The Photographer

(34) Heartbreak Holiday Pt 2

Seb was in Heppenheim, Germany, visiting his parents when his phone rang and seeing Iris's name on his screen was the last thing he'd expected while she was away with Ben and their families. He couldn't help but smile though, they were missing each other like crazy and it felt like messaging each other wasn't enough, hearing her voice was miles better. It wasn't as good as actually being with her but it was better than nothing.

To give himself a bit of privacy, he left the rear garden and headed inside, only answering her call when he felt he was far enough away from prying eyes and listening ears, "hi beautiful, how's it going?"

"Ben..." she could be heard sobbing and gasping frantically down the phone, "he knows... we don't know where he is!"

He stood still and briefly looked back in the direction from which he'd come inside, his smile gone and concern for his distraught sounding girlfriend making his insides churn. "Iris, please try to calm down, what do you mean he knows?" It was a stupid question and one that he already knew the answer to, she'd obviously told Ben about them.

"Photo... he found a photo... now he's gone," she cried, her voice trembling, "he's missed the ship, we don't know where he is!"

It hit him, making him go cold, this was his fault.

The photo. That damn photo he'd taken of Iris in France when she'd slept in his bed, he'd forgotten all about it! He'd forgotten to tell her about it and ask her for a printed copy and she obviously hadn't noticed that it was in her memory card. Now Ben had found it and knew about the two of them.

Poor fucking Ben, he might be a clueless idiot but he hadn't deserved to find out like this.

"You're sailing?" he asked, trying to think of what to do next.

"Yeah," she replied, "still in land enough for a signal."

Shit; so Ben had failed to get on the ship and had been left behind at whatever port they'd just left. He could only imagine Ben's current state of mind.

"I don't know what to do Seb!" she cried down the line, "everyone's so worried and it's my fault!"

"No, this is my fault. I took that photo, this is my doing," he disagreed, rubbing the back of his head as he tried to decide what to do. His first instinct was to fly to Norway and meet the ship at it's next port but that was pointless as they'd never let him board. "Iris, please try to calm down, I need you to tell me exactly what happened."

For the next few minutes all he could hear was her ragged breaths and sniffs, if she didn't talk soon then he feared she'd lose her signal and he wouldn't be able to speak to her again until tomorrow.

"I was taking a shower," she began, her voice still shaking but more through worry than tears, "he was looking through the photos I'd taken so far."

Seb shook his head, he could literally picture Ben in his mind, the poor guy looking through holiday photos and being confronted with a picture of his wife in someone else's bed.

"He came in, pulled the curtain back... he looked so angry. He yanked me out of the shower and pushed me up against the wall," she continued, "I've never seen him like that, I was actually scared. He was so angry and so upset, he was crying. He called me a whore, said he knew I'd been fucking someone else, he shoved the camera in my face and that's when I saw the photo," she began to cry again and Seb wasn't at all surprised when she directed her anguish at himself, "why didn't you tell me?! Why didn't you warn me it was there!!!" she shrieked, "he wasn't meant to find out like this! Now I don't know where the fuck he is!!"

He began to pace up and down, rubbing his face. How could he have been so stupid?! Why hadn't he mentioned the photo to her straight away or better still, not have taken it at all?! "I'm so sorry." Apologising felt useless, she didn't need words, she needed help.