The Scheme

I had cried for ages in Beth’s arms. I thought I’d never mend my broken heart, but cheating was one thing I would never, ever condone.

I didn’t want to be my mother, and in our small town of Bowlesville, history did repeat itself. It was a known fact that if I had married Cole, I’d be waiting for him to come home, just as my mother had waited for my father year after year. She had turned the other cheek, even when the stench of another woman had been heavy on my father’s jacket. She’d lived a life of one-way love, and that was not how I was going to live. Not one bit.

I should’ve known better. That wasn’t love. Lust was temporary, and only true love lasts forever.

I shuddered as more memories rushed to the surface. He had stiffened, cussed her out, and shoved her off him. Then he’d chased me, begging me to believe it was all her, that she had initiated it. I’d fought him, even though he’d tried to hold me against him, continuing to use lies to calm me. But I needed my space away from him.

Unfortunately, he’d felt differently. I’d seen a different side of him—a frightening side I never knew existed.

Pulling the pillow over my head, I let out a loud scream. Then I threw the pillow to the floor, staring intently at the popcorn ceiling above me, trying to focus on anything other than my past.

I’d done so well not bringing up memories of Cole, until recently.

When would this madness end? It’d been years.

I glanced at the digital clock on my side table. It was six in the morning, and I hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep. Great. Now I’d be dead on my feet for my shift at seven. I should fit in a nap in between. If I could only force my mind to stop . . . to turn off my thoughts.

I bit my pinky nail, debating whether I should call the only person who knew what had happened that night. My fingers trembled as I reached for my cell.

She picked up on the third ring. “Kendy?” Beth’s groggy voice filtered through the phone. “What time is it?” She exhaled a heavy yawn.

“Six my time.”

“Are you at work?”

“No . . .” I paused, feeling silly and sagged against my comforter, the tension easing just at the sound of her voice.

“Everything okay?”

I remained silent, wondering how I would tell her I was now doing the guy she used to date. I doubted she’d care, but I also doubted her ability to understand our mutual arrangement.

I let out an exaggerated sigh and continued to chew my pinky nail.

“I know something’s wrong. Spill it.”

I heard the rustle of sheets and a door shutting. She must’ve left Kent sleeping in their bed.

I let my head hit my mattress, threw my arm over my eyes, and started rambling. “Remember, I went out this past weekend to a club I knew Dr. Hot Pants would end up at?”

“Yeah,” she said, prompting me to move on.

I let it out in one breath without gulping for air. “Well, he left with a redhead, which pissed me off, and let’s not go into the fact that he left with a different woman last weekend. So I had this bright idea—because I always get bright ideas—that I’d use Brian to make him jealous. But when Dr. Klein left with that woman, one thing led to another with Brian and, before I knew it, we were a little tipsy. But still, holy mother of God . . . it was the most raw, animalistic sex I’ve had . . . ever. And it’s been great . . . until I almost mentioned Cole last night, and now it’s not that great.”

My body relaxed as I let out a low laugh. “Oh gosh, I feel better already.” Maybe all I needed was to vomit all that pent-up emotion to my best friend.

I had stu

“Beth, are you there? Where did I lose you? Before or after the animalistic sex?” I started to laugh until . . .

“How does he know about Cole?” she asked carefully.

The corners of my mouth pulled down at the sound of that bastard’s name. My chest tightened as I twisted the edge of my covers between my fingertips, wondering why I’d almost slipped about the one thing I never slipped about. “I started to tell him . . . but I didn’t finish. He just guessed. He knows something’s wrong with me.”

Of course he does. Is it so obvious that I’m damaged goods? The only thing I’ve ever held onto was a stable job. Everything else has gone to shit. My father. All men after Cole.

“Nothing’s wrong with you. You did nothing wrong,” she said sternly.

But if her words were true, then why couldn’t I get over it? Why couldn’t I move on?

She let out a frustrated sigh. “What’re you doing, Kendy?” Her tone turned accusatory, which I didn’t appreciate.

“Having fun,” I snapped back, feeling my blood pressure rise.

“Don’t you have your sights set on that doctor?”

My insides heated at the tone in her voice. “So?” I sassed. “Brian knows. What we’re doing is mutual.”

“I’m just saying. I don’t want to see you hurt.”

“Are you concerned about me, or about another girl hurting Brian?” It was a low blow, and I knew my words were a slap in the face, but I didn’t need her to lecture me on how to live my life.

“Both,” she stated plainly. “I don’t want either of you hurt.”

“I’m having fun, Beth.” I already had a mother. I didn’t need another one.

“I can’t imagine this ending well. Hear me out, babe. I know him . . . the kind of guy he is, and I know you. I know you want the doctor and why you’re so damn set on having him—”

“Stop!” I didn’t need to hear anymore of her lecture. “I’m done with this conversation.”

I was about to press end on the phone, when her voice softened. “I love you, babe. We’re cousins, and we’ve been best friends since we were six. I know what you’ve been through.” Her voice dropped. “But . . . you never mention his name or what happened to anyone except me. So why did you . . . to Brian?”

I didn’t respond, because I didn’t have an answer. I wasn’t sure why I’d spilled my guts to him. Or part of my guts. He was doing something to me. Something about Brian chipped at my exterior, the one I’d been working so hard to keep up.

Maybe it was his happy-go-lucky demeanor, or his sweet concern for my wellbeing. Or maybe it was my need to co

Gulping down my i

I hadn’t signed up for this, all this chaos. I’d moved here to leave the craziness behind and move on. Why did everything seem to keep pulling me back to Bowlesville, to when I was seventeen?

Breathing in through my nose and slowly out my mouth, I let out an exaggerated sigh. After a moment, I pulled myself out of it and went to take a shower. Things with Brian would be fine. We could manage this FTF thing. Everything was going to be fine.

Right?

***

BRIAN

After work, I walked into the condo, dropped my laptop bag onto the hardwood floor, and went straight to the fridge. “Hey,” I said, acknowledging Trey, who was spread out on the couch. “Dude, don’t you work?”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “Daddy dearest is out of town on business, so I cut out early. You look beat, man. Hey, can you grab me one of those?”

I reached for two beers, tossed one to him, and plopped my ass on the couch next to him. “I finally got the Tiggins Corporation to agree to sit through a presentation.” As I lay my head back, I felt the tense muscles in my neck relaxing. Damn, this had been a long week. “Now it’s a matter of making them choose us over their current bank.”

He knocked my shoulder, hard. “Great job, man! That’s what you’ve been banking on. We gotta celebrate.”

I would’ve been more excited if I wasn’t exhausted. My usual A-game had been a bit off in the boardroom today. I couldn’t help it, though. My mind was preoccupied with more than work, ru