Chapter 17
“Hey, you’re home early,” Fay said when she heard the front door open. “I thought you would be staying at Tristan’s tonight.”
"We were interrupted," Lisa said, plopping down on the couch. “Heather showed up.”
“What?" Fay yelled, sitting straight up. “Why?”
“She said she wanted to talk to Tristan and apologize to him. She was so rude to me; you would never know we were once best friends," Lisa said, feeling her eyes fill up with tears again.
“So, what the fuck are you doing here?”
“Well, Tristan kicked her out, and she left, but I just felt so disappointed I needed to be alone," Lisa said dejectedly. “What if he goes back to her?”
“I don’t think he will, and you have to stop thinking like that.”
“We had such a beautiful day at the fair, going on rides and eating fast food. We were like two lovestruck teenagers on a first date. It was magical. We were about to sit in the hot tub with wine when she showed up,” Lisa whispered, wiping the tears off her cheeks.
“So, you left Tristan alone?” Fay asked in disbelief.
“He’s upset too, and he understood when I said I needed to be alone. If you could have heard the vile things, she said to me …”
"Well, if you ask me, the worst thing you could have done is leave, but I understand where you are coming from. If you and Tristan are meant to be, you’ll get through this,” Fay said confidently.
Lisa looked at her friend and smiled. She hoped her friend was right. She just wished Heather would disappear from their lives for good − again.
✽✽✽
Lisa sat at her desk, trying to concentrate on her sketches. It had been two days since Heather’s unexpected return, and she hadn’t seen Tristan since.
They had texted each other and spoke on the phone, but with their busy schedules, they wouldn't be able to see each other until Thursday evening.
"Hey, Lisa. Are you finished with the Stockwell account?” one of Lisa’s coworkers asked from her doorway.
“Yep, I gave everything to Sylvia yesterday, so she has everything,” Lisa answered with a smile.
"Perfect," her coworker said, giving her a thumbs-up sign.
Smiling at him, Lisa heard her phone vibrate on her desk and picked it up, seeing a message from Fay.
Clicking on it, she read – Sorry about this, but I thought you should know. Hitting the attachment revealed a picture of Tristan and Heather sitting at a restaurant together.
Where was this?
Today. I was meeting a client, and I saw them. They didn’t see me. I’m so sorry.
Tristan had promised her he didn’t want anything to do with her. When they had spoken on the phone, he had vowed on his mother's grave that he was done with her, but there he was. He had told her he had to work through his lunch hour today. He had lied to her.
“Fuck,” she hissed through her teeth, throwing her phone on her desk. Heather was going to slither her way back into his life and ruin everything.
Taking a deep breath, she got up from her desk and walked to the restroom. Splashing her face with cold water, she stood and looked at herself in the mirror.
“You don’t deserve to be treated like that,” she told herself sternly. "You're better than Heather, and you are better than some man you were infatuated with."
Throwing her paper towel into the garbage, she checked her face and hair, turned, and walked out, vowing to never have anything to do with Tristan Darlington again.
✽✽✽
“How come you aren’t answering my texts or phone calls?” Tristan demanded as he burst into Lisa’s office.
“Shhh, don’t make a scene, this is my workplace for God’s sake,” Lisa said, frowning as she jumped up and ran to close her door. “What are you doing here?”
“You aren’t answering my calls. You leave me a message on my phone saying we are done, and you don't answer my calls," Tristan said. “I believe I’m entitled to an explanation.”
Lisa walked back around her desk and sat down. “You really have no idea, do you?”
“No idea about what? What have I done?” Tristan said, holding up his hands in confusion. “It is Heather interrupting our evening the other day?”
“Oh, that was part of it, but I was okay with that. It was about you swearing to me that you were over her and didn’t want to see her ever again, then lying to me about it," Lisa said, folding her arms on her chest. “You lied to me, Tristan, and one thing I hate is being lied to.”
“But I didn’t lie to you,” Tristan protested.
“Really? Then how do you explain this?” Lisa picked up her phone and scrolled to the picture Fay had sent her.
“Wait, that’s a picture of Heather and I. Did you have me followed?”
"No, I just have friends who care about me. Fay was in the restaurant with a client, and she saw you," Lisa said, throwing her phone on her desk. “Thank God she did, or I would have been one big fool.”
“Look, I can explain that day,” Tristan pleaded.
“You don’t have to explain anything. You made your choice. After all the vile things she said to me at your place, you still met her for lunch. You aren’t over her, Tristan, and I’m not going to be your shoulder to cry on when she leaves you again.”
“Lisa, please. I can explain it all,” Tristan said, going to the side of her desk.
“Please get out,” Lisa said sternly. “I was always worried that she would come back and want you. I tried to convince myself that you were sincere with me that you enjoyed being with me. Guess I was wrong.”
"Lisa, please … ”
“Tristan, please go before I call security and have you escorted out," Lisa said, looking away from him and reaching for her phone.
Realizing that Lisa wouldn’t listen to reason, he turned and opened the door. Before he left, he looked back at her and smiled sadly. “I hope one day you will let me explain. It’s not what you think,” he said as he walked out the door, leaving Lisa sitting at her desk, feeling like her heart and just been ripped int two.
✽✽✽
“Hey, Sammy. Is Lucas home?” Tristan asked when Sammy opened the door.
"Hey, Tristan. No, he took the kids out to the park to give me a break. He shouldn’t be long though,” Sammy said, opening the door. “Come on in.”
“I don’t want to disturb you,” Tristan said, walking through the door. "I just needed some brotherly advice."
“Not disturbing me at all. I just made a fresh pot of coffee. Want a cup?”
“Yeah, sure. That would be nice,” Tristan said, following Sammy into the kitchen and sitting down.
“So, what’s up?”
“Everything. Why does love have to be so damn complicated.”
“Uh, oh. Trouble in paradise?”
“Heather came back,” Tristan said, glumly, stirring his coffee.
“Yikes! What did she want?”
“Well, she wanted to talk to me, but she came to the house when I was there with Lisa.”