Electric Impulse

chapter 40 | suspicions

"I would never cheat on you. You're too good to me. You don't deserve that."

"You cheated on Kim."

"What? You know she cheated first. That was different. This is not that!" He looks exasperated. "Look, it seems like this is still bothering you. I don't know what I can do. I'll just leave, give you some time."

His phone rings. I see the name, Nora.

"And who the fuck is Nora? I keep seeing her name on your phone." Dormant rage begins to make itself known.

"I'm not arguing with you! You can do this by yourself." He quickly puts on his clothes. "You know, I saw that text from your boy, Troy, on the plane. Did you two ever hook up like he was asking?"

"Oh, so is that why you disappeared for almost two weeks?" I know I'm further aggravating the situation, but I can't seem to pull back.

"See, I wouldn't have even brought it up. I respect your privacy. You had a life before me and I have one before you."

"Have one? Have one before me?"

"This too much." He shakes his head and grabs his keys.

"You know what, I was out of line. I'm sorry. I'm just —"

"I gotta go."

"In the middle of the night like this? You're gonna leave me, right now? Please don't go."

"Ari, when I told you I'm falling in love with you, you had nothing to say." He shakes his head as he zips his fly. "You're killing me. I can't live like this! I need to be clearheaded. This is too disruptive." He walks out the door and slams it shut.

My heart is ripped right out.

Who is Nora?

Is this my fault?

Did Troy just ruin your relationship?

Why haven't I told him I'm head over heels in love with him?

Because you're afraid.

I can't lose him now.

I'm nervous and shaky. I can't believe this has happened. Immediately I get dressed, grab my keys and jump in my BMW.

____________________

I remember the neighborhood he told me he lived in. It's directly across the street from the corporation where I interned, Davidson & Blackwell. I'll just drive in that neighborhood and look for that all-black Range Rover.

I turn the radio on. The slow seductive beat of Mali Music's "Contradiction" featuring Jhene Aiko fills the cabin of the car. It reminds me that even if he ends it, I'll be OK but in all honesty, I don't want it to be over. I want to get to the bottom of this.

The neighborhood Phoenix lives in is out of a Hollywood movie. Elegant. Pristine. It's the neighborhood newlyweds point to when they're dreaming of the perfect place to start their lives together. The lawns are flawlessly manicured with trees and bushes that look like sculptures, and landscaped flower beds that belong in home and garden magazines. The massive homes, trimmed in white with brick accents and three-car garages, are a testament to the wealth of the homeowners living blissfully behind their walls. Homes like these give bragging rights to the husband that plays golf faithfully every Saturday morning with his well-to-do friends. They're the reason his cookie-cutter, Stepford wife, will volunteer to host the next discussion for her book club. A house in this neighborhood is likely home to the captain of the football team who stays up late talking to his latest girlfriend and it's a haven to the cheerleader squad captain and class president who spends her free time on school projects in hopes of earning her millionth A+.

Life is swell here. Just peachy.

I'm jealous. Phoenix never brought me here. Am I not good enough to be seen with him out here?

I drive down each street, looking for that all-black Range Rover. The street lights are sparse out in these parts, so I drive slowly. I don't want to miss anything.

God, please let me find him and let me find out who this Nora girl is.

I'm creeping myself out, peering into each home to see if I can spot his face. Looking in every driveway to see if I can find his truck.

This is pathetic! It's ridiculous. Go back home! This has gone too far, Aria. Go back!

I decide to listen to that voice and turn back but just as I'm turning my car around, Bingo! I spot his truck, parked in the driveway of a magnificent home. Modern sandstone with brick accents. Award-winning landscaping. A huge garage, bigger than any of the other homes. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a basketball court and an elaborate pool in the backyard. His home is surrounded by beauty. In the center of the subdivision, there's a lovely duck pond with a wooden walk-over bridge, a botanical garden and a gazebo and across the street are modern condos with a shared parking lot. The condo community is highlighted by oversized art sculptures and parking lot entry ways that are boldly accented with an enormous boulder on each side.

Incredible! He lives here? But he only spends time at my place?

As I'm rolling past his house, I see two shadows behind blinds, in what looks to be a bedroom. Blood surges through my veins.

What the fuck is going on here? Who is that? Could this be what he was doing the whole time he was away?

I make it to the end of his block then turn around, so I can drive past once again to get a better look.

Just so people don't think you're stalking anyone, go into the condo parking lot across the street and have a look from there.

I roll slowly through the parking lot, peering out of the driver's window, looking through each window of his house. A passenger sitting in my car would think I had X-ray vision, as hard as I was concentrating. This time I only see one shadow. One shadow equals one person. There's only one person in his house.

Is my mind playing tricks on me? Relief sinks in, as I continue to stare at his stunning home.

This is one for the magazines for sure. Sebastian and his family have nothing on Phoenix. It's funny how much stock people put into what they accumulate. Some, like that Bastard Sebastian, have far less, but let the little money they have go to their heads. And others like my wonderful man, Phoenix, have much more and are more humane, more loving and more kind for having it. He's one of the good ones.

Shame on me! I need to go home. My pulse slows down, and I start feeling like myself again.

As I'm slowly rolling through the condo parking lot, with his house to the left of me, I glance out the driver's window once more to get a final glimpse of Phoenix's home. To my horror, instead of pressing on the brake pedal and slowing down, my foot slips onto the gas pedal. Before I know what's happening, the car accelerates forward, then jerks to an abrupt stop. I take my foot off the pedal. I'm sitting on a steep incline. I turn my attention back to the wheel and press the gas. The engine revs loudly, but the car doesn't move. It sits in place at an impossible angle. It's as if the car is aiming to lift off and drive up into the sky.

What the fuck?

____________________

A/N: Hey Lovers! We're at the end of chapter 40. Do you think Aria has gone too far? What's the deal with her car??? Please Vote, Comment and Follow! I appreciate it!