Jenna took a deep breath and confronted Kim. She hadn’t had time to digest the information herself yet, but she thought she may as well get Kim’s version while she was here. “Kris is upstairs. She called me home to tell me something that is pretty disturbing. Do you have any idea what that might have been?” Jenna looked for a reaction from Kim, anything to help her figure out what had happened.
Kim looked around the room while her mind raced and then shrugged her shoulders. “No, I can’t think of anything. I spend most of my time with you. I don’t think Kris likes me being around that much. I think she might be a little jealous of how close we are.”
Jenna was still as dumbfounded as she was before she confronted Kim. If Kim had any idea what she was asking her about, she was doing a good job of hiding it. “Kris told me you pretended to be me last week.”
Kim chuckled. “What? Why would I do that? We haven’t played tricks on people like that since we were little. Besides, where were you when she said this happened?”
Jenna crossed her arms in front of her chest. “She said it was the day you came home early before I got back from running errands.” Jenna hesitated. “Kris said you tried to trick her into sleeping with you. Why would she say that Kim? How do you explain that?”
Kim’s jaw dropped in shock and she shook her head. She didn’t expect Kris to come clean about what happened, so she never bothered to prepare an explanation. Under such short notice, the best thing she could come up with was to deny it to keep herself from looking guilty by not telling Jenna first. “I have no idea what she’s talking about Jenna. First of all, like I said, I don’t think she likes me. Second of all, I’m not gay. Nothing against you and Kris, but I’m not.” She reached for Jenna’s hand. “You should realize, I would never ever do something like that to hurt you, Jenna.”
Jenna was even more stumped now. Why would Kris lie? Why would Kim do such a thing? She didn’t know who or what to believe. “I don’t know what is going on Kim, but I don’t think Kris would make something up like this.”
Kim looked towards the stairs and leaned forward to whisper, “Don’t you see? Kris is trying to put a wedge between us. She wants to make you so angry at me that you throw me out.”
Jenna stood up. She was full of anger, rage, jealousy, disgust, and fear but she didn’t know who to direct it towards. She wanted to punch something. Either way, she felt it was best if Kim got out of the house. “Go back to work Kim. I’ll deal with this. I have to sort things out.”
Kim stood up, “But Jenna….”
Jenna stopped her. “No, Kim. This is between me and Kris. I have your side and now I have to finish hearing her side. Hurry up and get back before they realize you’re missing.”
Kim grabbed her keys and hugged Jenna. “Call me if you need me. I will always be here for you Jenna.”
Jenna waited until she heard Kim drive away. She kissed Jax on the top of his head and wrapped her arms around him trying to calm down before confronting Kris. Jenna closed her eyes hoping she would wake up and find out this was all just a terrible nightmare. She had just found her sister after losing her for decades, but Jenna had to know for sure what had or had not happened. She was afraid if she made a mistake she would either lose her sister again or lose the love of her life forever. How could she take anyone’s side with those odds?
Jenna walked up the stairs. She had never remembered there being so many steps before. She opened the bedroom door to find Kris curled up on her side crying with a half-filled suitcase on the bed beside her. She leaned against the doorframe glassy-eyed. Kris's back was facing her. Some of Jenna’s anger faded watching Kris's shoulders tremble with each sob. She cleared her throat and waited for Kris to say something, but Kris didn’t speak or turn around.
“What is the suitcase for? Are you going somewhere?” Jenna finally asked breaking the awkward silence.
Kris sat up on the edge of the bed with her back still towards Jenna. “I don’t know. I started packing. It seemed like the logical thing to do at the time. I thought maybe you would throw me out or maybe I should leave.”
Jenna felt a twinge of guilt. “What? Why would I kick you out? I would never do that.” Jenna now had tears in her eyes and her lips trembled. “Do you want to leave me?”
Kris shook her head and wiped her eyes. “No, Jenna. I love you, but it hurts to know that you don’t trust me. I can’t be in this relationship if you don’t trust me, no matter how much I love you. I don’t know what the solution is to this situation, but I know something has to change.”
Jenna walked around the bed to face Kris. “Please Kris, don’t put words in my mouth. I never said I didn’t trust you. This is a lot to deal with. I wish you had told me earlier. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Kris shook her head. “I didn’t know how to tell you or how you would react. I was afraid to tell you.” Kris held out her hands. “Look at me Jenna, I’m still shaking. I’m terrified of what is going to happen to us. I’m terrified of what Kim will do next. I heard her downstairs. Did you say anything to her about it?”
“Yes, I asked her and she denied anything ever happened.” Jenna left out the rest of what Kim had said about Kris.
“I’m not surprised. No, I take that back. I’m a little surprised since she said she was going to turn it around on me if I told you about it. She isn’t the same person, Jenna. She is unstable and I don’t feel safe around her any more.”
Jenna leaned against the wall behind her. She felt weak and sick to her stomach. “Okay, slow down. Let me start over. First, are you okay? Did she hurt you?”
Kris felt like she was going to hyperventilate. She tried to calm down. “You mean besides the fact she tried to sleep with me without my consent and emotionally violated me also? No, she didn’t hurt me physically yet, but now that I’ve told you I don’t know what she will do. I don’t want to be around her ever again.”
Jenna cringed hearing those powerful words coming from Kris about her sister. She was still trying to figure out what had happened. “I’m sorry, Kris. I meant to say did she attack you, leave any bruises, or hurt you in any way like that?”
Kris couldn’t look at Jenna. She felt like Jenna was interrogating her. “No, she didn’t leave any marks. I thought it was you the whole time. If she had tried to hurt me I would’ve known it wasn’t you.”
Jenna wiped her sweaty palms on her pants. “Tell me what happened. I need to know everything. You said she tricked you and you thought it was me. How did it happen? What did she do?”
Kris replayed that afternoon in her head. She didn’t want to get into the details. “I was lying in bed. I didn’t hear her come up. I heard a noise and thinking it was you, I called her into the bedroom.” Kris paused. “It was dark in here because the room-darkening shades and curtains were closed. My brain was still foggy from the meds and it just happened.”
Jenna wasn’t satisfied. “You still haven’t told me the specifics of what happened or how far things went.”
“Are you sure you want to know all the details?” Kris asked. “I’m uncomfortable talking about this with you.”
Jenna crossed her arms and nodded for Kris to continue, trying her best to hold back her tears.
Kris didn’t look up. She stared at Jenna’s sneakers. She remembered going with Jenna to purchase them way before Kim ever showed up. She wished she could go back to that time now. “I called her in here. The light from the hallway hurt my eyes so I told her to shut the door. I called her to the bed and she tripped on the way. Jenna, you don’t need to hear every detail.”
“Yes, I need to hear everything. Keep going. Did she fall? Where did she land?”
“She tripped on the edge of the rug and fell onto the bed.”
Jenna’s eyes shot to the doorway and then to the bed trying to replay what happened in her mind. She swallowed hard trying to remain calm. She wanted to scream. “Okay, so she was in our bed with you. Then what happened?”
“She rolled over an
d…Jenna please don’t make me do this.” Kris glanced up long enough to see the tears in Jenna’s eyes. She knew she would only hurt her more if she continued. She also knew the more she talked, the more it sounded like she was the one who seduced Kim.
Jenna remained stoic as she wiped her eyes and nodded for Kris to continue.
“She rolled over and I touched you, I mean her. I thought it was you, Jenna.”
Jenna’s heart pounded fast inside her chest. Her anger was rising again. “You touched her? She didn’t say anything to stop you? Where did you touch her, Kris?”
“Please, Jenna. Don’t make me tell you everything.” Kris pleaded.
“I need to know. I need to hear it. I deserve to know what happened,” Jenna said.
Kris swallowed hard. Her mouth was dry, but she continued. “She let me believe it was you the entire time. I know it sounds like it’s my fault, but I thought it was you. I wanted more time with you before Kim got back.”
“Just tell me what happened. Where did you touch her?” Jenna choked on the words.
“Under her shirt. I kissed her neck and she didn’t stop me. I was on top of her and I took off my shirt.” Kris paused and looked up at Jenna who now had tears spilling over onto her cheeks landing in splotches on her shirt. “Jenna, please. It happened. I wish it didn’t, but it did. Let me spare you some of the pain.”
Jenna’s hand covered her mouth as the first wave of nausea hit her hard. She closed her eyes and it passed. She nodded for Kris to continue.
“We kissed some and her top came off. I swear I still didn’t know it wasn’t you. I can’t continue, Jenna. It is too painful for both of us. I don’t want to hurt you any more than I already have.”
Jenna wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her shirt. “Did she touch your breasts?” Jenna watched Kris nod her head. “Did you touch hers?” Jenna asked. Once again, Kris nodded. “Did she touch you below the waist?” Kris shook her head. “Did you touch her below the waist?” Kris shook her head but lowered her gaze. “Let me guess, there was a little ‘humping and grinding’ action going on, huh?” Jenna asked not sure she wanted to hear the answer. Kris nodded.
Jenna couldn’t take it any longer. The rage and fear combined inside her. Her heart pounded. Her head throbbed. She was sweating, but shaking also because she felt cold and clammy. She ran to the bathroom and flipped the toilet seat up right before she lost it.
Kris rushed in and rubbed Jenna’s back. She wet a washcloth and handed it to Jenna. Then she ran another one under cool water and used it to wipe Jenna’s forehead and neck. “I’m so sorry, Jenna.”
Jenna sat on the floor and leaned back against the wall. “When I confronted Kim, she denied everything. She said you hated her and made it up to turn me against her.” Jenna still wanted to believe Kim, not that she did, but she did not want what Kris had told her to be true.
Kris put her hands over her face and shook her head. To Jenna’s surprise, Kris laughed. “Of course she would say that. I don’t know what else to say. I know what happened. I don’t want to believe it happened. I thought it was you until I ran my hand over her back and felt something like a scar where you have your tattoo. I suppose it was ironic with it being the shape of a perfect circle like a full moon. You may be identical twins, but you are nothing alike. She is like the moon, dark side of evil. You are like the sun, full of innocence and love.”
Jenna turned and grabbed Kris's shirt. She balled up the fabric in her fists and fell onto Kris's shoulder sobbing. She couldn’t stop crying. She was crying over what had happened to Kris, which her own sister was responsible for. She was crying over the disgust of having someone touch Kris and Kris touching them back. She was crying over ever having doubted Kris.
Kris held Jenna tight and kissed the top of her head.
Jenna looked up at Kris. “I never told you what Kim’s birthmark looked like.” Jenna knew without a doubt now Kris was telling her the truth.
Chapter Fourteen
Jenna called the hospital and took the rest of her shift as well as the next day off to stay home with Kris and figure out what to do next. Jenna was heartbroken over the realization that Kim wasn’t the sister she had known. She didn’t know what to believe any more. She wasn’t sure how much of Kim’s past was true and how much Kim lied about. The only thing she knew for sure was she couldn’t let Kim stay in her home any longer after what she had done to Kris. Jenna and Kris decided to talk to Danni about where to go from here. Jenna called Kim and asked her to stay at a hotel for the night while she talked to Kris.
After a night without sleep, Kris took a shower before Kim had a chance to show up again. Allie came over to stay with Kris, and Jenna went for a run to clear her mind. No matter how much or how hard Kris scrubbed her skin in the shower, she couldn’t get rid of the feeling Kim had left behind. She felt completely violated. She was still dealing with the fact of what she had felt that night in the heat of the moment and the fact that it had been Kim and not Jenna.
Kris came downstairs to find Allie on the couch reading the newspaper. “Is Kim here?”
Allie shook her head, “No, not yet. Can I make you some breakfast?”
Kris bent down and pet Jax who had been pawing her leg for attention. “No. I’m not hungry. I just want to get all this put behind me and try to move on, but I have a feeling Kim won’t make this easy for anyone.” Kris looked out the window and looked down at her watch. “It’s seven thirty.” She looked around and her heart began to pound fast and hard. “Where is Jenna?” she asked Allie in a panicked voice.
Allie lowered the paper and turned around to find Kris standing by the front door pale as a ghost. “She went for a run. I’m sure she’ll be back soon.”
Kris tried calling Jenna, but it went straight to voicemail. She grabbed her car keys from the table by the door. “Something is wrong. Let’s go. Jenna should have finished her run by now and she isn’t answering her phone. I have to find her.”
Allie ran out of the door to catch up with Kris who was already in the car. Kris sped out of the driveway tracing Jenna’s usual running route. “Call Danni and tell her to check for Kim’s car at the hospital.”
Allie held onto her seat belt as Kris took a sharp left turn. “Do you think Jenna is with Kim?” Allie asked.
Kris's eyes darted back and forth along the road and ditches looking for any sign of Jenna. “She confronted Kim last night, so I think there’s a good chance Kim might do something crazy, especially once she finds out Jenna doesn’t believe her lies any more. Call Danni and keep your eyes open for Jenna. This is where she usually runs.”
Allie reached into her back pocket for her cellphone just as Kris jerked the car to the right sending the phone flying into the space between her seat and the door. She inched her fingers down and was able to slide it back up.
Allie called Danni at the hospital. “Danni, I need you to tell me if Kim’s car is the parking garage. Can you go check?”
“Put it on speakerphone,” Kris said.
“What’s going on?” Danni asked.
Kris remained focused while responding to Danni. “I can’t find Jenna and her phone goes straight to voicemail. I’m worried that she might be with Kim. She knows I told Jenna. I’m worried.”
“Okay. I’m in the garage. Administrative parking is on the second floor. Hold on while I run up the stairs to check.”
Kris and Allie heard Danni’s shoes echoing in the stairwell. Neither one spoke while they listened. They heard the door to the second floor squeak on its hinges followed by hurried footsteps.
They were concentrating so hard that they both jumped when Danni’s voice returned. “Kim’s car isn’t here guys,” she said between labored breaths.
Kris tightened her grip on the steering wheel. “Can you ask around and find out when was the last time anyone saw her?”
“Sure. I’ll call you back soon. Good luck.”
Kris and Allie drove around in silence looking for Jenna and waiting
for Danni to call them back. Kris tried calling Jenna again. She shook her head as she placed the phone back down on her lap.
Allie’s phone rang. “Hello?” She didn’t put it on speakerphone this time. Kris was distracted enough as it was. “Okay. Thanks. We’ll call you if we find out anything.” She looked over at Kris and shook her head. “I love you too. Bye.” Allie now began to feel Kris's panic.
Kris could tell by the conversation her fears were true. “Let me guess. No one has seen Kim since she left early yesterday.” Allie nodded her head. “I’m telling you, she waited for an opportunity to get Jenna alone. She better not hurt her.”
Allie wrinkled her forehead, “Jenna is her sister. She wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.”
“You mean like trying to sleep with her sister’s girlfriend?” Kris shot back.
Kris stopped in front of the cafe where Jenna would sometimes grab a coffee. Allie went in to ask if anyone had seen Jenna this morning. Kris watched through the window as each person shook their head. She lost it as soon as Allie got back into the car. She put her head on the steering wheel and cried. If Kim was capable of tricking her into almost sleeping with her, she was capable of doing something just as disturbed or worse to Jenna especially now that Jenna knew she had lied to her.
Allie put her hand on Kris's back and tried to comfort her as best as she could, although she was just as worried. “Let me drive you back home and we can figure out what to do from there.”
Kris sat up and wiped her eyes. “No, I’m okay now. I’ll take us back home. Let me try getting Jenna again.” She dialed Jenna’s number, but it went to voicemail.
“Should we call Kim?” Allie asked.
“No. If she does have Jenna with her, I don’t want her to think I’m suspicious.”
Kris took her time driving back to the house, not wanting to find that Jenna wasn’t there. Seeing Kim’s car surprised her as she pulled into the driveway. She rushed into the house hoping to find Jenna inside with Kim. Instead, she found Kim sitting on the floor playing with Jax. “Where is Jenna?” Kris asked.
Jenna's Closure (Dr. Jenna Harper Series Book 2) Page 13