‹ Prequel: We Are Broken
Status: Complete!
Two Pieces
Chapter 13
The sound of waves gently crashing to shore lulled Rylee into relaxation. She was laid out in a beach chair, wearing a black halter-top bikini, drinking a cold glass of lemon flavored water. A pleased smile adorned her face as the sun warmed her pale skin. She was completely content. Her worries always seemed to disappear here. The beach was, and always has been, her safe haven. When things aren’t going as planned, she usually ends up at the beach. It’s the only place where time stops long enough for her to catch her breath, exhale all the bullshit and sort out her thoughts.
She closed her eyes and evened out her breathing. Her hand rested on her stomach where her child rested. The warm humid breeze tousled her hair, tickling her shoulders in the process. No, she wasn’t back home in Huntington Beach. She was in Miami Beach, a little piece of home away from home.
“Rylee?”
She fidgeted and opened her eyes. She was so caught up in her own little world that she forgot Stephanie was lounging in the chair beside her.
She smiled softly and looked over at her, “Yeah?”
Stephanie bit her lip while lightly tapping her manicured nails against the gossip magazine that sat on her lap. “Can I ask you a question?”
Rylee nodded, “Sure. What’s up?”
“Why are you still with him?”
Rylee sighed and looked away from the pitiful expression on Steph's face. She didn’t want anyone to pity her. It’s not that she didn’t appreciate compassion from others. She just didn’t want to be viewed as helpless. A damsel in distress. But she kind of expected this from Steph at some point. Stephanie was very observant and extremely outspoken. If she deemed something important, she let it be known.
“I mean, I love Matt like a brother, I’ve known him just as long as you have. But he cheated on you. Why stay with someone who betrayed you?”
Rylee sighed and ran a hand through her hair.
“Is it because you’re pregnant? Ya know, my mom was a single mother. And I turned out just fine," Steph concluded.
“I still love him,” Rylee finally said with a dopey smile. “He made one mistake, a mistake that still burns in my mind from time to time, but we’re getting better.”
Stephanie nodded slowly, “Ok. That’s understandable I guess. But do you still trust him?”
Rylee laughed, “Why are you going all Dr. Phil on me?”
Steph playfully nudged Rylee’s shoulder, “Because I’m your friend and I’m concerned.”
Rylee sighed deeply, “Fine. I don’t fully trust him like I used to. But I’m getting there…”
“Would you be mad if I told you I don’t trust him?”
Rylee slightly frowned.
“No. But why?” she asked.
“Because he’s acting weird. I think he might be hiding something," said Stephanie.
Rylee’s frown deepened, “What makes you think that?”
Steph smacked her lips, “I watched him last night at dinner. He kept checking his phone but he always did a double take to see if you were paying attention. I think something is up, Ryles.”
Rylee didn’t say anything. She really didn’t know what to say.
“Have you noticed anything unusual about him?” Steph asked.
Rylee licked her lips nervously, “Sort of. Yesterday I was sitting on his lap when he got a text message. I reached for his phone, you know, just to hand it to him but he flipped out and snatched it from me. Then he pushed me from his lap.”
Stephanie sighed and shook her head.
“But he apologized and claimed he was just playing around,” Rylee added, to convince herself that nothing was wrong.
But the somber look on Stephanie’s face said it all. Something was wrong. Rylee’s heart dropped because Stephanie was usually right.
“You have to confront him about it, Rylee.”
Rylee let out a long sigh. She looked down the shoreline for her husband. She spotted him lounging next to Zacky. She studied his every move. She needed a sign. Some sort of indication that something was truly wrong. As if on cue, he peaked over at Zack before taking out his phone. He glared down at it, and then glanced at Zack once more before typing something out. Then he snapped it closed and tried to play it cool. Rylee narrowed her eyes, trying to comprehend. But she couldn’t. She did find it a bit shady, though. She thought about it a bit longer before making up her mind.
“I’ll do it, Steph. I’ll confront him tomorrow.”
She closed her eyes and evened out her breathing. Her hand rested on her stomach where her child rested. The warm humid breeze tousled her hair, tickling her shoulders in the process. No, she wasn’t back home in Huntington Beach. She was in Miami Beach, a little piece of home away from home.
“Rylee?”
She fidgeted and opened her eyes. She was so caught up in her own little world that she forgot Stephanie was lounging in the chair beside her.
She smiled softly and looked over at her, “Yeah?”
Stephanie bit her lip while lightly tapping her manicured nails against the gossip magazine that sat on her lap. “Can I ask you a question?”
Rylee nodded, “Sure. What’s up?”
“Why are you still with him?”
Rylee sighed and looked away from the pitiful expression on Steph's face. She didn’t want anyone to pity her. It’s not that she didn’t appreciate compassion from others. She just didn’t want to be viewed as helpless. A damsel in distress. But she kind of expected this from Steph at some point. Stephanie was very observant and extremely outspoken. If she deemed something important, she let it be known.
“I mean, I love Matt like a brother, I’ve known him just as long as you have. But he cheated on you. Why stay with someone who betrayed you?”
Rylee sighed and ran a hand through her hair.
“Is it because you’re pregnant? Ya know, my mom was a single mother. And I turned out just fine," Steph concluded.
“I still love him,” Rylee finally said with a dopey smile. “He made one mistake, a mistake that still burns in my mind from time to time, but we’re getting better.”
Stephanie nodded slowly, “Ok. That’s understandable I guess. But do you still trust him?”
Rylee laughed, “Why are you going all Dr. Phil on me?”
Steph playfully nudged Rylee’s shoulder, “Because I’m your friend and I’m concerned.”
Rylee sighed deeply, “Fine. I don’t fully trust him like I used to. But I’m getting there…”
“Would you be mad if I told you I don’t trust him?”
Rylee slightly frowned.
“No. But why?” she asked.
“Because he’s acting weird. I think he might be hiding something," said Stephanie.
Rylee’s frown deepened, “What makes you think that?”
Steph smacked her lips, “I watched him last night at dinner. He kept checking his phone but he always did a double take to see if you were paying attention. I think something is up, Ryles.”
Rylee didn’t say anything. She really didn’t know what to say.
“Have you noticed anything unusual about him?” Steph asked.
Rylee licked her lips nervously, “Sort of. Yesterday I was sitting on his lap when he got a text message. I reached for his phone, you know, just to hand it to him but he flipped out and snatched it from me. Then he pushed me from his lap.”
Stephanie sighed and shook her head.
“But he apologized and claimed he was just playing around,” Rylee added, to convince herself that nothing was wrong.
But the somber look on Stephanie’s face said it all. Something was wrong. Rylee’s heart dropped because Stephanie was usually right.
“You have to confront him about it, Rylee.”
Rylee let out a long sigh. She looked down the shoreline for her husband. She spotted him lounging next to Zacky. She studied his every move. She needed a sign. Some sort of indication that something was truly wrong. As if on cue, he peaked over at Zack before taking out his phone. He glared down at it, and then glanced at Zack once more before typing something out. Then he snapped it closed and tried to play it cool. Rylee narrowed her eyes, trying to comprehend. But she couldn’t. She did find it a bit shady, though. She thought about it a bit longer before making up her mind.
“I’ll do it, Steph. I’ll confront him tomorrow.”