Fool Me Once...

Part 17

"What's the matter?" Karen asked Stevie, who'd just dialed the same number for the third time in the past hour.

"Ryan isn't answering my calls." Stevie frowned, hanging up the phone once again. "I've been trying to reach him since yesterday."

"You had plans?"

"No, I'm just beginning to worry. If he's away, he calls me to check on me all the time." 

"I could take you over to his place if that will calm you down." Karen suggested, closing her planner. 

"Please." Stevie nodded her head, already on her way out of the kitchen to put on her shoes. 

Karen stopped at the right light and glanced at her boss, who was clearly nervous. "I'm sure he's just fine."

"It's unlike him." Stevie said, looking out the window, fidgeting with a bracelet on her wrist.

Soon enough, Karen pulled into Ryan's driveway. His car was there, he had to be there too. Stevie asked her assistant to wait outside and if she was going to stay, she'd let her know. Fishing for the key in her purse, Stevie slid it into the lock and turned it, opening the door. She was met by Ryan, descending the stairs.

"Stevie!" His eyes grew wide. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you'd be happier to see me." She frowned at his half naked appearance, only wearing his jeans. 

"I am, of course I am." He faked a smile, ushering her to the living room. 

"I've been calling you nonstop since last night. You haven't picked up the phone once." Stevie said, wasting no time. "I was worried."

"I'm sorry." Ryan apologized. He was going to hug and kiss her, but he reminded himself that wasn't such a good idea. "As you can see I'm okay. I went out with a couple of friends last night, got back late. I figured you'd be asleep, so I didn't call."

"Well, you should have." She wasn't at all happy with him at the moment. "What's going on, Ryan? You asked more from me, I told you we should move in together. It's been a week and none of your things are at my house yet. Have you changed your mind?"

"No! No, baby, I haven't." He insisted, shaking his head. "I've just been-"

"Busy, yeah. I know." He'd been telling her that a lot.

"I really am sorry. Let me make it up to you. I've got some stuff to finish, then I'll come over to pick you up and we can go to dinner or wherever else you want." Ryan smiled, looking her in the eyes as if asking to say, yes. "What do you say?"

"No." Stevie said. "You don't need to make it up to me. I simply got a bit paranoid, it's fine." Stevie waved it off, smiling back at him. "Actually, there's a reason why I wanted to reach you so badly."

"Oh yeah? And what is it?" Ryan leaned against the back of the couch, folding his arms over his bare chest. 

"I've been trying to come up with a way to tell you this for a few weeks now. I, uh... God, I should just say it." She was nervous. Excited, but extremely nervous. "I know we didn't plan or expect this to happen, but-"

"Ryan, where'd you go?" 

All color drained from Stevie's face at the sound of Amanda's voice. She looked at Ryan, who was ready to speak up, then she turned around to see the other woman standing in the doorway, just a bed sheet wrapped around her to cover her up. 

"Oh, I didn't know you had company." Amanda smirked, her eyes locked with Stevie's. "I will leave you to alone." She grinned and went back upstairs. 

"Stevie, let me explain." Ryan stood up, placing his hands on Stevie's shoulders, keeping her from running away. 

"The stuff you had to finish, was it her?" Stevie asked, her big brown eyes brimming with tears. "How could you..." She blinked and the tears spilled. "You know what I went through with Mick and you do the exact same thing to me?" 

Ryan wished she was angry, but he could tell she was just heartbroken. "I can't lie and claim it didn't happen, but Stevie, believe me when I say that I'm so sorry. I love you-"

"No, you don't!" She shook his hands off her shoulders. "You wouldn't have had sex with her if you did."

"I didn't mean for it to happen, I swear!" Ryan grasped her hand. "It only happened once, please, believe me."

"Why would I believe anything you say?" Stevie crossed her arms over her chest, standing a large step away from him. "You didn't mean for it to happen? Then how did she end up in your bed? Why did you just let her go back to your bedroom?"

"Amanda called me about two weeks ago. She said, she needed some legal advice and she didn't know who else to turn to, so she asked for my help."

Stevie laughed a humorless laugh, cocking her head back. She hated to be crying in front of him right now. "Of course she did and because you're such a good person, you helped her. You helped her get back into your bed!"

"It only happened once!" Ryan said, laying his hand over his heart. "That's the truth. We met last night for dinner, we had a few drinks, one thing led to another and-"

"You shouldn't have been having dinner with that woman!" Stevie yelled. "You were supposed to be at home with me!"

"I know, I know! I made a huge mistake, I fucked up badly!" Trying to get close to her, he brought his hands up to her face, but Stevie stepped back. "I wasn't thinking clearly and she's such a good manipulator-"

"That doesn't excuse what you did." Stevie shook her head, cutting him off. "I really believed we had a good chance..."

"What do you mean, had?" Ryan's eyebrows creased, he swallowed uneasily. 

"I'm not going to repeat my own mistake and trust a cheater again. What is it they say, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me?"  

"Don't say that, please. I'm sorry!" He repeated again. "Stevie, I am truly so sorry." Tears in his own eyes, Ryan begged.

Stevie held up a hand, shaking her head. "I don't want to hear another word." She turned to leave, but Ryan stopped her again.

"What were you going to say, before Amanda came down?" Biting the inside of his cheek, Ryan tried to stop himself from crying.

Stevie remained quiet for a minute, her back facing Ryan. He saw her shoulders starting to shake, her head hanging low as she brought a hand up to wipe away her tears. She slowly turned around, her eyes now red. 

"I was going to say that I'm pregnant."

Ryan felt a sudden stabbing pain in his heart. He couldn't believe himself. He allowed Amanda to lure him into bed and for what? He was honest, saying it didn't mean anything, because it didn't. He hadn't had any romantic feelings for that woman for a long time. And he did sincerely love Stevie and to find out she was pregnant? He possibly lost the woman he loved and their child just because he couldn't say no.

"I know I'm old, I know this wasn't supposed to happen, but it did. I was so nervous to tell you, because I didn't know if you'd be happy about it or not. It's my last chance to become a mother again and I decided right away I was going to keep the baby. When you said you wanted more from me, I could have told you then and you probably wouldn't have cheated on me. In a sick, twisted way I'm glad I didn't, because now I know what kind of a person you truly are." 

Amanda was of course eavesdropping, standing at the top of the stairs, hiding behind a wall. She heard what Stevie had just told Ryan, even she felt horrible. Having redressed, Amanda appeared and took slow steps down. 

"It really wasn't Ryan's fault." Amanda said, facing Stevie. "I did meet up with him, with a plan in mind, but I didn't know how serious you two were."

Stevie shrugged, not looking at either of the two. "It doesn't matter anymore." She said and left, not caring to wait for anything else Amanda or Ryan had to say.