The Space In Between(58)

No. I couldn’t dance anymore. I couldn’t move any longer. The shocked look on my face made Rachel realize I hadn’t had any idea about her and Derrick. I thought Cooper had been lying, being spiteful in the moment of our argument. No way…
I looked to Steve for conformation. His eyes told me Rachel wasn’t lying. I needed air. No. Not my Derrick. Derrick never would have done something like that. We were committed to one another. We had our promises we made to each other. Til death do us part…
I couldn’t dance anymore. I stopped moving and the whole room began to spin. My eyes locked with Cooper’s. He stepped towards me and I put up my hand to stop him. I couldn’t do this. I was breaking. I was shattering. Memories started flooding back into my mind as the dreadful truth settled in.
My eyes widened with excitement. I loved when he wrote songs about me. I bit my bottom lip and looked up to my baby. “He loves me, huh?”
Steve cleared his throat and nodded, chugging his drink. “The best way he knows how.”
The best way he knows how? Stop…I was going to be sick. Everything was hitting me at full speed and I couldn’t bring it to a standstill. My heart was trying to escape from my chest, pounding for a way out, begging for an escape route to make the hurt stop. I could hear Derrick’s voice echoing through my head.
“What if I’m not enough for you? What if I end up f*cking all of this up? Screwing us up?”
Sweat was painting my face; I could feel everyone’s eyes. I could hear their thoughts. Poor lonely Andrea. Her dead fiancé cheated on her. How could she be so blind? What did it even mean?
How was I supposed to process this? I had to leave. Forcing my feet to relocate, I rushed out of the room, trying to get away. Ladasha began to follow after me and I shouted for her to leave me alone. I wanted everyone to leave me alone.



Chapter Thirty-Eight

I WATCHED HER storm out. When Ladasha came back from chasing her, my heart cringed as I heard Mrs. Rivers mumble that if it weren’t for that black girl, Andrea wouldn’t be such a mess. Ms. Jacobson joined in. “I bet she’s a stripper and prostitute, too. I’m sure she dragged Andrea into it.”
“What did you say?” Eric’s eyes widened as he walked over to the women. Ladasha looked worried.
“Eric, don’t,” she said softly, not wanting to start trouble.
“No, what did you two just say?” He was angry. With good reason. What those two were saying was out of line.
“So she is a stripper, isn’t she?” Betty asked her son. She looked so disappointed. Crushed.
“Yeah, Okay, Mom? She’s a stripper. But so what? Big deal. She's also a brilliant classical dancer. She has an insane knowledge of movies and she also has feelings. Okay? Is everyone happy?” No one said a word. Michelle looked towards Eric with confusion in her eyes, but he didn’t notice. He kept talking. “And so what if Ladasha does something a little different for her night job? I mean, haven't we all made mistakes in our lives? Haven't our kites all been torn before?
“The truth is, Ladasha can do anything she sets her mind to. She's a beautiful woman who I am falling in love with.” As those words came out, the whole room gasped. Even Eric gasped after he said them, as if it were the first time he’d realized his feelings. He turned towards Michelle, who had tears in her eyes as Bobby wrapped an arm around her. “Michelle, I’m so sorry. It’s just…”
I had a feeling Michelle was going to be okay with what happened. I was almost positive that if she was ever going to announce the secret relationship that I was pretty sure was happening with Bobby, right now would be the best time. Hell, everyone else was telling their secrets tonight. She might as well join in. “I’m a lesbian.”
Oh. I hadn’t seen that coming.
“I’m sorry, what?” A shocked Eric swallowed hard as he looked at not-so-much-his-fiancée.
“Bobby has been trying to get me to talk to you and tell you…and I was going to before Thanksgiving but you proposed and…” She looked over to her parents and Eric’s parents. “Everyone was there and happy, and after what happened with Derrick…it seemed like everyone could use some good news.”
Eric laughed. “You’re a lesbian?”
Ladasha giggled out loud. “Oh my gosh! That explains all of the touchy-feely hugging!” Her hands covered her mouth. “Oh wait. So when you said you would kill for my curves…you actually meant you wanted my curves…?”
Michelle blushed. “I’m sorry. It’s just that…You’re so sexy and funny and…”
“…Off the market.” Eric chuckled defensively.
It was clear the night was over. I walked towards the back of the house to head to the coach house and pack my stuff. There was nothing left for me in good ol’ Wisconsin and it was time for me to get back to my world.
“Are you leaving, Cooper?” I followed the sound of the voice as I walked past a study. Looking inside, I saw Walter sitting there, working on building a ship in a bottle. I paused, turned towards him, and stood in the doorway.
“Mr. Evans. Yeah, I’m on my way out.”
“Have a seat, son.”
I obeyed.
“As a father, you worry. You start to wonder what’s going on when you call to the restaurants your daughter says she’s working at out in New York, and they say they never heard of her. But you patiently wait, hoping she will come to you when she sees fit. And then...” He leaned forward against the desk, and clasped his hands together. “And then you show up, Mr. Davidson. And I see a light in her I hadn’t seen in a long time. You’re making her better.”