Unlikely Places

Chapter 38 Surprise!

"My second relationship isn't a pretty story. There are very few good memories to outweigh the bad ones."

Pierce paused, but I stayed quiet. I didn't think he was looking for a response nor did I think there was one. At least nothing appropriate. I waited patiently as he gathered his, if his expression was anything to go by, obviously grim thoughts.

"I met him about six months out of college. We had one of those romance story chance meetings, or so I thought." Pierce looked at me then with a disgusted twist of his lips. "It turned out there was nothing about our relationship that was chance. I just didn't know that. At least not for a while."

"We met. I fell. For close to a year I was a besotted fool."

Pierce paused again and I again remained silent. Mainly because I couldn't have spoken even if I wanted to. My stomach was twisting.

I hurt for him. It was obvious he had suffered. But I didn't think what I was feeling was all about him. Yes, I felt sympathetic but I was also feeling this strange anger and weird feeling in my gut.

As I had listened to him speak, I had felt overly sensitive to his story as if a small scalpel like knife was inflicting biting little wounds along my skin. His words made me hurt for him but they were hurting me, too. It was weird and confusing. Simple words had never physically affected me this way before.

Listening to him was not easy. It took real effort to make my face remain impassive. He was already visibly struggling to tell me his story. The story I had asked him to tell. The last thing I wanted was to show him I was struggling to listen. He deserved better than that from me.

I breathed deeply and remained expressionless, schooling my features to one of, I hoped, sympathetic patience and understanding. Pierce was always patient and encouraging with me. I wanted to offer the same to him. Though the knot in the pit of my stomach was naggingly annoying, I put it aside. Pierce warranted my full attention. I could think about these strange feelings later.

"Pierce?" I finally quietly prompted when he continued to remain silent.

He squeezed my hand in response and gave a self-deprecating smile.

"Sorry," he replied. "It's just not easy admitting what an idiot I was, not to mention easy target."

"Easy target?" I found myself repeating in stunned disbelief.

Pierce was anything but.

"My supposed relationship, was nothing but a scam. Our encounter had not been by chance. There was nothing destiny related. Fate was not magically involved. I had been scouted and hunted and caught in the proverbial honey trap, or you could say his money trap."

The light bulb clicked on in my head. I was finally understanding what he was saying. From his dark expression it seemed he still had more to say. That pit in my stomach expanded. This time though the misery I was feeling was all for him.

"I found out the truth the worst possible way. Something right out of a drama," Pierce continued with a humorless laugh. "I wanted to surprise him with a weekend getaway. I'd told him I had to work late but was in fact making arrangements. I drove to his place without calling to pick him up. You know? Surprise! Only the surprise was on me. Or should I say shock!"

I swallowed. My heart dove to my knees. I could only imagine what he must have felt walking in on his lover with another. I squeezed his hand in silent support.

"I knocked. I remember having a huge smile on my face. I couldn't wait to see his expression when he saw me, as he had been pouty when I had told him I had to work. I had played out all sorts of scenarios in my head how it would go down. My imagination just wasn't that good."