Absolutely Unforgivable(82)

I turned to face Billy, unsure if I really heard him say what I thought he did. Billy looked down to the ground and said “I found out last night.”

I turned towards Jeromy, who said, “You never gave me a chance to explain.”

I turned towards Mindy and she just shrugged. Bran and Zander were just looking at the ground, trying to avoid eye contact.

My heart was beating fast. My head was spinning. I was having a hard time catching my breath. I couldn’t understand any of this. I could hear Jeromy talking to me but still I couldn’t get what Billy said out of my head. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

I only found out last night, and everyone was rushing around this morning trying to get ready for the show. I just didn’t think it was the right time. I didn’t want you to freak out before we went live on the air.

“I can’t believe you Billy. How could you?”

“It wasn’t like that Stacy. I’m sorry. I should have told you as soon as I found out. I made a bad judgment call.”

My whole world was crashing down around me. I had a hard time thinking straight. I just wanted to get away and go somewhere I could be alone to think and sort it out.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see my car. I ran and jumped inside, quickly locking the doors behind me. Vin wasn’t too far behind me and positioned his massive body in front of my car blocking my departure. I was angry and I wasn’t going to let him or anyone else stop me from leaving. I rolled the window down. “Get out of my way, Vincent, or I will run over you. I’m not joking.”

Billy said, “Let her go, man. Let her go.”

As Vin moved out of my way, I spun out of the driveway and drove around aimlessly until my car got low on gas. I looked around trying to find a gas station, truly having no idea where I had gone. Nothing around me looked remotely familiar. After filling my car up with a new tank of gas, I pulled out my phone. I thought for a moment about where I wanted to go. I knew I didn’t want to go home. And then it hit me. I knew exactly where I wanted to be.

Thanks to the map feature of my phone, I found my way to where I wanted to go, which was only about a forty minute drive. I really had gone much further than I realized. When I pulled up in her driveway and stepped out of my car, Debbie was standing at the door and met me with a huge smile on her face.

“Well, aren’t you adorable?” I looked down realizing for the first time I still had my fancy dress on from the show. “I watched you on TV this morning. You lit up the stage. Why aren’t you out celebrating with your friends?”

I didn’t say anything as I walked towards her. When I got to the door she put her arm around my shoulder and we went inside. A few steps in I dropped my knees and the tears began streaming down my face.

“Now, now. It’s can’t be all that bad.”

I tried to speak a few times but I was crying so hard Debbie couldn’t understand a single word I said. She sat down on the floor beside me, with her arm around me, rocking me back and forth, just letting me get it all out.

“Those boys sure did a number on you, didn’t they? I have a right mind to bend them over my knee and spank their little behinds for what they have done to you.”

She was so loving, her tiny little frail arms so supportive and warm as she gently rocked me back and forth while I cried. Still, I couldn’t help but let out a little laugh at what she was saying.

“Now that’s what I like to see. You have such a pretty face. You should never have anything but a smile on it.” She pulled some tissues out of her pocket and started to wipe my tears away and clean up some of the makeup that was now streaked down my face.

“Those boys. I just don’t know what I’m going to do with them sometimes.”

Jeromy walked in and looked down at us sitting on the floor. I looked up at him with my swollen and bloodshot eyes.

Debbie stood up, brushing off her pants leg. “Well now, I better get on those dishes that have been piling up in the kitchen. I suppose you two have some serious talking to do.”

She walked off into the kitchen and Jeromy pulled me up to my feet. I fell into his arms and buried my face in his chest as he chastised me for running off. “Stacy, what were you thinking? You can’t take off like that. Do you know how worried everyone has been about you? I don’t know what I’m going to do with you sometimes.”

He put his arms around me and hugged me tightly, lifting my feet off of the floor just slightly. “I’m so glad you are okay.”