Chapter 56: It All Comes Crashing Down

Keshia passed Nathan and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Hi! Am I talking to Keshia Harsen?"

"Yes, this is me."

"Hello, I am calling from West Side Cabs; we picked you this morning in Hills Bright. You appear to have left your wallet in the cab."

Keshia closed her eyes...she understood why Nathan reacted the way he did.

"Could you please provide me the information on how I can take possession of my wallet?"

Keshia turned to face Nathan right after she hung up. She had avoided his stare all the while she was on the phone.

"Hills Bright...Hills Bright, Keshia... How I wish it could mean something else."

"Then please do."

"There are no hotels and certainly not motels in Hills Bright, Keshia. Even if there were; it's not like you could ever afford it. In fact, I think we both only know one person who can afford living in this part of town...I'll ask only once and I want the truth. Were you with Graham last night?"

Keshia knew she couldn't lie and yet the truth would sound much more awful than it really was. She didn't want to lose Nathan but she had crossed a line that was never meant to be crossed.

"It's not so cut and dry..."

"WERE YOU OR WERE YOU NOT with Graham last night? I am losing patience."

Nathan had interrupted her. He was containing his rage.

"Yes. Nothing happened, we crossed path by pure coincidence and..."

"I don't want to hear it, Keshia. As a matter a fact, I think I'll be the one spending the night and the day elsewhere."

"No wait!"

"Wait for what? For when you decide to be honest with me? I don't see how I can believe even a word that's coming out of you mouth at the moment."

The phone rang. They both looked at it.

"Pick it up, please. It's probably Mandy, she's been worrying sick about you. Like I did, she tried your cell all night and morning."

Keshia reluctantly picked up the phone. It was Mandy indeed. She was as relieved as she was mad. She wouldn't stop saying how much she was worried sick knowing her friend, a beautiful young woman was out in the streets upset late at night and didn't contact anyone.

"I could almost picture you drugged or dead or any other crazy scenario. You could've called me; at least to tell me what happened. I was worried sick. I'm so happy you're okay. You'll have to fix this mess with Nathan as well..."

As Mandy was mentioned Nathan, Keshia realized he had been very quiet for a moment. She looked around. His jacket was not longer on the coat hanger, his car keys were gone and so where his shoes. She highly doubted he would be back anytime soon.

Chapter 55: Facing The Music

Keshia woke up unable to recognize her surroundings. A pounding headache wasn't helping her recall the event of the previous night. She had left with Graham. that much she remembered and she must have been at his place now. Or a hotel? Either way, it didn't sound too right.

With a real effort of concentration, the last thing she could remember was getting undressed...At least that was all her. Right as her cell phone rang and amplified her pain, she remembered also throwing herself in Graham's arms. She looked up at her caller ID to find it was Nathan. She let the call go to voicemail, she couldn't deal right now.

"Breakfast is served!"

"Graham!"

"So sorry, just grab a robe by the bed. No peeking, promised."

"Well, it's nothing you haven't seen before if my memory isn't playing tricks on me."

Keshia had a sad voice and was looking down. She had destroyed her marriage; turned her back on her vows.


"Keshia, what do you think happened last night?"

"I was mad at my husband, went to a bar, drank more than I should, got back to your place, or a hotel, wherever we are right now, got naked and threw myself at you."

"And then..."

"Well, I can still put 2 and 2 together."

"Really? What if I were to tell you the answer may be more like 3 than 4?"

"Sorry?"

"Nothing happened, Keshia! I wasn't going to take advantage of you! I know you are committed to your husband. And we are at my place. A hotel probably would've made this look much worse that it already seems."

"What will Nathan think?"

"Tell him you spent the night at a hotel. He has no reason to doubt you. That's where you told him you'd go. Or at Mandy's. You girls always stick for one another."

"I guess you're right...I have to leave."

"No breakfast? I'm just kidding, don't look at me like I'm crazy. I totally understand. I was kind of just being selfish."

"Selfish? How?"

"You don't really want to know. Well, I'd offer to have one of my drivers drop you but that wouldn't look good. Would you like me to call a cab?"

"Please do."


Keshia looked at her house, sure it was far from the luxurious life Graham was living but it was her little world, everything she had built for herself with Nathan. She had lost her key. Before she rang, she started sobbing; for some reason she wasn't sure if she could or even wanted to salvage her marriage.


"Keshia? Honey, I don't like to see you cry."

"Nathan, we still need to talk. I know I stormed out last night so it's mostly my fault we didn't have a real discussion."

'Well, I was blinded by jealousy. I wasn't too nice, I understand. Although, I still wonder where you were all this time, you didn't come home."

"I was at Mandy's."

The lie had barely made it out of her lips that she thought she should have cleared it with Mandy before using her as an alibi. She hadn't even answer her calls in the morning.

"Mandy? That's impossible, Gary spent the night at her place and we've all been worried sick about you all morning. I fell asleep rather late not wanting to call you and aggravate your impression that I had trust issues. But this..."

Keshia closed her eyes. She felt helpless...It was too late to claim she was at a hotel and she definitely couldn't tell Nathan she had left the bar with a total stranger. There again, she thought that would probably sit with him better than hearing she was with Graham. But she felt like she owed him the truth.

"I will have to ask you to take a deep breath and let me explain before you jump to conclusions or say anything."


Right as Keshia spoke those words, the phone rang.


"Don't answer it."

"I have to, it's Mandy. I bet you haven't called her yet."

Nathan picked up the phone and by the look on his face it probably wasn't Mandy. And he was getting an information Keshia wanted to give him herself. He dropped the phone's receiver and looked at her in a way she couldn't interpret.

"Tell me you were not with Graham..."

Chapter 54: Out Of Hiding

"You better start to believe it because it's happening!"

"And you're just going to stand there and let it happen!"

"Better believe that too. I owe nothing to Graham, you hear me? NOTHING!!!"

"Except maybe the life of your wife. Need I remind you, Nathan that without him, I may not be here today?"

"I thank him for that but I don't owe him for it. He saved you because he loved you. I would've just been a war casualty if I didn't make it. And I really wonder why you care so much. Not over him, yet?"

"Graham is a friend! What are you implying by: "Not over him, yet?""

"Ah, Keshia, I got my information from the same source you did yours. Why do you look so surprised? Yes, I know all you never cared to tell me. Like this affair you guys had..."

"Affair?"

"While he was with Victoria. And you always got to play nice. I was the bad guy always. Turns out you're not such a goody two shoes after all, now. Are you?"

"Whatever lies Victoria's fed you, I don't wanna hear anymore."

"So it's a lie? You never slept with Graham while they were together?"

"We did but you have no right attacking me this way. I don't have to justify myself to you. It was a mistake!"

"Oh, but you do have to justify yourself! You're my wife! He came here to profess his love to you!"

"I don't have to hear this, Nathan! I'm leaving for the night."

Keshia was trying hard not to cry. She wandered for a little while and her path drove her right to her favorite club/bar; Kisses. It was still early so there wouldn't be much of a crowd and the music should be bearable.

She went it, sat at the bar and ordered a cosmopolitan... She was about done with her third one and realizing she had more than enough to drink when she heard a voice that seemed too familiar behind her.

"Why is a pretty married lady like you doing alone in a bar?"

"Oh, my GOD!!! Graham, you're back!!!"

"Yeah, had to... They will press charges apparently."

"I know. I'm sorry, I tried to convince Nathan to do something, put in a good word for you..."

"I'm not expecting him to, it's ok. You want to have another drink with me?"

Keshia knew she shouldn't say yes but at the same time after her argument with Nathan, the last thing she felt like was going back home or checking in at a hotel right now. She stayed; a little too long, drank a little too much or so she thought and left with Graham to go back to his place.