Buried (Bailey Roberts Trilogy #1) Editing

03B: Dream On [3rd draft]

When she got to the third floor she stopped next to the tan colored door that was in the position of being the balcony area. She reached forward and twisted the knob.

Either Gale knew Bailey well, or Gale had gotten every room a pillow top bed...the exact same one she'd been asking for that past year. It was perfectly made, directly in the middle of the room, with a green, red, and brown floral comforter on top. That dark tan carpet that had been in the living room downstairs seemed to be everywhere; in the entrance, on the stairs, even in her room. The walls were a soft lime green with brown trimmings and matching leaf stencils scattered across each section. A matching vanity had been pushed against the wall to the far right, right next to another door.

Intrigued, she walked forward and opened it. "I have my own bathroom!" She gasped in awe. "Maybe I can get used to this."

When she heard the knocking on her door she almost couldn't bear to tear herself away from the lovely sight before her.

"Bailey, I want you to speak to your father."

Gale had pushed open the door, holding the phone up. At first Bailey wanted to fight, but she saw the determination on her mothers face and knew it would be a losing battle. Bailey glanced around Gale to see Matt standing behind her, bouncing back and forth, waiting for his turn to get to speak to Derrick.

"Is he on the phone now?"

Gale shook his head. "No, you have to call him. I want you to speak with him before Mattie hogs the phone."

"Why? Why is this so important to you?" Bailey asked, trying to remain calm. "I don't need to talk to him. I don't need him at all."

"That is exactly why you need to speak with him," Gale spoke softly and jiggled the phone at her, coaxing her to take it.

Bailey swallowed and dialed his number. She hadn't really expected him to answer so quickly. "Hey," she mumbled.

"Bailey? Oh Angel, I've missed—"

Her stomach rolled at the sound of his voice and she felt her chest burn with grief.

"Here's Mattie," Bailey jerked the phone away from her ear and went to toss it towards him, but Gale intervened.

"A conversation, Bailey, not just a hello, we'll leave you alone. Ten minutes at least," she added, tapping her wrist watch.

"Fine." Bailey gritted her teeth together. "I'm being forced to talk to you."

He sniffled into the phone. "It's so good to hear your voice," he whispered.

He may have been happy to hear her voice, but his made her want to vomit. So she told him that exactly.

"Bailey, please don't say that." His spoke in a hushed tone. His voice wasn't exactly quivering and he wasn't sobbing, but Bailey could hear the pain in his voice.

Bailey reached forward and slammed her door shut. She couldn't, no she wouldn't, let Gale hear this. "You think you're in pain now?" She started her threat, but he chose that moment to interrupt her.

"Gale just took you both. I didn't even know..." he paused and inhaled before letting it out. "I miss you and Mattie... your mom." The last part was whispered so tenderly, with such heartbreak that Bailey saw red.

She gritted her teeth and growled angrily into the phone wanting to get right to the point. "You didn't miss us too much when you were banging your secretary. And how many times have you screwed that bimbo since we've been gone? I'm sure you haven't missed us that much. She was the reason we never saw you those two weeks right? That lie about it being an investment? God, you must've really thought we were stupid." Bailey growled into the receiver, the contempt evident in her voice. Her body tense as she gripped the phone to her ear. "Mom won't say these things, but I will. How could you do that to her? How could you do that to Mattie and me?" It was on the last part that her voice cracked. "Why couldn't you love us enough to not do that?"

"Bailey, it had nothing to do with how much I love you or Mattie. I love you both so much I can barely breathe without you. These past four weeks, well I don't know how I did it."

"Really? 'Cause I know how you did it for the first two weeks."

"Bails." He tried to sound stern, but he couldn't conceal the whimper that escaped.

"You won't get any sympathy from me. We were a family and you've ruined everything." She paused and nodded to herself before adding the thought that had been plaguing her, "Do you love her?"

"Who?"

"Bethany, your 'too young for you' skanky secretary!"

She heard him sigh heavily before answering. "No, not even a little bit. It was mistake, a stupid mistake that just got out of hand. Everything was perfect, with your mom, with you guys. I had everything, but I guess it was just a little too perfect."

"Sucks to be you," she said sarcastically. "What about Mom? Do you still love her?"

This time when she heard him take a breath it quivered. "Yes, I'm still in love with your mother."

"This is what you do to someone you love? Wow. Awesome. Wonder what you do to someone you hate."

"I'm not perfect. I'm sorry for what I've done and I know I'll be paying for it, but please, Bails, try not to hate me too much."

"Why?" Bailey asked. "And why can't you answer any of my questions honestly?"

"I wish I could, but I don't even know the answers. It was perfect, everything. I just—I was just..." He stopped.

"You were bored." Bailey finished for him.

"Yes."

"Well, now I'm bored with you." She didn't want to speak to him ever again. Shouting and screaming was too good for him. He would only get one more word from her. "Goodbye." That whisper felt like a sharp knife stabbing her heart. She hated that she loved him so much.

"I love you, Bailey," he said with a tremor in his voice.

She hung up before she could respond. Opening her bedroom door, she placed the phone in the hallway, and then quietly shut it again. She plopped onto the bed, not even caring about the extent and trouble her mother had gone to get Mrs. Stone to make it look perfect. She didn't have enough in her to care at the moment. Her heart was broken and her head hurt.

One thing was for sure though, parents were so messed up.