Haunted(8)

“Well…he’s new, met him a couple of days ago,” she said with a bit of pride in her voice.

“Please, Eve, tell me, how is she. The truth,” I begged. I knew girls had a code like guys, but this was a different situation.

“Officially, she is doing well.”

Okay, that meant that was what she was officially supposed to tell me.

“Unofficially?” I beseeched.

“She’s not good.”

“Fuck!” I hung my head. “Is it Andrew being at large?”

“No, we told her, but I really don’t think she has given it another thought.”

“Maybe it was because he was the only one who didn’t try something with her, you know. He was kind of indifferent, except for the time he hit her, but that didn’t bother her too bad considering.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“What else, Eve?”

“She is adjusting to her meds again. Dealing with all that happened and…”

“And?”

“Well…shit! I swear Roman if you rat me out, I will find you and light you on fire, you understand?”

Shit, I thought Phoebe was the one to fear. “What?”

“She misses you terribly.”

“How is that possible? She–she broke up with me. Why would she be missing me?” I wanted to believe what Eve said with every fiber of my soul. Could it be possible that we had a chance?

“Okay, don’t take this the wrong way, yeah? Beth told me that you never had a real girlfriend, right? You only had these celebrity trysts, right?”

“Right.”

“Why didn’t you fight for her?” she asked me.

“What do you mean?”

“You just left. Took her at her word.”

Wasn’t that what I was supposed to do? When I told someone it was over, it was over. “Eve, you weren’t there. She was so convincing. She said I reminded her of Jason. How could I stay if I did?”

“She was lying, Roman. She was just trying to protect you by letting you go. She believes you would be happier being free and touring. She thinks you would be staying with her because you just feel sorry and bad for her. She loves you, but Beth is not selfish. She won’t keep you from your dream.”

“Beth is my dream. I can’t breathe without her.”

“You need to show her that because she is not going to believe words. She believes action. She always has.”

I knew that on some level.

“Roman, try to see it from her shoes. What if you were the regular guy going through a divorce with a regular job and she was a glamorous actress. Wouldn’t you find it hard to believe she would want you?”

“I see your point, but she should know me better than that. We love each other. We fell in love in that f*cking basement.”

“Maybe you need to remind her of that. Not the basement, but the reason she fell in love with you.”

Beth always told me she didn’t believe I would want her after the kidnapping, so it was now my sole purpose to convince her.

“Got it. Hey, Eve…thanks.”

“I hope you two work out. I really think you love each other. Be a shame to see it thrown away.”

***

I stood in front of Berg’s door, trying to decide whether to bother him or not. I had all these feelings and I wanted to talk them out. See if they made sense to Berg…hell, to me. All of this was so new.

To hell with it.

I went ahead and knocked on Berg’s door. I was nervous and antsy. The door unlocked, opened, and there standing in sweatpants stood my best friend. Berg was about my height with brown hair. He was a good-looking guy, but his personality was what really shone. To be honest, he was the only person I really trusted, besides Beth. His brown eyes searched my face. He already knew I’d come here to talk.

“Roman?”

“Hey, I know it’s late. Are you alone?”

“Uh…yeah I am. Want to come in?”

“No, let’s go to the hotel bar.”

“Are they still open?”

“Yeah.”

“Guess you would know lately, huh?”

“Yup…drinker, I have become.”

Berg put on a T-shirt and a ball cap.

“Dude? Why have you been talking like Yoda lately?”

“I have no idea.”

***

After I explained all the events that happened to Beth and me in that basement, I looked at my watch and realized two hours had passed.

“So that’s everything,” I said.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I knew the basics, but the rapes…” Berg looked hurt.

“I don’t know. It was personal. I never felt this before—this kind of intimacy.”

“Yeah, I know, bub.” Berg patted my back.

“After talking with Eve…what if I have a chance to get her back?”

“Is that what you want? A girlfriend? Hell, a wife? Are you ready for that?”

“Shit, Berg, I’m forty-one. Being in that basement with Beth was the happiest I have been in years. Well…aside from the shitty stuff. But her…”

“So you love her?”

“Yes, without a doubt. Those six days when she was in Jason’s room…words fail me. I would have done anything to take her place, to take the pain away.”