I wake to the notification sound of a text message going through on my phone. My eyes open and for a fraction of a second everything is normal, until I remember what happened last night and my nightmare becomes real. I check my phone hoping it’s Scott, sadly it’s not:
ANNA: You ditched the last half of my wedding! I think you owe me a huge explanation.
ISABELLA: Scott’s filing for legal separation.
My phone rings; it’s Anna, “I’m so sorry! What happened?” “Trust issues.”
“Are you talking about what happened in the bathroom at my house?”
“Ya.”
“MICHAEL made moves on you, you didn’t start it.”
“He’s mad that I didn’t tell him about it.”
“This time, it’s not your fault. He’s overreacting.”
“He says I keep going back to Michael. He thinks I have a soft spot for him and he can’t trust me to stay away from him. He thinks if we don’t have trust, we have nothing.”
“I’ll talk to Jeremy, he’ll sort Scott out.”
I’m quiet because I’m crying. Anna picks up on it, “Don’t cry, Isa.”
“I’m sorry about your wedding, he told mom he was breaking up with me before he told me. He planned this for some time now,” I sniff.
“Our flight is leaving soon but I’m worried about you. I’ll text Jeremy and tell him what’s going on.”
I can barely talk, “Thanks.”
“Bye baby, take care of yourself. I’ll call you when I get back. If it wasn’t our honeymoon I would invite you.”
“I know,” I said thinking getting away is just what I need.
“I’ll call you back,” Anna says quickly before hanging up. I get out of bed and start searching the apartment for a note. There isn’t any. I’m tempted to go take a shower, but I don’t want to wash Scott off me. The phone rings, it’s Anna again.
“I spoke with Jeremy. He’s on his way. Talk to him, I think he’s going to have a few choice words with Scott. Remember Isa: First, you find out his mom was with your dad, he knew and didn’t tell you! He blames you for what MICHAEL did in the bathroom. He breaks up with you at my wedding! Let’s not forget about what he did with Lara and you forgave him! He doesn’t deserve you! Stay strong!” she encourages.
Her perspective is correct and should make me feel better but it doesn’t. I’m too upset to think straight. I go back to bed with nagging hunger pains that I’m scared are going to turn into nausea and wait for Jeremy to come. Two hours twenty-seven minutes later there is a knock on the door. I sit up feeling like I have weights on my arms and legs, “Coming!”
I open the door and Jeremy stands in the frame looking concerned, “Are you okay?”
“No Jeremy.”
He embraces me warmly and leads me to the couch, “Tell me what happened.” He sits close to me with his arm around my shoulders. I snuggle into him, telling him everything: my father and Scott’s mother’s indiscretions, the reasons why he kept it from me. I tell him about what Michael said and did to me in the bathroom and how Scott was angry that I wasn’t forthcoming about it. Then I conclude with how he won’t speak to me for the last two months and his reasons for filing for separation.
We sat in silence as Jeremy runs his fingers through my hair, “He still loves you, Isa. I’ll talk to him but I don’t know how much it will help. Michael will always be a threat to him and it sounds like Scott was only trying to protect you from the truth about your father.”
“What should I do?” I ask feeling beside myself in distress. Jeremy pulls his phone out and starts texting someone.
“Who are you texting?” I ask.
“Lara, I’ll let you read it in the car, pack a bag,” he orders. “I’m not going to Hawaii with them on their honeymoon!” “Andy and Anna are expecting you, now pack!”
I go into the bedroom and empty my suitcase filling it with clean clothes and putting the dirty ones in the hamper. Jeremy calls out, “When’s the last time you ate?” I have to think about it, “Yesterday morning before the wedding.” Jeremy gets mad, he starts digging through our kitchen slamming cupboard doors, and rifling through the fridge. He is cursing profanities under his breath with Scott’s name sprinkled in and out of them. I carry my bag to the door. Jeremy meets me there with canned spaghetti and juice, “I’ll carry your bag, you eat this.”
Just then, we hear Scott’s key in the door lock. Jeremy and I look at each other before he mutters another curse word. I step away from the door so Scott has room to walk into the apartment. He sees me then Jeremy then my bag, “Where are you taking her?” he asks like I’m not even in the room.
“We’ll talk when I get back,” Jeremy answers. “We’ll talk now,” Scott growls.
“When I get back,” Jeremy repeats stubbornly.
“Just tell me where you’re taking her,” he turns to me, “Isabella, where are you going?”
“You don’t have to worry, I’ll be back for our first show,” I tell him dejectedly. “I’ll be back for our first show.”
“You hurt her,” Jeremy says protectively. He opens the door and grabs my bag looking back at Scott, “You know she hasn’t eaten anything since yesterday morning? If I let her stay with you, she’ll probably end up in the hospital again.”
Scott’s eyes are tired. Jeremy places his hand on my lower back and guides me out of the apartment, “Eat,” he orders. We can hear the start of a temper tantrum in the apartment with doors slamming as we wait for the elevator to come. A huge part of me wishes Jeremy hadn’t come and I was still in the apartment with Scott, but I know that my urges are self-destructive when Scott made it clear to me he doesn’t want me anymore. No, Hawaii is going to be good for me.