Chapter 9-S{he} Be{lie}ve{d}

Holly lay in the bed of the hotel room that Riley had booked for the two of them feeling like she had gotten ran over by a truck. Everything had hit her at once as she thought about everything that Riley had done for her when she arrived. It was picture perfect, but when he kissed her, all she could see was Jeff’s blue eyes staring back at her.

Riley was gentle with her whispering sweet nothings in as he made love to her. When Holly arrived, Riley greeted her wearing a white bathrobe while holding a glass of wine. Riley led her to the bathroom where he had candles lit on the sink and all over the room. Rose petals outlined the bed and the floor, when Holly had asked him why he had outdone himself, he simply replied, that she deserved it and that he’d do anything for someone that he loved.

Holly turned over on her side staring at the wall as Riley snored slightly behind her. She loved Riley but all she could think about was Jeff. He had hurt her deeply after he promised that he never would but Holly felt her clench at the thought of her possibly being in love with him. How she felt about Jeff now was the same way she had felt about Riley when she first met him, now all she felt for Riley was a friendly feeling that she felt for the other guys that she knew.

When she saw Jeff, she felt butterflies in her stomach and a desire to protect him from the fame monster that he sometimes fell victim to. Holly knew that although Riley said he loved her, he loved his wife more than anything in the world and that he lied to her so that she’d believe him and she’d end up sleeping with him.

Holly felt Riley shift in the bed behind her as he rolled over in his sleep. Securing his arm around her waist, he resumed snoring as Holly slowly and carefully lifted his arm before climbing out of bed. Holly gathered her clothes and got dressed. Grabbing the hotel supplied tablet and pen, she quickly scribbled down a note to Riley.

Riley,

Thank you for everything last night but we both know that this has to end for good. I loved you and I still do but I love you now like I love Mike, as a friend. I sat up all night thinking about things and I’ve realized that I love Jeff. How I feel about Jeff is the same way I felt about you when I first met you. You need to be with your wife who loves you more than anything in this world. We have some great memories that I will remember forever, but there’s only room in your life for one Holly…and I’m not her. You will always be the first man that I have ever loved, I wish you would have came into my life sooner but then again I don’t because I wouldn’t be in love with Jeff.

Love,
HollyHolly kissed the piece of paper leaving her lip prints on the sheet before she placed it on her pillow next to Riley. Making her walk of shame towards the elevators, Holly descended downstairs to the exit of the hotel where a cab was waiting to take her home.

Holly arrived home shortly before nine in the morning, Jeff was gone for the day which meant she’d get to sleep and be alone for awhile while she settled everything she was feeling before he came home. Opening the door with her key, she immediately saw the new dining room table and chairs. Smiling slightly, she hung her coat on the hook before heading upstairs to her room to sleep until she woke up.

Meanwhile, Jeff woke up the next morning not feeling well. The flu was hitting the Flyers hard, and Jeff knew that it was only a matter of time before he too caught the virus. Jeff was laying under three blankets but he couldn’t keep warm no matter how hard he had tried. He felt a wave of nausea overcome him and he rushed to the bathroom.

Holly heard dry heaving and gagging coming from the room next door to hers. She rolled her eyes figuring Jeff was just nursing a hangover before climbing into the hot shower that she had running. When she was finished, she heard Jeff on the phone with his coach explaining that he had caught the flu like the other guys on the team had came down with.

Swallowing her pride, Holly walked into the hall and saw Jeff’s pale face. He had on sweatpants and a sweatshirt with a comforter wrapped around him.

“Are you okay,” she asked as he hung up the call.

“Do I look okay,” he snapped but Holly chose to ignore it. Everyone is miserable when they’re sick but today was not Jeff’s day to take an attitude

Holly slowly approached Jeff, feeling his forehead, she frowned at how warm he was. Holly replaced her hand with her lips, something her mother used to do to her when she was sick with a fever that wasn't taught in nursing school.

“Go lay down, I’ll go get the thermometer then I’ll call Dr. Milano and tell him that you have come down with the flu.”

Jeff gave up without a fight and went into his bedroom where he crawled back in bed pulling the covers up to his chin.

"Open your mouth," Holly said sitting on the bed next to him placing the object in his mouth.

Holly placed her fingers on Jeff's wrist and looked at the clock on the wall, "Your pulse is okay," she said as the thermometer beeped. Holly pulled it out of Jeff's mouth and frowned at the numbers on the small screen, "102.3."

Jeff growled causing Holly to smile, "Fuck me," he groaned.

"Here, take these," she said reaching into her pocket to pull put two Tylenol that would hopefully break his fever, "Try to get some rest, I'll be back in when you wake up to see if your fever has gone down. I'm going to CVS to get your prescription, do you want anything else?"

"I need more condoms," Jeff said with a smirk, "We're all out."

Holly couldn't help but laugh at him, even sick with the flu, he was still a pig but that's why she loved him, right?

"I'll grab Gatorade and soup while I'm gone. Please stay in bed," she asked and Jeff nodded.

"There's a fifty in my wallet, take it to cover everything."

"It's fine, I got it. Call me if you need anything else, I'll be back as soon as I can."

Holly left Jeff's room suddenly not mad at him. He was sick and she hated seeing him so helpless. Jeff was always the strong one and Holly didn't like it when he looked weak.

Holly went to the drug store to get Jeff's prescription before going to Costco to shop for food Jeff would need over the next couple of days.

Holly laughed as she walked through the health section of the wholesale store and saw the 1000 pack of condoms, “If he goes through these, he needs help,” she whispered to herself as she made her way to the checkout.

The cashier gave Holly a weird look as she scanned the condoms and placed them into the box that held Holly’s groceries. Holly dared her to say something as she swiped her credit card. Holly had stayed out longer than she had intended to.

When Holly arrived home, Jeff was asleep while curled up under a blanket on the couch. Holly sat down on the coffee table and nudged him awake, he groaned as he slowly came to his senses, "How are you feeling," she asked as he slowly sat up.

"Like shit," he replied as she handed him the Gatorade and flu medicine.

"Are you hungry," she asked.

Jeff shook his head no and Holly stood up to go back to the kitchen when Jeff reached for her hand. Holly wanted to pull away but for some reason, she didn't. Jeff looked up at her sadly before pulling her down to his lap wrapping the blanket around them as he lay back with Holly on top of him.

"Jeff, I have to go make dinner," she said struggling to get up before her emotions got the best of her.

"Stay here a little while, please," he asked, "You're warm and I'm cold."

Holly reluctantly lay still trying not to cry as Jeff kissed her forehead gently, before he too fell asleep. The doorbell rang and Holly silently thanked the Heavens above for saving her. Carefully removing herself from Jeff, she walked towards the door.

Mike smiled seeing her clad in just sweatpants and a Flyers hoodie, "Look who has the I got laid last night look on their face," he replied smirking.

"Can we not talk about last night," she asked as her and Mike made their way to the breakfast bar in the kitchen. Mike sat in the stool as Holly put the groceries away. Holly threw the box of condoms in Jeff's lap before returning to the kitchen."

"Where'd you go last night? Jeff said you came home in a taxi this morning."

“I went to stay in a hotel, I couldn’t be under the same roof with him anymore.”

“So…you didn’t go to the Double Tree and have a romantic evening with Riley?”

Holly froze, “How did you find out?”

“Riley’s the one who was called up while Jeff is sick, he told me this morning.”

“FUCKING ASSHOLE,” they both heard Jeff scream. They turned their heads and saw him standing in the entryway of the kitchen, “What the fuck Holly? You keep going back for more and getting hurt, are you that much of a slut?”

Holly didn’t have time to react as Jeff’s head snapped to the side and the red handprint made its appearance on the left side of his face. Holly stormed upstairs and slammed her bedroom door shut. Holly knew Jeff would find out about her night with Riley but she had hoped that she’d be the one telling him when everything was finally settled between them.

Holly heard the doorbell ring downstairs and she knew someone had come over. She heard Lauren’s voice and she wanted to throw herself out of the bedroom window.

“Holly,” Mike said coming into the room, “Can you please come downstairs and talk to them? You haven’t let them explain anything. We have some explaining to do ourselves, let’s just get this over with.”

Holly sat up slowly on the bed and Mike sat down next to her. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he kissed her forehead telling her that everything would be okay and to relax.

“Everything will be okay,” he whispered, “I promise, come on let’s get this over with.”

He grabbed her hand and wiped the tears away from her eyes with his free hand, “Thank you, Mike.”

“Anytime Holly, I’ll always be here,” he smiled as they walked downstairs and saw Lauren sitting on the chair and Jeff sitting on the couch.

Holly stood in the doorway, “Someone better start talking,” she said, “I want this over and done with.”

“Holly, I’m so sorry,” Lauren cried, “I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

Holly laughed sarcastically, “No one ever means for it to happen but it does. I seriously thought I could trust you and that you weren’t friends with me just for who I knew.”

“I swear it was never like that.”

“Holly, stop making this a one sided situation,” Jeff said, “You are guilty too, I know you fucked Mike for revenge, he told me and I know you fucking spent the night with Riley last night. I don’t understand why you are yelling at Lauren when you are just as fucking guilty as all of us sitting in this room right now. With all of the shit you’ve done with Mike, Riley, and me…you are no better than any one of us. If anything, I think you were using me.”

“Using you,” Holly snapped, “Jeff, I’m a fucking nurse who can keep up with your monthly salary even though I don’t make as much as you. I never fucking asked you for anything, I pay for my own shit and I pay all of the utilities in the house and half of the mortgage now. I am not fucking using you. I could give two shits about the Flyers to be honest with you.”

Jeff sat there clearly not knowing what to say when Holly started on Lauren again, “I never took you for a slut but hey I don’t blame you for fucking Jeff, I mean look at him. I guess the only thing I’ve ever used him for was sex but he’s the one who suggested this whole fucked up relationship him and I have anyways,” Holly said trying not to let the tears fall, “For three years, I’ve watched Jeff use everything with a fucking vagina, so you’re no different than any of the other girls he fucked. He was drunk and you were convenient for him.”

“Slut,” Lauren laughed, “You seriously have the nerve to call me a slut when you have slept with Riley, Jeff, and Mike. If that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black then I don’t know what is.”

“Well you’re not a virgin anymore, so that makes you a slut since you fucked Jeff when he was drunk. At least I’ve had those three both sober and drunk. If that makes me a slut then so be it.”

“You two both need to stop before you both say something that you regret,” Mike said as Lauren started to cry. He was ready to forgive Lauren as he watched her break down. He knew there was something that she wasn’t telling Holly and he hoped it wasn’t what he thought it was.

“I WAS A FUCKING VIRGIN,” Lauren screamed causing the room to fall silent, “I was a virgin, okay and I slept with Jeff. I can never get that night back, Holly; I thought you were my friend. I should go,” she said standing up and grabbing her purse.

Mike breathed a sigh of relief and stood up, “I need to talk to her. You two need to work everything out. Holly, you are more than welcomed to stay at my house if you’d like.”

Holly whispered a thank you as Mike walked out of the house leaving her and Jeff to be there by themselves. Holly could see the color was still drained from Jeff’s face and he was still sick.

“You need to go get some rest,” she said, “You will never get better if you stress yourself out. Go upstairs and go to sleep, I’m going to stay with my sister.”

“Do whatever the fuck you want, I don’t care,” Jeff said standing up from the couch and walking upstairs.

Holly walked upstairs a couple of minutes later and packed her suitcase. She was moving out for now while everything cooled down. She needed to live her life without Jeff for a while and she didn’t know how she would do it, he was her everything, he just needed to realize that without each other, they were nothing.