Wrong Number

40

August 23, 2016

"Honey, what's wrong?" Scarlett questioned, watching as her girlfriend paced nervously in front of her.

Winter was shaking, picking at her finger as she paced, "Look, I know it's been months and I should've already told you this. But days passed and then weeks and now months. I could never find the right time and now it's been so long."

"Winter, can you just sit down? I'm sure it's not that bad."

Winter took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves as she finally sat down. Winter couldn't remember the last time she'd been this nervous and the feeling made her want to back out. But she couldn't go on like nothing happened, she couldn't keep lying to the woman she loved, even if it meant this was it for them.

"No, it's that bad. It's really bad."

"Okay. Can you tell me what it is?"

"Yeah, I guess we'll start with the easy part. I knew Hope before I met her last year. We went to high school together. She was one of my best friends."

"Then why would she act like she didn't know you?"

"Because something happened in high school and we weren't allowed to talk about it. So, I guess she thought it would be easier to pretend like we didn't know each other. And I know I went along with it, so she's not the only one that screwed up. I told her I was going to tell you everything and then she told me that it would ruin everything for the both of us." Winter took a shaky breath as she tried to gauge Scarlett's reaction, but the actor wasn't giving her anything, "And that's not even the worst of it."

Scarlett slowly nodded, "Okay, what happened?"

"When we were sixteen we went to a party that was basically in the middle of nowhere in the mountains. I only had a few drinks, so I was the one driving. Josie was with us, but she was passed out in the backseat. We were driving down this dark, empty back road on the way home when this girl, our age stepped into the road."

"And you hit her."

"I did. I told Hope that we should stop but she kept going on about how we'd been drinking and it wasn't a good idea. So I just kept going and I left that girl in the middle of the road."

Scarlett was now the one pacing as she drummed her fingers over her collarbone, "So you hit someone and then left them for dead."

Winter nodded.

"And you just got away with it?"

"My mom's a lawyer so she got everything dealt with. She convinced the girl's family not to press chargers, even though I'd left her paralyzed. And she made sure nothing was on my record, but the deal was that no one was allowed to talk about it, to anyone, so we all signed basically an NDA."

"I just- I can't. So that's what you've been lying about for months, Winter? I get not telling anyone, but I'm not just anyone, I'm supposed to trust you."

"I know."

"I mean, it's horrible, but I would've understood, even if you told me days or even a few weeks after you apparently met Hope. But this long? I get you were scared and worried about anyone finding out. But I wouldn't have said anything."

Winter couldn't say anything. Nothing she said would make up for what she did to that girl and nothing would make up for doing this to her girlfriend.

"God, if you lied to me about this for over a year, what else have you lied about?"

Winter was doing everything in her power not to cry, because even though she knew this would happen, it still hurt like hell.

"I love you. God, I love you so much." Scarlett's voice broke, "But I can't do this. I can't do this with you."

Winter wiped away a tear, "I know."

Winter's bags were already packed. She'd packed them while Scarlett was showering because she wanted to be ready if this went horribly.

And horrible was an understatement.

So Winter left.

She'd broke into tears as soon as she was outside because she'd fucked up everything.