Moving On

Chapter 8

Merry Christmas guys! This is the bonus chapter, it's written in third person. The video is the new song demo released by Gaga today, it's called Stuck On Fu*kin' You!

Once again Merry Christmas and hopefully you all got what you wished for from Santa! ;D

Enjoy!

Carmen nudged Darren gently and pointed to Jay’s retracting, dark figure; almost instantly Darren caught his scent and shuffled closer to Carmen, wrapping a possessive arm around her shoulders as if signalling to Jay that there was no way he could win her back.

Throughout the movie Anna’s annoying giggles could be heard every few seconds, Carmen didn’t want to think about what they were doing in the back of the dim-lighted cinema, it made bile rise up her throat. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for Anna at the same time, Jay was playing her and she couldn’t see it but that was the least of her worries. Something was wrong with Darren and she intended to get to the bottom of it.

As soon as the movie ended Carmen and Darren didn’t waste any time in fleeing from the cinema, conflict was the last thing on both their minds.

As she tossed and turned around, Carmen couldn’t seem to get to sleep that night, Darren was sleeping peacefully by her side and was unaware of her sleeping problems. Different ideas and thoughts whizzed through her head, the feel of Darren’s warm arm around her waist reminded her of his behaviour. He had been acting weird something had been bothering him, she didn’t know if it was to do with Jay or something else. Her train of thought halted immediately, her breathing became shallow and irregular, what if. What if Darren was cheating on her? The thought made her brush the arm off her waist, andshoot up from the bed and away from Darren.

She welcomed the cold feel of the kitchen tiles beneath her feet and the cool liquid that slid down her throat.  She tried not to think of Darren maybe cheating on her because she knew it was the most absurd thing ever, he loved her and she loved him and had complete trust in him. Darren knew how hurt she’d been over Jay so surely he wouldn’t stab her in the back after everything they’d been through. 

She reluctantly made her way back to bed, sliding into the bed making sure not to jostle it and wake Darren up. She returned his arm back to its original position and tried to let sleep take over,

“Where did you go?” Darren mumbled sleepily, she took a moment to steady her beating heart,

“Kitchen. I was thirsty.” She was glad that not only was she facing away from him but it was dark, so he couldn’t read the lie written all over her face. Darren could read Carmen better than anyone else could, better than Jay could ever and sometimes that worked to her advantage and sometimes disadvantage.

“Mmmhh.” Darren was too tired to pursue the matter, he could tell that there was something wrong but he knew she wouldn’t tell him now maybe in the morning.

Carmen awoke earlier than usual in an attempt to avoid Darren. If he caught her he’d ask her what was wrong and no doubt everything would come spilling out, all her insecurities and doubts and she didn’t want him to know she doubted him.  She sat hunched over at the kitchen island ‘reading’ a wedding catalogue. That was far from the truth, she just didn’t want Darren to see her face.

Darren moved around the kitchen making a cup of coffee, he was trying to get to his lecture on time. He kept glancing at Carmen who was leering over a catalogue, he knew that there was something wrong. Last night in bed he’d felt her strange behaviour but had been too tired to ask but now the awkwardness around her was so tangible,

“Is everything ok, Carmen?” He sat opposite her across the island and stared at her willing her silently to look at him.

“Eveything’s fine.” She mumbled quietly with her eyes trained on the page full of white and lace,

“Look at me when you say it, damn it!” Darren growled angrily at Carmen. Carmen’s eyes snapped up to meet his gaze in surprise, he had never snapped at her before, her eyes turned glassy in upset. Maybe she was just like Anna infatuated with ‘love’ she couldn’t see what was really going on and with that she fled to her room, locking it behind her.

Mike was stressed out, the visitor that had been visiting him these past few weeks was not helping his stress levels, he had to work extra hard because if he didn’t Carmen would get hurt. Carmen was not only Alex’s sister but his friend and she’d been through a lot, added stress was not needed. As he signed the 5th cheque of $1,000 this month to Owen Turner he hoped it would be enough to keep him away and the cruel secret. Mike knew that Carmen and Darren’s relationship wouldn’t survive if this came out. So he signed the cheque and handed it over to Owen Turner.

Carmen had done everything possible to keep her thoughts free from Darren, as soon as he had left she started cleaning and doing homework. As soon as she’d finished there was nothing she could do, so she began cleaning again until the whole house smelt of disinfectant and bleach and her hands were red and sore. Finally after hours of thinking and cleaning she decided that the best thing to do was to confront Darren about her suspicions, there was no point in her worrying herself, she refused to live in doubt and sadness.

Finally, upon hearing Darren’s footsteps approach the door she sat herself in the seat she’d sat in this morning.

Darren’s eyes went straight to Carmen’s across the room as soon as he entered the room. His sensitive nose scrunched up as the strong smell of cleaning products wafted up his nose with every step he took towards her.

“We need to talk, Darren.” Carmen winced as she heard her words, not only were they cliché and overrated but they sounded as if she was going to break things off with him. To be honest, she would if he admitted to cheating. She waited anxiously as until he sat down in front of her, she’d spent the whole day wording what she’d say to him but now the time had come her mind had drawn to a blank.

Not knowing what to say she came out straight with her question,

“Are you cheating on me?” Darren didn’t know how to feel, upset, angry, insulted that Carmen thought he’d cheat on her.

“No!” he saw her gulp delicately and then continue,

“It’s just you’ve been acting weird lately and I didn’t know what to think, it’s happened to me before so why wouldn’t it happen again?” Darren saw how much hurt and anguish she felt as she spoke and he suddenly felt guilty for his actions. It was true, he had been distant with her for the last few days but it was all for a good reason. Mike had called him a few weeks ago about Owen and his ‘proposition.’ If he wanted to stay with Carmen there was no choice but apart from do everything Owen asked him to do.

Carmen looked at Darren in worry as he thought of something, he’d denied cheating on her but she still wasn’t fully convinced. She didn’t know if she could withstand that type of pain when someone you loved betrayed you. Darren suddenly got up from his chair and wrapped Carmen in an embrace squeezing her tightly,

“I’d never cheat on you; you must know I love you too much to do that.” Carmen’s posture visibly relaxed as the words soaked in but that didn’t explain why he’d been so distant.

“Why have you been so distant, then?”

“My mate got in contact with me when Isabella and Maria were here.” Carmen’s eyes widened in surprise, what could his mate possibly want from him, after all she had been the one to leave Darren.

“But I thought she left you?” Carmen nearly slapped her mouth in embarrassment and shame, how could she just ask a question that was so sensitive without any sensitivity,

“My mate left me for my cousin and she called me asking for another chance.”

“Oh, Darren.” Carmen was shocked, his own mate had left him for his cousin, his own flesh and blood. She finally knew why he’d never told her the full story,

“I feel like such a bitch for accusing you of being a- of doing that- I’m sorry.“ Carmen hung her head in shame and willed the traitor tears not to leak out. She had let her own feelings and doubts get in the way of a good relationship, basically she’d been selfish, or so she thought.

Darren couldn’t say anything, the truth was he felt like the biggest dick in the world, he couldn’t tell her the truth he was a coward who had lied in spite of selfishness. All Darren could do was hug Carmen tighter and hope that all this would end mess free because he didn’t want to lose Carmen.