Circle of Deception

by Skye, M.

  “So what are you going to say to him? The look in his eyes said that he is still, and always has been, in love with you,” Emily said bluntly.

  “He is not in love with me, he only thought he was.”

  “That man loves you,” Gio barked.

  “Well, tell me this, if he loves me so much then why was he cheating back in college?”

  “All, you know, is that he passed out in a bed after a party. I would expect you to understand how something like that could happen,” Emily interjected.

  Meg instantly felt bad for bringing up bad memories for Emily. “This is not about you Em. Your situation was way different. He had a woman in the bed.”

  “I’m simply not convinced that Alex would ever cheat on you,” Emily said in his defense.

  “I saw him with her,” Meg protested.

  “You saw him sleeping and her beside him. As I recall, we used to all drink and fall asleep next to each other,” Gio said.

  “This was some random hoe, not one of our childhood friends and family.”

  “I just think you should talk to him about it and everything else. You guys deserve to lay everything out. Are you going to let your one true love walk away just like that?” Gio asked in a concerned tone.

  “We will talk about what happened tonight, but I don’t feel the need to dig up the past. Yes, I love him, but it isn’t enough. It never was.”

  They pulled into the driveway and Gio parked the car to open the door for Meg. Before he walked her over to the steps, he tried to plead with her one more time. “I believe you are making a horrible mistake. You know, I love you, and I can’t… no, I won’t let you throw your chance at happiness away. The only time I’ve seen you as happy as you were tonight was when you were with Alex.”

  By this time, Meg was stone-faced. “I can’t do this with him, not after everything that happened.”

  “If he doesn’t know then how will he fix it?” he asked quietly.

  “He can’t fix this,” she said and hurried towards the front door.

  While watching Meg storm inside, Emily walked up to Gio and wrapped her arms around his slender waist. “What are we going to do?”

  “I don’t know, but we have to get her to tell him about everything, including the baby,” he replied, and grabbed her hand to lead her to the door. When Gio and Emily made their way inside, they could hear the shower running upstairs in Meg’s bathroom.

  “I’m not letting this go tonight,” Emily said and started to march up the stairs.

  While Meg was in the shower sobbing, Emily sat in her bedroom lying across the bed. Meg was all over the place. She decided to take as long as possible in the shower in an attempt to gather her thoughts before the conversation she knew she was going to have with Emily.

  After hearing the water shut off, Emily sat up and put on her most serious expression in anticipation of the sparring match she knew was sure to come. She didn’t want to come off too harsh, but she wanted to make her point clear. She knew if she didn’t intervene, her best friend would be setting herself up for a life of unhappiness.

  When Meg finally stepped out of the bathroom, Emily saw the anguish in her eyes and instantly wanted to comfort her. She watched her sulk around the room while running several lines through her head, in an attempt to find the right words.

  “Meg, come and sit.” She patted the bed beside her and waited for her friend to join her.

  Meg made her way to the bed and instantly collapsed into a heap in Emily’s lap. Instead of starting in on her, Emily just sat holding her distraught friend while patting her on the back. She allowed her a few minutes of silence while gathering her thoughts.

  “I know it hurts, but you have to talk to him. I’m not telling you that you have to take him back. That's up to you, but you have to speak to him to see if you want him out of your life.”

  “I wouldn’t know where to start.”

  “Start with the truth and go from there. If you discover during the talk that you want him back, then that’s great. You know, I think you already know that you do,” Emily said and poked her gently.

  “So you believe he is still the same man I fell in love with?” Meg questioned.

  “No, I don’t. I think he is six years older and wiser. He knows what a good thing is, and that makes him even better. You know, we used to envy the connection you guys had,” Emily said and offered a genuine smile.

  “Do you think we can work this time?”

  “I do. You just have to be honest about everything,” Emily replied, with a knowing look on her face.

  “How can I explain everything about the accident without him hating me?”

  “The accident was not your fault. The asshole that ran us down and kept driving is to blame,” Emily barked.

  “If I would have just stayed maybe it wouldn’t have happened.”

  “He will understand why you took off once you tell him,” Emily said. “He loves you too much to hold anything against you.”

  “But it was our child that died that night,” she said and laid back on the bed.

  “You know, you can be one stubborn ass,” Gio said, as he entered the room and flopped down on the bed. They took one look at his silk red pajamas and exploded into an outbreak of laughter.

  “What’s so funny bitches?” He asked, with a playful scowl on his face.

  “You and those flaming hot pajamas,” Emily choked out between giggles.

  “Hate if you must, but you know my pajamas are paying that raggedy robe of yours dust,” he said and waved his hand in front of her face.

  “Oh, whatever diva,” Emily retorted.

  “So did we come to a solution, or are you going to let that luscious man slip through your fingers again?” he asked dramatically.

  “She is going to swallow her foolish pride and get him back,” Emily winked at Meg.

  When Gio saw a nervous smile spread across Meg’s face, he jumped off the bed. “Well, what are you waiting for?” he squealed joyfully. “Let's get him over here now.”

  “Giovanni it is too late to call him here,” Emily said sternly.

  “You’re damn right it’s too late, about six years too late,” he said and reached for the phone. Before he could begin to dial, the doorbell rang.

  “Who could that be?” Meg asked as she threw on her robe and descended the stairs. Gio had a thought and began to smile to himself hoping his suspicions were correct as they made their way to the door. Before opening the door, Meg hesitated because she suddenly found it difficult to breathe.

  “Why am I such a mess?” she asked herself, while looking down at her trembling hands. When the bell rang again, she felt a lump forming in her throat.

  “Open the door,” Gio insisted while anxiously waiting to find out if he was right. When she swung the door open, she began to smile at the sight.

  “Hello sweetheart,” Alex said and stepped inside with flowers, a bottle of wine, and a small bag in his hands.

  When Gio and Emily saw Alex making his way inside, they exchanged amused looks. “Let's get dressed and sneak away somewhere,” Gio whispered into Emily’s ear.

  “Here, take my keys and go to my place,” Alex offered, without breaking his stare from Meg.

  “We are out of here,” Emily announced, and drug Gio upstairs to throw on some clothes.

  “What are you doing here?” Meg asked with a big grin on her face.

  He stroked her cheek gently. “I told you I wanted to talk to you.”

  “Well let's talk,” she said and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “You know I love that kind of talk, but we do have some important matters to discuss. Sit with me.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her in his lap.

  Gio and Emily crept out unnoticed, after looking over at the couple huddled up on the couch. “They are finally going to work this out,” Gio gushed as they got into Alex’s car.

  “How does it feel?” Emily asked. “How does what feel?”

  “Bei
ng right.”

  “What's new?” he asked and chuckled.

  Meg and Alex were sitting on the couch lost in each other. While looking into her eyes, he placed both of his hands around her face and began to speak. “I know a lot has happened, but I hope that you still feel… I mean…”

  “If you're asking me if I love you, then the answer is yes,” she responded.

  He was glad to hear her response, but he needed more. “I’m glad to discover that you still love me but can you forgive me for putting us in that horrible position?”

  “Did you sleep with her?”

  “I would never betray you,” he said emotionally. “You have to know that.” The look in his eyes said it all. He was telling the truth, and she hadn’t even given him the chance to explain six years ago. After a few moments of awkward silence, they both said sorry at the same time.

  “What are you sorry for?” He asked curiously. “I should have stayed and talked to you if I had, none of this would have happened,” she replied with tears sliding down her cheeks.

  “I don’t understand. What are you talking about?” he asked, and caressed her hand.

  “When I drove off, I had a wreck and I killed our baby.”

  After a few moments, he scooted closer to her and swallowed her in an embrace. “Oh baby, I had no idea. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  She couldn’t make herself look him in the eyes. “I thought you would hate me, plus I saw that woman in your bed.”

  “I could never hate you. I could have helped you through it and let you know that I would love you no matter what.”

  “So you didn’t sleep with her and you don’t hate me?” she asked nervously.

  “I didn’t sleep with her, and I love you. If it's possible, I love you more because of the bond we share. You almost made me a dad. The bond, we have, is special.”

  “Oh baby, I missed you so much,” she said and buried her face in his shoulder.

  “Don’t you ever leave me again.”

  “Never,” she replied, and leaned back to kiss him.

  “As long as we are getting everything out in the open, I have to know…” he said, with a devious grin on his face.

  “What would you like to know?”

  “Have you not had sex since me?” he asked while kissing her neck.

  “I never wanted anyone but you,” she replied and wrapped her arms around him.

  “Well, get ready because I’m going to kiss every inch of your body and then repeat it all night long,” he said and slid her down on the couch.

  “I hope you can hold up that long.”

  “Oh, you know I can,” he said, and captured her lips in a deep kiss.

  ***

  “We are geniuses,” Gio smiled at Emily while driving over to Alex’s place.

  “I must admit that worked better than I could have imagined,” she said, with a Cheshire grin on her face.

  “So you know what’s next?” Gio asked, and smiled at her perceptively.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You and Aiden have been doing this same song and dance for years. When are you going to open that cookie jar?”

  “Aiden does not like me that way.”

  “I tell you, for someone who is so smart, you are clearly delusional. That boy is crazy about you,” he said bluntly. “Think about it, he is twenty-seven, rich, sexy as all sin, and very single.”

  “And that means what exactly?”

  “That he is obviously waiting for something or someone,” he winked at her.

  “You know you get more ridiculous by the moment,” she huffed.

  “Do you think a man that fine has a problem getting a woman?” he asked, with a lustful look in his eyes. “Hell, if he swung my way I would jump on him.”

  “How do you know he is just not undercover?” she asked jokingly.

  “Oh girl, he is straight as an arrow. He has been around my sexy ass for years and hasn’t given me so much as a second glance,” he said and began to laugh hysterically.

  “Well, that proves it. He has to want me. No one turns down all that.”

  “Make jokes if you want, but you will feel like an ass if he does meet someone and they hit it off,” he said and turned his head.

  After his final statement, she began to doubt her original position on the situation. “What if he is right?” she asked herself quietly.

  He was right, in a sense. For years, she had been secretly pining for Aiden, but the chances of a real relationship frightened her deeply. They always had fun together, and she didn’t want to lose that. She was a free spirit, and the prospect of facing a serious relationship could ground her in one spot.

  “Perhaps it is time I settled somewhere,” she muttered to herself.

  Gio, who was listening in on her private conversation with herself, began to smile because he knew that Aiden was at Alex’s place waiting for them to arrive. “I am one hell of a matchmaker,” he said quietly. He was excited about the possibility that he could kill two birds with one stone. Alex showing up when he did was the perfect excuse to use to get Emily to admit her feelings for Aiden.

  For years, they had danced around the feelings that everyone knew they harbored. If Matt could admit his feelings for Melia, and Alex to Meg, then why was it so hard for Aiden to admit his for Emily? He was the shy one in the group, but what was Emily’s problem. “Commitment issues,” he said to himself and laughed quietly, while subtly glancing over at Emily, who was deep in thought.

  Emily found herself fantasizing about all the things she wished she could do with and to him. Gio was right. He was sexy, and she had the sneaking suspicion he could take her to new heights. She had often wondered about him but never acted on the impulses surging through her.

  If she was smart, she would have given in years ago now that she thought about it. He was attentive to her and always wanting to be near her when they would do things together. “How could I have not known?” she asked herself quietly, while an amused Gio looked on.

  “So what do you think they are doing?” Gio asked, breaking the awkward silence in the car.

  “I suppose they might be heading for round three,” she replied and smiled.

  “They deserve it, and so do you,” he said and patted her hand as they stopped in Alex’s driveway. When she began to get out of the car and he stayed strapped in, she turned and looked at him with confusion in her eyes.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Giving you some privacy,” he said, and nodded towards the door. When she turned and saw Aiden standing on the steps, a nervous smile crept across her face.

  “I’ve been played,” she said to herself, as she walked over to an anxious Aiden.

  “I will see you in the morning,” Gio said and sped off before she could change her mind. After watching Gio drive off, Aiden stepped aside to allow her to walk inside.

  “How are you?” he inquired nervously.

  “I’m good not much has changed in a few hours,” she replied, trying to make a joke to replace the awkwardness in the room. When he saw her uncomfortable stance, he quickly offered her a seat.

  “Here take this,” he said, reaching her a glass of wine from a bottle he just opened.

  “Thank you,” she took a sip from the glass.

  “So…” they both said at the same time and began to chuckle.

  “You go first,” he said shyly.

  “What's happening here?”

  “What do you mean?” he asked curiously.

  “With us. We have never been this nervous around each other. It’s all these silly insinuations,” she responded.

  “Are they that silly? I do think… I mean, I hope…I hope that you like me,” he said and looked down into his trembling hands.

  He was just so cute! Here he was a grown man, shaking like a shy teenager after admitting his first crush. “How could I not like you?” she asked and used her finger to raise his chin to look into his deep blue eyes.

 
“You know I mean more than a friend right?” he asked sheepishly. Seeing her brilliant smile reassured him and he began to smile as well.

  While staring into his eyes, she inched closer to his lips and whispered, “Kiss me handsome.”

  When their lips connected, he instantly felt a spark and intensified the kiss by grabbing her hair and pulling her closer. After what seemed like hours, he released her and backed away from the kiss panting loudly. “That was some kiss,” she exclaimed, with shock present in her eyes.

  “I’m sorry if I was too forward, I don’t know what came over me,” he said, with a look of embarrassment on his face.

  “If you’re going to kiss me like that every time don’t apologize just keep doing it,” she said and pulled his lips back to hers.

  “You better stop this or we might not get off this couch.”

  “That's not such a bad thing,” she said and went in for another kiss. When he averted her, she sat up with a look of rejection on her face.

  When he saw her somber expression, he tried to explain himself. “Please don’t look like that, it's not what you think.”

  “What’s wrong?” she asked quietly.

  “I just want to give you more than just a fling on a couch. I know I’ve known you for a long time, but it's different now. I want this to be special, you deserve something spectacular. I hope it's not too old fashioned.”

  “I think it’s romantic,” she smiled.

  “When we do decide to make this official, we both will know when the time is right,” he said and displayed a roguish grin.

  “Well, what will we do tonight?”

  “Let's get Gio back over here, and we can have drinks and catch up,” he said and picked up his cell phone.

  That will be great, because us alone is only going to lead to a wild night, she thought.

  “He’s coming back with Marco,” he said, hanging up the phone, and sat back down on the couch beside her.

  After about thirty minutes of sitting and talking about the past few years, Emily finally felt at ease about her decision to embark on this new relationship with Aiden. He was a gentleman, and sincere. She hadn’t experienced that in a pursuer before. Most of the guys that approached her already had an agenda, and they weren’t shy about letting it be known. In the group, she was known for being adventurous and outgoing, and guys thought that meant she was easy.