Page 18 (1/2)

At thatinto the living roo on, bro?"

Gray threw the up "Leave now" Then as if alht he added, "Please"

Suzy started to struggle, trying to tell her sister to wait for her Beth took a hesitant step forward before Nick put his ar her Suzy knew by the look on his face that he kneas going on and her heart broke a second tio Beth, they need so as Nick led her back out the door

When the front door closed again, Gray looked down at her and closed his eyes wearily for a few ry and I know you aren’t going to believe me at first, but please just listen to the whole story I promise you, baby, I haven’t cheated on you, just please listen to me" As she started to protest, he held up his hand "Please, if you care anything about me and us just listen to what I have to say" He started back at the very beginning from when he’d one out with Reva just to take histo be together and had decided to go out with Reva after she pursued his involved and it was just casual dates When he got to the part where he slept with her one ti of her fists

He took a moment to catch his breath and studied Suzy’s reaction Her eyes were carefully averted from his as she stared out the door He continued the story telling her about breaking it off with Reva and the barrage of phone calls, texts and visits He ado that far and had been hesitant to report it to the authorities He also ended the story telling her of his fear of her finding out and pulling away fro a iven up trying to get away from him or scared that she seeive her ti out in her head She sat beside hi shirt

Suzy’s heard was spinning and her stoined this was a scenario that had never entered her mind It was too farfetched to be made up It hurt that he’d kept this fro Gray with the other wo her body just as he had hers She knew that she’d no right to feel that way, but she did There had never been a commitment between them and there certainly wasn’t when this happened Maybe in soht Gray had been in Charleston for this past year pining over her when in reality he had been living his life which included dating and having sex with someone else

She still couldn’t look Gray in the eyes She kneaiting for her to say soht ahead, she quietly asked, "Who else knows? Obviously Nick, I could see it on his face this , but who else?"

Gray’s voice had taken on her sahten her away "Yes, Nick knows and also Jason I’m sure there are others, such as security at Mericom and at my home in Charleston It would have been i a scene at Mericory at either of them, they wanted you told before I went out of town" Gray took a deep breath and continued, "Sweetheart, I’m so sorry This is exactly what I was afraid would happen and I’veyou find out the way you did"

As he laid a hand on her shoulder, Suzy pulled away "I can’t talk about this right now, Gray, I need some time to think" At his look of despair, she added, "I’; I just have to be by et ue, but he quietly got up and retrieved her crutches fro beside the couch and she took the crutches from his hands When she reached the bedroo him and said, "Please just let me have this time, I’ll come out when I’m ready Go to work if you need to, I’ll be fine" The door shut quietly behind her and Gray stood staring at it for a fewoutside to sit on the deck

~~~

Suzy closed the bedroo the rooether Who would have thought that things would fall apart so quickly? She couldn’t bear to sit there so she walked over to the chaise lounge in front of the s and settled herself against the cushions Where did they go fros and have Beth pick her up It would be difficult to navigate the steps to her condo, but she was o

If she left though, was it the official end of whatever this was that she had with Gray? Was she ready for it to be over? She couldn’t stay here with him if she felt as if he’d cheated on her Maybe she was punishing Gray for Jeff’s sins Although if she thought back, she’d never felt the crushing devastation that she’d felt when she read the es on Gray’s phone Jeff had thrown her for a h, was she just truly never thought Jeff had it in hiht arrow Did it upset her because she had been in love with him or was it ht he was? All that she kneas that it didn’t hold a candle to the gut-wrenching pain of i a life without Gray in it

Suddenly, a smile covered her face as she remembered a line she used to tell Claire often when she was encouraging her to get a life ‘Put your big girl panties on’ Well ot up from the chaise and hobbled to the bathroom She looked at herself in theback at her was Her eyes were puffy, her hair was hanging in disarray and she was as pale as a ghost Screw this! I refuse to be the victioing to ruin ain She thinks she’s crazy? Well she ain’t seen crazy yet, but it’s co

It took her almost two hours to shower, dress and pack, but already she felt one In her place was a woo to Charleston and thisto be taken care of Their lives couldn’tover theh it would probably scare the crap out of him, she planned to have him in her life for the duration She was never one to back down fro in her life Stepping back froave her reflection one last look Black leather skirt, check Off the shoulder silk peasant top, check, one flat leopard skin sandal, yuk Well two out of three wasn’t bad She had her hair back in an elegant pony tail and herher spine, she prepared to do battle if necessary with Gray and with a sed that he wouldn’t knohat hit him

~~~