Vivian woke up feeling like a sledgehammer had just pounded in her head. Disoriented she tried opening her eyes but found that her eyelids seemed a lot heavier this morning. She felt a chill come over her by a draft that passed through the room, she must have forgotten to close the window last night she thought.
Vivian snuggled up closer to the warm pillow she had been hugging. Funny how the pillow smelled of men’s cologne and a pillow shouldn’t have felt that firm. She gently opened her eyes and looked up to find herself enveloped in Scott’s arms. She looked around and didn’t recognize the room, she quickly jumped out of bed and mouthed an ‘Oh my God’, Scott stirred but luckily didn’t wake up.
She was still wearing Scott’s shirt so maybe nothing had happened, but then noticed her lack of undergarments. “Oh shit,” she said praying she hadn’t been stupid enough to have slept with her boyfriend’s best friend. Maybe they hadn’t gotten that far, I mean both of them had been extremely drunk. Perhaps they had fallen asleep somewhere in the middle, she gently pulled the sheet up and damned her luck when she saw that Scott was very much naked. “Oh no,” she said setting the sheet back down to look for her clothes. Vivian didn’t want to wake him so she tiptoed trying to find all of her garmnets. When she had picked it all up she got dressed and left the house her mind reeling from what she had done.
When she got home all she wanted to do was sleep some more but knew that she couldn’t just pretend nothing had happened. Vivian quickly took a shower and headed to Liz’s room to see if she could give her some good advice. She knocked on the door and got no response, thinking she was still asleep she walked in and found that the bed was empty. The bed looked like it hadn’t been slept in, that was odd she thought. She walked out and headed downstairs, wanting to know if maybe Abs had called, she found her cell phone on her desk.
“You have three new messages,” the electronic voice told her. She punched in her pin number and waited for it to play them.
“Viv, why aren’t you answering your phone? Please babe, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I was irrational and I know we can work this out. Just please give me another chance. All I know is that I love you, please call me back,” Abs’s voice sounded scratchy like he had been crying.
“Message two,” came the voice once more.
“Where are you? I went to your house and you weren’t there. Just please tell me it’s not over. I’m heading to Lydia’s right now, Viv, please don’t ignore me,” this time his voice sounded a bit clearer but worry now laced it.
“Last message.”
“Yeah it’s me again. Uhm so where are you? I’ve called practically everywhere. Anyway I’ll be home so call me. I love you.”
‘I love you.’ He had said it but now she knew she wasn’t deserving of those words. She had betrayed him in the worst way possible. How was she supposed to face him now? And would he even forgive her? Snuggle brought her out of her thoughts by licking her hand. “Hey there Snuggs, I guess I haven’t been the greatest of friends lately, huh?” she said petting his head. “Come on let’s go feed you.” After she made sure he had eaten she went out and drove to Abs’s house. She had decided to just go and talk to Abs tell him the truth and see if he still wanted her back after that.
When she got there she found that the door was left unlocked. She went in and made her way to his room. Taking a deep breath she slowly opened the door. Vivian could see Abs on the bed with the covers only covering his lower body. She opened the door more and felt her heart stop when she saw he wasn’t alone on the bed, Liz was lying on the bed next to him.
Vivian held back the sob that tried escaping her mouth. She stood there a few seconds more and was about to close the door when she heard rustling coming from the bed. Turning she saw Abs wrapping his arm around Liz’s waist. Not being able to stand it anymore she slammed the door close and rushed out of the house, leaving the front door open.
Vivian drove at full speed all the while wondering why her life could never be normal. She dialed the numbers that would connect her to her secretary. “Angie? Yeah it’s me, I need you to locate our pilot here in London.”
“Vivian are you ok?”
“Yeah I am, I’m just in immediate need for a flight back home. Now please locate the pilot,” she said ending the conversation. Five minutes later Angie called her back informing her that the plane would be waiting for her at runway 5 in half an hour. In ten minutes Vivian was at the airport waiting for the plane to be ready. She sat in the car thinking of what she was about to do. She was turning her back on a lot of people that she loved and that she had thought loved her back. How would Lydia react when she found out that she had left? And Snuggle…Oh God! She had totally forgotten about him. She quickly dialed the first number that came to mind and waited for them to pick up.
Instead of a real voice she heard an answering machine after the beep she started her message. “Hi Scott, uhm it’s me, well you know who. I have to go back to New York and was wondering if you could do me a huge favor. Can you please go to my house and pick up Snuggle, I left in such a hurry I totally forgot about him. Lydia should have the spare key and uhm can you tell her I had an emergency and had to leave. I know it’s a lot to ask considering what happened last night, but please I need to know he’ll be all right, and if you can’t well then leave him with Lydia. And Scott…it was nice getting to know you.”
She pressed end and leaned back on her seat. She had loved being in London but knew that she just couldn’t stay after what she had seen and done. The reality of everything finally set in and she began to cry. She scolded herself for crying so much but just couldn’t help it.
How could Liz and Abs have done this to her? And how could she have betrayed Abs in the same way? She laughed when she remembered how sincere he had sounded when he had said ‘I love you.’
She wiped away her tears and decided she wouldn’t dwell on what couldn’t be helped anymore. She made a few more calls and then headed to the plane determined not to look back ever again.
Later on that day they’re was four very worried people that had no idea where Vivian could have gone to. Abs and Liz had decided to keep what had happened the prior night to themselves and he had gone over to her house in hopes of talking to Vivian. When he got there he found Lydia and Ryan already there. “Hey what are you guys doing here?” he asked looking around for Vivian.
“Same thing you are. We’re trying to figure out where she is,” Lydia said opening the door with her key. Right after walking in there was a knock on the door. Abs went to open it and was surprised to see Scott. “What are you doing here?” both asked at the same time.
“I’m here for Snuggle,” Scott said avoiding eye contact. “Where you taking him to? And why?” Abs asked getting suspicious. Scott went directly to the dog who had heard his voice and had come to meet him. “Scott what are you doing here?” Ryan asked coming out of the living room.
“I came for the dog, Vivian called me this morning asked me to take care of him,” he answered putting the leash on Snuggle’s collar. “Why would you have to take care of him? Where is she?” Lydia asked. “She went back to New York, said it was an emergency,” Scott told them what he knew. “Why would she ask you to take care of him?” Abs asked with a bit of jealousy in his voice.
“I don’t know, when she left my house this morning she didn’t say anything about leaving the country but then she left a very agitated message. Sounded like she had been crying,” he said heading to the door.
“Wait she was with you last night?” Abs asked not believing his ears. “Yeah it appears she thought it would be the last place you would look. Anyway I have to go now, I’ve got some stuff to do,” he said opening up the door.
“Is this the Silverly residence?” a big burly man asked. “Yes it is. Whom may you be?” Scott said noticing the big moving van parked outside the house. “I’m part of the moving crew.”
“Moving crew?” asked a very confused looking Liz. She had been standing at the landing of the stairs watching everything. “Yeah we got a call from a Vivian Silverly this morning asking us to move all her furniture into storage. The real estate agent will be here tomorrow to do an estimate on the house.” The man said instructing his companions to come into the house. “She’s selling the house?” Lydia asked in disbelief.
“Did you know about this?” Abs asked Liz. “No, I haven’t talked to her since yesterday. Where am I suppose to go?” she said walking down the stairs. “I guess this means she’s not coming back,” Lydia said.
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