Serendipity

Chapter 18 - Part 1

In what feels like mere seconds, warm fingers are caressing my face. My eyelids flutter open, and I'm looking up into the beautiful brown eyes of my love. I look down to where the girls had curled up into me, but they're no longer there.

"What? Where are the girls?" I ask, panic lacing my voice.

"Shhh, love. They're fine. They came down about twenty minutes ago. We were going to let you sleep a little longer, but your phone has been ringing several times the past few minutes. We thought you might want to check to see if they're important calls or not."

"How long did I sleep?" I sit up, stretching and rolling my neck around, hearing it pop a few times in the process.

"Only about fifty minutes."

"Huh. Okay, I'm coming." I stretch one more time, then turn to get off the bed where Jimin is now waiting. He grabs my hands and pulls me up, placing a soft kiss to my forehead before we head down to the living room, the girls snuggling on each side of their grandmother, half asleep.

I smile at them as I walk over to my bag to get my phone. I'm coming back to where everyone is still talking when I glance down at the recent calls list. I stop dead in my tracks, frozen when I recognize two of the three numbers in today's list. I frown, opening my voice message mailbox. Playing the first, I bring the phone to my ear as I listen to the voice of Officer LaRoux calmly explain that she's wanting to give an update about the case, asking for a call back as soon as possible.

Trembling, I play the second one. Before I can even get the phone to my ear, I hear his voice saying just two words filled with so much venom... "F*cking B*tch!"

I had never changed my personal cell number after what happened, but prior to this he'd never had the audacity to contact me on it. I'm not even sure he remembered me before this morning.

Staring at the screen, I'm confused why Leeza called after I'd told her to lose my number and never contact me again... I click the play button, and I can hear her voice screeching before I lift the phone to my ear.

"Like what the actual f*ck, Nae! You attacked Jeff? You broke his ribs and a finger! Then kicked him in the nuts?? Unprovoked! You really are a b*tch, you know that? He kept saying you were, but I just wouldn't believe it! Now I'm glad we're no longer friends!" I hear a pause, then, "God, I can't believe I fell for your act. And you wanna know something else, b*tch?" She laughs maniacally. "I'm glad you're all alone – at least I have someone in my life who loves me, and what do you have? Nothing! But thanks to you, he might go to jail now! F*ck – You – B*tch! The police said he ass*ulted you? When? And what the hell is this sh*t about r*pe? If it had actually happened, you would've said something to me, something that huge? But you never did, so it's really hard to believe it now. In fact, I don't believe it. Yeah, I know you had s*x with him three years ago. He told me. Want to know what else he said? That you came on to him, wouldn't take no for an answer, especially after you drank too much. He said just to get you to stop, he finally just had s*x with you but then you had regrets. Sounds like something you would do! So he left because you guys fought and you were screaming and crying, trying to hit him, a complete f*cking hysterical mess. But you were the worst f*ck he's ever had! Sounds about right, I can totally see that... God, you've been such a wet blanket when it comes to that kind of thing. I'm glad we aren't friends anymore! I honestly don't think I could stomach being around a lying skank like you anyway. You always act like such a prude about guys and drinking and a casual hook up... but want to know what I think? Hmm? I think you secretly like having s*x, just maybe not with men. Wouldn't that take the cake!? Although Jeff said you were a lousy f*uck, you enjoyed it a lot that night but couldn't handle having s*x with him outside of marriage because of the way you were raised. And I can absolutely believe that! Man, what a joke. Don't bother calling me back, b*tch. We are definitely done. Our friendship is no longer. I'll take care of my man, you worry about yourself! Oh! And if I were you...? I'd watch my back...b*tch!"