by Jenika Snow
Chapter Twelve
When Mona pulled into the driveway after her shift ended at the coffee shop, the sun had already set below the horizon. Her back ached and she smelled like coffee beans. She couldn’t complain though. Every penny she earned went toward a place to stay when she was in college.
A week already passed since that awkward morning when Holly had stopped by and spoken to Isaac. She hadn’t brought it up to him and she had noticed a definite change in him. He seemed distant and forlorn, like something weighed heavily on him. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe he was finally realizing that what they had couldn’t go on any longer if it was kept hidden. Maybe he was starting to really feel that bone-deep guilt that she felt at the knowledge that if Kara ever found out it would break her heart.
She knew in her heart her relationship with Isaac was more than just a fling, but she really couldn’t see herself burdening him with staying at his home while his daughter was off in college. Guilt still swamped her at the fact she was deceiving Karalina. Despite this, she still found herself wanting him with a ferocity that startled her. It was like he was a magnet she simply couldn’t break away from.
She needed to tell Kara what was really going on, because it was eating away at her that she was hiding something so monumental from someone so special to her. Even if she had to corner her to make her listen, she would. The thought had crossed her mind that she could just pretend it didn’t happen, that Kara could go off to college pleasantly unaware that her father had fucked her best friend every which way during the summer. She couldn’t though, because that was all she would think about.
She turned off the car and sat in silence for a moment. The ticking noise of her engine cooling filled the small confines of her car, but that wasn’t the only thing that broke the silence. The dim rhythmic thump of music near by drew her attention to a red sports car up the street. She knew that car, knew that it was Marcus’s and Kara was in there doing God only knew what. Mona wasn’t about to find out either.
She grabbed her bag and climbed out of the car. The door squeaked as she shut it and she winced. It wasn’t the prettiest thing in the world, but it had been all she could afford and it got her where she needed to go. She refused to let Isaac pay for something nicer for her, especially since she was staying in his home free of charge. He had already helped her out more than she could ever repay.
As she walked up the sidewalk and closer to Marcus’s car, she could hear not only the sound of music, but also the distinct sound of arguing. It really wasn’t Mona’s place to stop a lover’s spat, but she knew Marcus’s reputation and Kara was in the car with him. She moved closer to the car and saw Kara’s body slammed against the passenger side window. Mona could see Marcus’s big body covering Kara’s much smaller one, and a fierce anger like she had never felt encompassed her.
Kara’s plead for him to stop was Mona’s last straw. Without thinking, she tore the passenger side door open. Kara all but fell out of the car and turned wide, teary eyes up to Mona. The smell of marijuana hit Mona’s senses like a ton of bricks, and a wall of smoke exited the car as if it were escaping for its life.
When the smoke cleared Mona stared at Marcus, who wore a grin as big as the Cheshire Cat’s. “Come on, Kara. Let’s go inside.”
“Run along inside, little girl. Let the grownups have their fun.”
Marcus’s taunting words had Mona’s face feeling like it was on fire.
“Unless you want to join us.” He wagged his brows and licked his lips.
Kara scrambled out of the car. Her shirt was half off of and her lips were so swollen and red they looked painful. Mona didn’t wait any longer. She grabbed Kara’s hand and turned with her to go back into the house. Before she made it three feet Marcus’s taunting words had them both stopping and turning around.
“If you go, Kara, don’t bother calling me again. I don’t date whiney ass princesses that are cock teases.”
Mona glanced at Kara, saw more tears streaming down her face, and pulled on her hand to get her moving again.
“Are you okay?” She turned to Kara, saw her friend’s watery smile, and regretted saying anything at all. Kara burst into tears and Mona immediately wrapped her arms around her. It was clear they needed to talk about this, because Mona had a feeling this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.
After hours of talking and crying, Mona sat across from Kara, stunned speechless. The drugs, alcohol, and physical and emotional abuse were only the tip of the iceberg. Apparently, Marcus’s reputation wasn’t nearly as bad as how he was in real life. Marcus had scared Kara so badly that she had been afraid to even leave him.
“We can’t let him get away with this, Kara.”
Kara seemed to mull her statement over, and before she even responded, Mona already knew what her answer would be.
“I can’t. I just want to forget about him.”
Mona could have countered that when the situation with her parents had happened. Kara had been gung-ho on letting the police know, but Mona knew now was not the time to bring that up. Her friend was scared and traumatized, and what she really needed was a hug. She moved closer to her and wrapped her arms around Kara.
“I’m so glad I have you around. I can always count on you not to break my heart.”
Kara’s words made Mona feel even more like shit. If only Kara knew what a horrible friend she really was.
Chapter Thirteen
The next morning Mona woke to the sound of shouting downstairs. The first thing that came to mind was Marcus and Kara. So, without thinking, she got out of bed, wearing only a tee-shirt and panties, and ran downstairs. When she reached the landing she realized it was Isaac and Kara fighting.
“I can’t believe this.” Kara looked defeated as she sat in the chair next to Holly.
Mona hadn’t even realized Holly was in the kitchen.
“Kara, honey, please calm down.” Isaac’s voice was slightly raised and he paced the length of the kitchen.
“I just don’t understand how this happened.” Even though Kara’s voice wasn’t raised, the redness in her face attested to how upset she really was.
“Well, Kara, when a man and woman care about each other…”
Kara held up her hand to stop Holly from continuing. “Spare me the details.” Sarcasm laced Kara’s words.
A moment of silence filled the room and Mona debated whether to turn and sneak back upstairs or let her presence be known. She decided escaping was the best option, but when she turned to do that, Kara’s voice stopped her.
“Mona!”
She turned around and forced a smile on her face.
“You are not going to believe the bomb that was just dropped.”
“This probably isn’t the best time for me to be here.” Mona was feeling increasing uncomfortable as all three of them stared at her. When she turned her attention to Isaac she could see the uneasiness pouring off of him in waves.
“Holly’s expecting,” Isaac said those two words almost too quietly.
“Expecting what?” Mona was honestly clueless for about thirty seconds until it finally dawned on her what he was talking about. Her mouth involuntarily dropped open. The room was eerily quiet as Mona tried to comprehend what was truly happening. Holly … Expecting a baby … With Isaac? It was as if the world had dropped beneath her feet and she was falling into the abyss. Without filtering her thoughts, Mona’s next words spilled out.
“How far along?” If Isaac got Holly knocked up while Mona had been sleeping with him it would be that much more devastating. Here Mona thought Isaac truly cared for her, but if it turned out he was fucking them both at the same time, Mona’s heart would crush and everything she thought could happen between them would have all been nothing more than a silly girl’s fantasies.
“I’m about six weeks along.”
She breathed out. Holly had gotten pregnant before Mona started sleeping with Isaac. That small detail was a slight relief, but it still di
dn’t make her feel any better about the situation.
Holly’s smug smile was directed right at Mona, and she knew that the bitch was pleased to no end at what would most likely be the outcome to the situation. Isaac was a stand-up man, and Mona knew he would stand beside Holly and take care of her because that was the type of man he was.
Mona turned her gaze at Isaac and saw him watching her intently. His expression was hard to read, but Mona knew hers had to be pathetic. When reality finally came back to her, she looked down at herself and mumbled almost absently, “I should put some clothes on.”
“Mona?”
She heard Kara say her name, but a ringing noise started in her ears and she turned and made her way up the stairs. When she was in her room, she stood there for what seemed like forever until her mind cleared and the ringing stopped.
“Mona? Are you okay?”
She heard Kara behind her and turned around. “I hadn’t heard you enter.” Was that her voice? Almost distant and forlorn?
The expression on Kara’s face lead Mona to believe her best friend had just realized how much she truly cared about Isaac.
“You care about him, don’t you?” Kara shut the door behind her and took a step forward. That one sentence had Mona breaking into tears. Her legs gave out but luckily the bed was right behind her and caught her as she crumbled into a withering, pathetic mess.
Kara was right beside her, holding her and telling her everything would be alright.
“I do love him, but if you knew the truth you would hate me.” Everything became eerily quiet.
“What are you talking about?” Kara pushed back and they stared at each other for several moments.
Mona didn’t even know where to start, so she simply started from the very beginning. When she was finally done spilling everything, Kara’s mouth hung slightly open. Mona hadn’t sugarcoated it and hadn’t left anything out.
“I love him, Kara, I really do. I’m so sorry I kept this from you, but you have to understand how scared I was to tell you.” Kara stood and walked over to the window. She didn’t speak, which only made Mona even more nervous.
“You know,” Kara said as she turned around and crossed her arms over her chest. “I wouldn’t have even cared if you told me how you felt about my dad. What really pisses me off is that you continued to do it knowing how this would make me feel.” Kara walked to the door, but before she left she turned around again and stared at Mona. “I thought we were best friends, Mona. You deceived me and I don’t know if I can ever forgive you for that.” Kara turned and left.
All Mona could do was cry. She cried for the situation she got herself into, she cried for the way things turned out with Isaac, and she cried as she watched Kara disappear from her room and most likely from her life.
Chapter Fourteen
Mona sat on her bed in her one room apartment and flipped through her English comp homework. It had been a few months since the pregnancy announcement and her revelation to Kara. When everything had gone down, the fall school semester had only been a couple of weeks away. Those last weeks had been the hardest she had ever dealt with, even worse than when she had been living with alcoholic parents.
Kara had avoided her at all costs, even going so far as to leave for school earlier than scheduled. The uncomfortable feeling she got whenever she was around Isaac hadn’t lessened with the passing days. Of course he tried talking to her about it all, and she let him, to a point. She could still hear their conversation in her head to this day; it was one she reflected on a lot.
“I’m so sorry for everything, Mona.” He ran a hand through his hair, causing the strands to stick up in every direction. The stress was evident on his face, but Mona refused to respond.
“I swear, if I could change things I would, but I have to take responsibility for my actions, and that means providing for Holly and the baby.”
Mona couldn’t fault him for stepping up and doing what was right. She just wished it wasn’t Holly that carried his child. When their relationship had flourished, Mona hadn’t been able to think about anything else aside from her life with Isaac. It had been stupid for her to put all her eggs in one basket, so to speak, but she loved him, damn it, and she thought he had loved her too.
“I really don’t know what to say, Isaac.” She kept her voice low and even, because even though she hurt inside, she didn’t want him to know.
“I still love you, Mona, but I don’t know how to give you what you deserve right now.” She heard him breathe out deeply and glanced up at him. He took a step toward her and then fell to his knees, right in front of her. “I love you, so fucking much. I don’t know what to do, Mona.”
Tears welled in her eyes but she forced them back. His head was in her lap, and it was so strange to see a big and powerful man like Isaac crumpled before her like he was broken. She lifted her hand, wanting to run her fingers through his hair, but squeezing her hand into a tight fist before she made contact. With Holly pregnant, a relationship with Isaac would never work, because Holly wouldn’t allow it. This had been her way to secure his attention and affection. He would always be there for her now, just like Holly had always wanted.
“I love you too, Isaac.” He lifted his head and she saw the raw anguish reflected back. “Things have definitely changed, haven’t they?” She smiled a watery smile and took a deep breath. “Our lives have just decided to take us in different directions.” Without waiting for him to respond, she pushed him away and left the house.
That same day she had found a place to live, close to campus, and knew that starting her life over without him would be hard.
It was still so fresh in her mind, and at times she found herself wishing she hadn’t left him on the floor in her bedroom. She hadn’t heard from Kara since that one day she revealed everything, and more times than not she found herself picking up her phone and aching to call her best friend. Always at the last minute she chickened out. She had kept her distance from Isaac, which proved easier said than done. If she could have chosen another college, one farther away, she would have, but of course her financial situation stopped her. She had been lucky enough to get a few grants and student loans to help cover the costs of her tuition, and any money she made went for her living expenses. It had been sheer luck that she had found this apartment, albeit tiny, for next to nothing. Mona had about dropped dead when her landlord, an older gentleman, had told her the rent. She would have been stupid to pass it up.
She glanced around the one room apartment. It wasn’t the prettiest thing in the world, but it worked for her. She stared down at her sheets, the same ones that she had been intimate with Isaac on. Ugh, she hated herself at these moments, when every little thing reminded her of him. Trying her hardest, but failing miserably, she thought about what he was doing at that moment. No doubt Holly was getting big and pregnant with his child. Just thinking about her had Mona’s heart rate increasing. She wasn’t stupid enough to think that Holly hadn’t planned this. She was surprised the she-devil hadn’t done it sooner.
It wasn’t the time to dwell on the past and something she could and would never have. Even if Isaac came to her right now, expressing how much he loved her, Mona couldn’t be with him. Not just because he had a child with Holly, but because she had deceived her best friend. In the blink of an eye Mona had lost the two most important people in her life.
****
As the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, Mona was trying to move on with her life. Aside from changing her name, she had tried to start over. For the most part she was thriving in this new role, but she missed Kara and Isaac with a ferocity that scared her. The fall semester was coming to an end, and Christmas was fast approaching. If she had her way she would stay at home and spend the holidays by herself, but with her mother now out of in-patient therapy and harping her on coming home and spending Christmas with her, Mona knew she needed to try for her mother’s sake. Her father was still locked up, and she didn’t know if or when he wo
uld ever get released. The counts against him were too monumental, but Mona knew he was right where he needed to be.
So, reluctantly, Mona had agreed to see her mom over break, despite the fact it would bring her perilously close to the two people she didn’t know if she could ever face again.
As if her mother had read her thoughts, her phone vibrated on her lap. “Hi, mom.”
“Mona?” The sound of loud laughter in the background made it almost impossible to hear her mother. “Hold on.” The noise slowly faded away. “Okay, sorry honey, I’m at a little get-together at Dawn and Henry’s. You know them, the neighbors down the street…”
Mona’s mind drifted as her mother rambled off about fruit punch, appetizers, and that Cathy Fenton had a nip slip. She didn’t bother telling her mom that part of the recovering process was to stay away from temptation. Mona knew alcohol was at that party. Dawn and Henry threw a party almost every week and booze was their main commodity. But Mona kept her mouth shut, because the worst thing she could do was point that little fact out and cause drama. It was too close to the holidays and Mona didn’t want the argument that would be the likely outcome of telling her mother to make sure not to drink.
“Mona? Are you even listening to me?”
She brought herself back to the present and cleared her throat. “I’m still here, sorry.”
“I asked if you were still planning on coming over for Christmas?”
“I suppose.” As soon as the words left her mouth Mona knew she shouldn’t have said them. A silence descended and Mona breathed out.
“If you don’t want to come I’m not going to make you, Mona. Your father won’t be here, and the house gets lonely.”