Twisted Knot

A chance meeting

"I come here when I'm sad," I said. "I was visited her, my fiancé."

"I see," she said. She was still holding the book and a small bouquet.

"Beth, are you alright?" I asked her. She nodded and tred to smile.

"It's always hard coming here," she said. "Amy was a still born. I never got to see her with her eyes open. But I remember feeling her kick, hearing her heartbeat..."

"I didn't know," I said.

"Hey," she said, clearly wanting to move on. "Stefan is in rehab. I know things are weird right now, for all of us, but he could use you. He needs his friend, even if he won't say it. But he's trying, and I think this will be a fresh start for him."

"So he told you everything," I said. "And you're going to start over, even though your husbands cheats and blackmails you..."

"I shouldn't have told you that," she whispered. "He threatened me once, years ago, in anger. I could leave without reprecussions."

"Right," I said. "I think you need someone who is honest, Elizabeth. How do you know you can trust Stefan?"

"How do I know I can trust you?" she shouted. She paused, trying to keep her calm.

"Did you know Paul," she asked. "Did you know that Stefan was an alcoholic? Did you know he cheated when he went on benders?" I nodded.

"So why didn't you tell me," she demanded. "You told me everything else."

"Because I know you," I said. "I wanted you to hate him. And I knew when you learned he had a problem you'd be so intent on fixing him,you'd be more than willing to sacrifice your own happiness."

"How do you know I'm sacrificing it," she cried. "Did you ever consider that ,despite our issues, Stefan makes me happy? Maybe I really love him!"

"I know you do," I said. "That scares the shit out of me. For the first time in years, I feel Something again. It's because of you."

"Mayeb that's why Stefan didn't tell you who I was," she said. "Maybe he knew you needed to love me, to move on so you'd see you could. Maybe he isn't the shitty guy you think he is."

"Maybe," I said. "But it doesn't matter. Clearly you've chosen him, and I'll respect that."

"This isnt easy," she replied. "I know if I actually allowed myself, I'd fall in love with you Paul..."

"I think you already did," I whispered. We just stared for a while and I knew in my heart it was a goodbye moment.

"Beth," I said. "When you're ready, I will be your friend. We just can't be alone anymore, not after last night. Maybe in a couple months, after I start dating again, who knows. Maybe we could all hold handstand sing kumbaye..."

"Maybe," she said. "I am not going to disappear. But right now my husband is sick, and I need to be there for him. You should too, you know."

"I said some nasty shit to him today, Beth." she laughed and I felt my stomach clenched, that smile, that laugh. It was the one I'd fallen in love with over so many lunches.

"You know, you forgot to leave the flowers," isaid, pointing to her small bouquet. She shook her head.

"No, these are from Stefan," she said. "He asks me to leave them on this grave for a friend of his. I never knew her, but he said she deserves to be remember. He name is Cecelia Walker; did you know her." My heart could have stopped right there.

Stefan brought flowers to my dead fiance's grave for years. I'd always wondered where the red roses came from, and I never thought... He had honored her, because it meant something to me. I had resented him for his behavior, and hed been honoring Cece. I hadn't even known his daughter died.

And I'd tried to bang his wife. I was going to hell, it was official.

"Paul, are you alright? You're running your hands in your hair and you look like you are going to cry..."

"I'm fine," I said. "it's just...Cecelia was my fiancé."

"I understand," she said. "Stefan, he can't talk to anyone for three days. But if there was a voicemail on his phone when he ges it back, it'd probably mean a lot." she walked up to me, kissed me on the cheek, and walked away. I pulled out my phone and dialed.

"Stefan, man, it's Davis," I said. "I just saw your wife, and don't worry, she did nothing but reject me. I just wanted to say I'm sorry, and I'm proud of you. If you want to talk, I'm here man...I just, I wanted to say thank you for Cece's flowers. That's all..." I hung up before I said something foolish and turned around. I saw Elizabeth placing flowers on the grave and I knew somehow I would be alright.

((feel free to comment!!! Who do you love,or hate, and why? If you comment, I might even dedicate my next chapter to you! Thanks readers!))