Chapter 13

"Well Shane, I don't know what to tell you. It's really confusing; I never thought Sam would do something like that. I mean she was such a nice person." Dave mumbled as he handed Shane his third coffee.

Shane stared down at the black coffee and said "I thought so too!"

"But Shane, you didn't discus the accident thing with her right?"

"No, I didn't get the chance to besides I'm no longer sure about what really happened with her." Shane answered dryly.

"I don't know man; don't you think maybe she is too scared because of what happened that she told you these words to push you away? You know, some girls have problems after someone try to rape them or do rape them?" Dave said thoughtfully as he reached for a sliced of pizza on the coffee table in front of him. It was already two pm and they'd just ordered something to eat.

Shane looked at him for a second considering the possibilities, but then shook his head firmly "I don't think so Dave, you should have seen the way she spoke to me, as if I didn't mean anything to her, as if she didn't give a damn about me or us."

"Strange, that's all I can say. But I feel as if there's something missing you know. Two years ago she was such a great person, but suddenly she left. And three months ago, as you said, she was also great but again she left as soon as she remembered her past," Dave paused for a moment "don't you think it's kind of weird tha-"

"Yes, yes I think it's weird and yes it's really strange. I think about it all the time but I can't find any other reasons except for the one she confronted me with."

"What about the divorce thing? You sent her the papers?"

"My lawyer is doing all the work, I got nothing to do with it and I don't want to have anything to do with it. I think she got the papers two days ago or something. I know it took so long but I was busy... working, you know how it is!" Shane looked down at his coffee knowing that he was lying and that he was hoping everyday for a long time that Sam would come back to him. But eventually he decided that it was enough and that he should go on with his life. There was still something bothering him; if she really regretted marrying him why didn't she start with the divorce papers and contacted his lawyer as he knew she wouldn't dare to contact him personally.

A sudden sound disturbed their conversation and Dave got up quickly and opened the door. Shane watched as Rose slowly entered the apartment and handed Dave some bags.

"Hi there," he said as he placed a small kiss on her lips, and she quickly kissed him back. They broke it off realizing Shane was staring at them with a raised eyebrow and a questioning look.

"Ah- forgot to mention that..." Dave said nervously as his arm came to Rose's waist.

"Yeah, you forgot!" Shane answered with a weird tone, looking from Rose's red face to Dave's nervous expression.

"Shane," that was Rose "I think Dave didn't want to tell you because he was afraid that you might be angry because... you know, because of Matt!" lowering her head she looked at her big stomach and put her hand on it "I'll always remember him Shane but-"

Dave hugged her close and kissed her forehead whispering "it's okay,"

Shane got up and moved to stand in front of both of them, "You know guys, you are so stupid!" his face suddenly broke into a wide smile and he carefully hugged Rose "Are you out of your mind you two? This is great news, I'm so happy for you!"

"Oh what a relief. I know how much you loved Matt and I thought that..."

"As I said you are stupid, Matt was my best friend but he died. You had to move on with your life Rose. I know you won't forget him but as I said you had to go on with your life!"

"Well," Rose looked at him and quickly drooped her gaze to the floor "there's something you should know Shane. I've been carrying this secret with me for so long and I just can't take it anymore."

Shane stepped back and looked at her "What is it Rose?"

Dave held up his hands "You two should get inside and I'll go outside for some time okay?"

"No, Dave please. Stay you..." Shane started.

"No, I sort of know what the problem is, so I'll go for a walk." He smiled and it made Shane worry, 'what is this all about?' he thought as Dave picked up his jacket and left the room.

Following Rose back to the couch, he helped her to sit down "how soon?" he asked smiling and pointing at her belly.

"Oh, soon enough for me to have my bag packed and ready by the door." She laughed a little but then her expression changed "I heard you and Sam are getting a divorce."

Noticing how nervous it made her mentioning that subject Shane went directly to the point "What's wrong Rose? I feel like there's something bothering you but I can't find the cause."

"Remember that day at the hospital when you said you were sorry and tried to calm me down?"

Shane thought for a moment remembering what she was talking about "Yeah," he remembered right before she passed out he said he was sorry and she screamed at him "but what does that got to do with anything?"

Sighing heavily Rose put her hand on his "I told you if you knew the truth you wouldn't be sorry."

"What truth? What are you talking about Rose?" He could remember her words now but it still didn't make any sense.

"Promise me something first." Her head dropped and he was so confused.

"Rose I really don't know what's wrong." Shane stared at her strawberry blond hair falling across and covering her face and wondered what was so important.

Rose raised her head and he could see tears in her big brown eyes 'okay what did I do?' he thought as he tried to think of something he'd done.

"Please promise me Shane, I've been keeping this inside of me for so long and I'm feeling so guilty about it." She said as she blinked holding the tears in her eyes.

"Oh Rose, what do you want me to promise you?"

"That you won't hate Matt!"

Shane stared at her for a while "Why would I hate Matt?" he questioned.

"Please promise me Shane, you'll understand everything later." She begged.

Looking so confused Shane hesitantly answered "Okay, I promise you. I still don't know why I would hate Matt."

"Now I can tell you what I know," She said with sad eyes "remember when you called Matt right after you'd found Sam?"

"Yeah I remember, he said you two were going out of town for the weekend and that he was busy all week till Friday." He answered telling her exactly what Matt told him that day on the phone.

"A friend of mine had invited us to stay at her place and we were supposed to get their on Friday. But when you called Matt that night..."

"Rose, we have to leave now!" Matt exclaimed as he entered their bedroom "Come on get up and pack your things."

Raising her head to look at him Rose found him already throwing everything inside his drawers in a big bag. With a puzzled expression she got up and walked to him "I thought we are not leaving till Friday."

Not pausing for a second to look at her Matt continued what he was doing. After he was done with one of the drawers he opened another and started putting everything inside in the same bag.

"Matt, I sai-"

"I heard what you said Rose, and I'm telling you again; go pack quickly. We are leaving town."

"What? What do you mean leaving town. I can't leave town, I've to go to the doctor tomorrow. You know it's important, you heard him the last time he said I'm weak and tha-"

Matt grabbed her arms hard "I'm more important than going to the doctor. If we don't leave now they're going to come after me and they'll catch me." His face looked dark, and for a second she was actually scared.

"Who will come get you?" she asked in a low voice coz it was all she could find.

"Why don't you just listen to me and go fucking pack you're things!" he asked angrily as he turned her around and pinned her to the wall behind her "Do you want me to spend the rest of my life in jail?"

"Jail?!" she whispered in horror "What jail? What did you do Matt?" she asked knowing that sometimes he was capable of doing stupid things without thinking of the consequences.

"A fucking mistake, that's what I did." He let go of her and turned around "the bitch wasn't even worth it."

'Bitch? What is he talking about?' Rose wondered as she rubbed her arms where his tight grip had left marks.

"I don't understand what you're talking about Matt!" she said as she heard him mumble things while going back to packing his things.

"I shouldn't have left before I was completely sure she was dead."

As soon as the words came out of his mouth he turned to look at Rose and at once she took a step back "Dead?" she said wanting him to laugh at her or even hit her and deny that he'd said the word 'dead'.

"She deserved it anyway, and I was sure no one was going to miss her. It broke Shane's heart you know!" he said with a devilish smile and she couldn't believe her ears.

"Shane? Shane your best friend? Are you talking about his wife?"

Looking at her as if she was too stupid to understand what he was saying he assured her doubts "Yes that bitch, everything was supposed to go right. She was leaving him and I wanted to have what Shane couldn't have, but..." shrugging his shoulders he turned back to his suitcase "she said she was still in love with him, that little slut. But I thought she was dead, I'm sure she was lying there dead but... But now Shane is saying she's back... I have to go, we have to go." He corrected and looked up at her.

Rose looked at him as if she had never seen that person before. She knew Matt was capable of hitting a woman she'd tried it before but he used to go back to her and cry until she'd forgive him, but she was his girlfriend and she loved him even thought he wasn't nice to her all the time, right now he was talking about his best friend's wife 'My God I can't believe it.' She thought as she watched him carry his bag and leave the room. Few moments later he came back and found her standing right where he'd left her.

"Rose, you know what; just get dressed. You'll go like that. We'll buy you some clothes later."

"NO!"

Startled by her single word he turned around "What did you say?"

"I said no, I'm not going with you Matt. I can't run away, you have to think of our child. We... I can't raise him like that."

"Are you going to stay her and watch them as they take me to jail?" he took two steps towards her and put his hands on her shoulders. He saw the frightened look on her face and decided to speak again slowly "Rose I'll put it this way; I did something stupid two years ago, so what? Everyone makes mistakes, but it seems I'm one unlucky person; my mistake came back after me." He was getting angry again and she jumped away from him.

"I'm not going with you Matt, I'm not." Rose felt as if she was going to throw out. She ran to the bathroom and dropped to the floor. Feeling her whole body shake she rested her forehead on the cold wall behind her. She heard the door slam hard and there was silence. She got up quickly and called out for Matt but no one answered.

"Matt!" she said as she opened the door and stepped outside the house, she saw him take off with her car leaving his parked in front of the house.

"I got a call the next day from the cops asking me if my car was stolen, I told them no and that Matt, my boyfriend had my car. They told me the description of the car and I was surprised to hear his full description of my car." Rose closed her eyes and continued "I asked him where did they find it and they said that they didn't find the car, they found the remaining of the car as it was completely burned after hitting two other cars and that the driver couldn't be identify as he too was..." she paused and shook her head slightly "They asked me to go down to the hospital. I- went there and... They let me see him," covering her face with her hands she started crying "It was him Shane, it was Matt."

Stunned by what she'd told him, Shane sat there in his place not moving, not even daring to breathe.

"You mean that Matt, my best friend, the one who I had been friends with for more than fifteen years, the one who died three months ago. You are trying to tell me that he was the one who did this to Sam?" Shane asked slowly.

"Shane, I don't know what he did to her." she looked up at him "I told you what happened coz ever since Dave told me you two were getting a divorce and that he was sure you love each other I started thinking. I promised myself that I should tell you everything I know, even if it wasn't something you want to hear, I had to tell you Shane."

"I see." Shane took a deep breath and put his hands on hers "I... I'm sure it wasn't easy for you Rose but... oh I have to go!"

He got up and before leaving the room he turned to her "Rose, thank you."

Shane looked at the road in front of him as he drove his car back to his apartment. Trying not to think of anything he stared at the road and tried to focus but one thought kept going through his mind. Sam! 'Why didn't she tell me that Matt was the one who tried to rape her? Matt? God he was my friend, how could he do this to me?' he thought as his eyes were focused on the road. Ten minutes later Shane stopped his car and got out. Looking at the house in front of him he realized he drove all the way to the house that was supposed to be his and Sam's house. He stood there for about two minutes fighting whether to get inside or leave at once. He finally walked to the front door and opened it. Looking around him in the somehow dark place he turned on the lights and moved to the living room.

He had to sit down and think. He had to think about what Rose told him, about Sam and about that day. Their wedding day, back then Matt came running through the door of the living room and said that he couldn't find Sam in her room and that he'd go look for her outside. He was gone after that and the next time Shane heard from him was late that night when he'd called him and told Shane that Sam called and asked him to tell her grandma she was fine. Thinking about it now Shane figured that Matt lied about everything; not finding her in her room, going after her to find her and that call. It was all a lie.

"He almost killed her!" Shane said as his hands clinched into a fist and he didn't know what was true and what was not.

Thia open the door of her car and stepped outside. She held the keys in one hand and looked at them, finding the one she was looking for she used it and opened the door to her grandma's house. She reached beside her and switched the lights on, looking around she remembered the last time she was here. That day she was so wrapped up in her feelings that she couldn't breathe in the beautiful scent of the old house and enjoy the beautiful sight of the old furniture. She had time now; she wasn't planning on going back soon. She wasn't planning on staying here too, afraid that she might run into someone she'd know or even worse she would run into Shane personally.

"I'll just stay inside the house for about a week then I'll go back." She said as she walked to open the door to the kitchen. Looking inside she realized she had nothing to eat "I'm not hungry anyway." She stated as she closed the door and went upstairs.

"I'm going to sleep now and tomorrow morning I'll go buy some groceries. I'll make sure I'll be there real early so that no one would see me."

She stood in front of her old bedroom's door and with trembling hands she opened the door. Thia turned on the lights and looked around, recognizing a small bag thrown in the corner of the room she remembered she'd left some of her clothes here that day when she left.

Changing into something more comfortable she was ready for bed when something caught her attention; a small piece of paper lying on the floor. Thia picked it up knowing exactly what was written on the paper. She sat down on the bed and looked at the words and how shaky her handwriting was. Not wanting to remember any of this she opened one of the drawers and threw it inside. She set the alarm and read the numbers nine thirty on the small thing.

Lying back she thought "I'm here to try to face everything in order to forget. I have to forget so I can continue to live as a normal person." She told herself as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Reaching a hand to turn off the alarm Shane started to open his eyes "God damn it, stop ringing!" he shouted as he hit the small thing in order to stop it.

Staring at the room around him he recognized the place, he'd spent the night in the guest's room in the house, refusing to even go up stairs and spend the night in his and Sam's bedroom.

Sam!

'Did what Rose tell me really happen?' he wondered as he got up and went to the bathroom. Washing his face he looked at the mirror and could see a stranger looking back at him. He had lost weight the last three months, 'I didn't have time to eat that's why' he stared at his reflection and knew that he looked terrible.

"I have to move quickly if I want to make it on time; it's a big meeting and Irein will probably have a heart attack if I don't leave right now." He mumbled as he looked at his watch, it was eight thirty and he had to go back to his apartment first in order to change his clothes. His meeting started at ten am and he didn't want to be late.