Bittersweet Junction

by Ivy Sinclair

  He followed Mike out the front door. Mike was moving slowly toward the car. As soon as Ben confirmed that all of Mike’s limbs were inside the car he was already moving.

  “I can’t believe you, Mike. What the hell were you doing in there with Sarah? And then there’s this, which someone gave to Clary tonight,” Ben growled. He shoved the note into Mike’s hands. He couldn’t keep the words inside any longer. “You are a freaking idiot! You have a good job, a woman who loves you and is willing to put up with your bullshit, a baby on the way, and you’ll throw it all away for an easy piece of ass.”

  Mike’s head lolled in his direction. Ben saw his eyes focus on his sleeve. “Jesus Christ, Ben. Is that Clary’s blood?”

  “Yes,” Ben said. He wasn’t going to sugarcoat it.

  Mike’s skin paled. “Pull over.”

  “We don’t have time for this, Mike,” Ben said.

  “Pull over now!” Mike demanded.

  Ben pulled the car onto the shoulder, and Mike stumbled out of the car. Ben watched him shove a finger down his throat. Ben turned his head away. That was nothing he wanted to see. Two minutes later, Mike climbed back inside the car. He rolled down the window as Ben pulled back on the road.

  “Tell me what happened,” Mike said. His words were clearer.

  “Clary left dinner to get some air and Julia got worried when she didn’t come back,” Ben said. “She asked me to help her find her. We found Clary outside holding that,” Ben pointed to the note. “She was in pretty bad pain. I didn’t know she was bleeding until I carried her to the Jeep.”

  Mike wiped his hands across his face. Now Ben understood. Mike was trying to sober up. “She’s complained to me about cramps the last few days. I thought that was normal. I should have told her to go see the doctor. Where did this note come from?”

  “I don’t know,” Ben said.

  Mike shuddered as he stared at the names. “Who would do this?”

  While Ben was certain Sarah somehow put the list into Clary’s hands, he couldn’t prove it. “Does it matter? There are dates on there, Mike. The last one is two weeks ago. Are you going to deny it?”

  “Do you think the baby is going to be okay?” Mike’s voice choked.

  Ben stared as he saw Mike begin to break down. In their entire eighteen-year relationship, he had never seen Mike cry. Although part of him wanted to kick his ass, seeing his friend so vulnerable was startling. “I don’t know, Mike. I hope so.”

  They rode the rest of the way to the hospital in silence other than Mike’s deep breaths and short sobs. Something inside of his friend shifted in those moments. Ben could feel it.

  They walked into the emergency room, and the first thing that Ben noticed was how bright it was under the harsh florescent lights. He saw that Mike shaded his eyes as well. The antiseptic smell overwhelmed him. Ben didn’t like hospitals. They made a beeline for the desk and Mike got the attention of the nurse. By the way that she looked at them, Ben thought that she might be thinking Mike needed assistance.

  “Clary Bell,” Mike said. “Where is she?”

  “Are you family?” the nurse asked.

  “She’s my fiancée,” Mike said.

  “She’s with the doctor now,” the nurse said. “The rest of the family is in the waiting room down the hall.” She pointed to her left.

  He noted that Mike’s pace slowed as they approached the waiting room. Mike stopped and turned to Ben. “I think I really messed things up, Ben.”

  Ben looked at Mike’s disheveled hair, bloodshot eyes, and rumpled shirt. He looked like a drunken slob. He had acted like one too. “You have messed things up pretty bad,” Ben agreed.

  “Even if I tried to deny it, she’s going to know I’m lying,” Mike said. “I broke my promise to her. There’s no way she’s going to forgive me.”

  Ben put his hand on Mike’s shoulder. “What promise?”

  Mike hung his head. “I promised her that I wouldn’t cheat on her again.”

  “She knew?” Ben wondered how she had found out. He tried to reason out why she would have given him another chance. Then it dawned on him. “She found out after she knew she was pregnant.”

  “I think that’s the only reason she didn’t dump me then. She said we could work it out as long as I didn’t do it again. Whoever put together that list must have known about that promise, otherwise why include the dates? I don’t know what I was thinking.” Mike’s eyes dropped to the floor.

  Ben was disgusted. “You are an ass, Mike. You had everything, and you threw it all away for nothing. Did you honestly think you weren’t going to get caught? Obviously you weren’t discrete. All’s it takes is someone who is paying attention who wants to cause trouble, and you end up in a wreck like this.” It rankled Ben to know that they’d likely never know who for sure who wrote the list. There was no way that Sarah would confess, even if confronted.

  Mike’s breath hitched. “How do I fix this?”

  Ben didn’t want to help him fix it. He wanted to tell him it was better for him to leave, but he didn’t know if that’s what Clary would want. “You’ll have to talk to Clary about that, Mike. I don’t know how you fix something like this. If I was Clary, I think there’s a good chance I’d never want to see you again.”

  “I love her,” Ben said softly. “I really do.”

  The pain in Mike’s voice ripped Ben apart, but it wasn’t Ben’s forgiveness Mike needed. “You should tell her that, not me,” Ben said. “I’m not the one that you need to convince.”

  “You’re right,” Mike said. He reached up and grabbed Ben’s hand. “Thanks. You’re a good friend, Ben. I’m sorry for what I said earlier. You’ve got my back. I was wrong for not listening.”

  Looking at his friend, Ben wanted to believe him. He remembered all the good things that Mike had done for him over the years. His stance softened. He didn’t need to beat Mike up anymore. He had a feeling the rest of the Bell family would do that for him. “Let’s go find out what’s happening,” Ben said.

  As they entered the waiting room, Ben saw Jack and Julia seated with Mike’s mother, Betty. News traveled fast in Benton Hill. Betty was on her feet and rushed toward them. Jack stood up slowly. Julia’s face was set in stone. Ben saw that she had blood on the front of her dress. He could only imagine what was spinning through her mind.

  Jack made his way over to Mike. Although Ben wanted to go to Julia, he stayed rooted next to Mike.

  “I think you should leave,” Jack said.

  “I don’t think so,” Mike replied. His tone wasn’t aggressive or hostile, but matter of fact.

  “You made a fool of yourself tonight, and I refuse to let you embarrass my daughter anymore,” Jack said. His voice raised a notch. “You’re damn lucky I’m an old man, or I’d kick your ass.”

  Mike stiffened, but he stood his ground under Jack’s glare. “With all due respect, Sir, that’s my fiancée, and my baby in there and there is no way in hell I’m leaving until I know they are okay.”

  When Jack stepped forward, Ben put his hands up between the men. “We all want the same thing. I think it’s best if we focus on that for now. Clary wouldn’t want the two of you fighting and causing a scene.”

  “He’s right, Dad,” Julia’s voice echoed in the small room. “Come sit down.”

  Ben could tell that Jack wanted to say something else. The only thing holding him back was Julia. Jack pointed at Mike’s face. “I’ll let this go on one condition. If my daughter tells you to leave, you leave. No questions. No fuss.”

  Mike gave one quick nod. “If Clary wants me to leave, I’ll leave.”

  Jack retreated back to his chair next to Julia.

  “What’s he talking about, Mike?” Mike’s mother twittered next to him.

  “Nothing, Mom,” he said. He guided her to a pair of chairs at the other end of the room.

  Ben was oddly proud of how Mike handled the situation with Jack. It spoke volumes about Mike’s ability to handle conflict if he was e
lected sheriff.

  Ben wasn’t sure if he should sit with Mike or try to sit down with Julia. She held her father’s hand and murmured to him. It was like he was being forced to choose, and he couldn’t do it. So he decided to pace the room instead and move between them. Nobody was interested in talking much. All eyes were on the clock as the minutes ticked by. An hour later, a doctor finally entered the room.

  All of them rose to their feet.

  “Mike Brewer?” the doctor said, checking his chart.

  “That’s me,” Mike said. “How is she?”

  “She’s resting,” the doctor said.

  “And the baby?” Mike’s voice was strained.

  “Your fiancée had quite a scare,” the doctor said. “But the baby’s fine.”

  Mike’s mother broke down. Ben felt like a dam let loose inside of him. Hearing a quiet sob, Ben saw the tears sliding down Julia’s face, and he didn’t think. He went to her and wrapped his arms around her. In the meantime, Jack moved to stand next to Mike.

  “When can we see her?” Jack asked gruffly.

  “We’ll need to keep her overnight for observation, but you can see her now for a few minutes. I’d ask that just one or two of you go in at a time and that you limit your visit to just a few minutes. Ms. Bell needs rest,” the doctor said.

  As both Mike and Jack started to follow the doctor, Mike said to Jack. “Sir, I know you’re upset with me right now. But I’d like a few minutes alone with Clary. Then you and Jules can go in if you’d like. Please.”

  Ben thought for sure that Jack was going to say no. “If you upset her,” Jack warned.

  “I won’t,” Mike said. Then he was gone.

  “I need to get some coffee,” Mike’s mother said. “Can you walk with me, Jack? Mike won’t be back for a few minutes.”

  “I guess so,” Jack said.

  As soon as her father left the room, Julia buried her face in Ben’s chest and began to cry again. “It’s okay, Jules,” he said. He gently rocked her in his arms. “Everything is okay.”

  Julia’s tear stained face looked up at him. “Everything is a mess, Ben. Clary was so scared, and she was alone. I can’t even imagine how she felt, realizing that the man she loved betrayed her so badly.”

  “I don’t think that’s going to happen again,” Ben said. “Mike just had the scare of his life. He made a mistake. He loves her.”

  “Do you really believe that?” Julia asked softly.

  “Sometimes we need to give people second chances,” he said.

  “We’re not talking about Mike anymore, are we?” She bit her lower lip.

  “It’s been a long day,” Ben said. “I want you to see your sister. Then I’m going to take you home. We’ll talk in the morning.”

  Julia closed her eyes and sighed. “Okay.”

  Ben hugged her close. Second chances were hard to come by with the Bell sisters. Mike had his work cut out for him.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Julia clung to Ben with all her might. With his arms wrapped around her, she thought that was the only reason she hadn’t shattered into a million pieces. If Clary had lost her baby, she didn’t know how she would have been able to help her sister work through such a tragedy. These were grown-up problems, and at twenty-three, Julia still barely felt like a grown-up. Her life stunted at eighteen.

  Ben maneuvered her into a chair, and then they sat in silence waiting for Mike’s return. He didn’t release her hand, and she didn’t mind. Having gossip about their relationship status was trivial in comparison to what Clary was going through.

  Julia looked up when her father reappeared with Mike’s mother.

  Betty patted Jack on the arm. “It’s all going to be fine.”

  She wondered if Betty had any idea what her son had done to Clary. But Betty was always oblivious to any of Mike’s flaws. Betty twittered on about the weather and how it was affecting her garden. Although Jack nodded in the appropriate places, Julia didn’t think he was paying attention.

  Julia’s mind didn’t register Mike standing in the doorway at first. He stood so still and looked so stricken that she leapt to her feet thinking something had happened to Clary during his visit. His haggard gaze met hers, and it was as if he had aged a decade over the course of the evening. He was barely recognizable from the boy that she once knew.

  “She’s asking for you,” he said to Jack. “You too Jules.”

  Ben stood with her and squeezed her hand one more time before letting it go. “I’ll be right here waiting for you.” She smiled gratefully.

  Jack gestured for Julia to go out into the hallway first. As she moved around Mike, she heard his low words.

  “The wedding’s off.”

  “Of course, it is,” she replied. “Clary’s going to need to rest for the next few days. We’ll reschedule. Everyone will understand.”

  “No, that’s not what I meant.” Mike’s eyes watered. “I mean, it’s over. Permanently.”

  Despite that fact that Mike had dug his own grave on that front, Julia still felt a sliver of pity for him. She didn’t think he was a horrible guy. He was a guy who made some incredibly stupid decisions, and now he would pay for them. She felt a flare of pride for Clary’s guts. It couldn’t have been an easy decision for Clary to make.

  “I’m sorry, Mike,” she said.

  He had already stepped away. His mother, having heard his declaration, was sniffling. Ben shot a look at her and then went to Mike’s side. Naturally, Ben would try to make Mike feel better. It was Ben’s way.

  Julia felt the press of her father’s hand against her back and her feet began to move again. Down the long hallway, they finally entered Clary’s room and found her in the bed closest to the window. She sat up in bed staring at the dark night sky beyond out the window. She looked small and pale against the white sheets. Dark bags formed beneath her eyes.

  She went to one side of the bed. Jack flanked Clary on the other side and pulled both of them into his embrace. Both Julia and Clary began to cry again. Jack’s strong arms brought them both close to his chest.

  “My girls,” he said gruffly. “You girls are all I have.”

  Julia knew then how deeply she hurt her father when she left, and how wrong she had been to stay away for so long. She would make it up to him and Clary. They were all she had too, and she had taken them for granted.

  “I love you, Dad,” Julia said. “You too, Clare Bear.”

  Long moments later Jack released them. All three of them wiped tears from their eyes.

  “I called off the wedding. I’m sorry, Dad,” Clary said, twisting her hands in her lap. “I know you spent a lot of money on the wedding, but I can’t go through with it. There’s been a lot of things that I’ve found out about Mike over the last few months, and it’s put a lot of stress on me and our relationship. I guess with the wedding stuff on top of it, I put the baby at risk. It isn’t worth it.”

  “Hogwash,” Jack said, waving his hand in the air dismissively. “You have to do what’s right for you, Clary. I don’t care about the money. I just want you to be happy.”

  “He’s right, Clary,” Julia said, pulling a chair close to her sister’s bed. She wasn’t sure if the time was right to ask, but she wasn’t sure there ever would be a right time. “Clary, where did you get that list? Do you know what it was?”

  Clary closed her eyes and gulped. “I went outside for air, and I saw that piece of paper stuck on the windshield of the car. I didn’t know what it was at first, but then I saw the dates. They were all nights that Mike told me he was working late. I just can’t believe that I trusted him. He lied to my face.” Huge tears ran down Clary’s cheeks as she took a heaving breath. “He’s a bastard, but I still love him.”

  Julia took her sister’s hand and squeezed it hard. “Of course, you do. All of this will sort itself out. You’re doing the right thing. If you don’t have a relationship built on trust, then you don’t have a relationship at all. You have your whole life ahead of y
ou, Clary. You don’t have to settle.”

  Clary ran her hand over her stomach. “I was so scared that I was going to lose the baby. I thought about Mike and if he’d still want me. Then I realized that, without the baby, I didn’t know if I wanted him. I love him, but I can’t stand even to look at him right now.”

  Julia thought of Mike’s reaction to the news. She didn’t want to defend him, but she couldn’t throw him under the bus either. “I know I haven’t been here, but I’ve known Mike practically my entire life. If it’s any consolation, he’s devastated, Clary. He loves you.”

  Clary’s head rested against the pillow. “If he really loved me, he wouldn’t have done what he did.”

  It wasn’t something that Julia could argue. Mike’s indiscretions were inexcusable.

  “Well, don’t you worry about a thing,” Julia said. “I will take care of everything. You just need to rest and take good care of yourself and that baby.”

  Clary nodded, and her eyes fluttered. “I’m so tired.”

  “Sleep, Clare Bear,” Jack said, stroking her hair. “We’ll be back in the morning to get you. Then I’ll take you home where you belong.”

  “Okay,” Clary said, her voice muffled with sleep.

  Before Julia and Jack were even to the door, Clary’s eyes closed. They arrived back in the waiting room to find Ben sitting there waiting alone. He stood, his face full of concern.

  “How is she?” he asked.

  “Sleeping,” Julia said. She stifled her own yawn. “She’s exhausted. It’s been a long day.”

  “I’ll go get the car,” Jack said, seeming to understand that Julia wanted a minute alone with Ben. He shook Ben’s hand and then strode out of the room.

  “How’s Mike taking it?” Julia asked.

  “Not too good,” Ben replied. He shook his head. “I think it’s just hitting him now that he’s made a massive mistake.”

  “I don’t think Clary will forgive him,” Julia said, thinking of the determined tone in her sister’s voice. “I can’t say I blame her.”