoid of light, laughter, and comfort.

Ruthie flipped through the channels, mindlessly watching an infomercial about the “Best Mop Known to Man.” Every broken heart she ever felt had nothing on what it felt like to lose her best friend. Any hope of them making up flew out the window when Melissa showed up at her doorstep, asking for her sister’s things.

BZZZ.

Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of her vibrating phone. It would totally be in Celine’s personality to text instead of call. She hurriedly grabbed the lavender phone, frowning when she spotted Cash’s text.

Hey babe, you free?

Ruthie pressed her lips together. Cash hadn’t once contacted her since the night of Brian’s housewarming. Since the night everything fell apart.

It didn’t take her long to figure out that Cash blanched at the fact she assumed they were dating. He was the typical (immature) man. Guess a few hit records didn’t change that fact. Why would he be texting now? Was there some unspoken Bro Code similar to the infamous “three day rule” that called for leaving a girl hanging for a few weeks? If it weren’t for her job, Ruthie would probably have gone crazy with uncertainty.

After her fight with Celine, Ruthie felt very alone and very depressed. With nothing to occupy her time (and mind) she decided to throw herself into work. Her bosses took notice of her and if one good thing came out of her trauma, it was an offer that she represent her company in the national trade show (take that, Brenda!). She’d be given the opportunity to fly to Santa Fe in third quarter. As happy as she was, she couldn’t find it in herself to celebrate. She wanted nothing more than to call Celine and invite her to the Plaza for margaritas, but she knew that was never going to happen.

“Fuck it,” she muttered, texting Cash back. She might as well find something to do with her time and in the scheme of things, doing Cash didn’t seem like such a bad idea.

Yes, I’m free
.

The phone buzzed almost immediately. Ruthie grinned and picked herself off the couch, which was beginning to grow an indent of her body. She rushed to her bathroom, peeling off her clothes, figuring she needed a shower. The bathroom quickly began to fill with steam, fogging up the mirror. Reaching out towards the glass surface, Ruthie wiped the mirror with the palm of her hand and stared at her reflection. There were a pair of dark circles under her eyes, betraying her unending feeling of depression. Deep down she knew Cash would never help her feel completely better. Yet, a little was better than nothing, right?

With a sigh, she stepped into the bathtub, allowing the hot water to coat her body. Losing herself, she allowed the stream of water to massage her tense muscles.

***

Ruthie jerked the stiff wheel of her rental vehicle, hating the way the car handled. Following the GPS’ directions she found herself turning into the parking garage of a hotel, bypassing the valet in the front. She rolled into the ominous cement building, turning into the first empty space she spotted. She placed the ugly car in park and pulled down the visor mirror, making sure she looked somewhat presentable. Once satisfied, she practically ran out through the garage, making her way to the elevator. She hoped to reach Cash’s room before she lost any nerve.

Her long hair swung behind her, her footsteps stomping through the carpeted hallway. She eyed the number of each room, surprised that Cash hadn’t rented a whole floor to himself. She wouldn’t have put it past the self-centered a-hole. Finding the room she was looking for, she paused and took a deep breath before lightly knocking on the door.

Ruthie heard what sounded like numerous muffled voices coming from the inside of the room. She frowned and waited anxiously for the door to open. Maybe Cash had given her the wrong room number? Before she could think twice about it, the door opened, revealing a very tan and a very naked Cash.

“Ruthie!” He pulled her into the room and hugged her tightly. “I missed you, babe.” He squeezed her tightly, grabbing onto her bottom in the process.

Ruthie began to smile until she spotted two women sitting on the couch. They smiled up at her enthusiastically, both wearing nothing but lacy underwear. One of the scantily clad women even had the audacity to run her tongue over her bottom lip.

“What is this?” Ruthie gasped, pushing Cash away. She felt sick to her stomach and hoped to God she was seeing things.

“Oh! How rude of me! Ladies, this is Ruthie. She’s the one I was telling you about.”

The women giggled and wiggled their French manicured tips at her. The lip licker grinned and called out, “About time you showed up. We were getting antsy.”

“What is this, Cash?” Ruthie hissed, feeling disgusted.

“I wanted to see you,” Cash murmured, pressing his lips into her neck. Ruthie pushed him away, earning a scowl. Cash flicked his teeth. “You said you liked being seen with me, so I figured I’d give you what you wanted.” He gestured towards the women, who immediately began to undo their bras.

Ruthie’s eyes widened in understanding. “You are fucking sick! Sick!”

Cash took a step back, his expression unreadable. “What? You’re not into being watched? I thought all that talk about going out in public with me was just code for your fetish.” He snorted and eyeballed the naked women who were perched on his couch. “Well, if you’re really not into voyeurism, I’m sure these ladies wouldn’t mind joining in, am I right, ladies?”

“Oh, you’re right on the money,” the other woman laughed. She began stretching across the couch seductively. Ruthie quickly averted her eyes.

“You’re such a fucking pervert!” she yelled at him, turning towards the door.

Cash grabbed her arm and spun her back around. “You wanted to date me, right? Well, this is the stuff I like to do with the women I date.”

“So that’s what this is all about? To show me that you’ll never settle?” Ruthie huffed and shook her head. A hysteric giggle escaped her lips.

Cash threw her a strange look. “What’s so funny?”

“What’s funny is that I allowed a jerk like you to throw my life into shambles! I should have known better.” She shook her head and freed her arm, heading for the door. She turned her head and growled, “You’re a sick fuck!”

“Ruthie!” Cash called out angrily. He followed her out the door. “Ruthie! You know, if you leave now I’m never coming after you again, right?”

She froze and took a deep breath. Barely looking over her shoulder, she whispered, “Goodbye, Cash.”

Ruthie was too shocked and appalled to cry. She felt numb throughout her entire body and was unsure of how she was even able to move her legs to walk. She rushed to the elevator and pounded on the buttons as if doing so would hurry it along. The wait seemed excruciating, but finally the doors slid open. She gasped and took a step back when she noticed a disheveled looking Brian standing inside.

“Brian!” she gasped.

Brian looked up, blinking. There was a slight gash on his eyebrow, which was held together by a butterfly band aid. The skin around his eye was purple, bordered by dark blue.

“What happened?” Ruthie whispered, reaching out for his eye. Realizing what she was doing, she pulled her arm back to her side and eyeballed him with concern.

Brian stepped aside and gestured beside him. “Care to ride along?”

“Didn’t you just get here?” Ruthie asked in confusion.

“If I can put off tearing Cash away from his groupies, I will,” he muttered.

Ruthie pressed her lips together and quietly stepped inside the box. With embarrassment evident on her face, she whispered, “I take it he does this a lot?”

“Yup,” Brian answered, pressing the button that led to the lobby.

Ruthie shut her eyes and leaned against the wooden paneling. “I take it you’ve also told Celine about him?”

“Yup,” he repeated, barely giving her a glance.

Ruthie sighed and leaned her bare shoulder into the wall. She felt the elevator rumble, beginning to make its descent. After a few seconds of silence, Ruthie gazed up and asked, “What happened to you? Did you get mauled by a rabid dog or something?”

Brian snorted and shook his head. “Let’s just say a very angry fiancé paid my house a visit.”

“Noah?” Ruthie gasped, her eyes widening.

Brian nodded his head and chuckled half-heartedly. “Thanks for telling him about me, by the way.”

“It wasn’t like that!” Ruthie said defensively. “Celine and I were arguing and it just slipped out! Besides, I had no idea Noah even showed up.”

Releasing a quick puff of air from his nostrils, Brian shook his head. “It doesn’t matter anyway. He told me the wedding is off.”

Ruthie instantly felt her stomach plummet. “It is?”

Poor Celine. She must be completely beside herself…and it was also Ruthie’s fault.

“Well, yeah,” Brian replied in surprise. “I’m shocked you didn’t know.” He pursed his lips and asked, “What happened between you and Celine? Are you guys not speaking or something?”

Ruthie looked at her feet. She felt a sharp prickling in her nose and knew it would only be a matter of time before she burst into tears. “I haven’t spoken to her since the night of your party.”

“What?” Brian exclaimed. The elevator doors opened and Brian quickly ushered Ruthie outside. Pulling at her arm, he led her to the little cafe towards the front.

“I’m not really in the mood for coffee,” she muttered.

“Sit,” he instructed.

Sighing, she pulled out the nearest chair and plopped down. She was feeling too exhausted to argue. Everything just felt so messed up.

“I need to talk to Celine,” Brian said adamantly, sitting across from her.

“You and me both!” Ruthie shrilly laughed.

“I mean it.”

Ruthie frowned. She gazed at Brian’s face and noticed the slight swelling in his upper lip. “I don’t think you should talk to her.”

“And why not?” he demanded.

“Well, for one you inadvertently ruined her wedding. I don’t think I can forgive you for that,” she told him.

“Why should I care what you think?” he asked bluntly.

With a lift of her chin, she replied, “Because I’m her best friend.”

“Are you really?” he asked in disbelief. “Doesn’t seem like it.”

Frowning in irritation, Ruthie’s face suddenly softened. “Yeah, I am her best friend and if it’s true what you said about their wedding, I think I should be there for her instead of speaking with you.”

Without waiting for him to reply, she pushed herself up and began walking towards the exit. A chair dragged loudly across the floor and Brian ran up beside her. He stepped in front of her, blocking her from the exit.

“Move, Brian,” she demanded crossly.

“Ruthie, you have no idea how much I need to talk to Celine!” His face scrunched up, looking like a dog who had been kicked.

With a roll of her eyes she asked, “Why, Brian? You had your chance a long time ago! What changed now?”

“I changed!” Brian shouted. A few heads turned in their direction and Brian quickly quieted his voice. “I changed, Ruthie. I’m not that stupid teenager anymore. I realized what a dumb mistake I made and I’m sure as hell not going to make it again!”

Ruthie stared at him quietly for a moment before finally saying, “Your face.”

“Uh, yeah, my face,” Brian repeated in confusion. “What about it?”

“You said Noah did that to you?” Ruthie asked with a small smile.

“Yeah, so what? Why are you so happy about it?” Brian asked curiously.

“No, not happy,” she explained. “I just remembered what someone once told me about being able to tell whether or not someone really loved another person.”

“Um, okay,” Brian said slowly. He scratched his head, wondering what Ruthie was getting at.

Unfortunately, Ruthie didn’t care to elaborate. With a nod of her head, Ruthie began to grin instead.

“Your smile is kinda creeping me out,” Brian admitted.

Ruthie gazed out the glass door and said softly, “There’s something I need to do.”

“And what’s that?” Brian asked, following suit.

“I need to get my best friend back.”