by S. J. Black
“So, that answers that,” she said dismally, rubbing her eyes tiredly.
“How dare you? Who the hell are you to –“ April argued.
Federica interrupted her tirade. “It was a bet,” she stated, her eyes looking down briefly before meeting hers almost ruefully.
No.
April’s heart stopped. Her worst fears couldn’t have been true.
Please be a nightmare.
“What are you talking about?” she ground out.
Federica sighed heavily, sorrow etched onto her face.
“He made a bet. Aaron. He made a bet with Marcus. They betted that he could woo you, sleep with you, whatever. I overheard them on the phone, April. Here, take this if you don’t believe me,” Federica pushed forward a mobile phone that had been resting next to her coffee cup.
April slowly picked up the phone. There was a series of text messages, notably most of the conversation starting around the time April was in her senior year.
Dude, she’s obsessed with you
Ugh don’t make me sick pls
Come on, do it – it’ll be the easiest lay you’ll get, you’re not afraid are you ?? LOL
STFU. What’s in it for me
My dad’s custom football jersey from Nicholson. One of a kind brother
Deal. Be prepared to get it wrapped for me
April couldn’t read anymore. Her eyes were blurry from the tears threatening to spill. Federica shifted awkwardly.
“I can show you the number, if you don’t believe me,” she stated.
April pushed the phone back to her, wiping her tears on her sleeve. “No,” she sniffed. “I don’t need it,”
Federica said nothing. She circled the rim of her coffee mug, a thoughtful look on her face.
“I’m sorry, April. It’s from a while back,” she shifted slightly. “Look, I know you and I aren’t friends but I just didn’t want you to go through that. Not without knowing,” she uttered.
April said nothing. She made eye contact with Federica; both of them communicating each other’s disappointment and regret. April sniffed awkwardly.
“I guess I should thank you, I seemed to have let my guard down for a while. I needed a reality check,” she said hoarsely, a lump sitting in her throat.
She needed some air; something to get away from the stifling atmosphere of her reality.
“I gotta go,” April mumbled. Standing up to leave, Federica quickly got up and grasped her shoulder.
“Be careful, April. He’s lied to you for this long, he can do it again,” she noted seriously, before nodding gently, making her way to the exit. April stood there uncomfortably, watching her go. She looked around her, a sob stuck in her throat.
Her whole body felt numb. A chill of humiliation ran up her spine. Wiping her lips, she furiously tried to rub off any trace of him from the last kiss she had with him. He used her. He was toying with her this whole time and she believed him, like an idiot. How could she have been so blind? Her body crashed to the sofa behind her, a full sob breaking out.
“Ma’am are you okay?” a concerned barista asked, tentatively reaching out her hand on April’s shoulder.
“I’m fine, thank you,” April sniffed.
“Okay,” the barista said uncertainly. “But you just call me, I’m over here, if you need anything,” she said.
“Thanks,” April muttered, sniffing.
As the barista left, she heard the coffee shop door turn and a bell chime going off. Aaron had entered the coffee shop, looking for April. Upon surveying the surroundings, he found her with her hands covering her face, silently crying.
“April! What happened?” he shouted, running to where she sat. His hands reached for hers, trying to see her face.
She ripped her hands out his grasp, disgust and venom written across her features. He frowned in confusion.
“April, what’s wrong? What happened?” he said urgently. “Did someone hurt you?”
April tilted her head slightly, her eyes seething. “You did, you son of a bitch,” she uttered. She stood up, walking away from where he crouched. He got up and trailed behind her, before grabbing hold of her arm. She swiveled to face him, trying to rip her arm out of his hold.
“Don’t touch me!” she screamed, hitting him where her hands could reach. He grabbed hold of her arms, stopping her from her attack.
“April, stop! What’s gotten into you?” he roared.
“You, you son of a bitch. Was I a fucking bet?” she cried, her eyes rimming with tears, fury sparking her senses.
Puzzled, he tilted his head.
“What are you talking about?” he pressed.
“Don’t act like you don’t know,” she stifled a sob, pushing at his arms.
He shook her slightly. “No, April I don’t know! You need to tell me what the hell is going on, I have no idea what you’re talking about!” he yelled.
The barista came towards them. “You all right, ma’am?” she asked firmly.
“She’s fine!” Aaron snapped, his eyes never leaving April’s. “April!”
“Federica told me, she told me about the bet you made with Marcus,” April spat out, her eyes dead behind the eyes in resignation. Recognition dawned in Aaron’s eyes before his eyebrows furrowed in anger.
April had all the answers she needed from there on.
“What the hell? From high school? You’ve got this all wrong, Federica doesn’t know what she’s talking about. It was a stupid idea that Marcus came up with not me, I didn’t even – “ April pulled out his grip, hate seething in her eyes. He made a move towards her; she stepped away from him.
His face contorted in anguish.
“April, please. Don’t run from me. It didn’t mean anything,” he begged, his eyes brimming with tears.
“She showed me the text messages,” she cried.
Aaron tilted his head in bewilderment “What text messages?”
“Stop lying!” she cried. Aaron put out his hand as a peace gesture.
“April, I’m not lying, please,” he stated calmly, his eyes beseeching hers. “I’m just trying to understand. I never sent any text messages. Marcus mentioned the bet once during high school and I told him to fuck off, that’s it! I would never do that,” he bellowed.
April was exhausted, her eyes bloodshot. “Please just go,” she cried.
“April,” he begged, coming closer to her. A sound of hard footsteps came from April’s right but before she could turn, someone had smacked Aaron across the face, knocking the air out of him. Aaron fell gracelessly to the floor. April gasped at the action, her hands covering her mouth.
She glanced up to see Jackson Rowe standing over Aaron, his face set in stone.
“Jackson?” Aaron exclaimed, puzzlement across his features.
“Don’t come near her ever again,” he quietly uttered. “I told you, Aaron. Come on, April,” he called to her before turning out of the coffee shop.
April didn’t know what to do, standing there wordlessly. She really trusted Aaron, she gave herself to him, opened up the most vulnerable parts about her; only for him to twist it into something so ugly she didn’t think she could be in the same room as him.
Jackson turned back slightly, gently holding out his hand for her to take. He looked at April with a soft, apologetic look across his features; his eyes begging hers to forget the agony Aaron caused.
Mutely, she followed his lead out of the coffee shop, looking back at Aaron for one last time.
Pain, anguish and fury wrestled his features; a lie destroying the one thing he wanted more than anything in the world.
As April walked away, furious tears threatened to spill over from Aaron. People had tried to interfere in his life before, and now he would lose the one person he wanted more than anything in the world.
He stood up weakly before setting his head high, staring straight at the leaving pair.
He was going to fight for April. No matter what it cost him.
He lost
her once; he wouldn't let that happen again. He was never going to let her go.
TO BE CONTINUED...