Someone Hiding in the Shadows...

83 - Photographic Evidence (Part Two)

"But Emily, she's in hospital." I said to her exasperated.

"But Athina, he visits her in the hospital," she said pointedly.

"He's stopped visiting her," I said, "Jarod told me so."

"I don't think he's telling you the whole truth, I followed him once," said Emily, as she rummaged into her handbag and took out her mobile phone and started meddling with it, "here, I took this picture of them."

Emily, passed me her mobile phone, and it was clear to see Jarod kissing Theodora through a window, but as the picture was blurred, it was difficult to see if the kiss was a peck on the check or something more.

"It's not a very clear picture. Although it appears they are affectionate and I assume it must be recent." I said, still harboring one last hope he would not have lied over that too, "but it's still your say so, over proof Emily."

Irritated, Emily meddled on her phone and then handed it again to me, highlighting the date of the picture of Jarod and Theodora together, which was since we had become intimate!

It was as if someone had kicked me in the stomach, twice in one day. Yet I still needed to see him actually kissing Theodora.

"I know this won't make sense Emily, but I love him. I might not trust him but I need I need to be proved wrong. I cannot cope with accepting this and the tablets in one day. It's too much! I'm sorry. I can't." As I cried with the enormity of the situation.

I felt Emily put her arms around me and draw me close, to comfort me.

"Hush now, it's all okay, Athina. I promise. Look, we will sort something out. The only way you will feel able to sort your head out is if you can see them and then you will know what the truth is and decide what is the best thing for you to do. Let's take it a step at a time." I nodded reluctantly in agreement.

"Right," said Emily, changing the tone of her voice, "we need to get your stuff sorted, if you're too long it will seem suspicious. I have an idea. What if you say I am a relative of Tony's and I'm going to rent your flat. That way you have a reason to have my number in your phone and a reason to call me. Delete your messages immediately if you have to send any. Better to just ring me if you can. Maybe, you come over once a week to get stuff and you could say you are checking your post maybe?"

I felt my head agreeing automatically but I felt drained and empty of words as I gathered my things together.

"Let's talk when we can. What if you come over next week, we can talk longer and get a proper plan of action together?"

"It will never ever happen?" I said sadly.

"What will never happen?" asked Emily.

"I won't be getting married and living the fairy tale will I?" I said to Emily.

"Before I saw you today, would that have happen and be honest?"

I shook my head in the negative "I know, I've been kidding myself that everything would work out right, but that's why I didn't tell him about the flat development. Something told me to keep that secret. Just so I had a back up plan."

"Its okay, Athina, you are not on your own now. I'm here for you. You can get through this. Let's both think it through and talk next week." said Emily as she placed her hand on my shoulder for support, "For now let's get your things sorted."

My head shook sadly in agreement, as we gathered the items I needed and requested a cab. I handed Emily my spare set of keys, as she she came to say goodbye. Just before the door closed on the car, she hesitated.

"Athina, please don't ring me from the flat. Make your calls outside. Maybe I'm being over cautious but better that way."

I nodded, as I pulled the door shut. What a crazy life I was living, I thought as I drove away. I have just handed the keys to my flat to someone I don't know very well. If you told anybody else you had done that, they would ask you if you had lost your mind. Maybe I had. Only time would tell. Yet I felt she was probably the only true friend I had.

Then again, that seemed to pale into insignificance, when you considered everything else that was going on.  

Edit 2.6  Jan 2017

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