“Why are you doing this to me?” I cried in my hand. “I flew all the way down there. I went to the restaurant that they told me to go to!” I started to hyperventilate.
“It’s over! I saw it! I saw it with my own eyes! I saw him lean over the table to kiss her and watched as he shoved his tongue in her mouth! Right there in a public restaurant! Just like Thomas. Just like a fucking coward. He’s a liar! All those rumors of him cheating on me with that whore were true. Why are you doing this to me?” I cried again.
“Because you’re wrong and I can prove it,” Marie sighed. “Come on… put a shirt on.”
She led me by the hand to my computer, where my friends proceeded to circle around me so I couldn’t escape.
“You need to see these.” Marie opened an email from Ryan. “Is this what you saw?” she questioned as she opened the files attached.
The first picture was the same view of what I saw in that restaurant window. There was Ryan and Lauren sitting at a table, visible from the street.
It was like reliving the nightmare all over again, seeing Ryan kissing Lauren. The searing pain made me look away.
“What time did you go to this restaurant, Taryn?” Marie asked.
“Why? What difference does it make? Didn’t the cheating bastard want me to see this?”
Marie asked the same question again, emphasizing each of her words.
“I don’t remember. Four, four-thirty?” The tears were streaming down my cheeks. Tammy was rubbing my shoulders tenderly.
“Why did you even go here?” Marie pointed to the screen. “The plan was for you to go from his hotel to Key Biscayne.”
A moment of total surprise slipped into my sadness.
“Key Biscayne?” I questioned her comment. “What are you talking about?”
“Nevermind,” Marie quickly dismissed.
“Wait, how do you know where I was going when I didn’t even know?” I asked.
Marie ignored my question and tapped her fingernail back on the image of the restaurant window.
“How did you know Ryan was here?” she asked a second time.
“Someone called my cell and told me that I needed to come quickly and see what was going on with my own eyes.”
“Who called you?” Marie’s head whipped around to look at me.
“I don’t know - some guy. He said I needed to know the truth.”
Marie gave Pete a dreadful look. “Did he give you a name? What did he say exactly?” She pressed anxiously for answers.
“He didn’t give a name. He said he was a reporter or something. He told me where Ryan was – even gave me the address. I had a cab drive me there.”
“Shit, Pete! Ryan needs to know this!” Marie flashed her eyes back to me. “Taryn, where did you think Ryan was?”
“I thought he was going to be at the hotel.” I wiped my eyes. “He was only scheduled to film until two o’clock. I tried calling him but his voicemail picked up. I went into the bedroom to unpack and I found a love note from Lauren to Ryan.”
Marie bowed her head in disgust.
“I know. Ryan found the letter on the sidewalk by the cab stand,” she muttered.
“He was planning on leaving me,” I sputtered. Tears streamed down my cheeks again from the pain of his betrayal.
“No, he wasn’t!” Marie insisted loudly. “I don’t get it, Pete.” Marie groaned, questioning him with her eyes. “Taryn, I asked Ryan point blank if he ever cheated on you and he said no, absolutely not,” she stated firmly.
I scoffed. “And you believed him?”
“Well, there are other things. I can’t say - I promised. Yes, I believe him.”
“You’re right! You don’t get it! None of you get it!” I shouted, angry that my friends were siding with him.
“I saw them having dinner together! I read her little love letter encouraging him to break up with me. I found the whore’s panties on his bedroom floor. I saw him touch her and kiss her with my own eyes! That’s it, it’s over! She can have him!” My throat strained from screaming. I had no fight left in me. “Turns out I wasn’t enough after all.”
Tammy wrapped me in her arms, gently trying to shush me while I became more and more hysterical. I was shaking all over.
“Taryn, come on! You have to admit this doesn’t sound right. I mean how would some reporter find out your cell phone number?” Pete asked.
“What does it matter?” I sobbed into Tammy’s shoulder. “Feel free to go down there and break his face.”
“No way! Not knowing what we know. I agree with Marie. Ryan wouldn’t lie about this - not now. Somebody set you up… but who?” Pete pondered.
I glared at him. “Yeah, sure. There’s some big conspiracy going on.” I wiped my eyes. “What else could it possibly be?” I said sarcastically. I didn’t understand why my friends were so gullible.
“Taryn, look at this picture. Is this what you saw?” Marie pointed to my computer screen.
“Are those the pictures he sent to cover his tracks? They could have been taken on any number of days.”
“Turn around and answer my question! Is this what you saw?” Marie showed me another picture.
“Similar,” I murmured. All the pictures she showed me were taken from inside the restaurant. Why are there pictures of this quality from inside the restaurant?
“No, this is exactly what you saw. Do you see that?” Marie pointed to a long, thin block at the bottom of each picture. “Ryan said all of these are date/time stamped as they film it.”
The date and time matched when I was there. My birth date was on all of them. My pulse quickened from the shock.
“What’s that?” Marie pointed to something gray at the top of the picture. It was hard to discern what it was.
“I don’t know,” I whispered out.
“How about in this picture? Don’t look at him kissing her.” Marie covered them with her hand. “What is that?” She pointed again to something gray at the top of the picture. The elongated oval shape was more pronounced.
I gasped.
Marie turned to look up at me. “Do you see it now?” She smiled.
It was crystal clear what the gray thing was now… it was the microphone boom.
Ryan was on location filming, and the date and time stamps proved it.
“No, but why?” My vision became blurry and the room started to spin. “She left note… I read… wha? Not stupposed be filmin.”
A high-pitched tone started ringing in both of my ears and I couldn’t feel my legs. That’s when the room tilted sideways… and disappeared.
“Taryn?” I heard the familiar voices urgently calling my name. Something cool and wet was touching my face. Something annoying was smacking my cheek.
“Hey there! Welcome back.” Pete smiled, dabbing my face with a cold washrag.
“What?” I tried to sit up. “What happened?” The room was still spinning slightly.
“You blacked out. You’re okay. Here, can you drink this?” Pete held the cup to my mouth.
“Ugh! That tastes awful!” I picked a small chunk of something grainy off of my tongue.
“Tammy crushed some vitamins into a cup of water. We need to get some nourishment into you,” he gently spoke. “It’s either this or we’re going to take you to the emergency room.”
I reached for the cup. “I don’t want to go to the hospital,” I muttered. “Reporters…”
The next hour was spent quietly getting me to eat and drink, and most importantly – to stay calm.
Parts of my trip to Florida flashed through my thoughts, but I couldn’t remember all the details for some reason. Perhaps my last fragments of self-preservation and survival suppressed the memories deep in my subconscious to protect me from having a complete mental breakdown?
I remembered crying on an airplane. I remembered Kyle helping me into a car.
“I can’t do this anymore,” I whispered, staring blankly at my bowl of spaghetti. Tammy was sitting in front of me on
the ottoman. She patted my leg.
“You need to eat some more, Taryn.” Tammy nudged me. “Marie will get to the bottom of it.”
I couldn’t eat. Marie was filling Ryan in on my current state of mental collapse.
“Stop it, Ryan! She is not sneaking around with Kyle behind your back!” Marie groaned angrily. “Because you didn’t see the state she was in when we found her, that’s how I’m sure!
“Ryan, what part of we had to kick your bedroom door in to get to her is unclear to you? We almost called for an ambulance – she was that bad! Believe me, Taryn is far from happy and in love with some other guy right now. Yes, she knows I’m talking to you. I’m looking right at her.”
I scoffed. Of course this would get turned around on me! My supposed infidelity with Kyle gave him an excuse.
“Ryan! Listen to me! Taryn said she found the note in your suite, and then right after that someone called her on her cell. This mystery caller guy is the one who told her where you were! He led her to believe you were cheating on her. I mean, how else would Taryn be able to find you when you were out on location?”
I watched Marie pace the floor while she talked to him.
“No, Taryn said he never gave a name. He told her that they were taking pictures of you, so I guess he was paparazzi?”
She moved the phone away from her ear. I could hear Ryan shouting.
“Ryan! Calm down, all right? Think. Who else has her number?” Marie asked.
She looked at me. “Taryn, do you remember if there was a name or number on your cell?”
“No, there wasn’t,” I whispered.
“Where is your phone?” She grasped the air. “Get it for me.”
I regretted my foolishness, but there was nothing I could do to change it.
“It’s on a highway in Florida,” I admitted.
Tammy rolled her eyes at me.
“Ryan, I’m telling you, she didn’t know you were still filming! Well, did you tell her that your schedule changed?” Marie yelled back at him.
“He said the morning shoot got pushed back because Lauren was feeling sick but later she felt better so they were behind schedule when they filmed the restaurant scene,” she whispered to me. “He didn’t get a chance to call because you were already on the plane and he was on location.”
“I guess he was in such a hurry to see her that he forgot to throw her love note away?” I muttered, thoroughly disgusted with the lies. “Ask him how long he’s been fucking her.”
Marie gave me a dirty look and covered her phone with her hand so Ryan wouldn’t hear me.
“Let him cover his tracks,” I said scornfully. “Go ahead and believe him because I sure don’t.”
Marie groaned. “Ryan, she hasn’t been answering your calls because apparently she no longer has a cell phone.
“Quit yelling in my ear!” she yelled back at him. “Stop it, Ryan! You love Taryn and Taryn loves you. She’s a mess; you’re a mess. You both need to chill out!
“Ryan, listen to the facts! Does any of this sound logical to either one of you?”
Marie spent another twenty minutes trying to calm him down. Eventually, she snapped her phone shut. “He’s going to call back.”
While she talked, my mind collapsed from the strain.
“When he calls back, tell him he can come and get his shit out of my apartment, because I’m done with all of this. I’m done with the lies, and the rumors, and the photographs, and having my boyfriend shove his tongue in some other girl’s mouth when he thinks I’m not looking. It’s over,” my voice cracked. The familiar pain rippled through my chest again.
“Just calm down. Nothing is over. You’re overreacting,” Marie patronized me.
“Get out,” I seethed. “Just get out and take the rest of the Ryan Fan Club with you.” I stormed past her, wishing my bedroom door wasn’t broken so I could slam it shut.
“Tar, don’t be like this.” Marie followed me.
“I don’t get it, Marie! I thought you were my best friend? Aren’t you supposed to be on my side? Or are you so blinded by worshiping mister actor man that you believe him?” I yelled at her. “Call him back. I’m sure he’ll fuck you too.”
Marie gritted her teeth and before I could react, she slapped me across the face.
My hand covered the sting she left on my cheek. She smacked me hard enough that my eyes started to water. Tears formed right after that. Everyone I loved in this world had just betrayed me.
“Get a grip already, damn it!” Marie screamed at me.
“I told you that if you ever screwed this relationship up I would kick your ass myself. And here you are, royally screwing up the best thing that has ever happened to you! Ryan loves you, you idiot! He’s not screwing Lauren!”
Marie started to pace my bedroom floor. Tammy was trying to hold me as I sobbed on my bed.
“Pete! I’m gonna…!” Marie stated emphatically, losing her patience.
“No, Marie, don’t!” Pete lunged forward. “Last resort…”
Marie held her breath for a moment before turning her glare back to me.
“If you want a future with that man then you need stop thinking this way - immediately! Do you think that Ryan Christensen, the man who has been insanely in love with you since the first day he met you, would do that to you? Do you honestly think he would put you on a plane, fly you first class to stay in a luxury suite so he could accidentally let you see some bogus love note and break up with you?”
She gaped at me, waiting for my response. I had none.
“What was waiting for you in his hotel room?” Marie asked angrily.
“Marie!” Tammy cautioned.
Marie waved her off. “Taryn!”
“Nothing.” I sniffed. “Heartache and devastation… and some skanky ho’s panties.”
Marie groaned. “No, Taryn. I’m talking about the dresses.”
“Oh, yeah… the rest of Lauren’s clothing,” I muttered. “A whole rack of her glamorous things. More evidence of her staying in his room.”
“Taryn!” Tammy scolded. “All those gowns were for you!”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t think so. Wait, how do you know about the dresses?”
“Versace, Vera Wang, Jimmy Choo… sound familiar?” Marie asked. “Please tell me you at least looked at the dresses!”
“I did. I thought I was in the wrong room; I mean why would Ryan have evening gowns on a rack?” I asked.
“They were for you!” Marie insisted. “Ryan arranged to have a variety of dresses there - he wanted you to have your pick of what you would wear to dinner.”
I looked at Marie, surprised that she knew all these details and shocked that the dresses were for me.
“And why do you suppose Ryan would want to dress you up in an expensive dress and Jimmy Choos? So he could leave you for Lauren?” Marie shook her head. “He made a ton of arrangements…”
“Marie!” Tammy and Pete both yelled at the same time.
Marie gave them both a reproachful look and continued. “To take you on a private, romantic dinner on Biscayne Bay for your birthday,” she finished.
I felt my heart lodge into my throat.
Marie crouched down in front of me. “All of us want to see you happy, not miserable and broken like this. Ryan is so in love with you!” She smiled. “Don’t give up on him.”
“Tar, pull your end over a bit more,” Tammy asked, fixing the clean bed sheet on my bed. “Marie, we need one more pillow case.”
Pete had gathered overnight bags together and everyone was staying with me. My friends weren’t about to leave me alone.
“We could always play cards,” Pete suggested. He looked hopeful.
“That’s up to Taryn,” Tammy answered.
I crawled onto my bed and pulled the quilt up over my shoulder. “Not tonight,” I muttered.
Marie had her pajamas on already even though it was only nine thirty. She hopped onto Ryan’s side of the bed and turned on his bed lamp.
“I’m sorry for slapping you.” She snuggled behind me, patting my back.
“You really hit me hard,” I whispered.
“I didn’t mean to.” Marie sounded remorseful. “You were getting irrational. I hope you forgive me. I promise I’ll never do it again.”
“That’s what you said when we were fifteen and you told Adam Caldwell that I wanted to kiss him.”
Marie chuckled lightly. “Well you did!”
“Yeah, but the entire baseball team didn’t need to hear you,” I groaned.
We both laughed.
“Ryan never called back,” I said sadly.
“Give him time,” she whispered. “He is just as upset as you are. He is trying to figure out who did all of this and film a movie at the same time. He’s crushed right now too.”
Marie sighed and fluffed the pillow up under her head. “Someone sure went out of their way to try and break you two up, that’s for sure.”
“I should have never opened that envelope on his bed,” I sighed. “I thought it was a hotel bill or something at first. Maybe if I wouldn’t have seen it…” I took a deep breath. “Ah, who am I trying to kid? Nothing changes the fact that Lauren wrote the note.”
“Tar, Lauren didn’t write that note. Ryan confronted her about it. He said Lauren’s handwriting didn’t even come close to what was on that paper. Even Mike was there to verify it.”
I tried to remember what Lauren’s handwriting looked like. I had seen it once on the card that I found in the front of Ryan’s suitcase, on the day that Ryan told me he wanted to stay with me in the apartment.
“So the note was bogus and Ryan was really filming?” I asked. My chest was starting to feel tight again.
“Wait, back up,” Marie said quickly. “Where was the note again?”
“When I went to the bedroom, the bellboy had parked my suitcase at the foot of the bed. The note was on top of his bed by my suitcase.”
“It was on the bed?” Marie asked. Her eyes were all scrunched together as she questioned me.
“Yes.” I motioned my answer. “And the panties were on the floor, right next to my suitcase.”