Thank you for reading the installments of The Betrayal that I have posted here. I would really welcome any and all feedback from you, my readers, as I continue editing my manuscript.
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN - DANIEL
“Mmmmm,” I murmured having just been woken by the sweetest kiss.
As my eyes slowly opened I reached for Eli’s fingers and pulsed them.
“Hey,” she said cheerfully. “Feeling better?”
I tried focusing on her face, but needed my eyeglasses.
“Here,” Eli said. As though reading my mind, she carefully placed them on my face.
“Thanks, babe. Now I can see your beautiful face.”
Eli blushed, as I knew she would. I yawned. “I think I’m awake,” I told her.
“Good, ‘cause its time for you to shower and then dinner will be ready.”
“I can’t believe you’re cooking.”
“Well, believe it,” she laughed.
Running down the stairs, I inhaled the warm aroma of a well-cooked meal. Could the beef I detected possibly taste as delicious as it smelled? I shook my head. Doubtful. No matter what she said, Eli couldn’t cook. But the smell… mmmmm.
The lovely chef was outside, laying silverware on the table beside china I didn’t recognize. Eli had changed clothes too. She was now in a long, gauzy apricot-colored skirt with a belted white tank top that emphasized her tiny waist and narrow hips.
I headed toward the sliders to join Elizabeth on the patio. On my way through the living room, I noticed a painting taking up the entire wall behind the couch.
The seascape reminded me of the view from our bedroom window. A young couple and two children playing in the sand were its subjects. What a nice family. One day that might be us. Perhaps that was why Elizabeth had purchased the piece.
I caught up with Elizabeth as she completed setting the table. She flashed me a winning smile and I took her hands.
“Hey, babe,” I mumbled as I kissed her cheek. “Everything looks great.”
“Still tired?” she was surprised.
“Yeah,” I said while massaging my temple. “I’m fuzzy-headed.”
“But you slept for six hours.” I shrugged. “Hmm. Well honey, just have a seat. I’m getting the salads out.”
I obediently did as told while Elizabeth went to the outdoor kitchen and removed two plates from the refrigerator. Waiting for her to serve, I picked up my salad fork and mindlessly twirled it between my fingers.
Meanwhile, I examined the china. The large round charger plate was unfamiliar. White with a wide black band, it was modern and very attractive, but…
“Where did this come from” I asked Elizabeth as she set down the coordinating salad plates.
“Geary’s,” she answered. “They’re Kate Spade.”
“Nice,” I responded without enthusiasm.
What else was new here? It was as though I’d landed in a honeymoon cottage without being given notice. Kate Spade? Geary’s? Had Elizabeth signed up for the bridal registry too? The whole notion left me uncomfortable although I had instructed Eli to make the house our home when she moved in, and buying dishes made sense. Still, I was totally weirded out by the reality my words had spawned.
“Baby, everything was amazing,” I told Elizabeth as I carried the dinner plates to the kitchen sink. The Shrimp Louis salad dressing had had just the right tang. The beef tenderloin with its peppery crust was a perfect medium-rare pink.
“When did you learn to cook like this?” I asked, duly impressed.
Eli beamed with pride, and rightly so. When I’d left for Vancouver, the girl could slice and dice veggies and cook a few simple dishes, but not an entire gourmet meal like the one she had produced this evening.
“Flora gave me a few lessons, and I watched Food Network.”
“You learned all this from television?” I laughed.
Elizabeth laughed too, understanding the absurdity. “It gave me confidence and I learned some tips. Mostly, I discovered that I’m good at following recipes. Now Daniel, go back outside and sit down. I have desert to serve.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I saluted.
Moments later, Elizabeth appeared at the table carrying desert plates. I didn’t have to look. The enticing aroma, a blend of cinnamon and sweetness, announced the arrival of my favorite desert, Apple Crumble!
I grinned from ear-to-ear as Elizabeth placed the warm plates on the table. A small scoop of vanilla ice cream with a squirt of whipped cream on top of the crumble was beginning to melt. I hadn’t felt this good in weeks!
“I hope you like it,” Eli said eagerly as she sat down beside me.
“Well, yeah. It’s my favorite. Thanks, babe.”
Eli’s eyes were glued on me. She carefully watched as I lifted my fork and took the first bite. My eyes opened wide in delight. The sweet, the tang, the topping; yum! This was an orgasm on a plate.
“Amazing. It’s really fantatstic.”
“You’re not just saying that?” Eli asked, but she was giddy.
“Yeah. This is the best apple crumble I’ve ever had. Where’d you get it?”
Elizabeth was glowing. “Our kitchen, silly,” she answered. “I baked it.”
“Get out of here! This is great! Is there any more?”
“There’s a whole pan.” she joyously replied.
Eli had tried so hard to please me and she had more than exceeded expectations.
“Good. ‘Cause I want another slice.” Eli glowed, so proud. “Who would ever have imagined, my spoiled Hollywood princess can cook!”
Eli giggled. “Well we can’t eat every meal at The Café once we move out of the dorm, and all you can do is grill.”
Move out of the dorm? Elizabeth’s assumption left me flat. It wasn’t that I hadn’t expected it. It made perfect sense. We lived in our own home here. Why wouldn’t we do the same in New York?
This was the logical next step, I didn’t want. I couldn’t. Not until I came clean about Vanessa.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN - ELIZABETH
Today was our last day at home. Tomorrow Danny and I were flying back to Donnelly. Summer vacation was over, and not a moment too soon.
Never could I have imagined that I would be feeling this way; relieved to be leaving Malibu. The week I had waited all summer for had come and gone. Rather than being a time to cherish, it had nearly become a nightmare.
Almost from the start, Danny had not been himself. It wasn’t what he said; he used all the right words. And it wasn’t that Danny didn’t show me his love; he was more than passionate. But something wasn’t right.
It was subtle, in the way that only someone who knows you as intimately as your spouse does could discern. Danny seemed off. Even after his initial exhaustion had passed, Danny’s spark had not returned. He was lethargic.
Most telling was two evenings ago at Dodger Stadium, the last game we could attend before leaving Los Angeles. The easy Dodger victory over the Pirates should have elevated Danny to euphoria, but it didn’t.
For the first time in a lifetime spent with Danny, I found myself working at it. Our usual easy repartee felt clumsy. Whereas normally the smiles and laughter came naturally, I found myself making an effort.
I didn’t know what to do. Should I confront Danny or wait and see if it passed? The uncertainty of a confrontation frightened me, so I avoided one. Now I hoped returning to Donnelly would restore Danny. Perhaps my love wasn’t sufficient. Perhaps he needed his friends and the hard partying I dreaded.
I hoped that a return to the familiar routines of classwork, studying, and Donnelly social life, would bring back Danny. If not, I didn’t know.
For what was probably the first time ever in the history of Danny and I being Danny and I, we were dining with my mother tonight and I was glad that we were. If I could spirit Mom away from Dad and Ellen… I desperately needed to speak to Mom.
By evening’s end a tete a tete with Mom had not materialized. With Steve back in Vancouver for the week, Mom wasn’t leaving Ellen’s side, and this conversation had to be private.
Oh, well! While dining at my parents’ house, the old Danny seemed to have re-emerged. From the moment we arrived, Danny’s warm, easy-going smile had returned. He lavished me with the attention I craved, whether it was holding my hand, whispering in my ear, or subtlely touching me.
After dinner when we had all repaired to the patio to enjoy dessert, Danny had pulled me onto his lap and held me close, his strong arms affectionately wrapped around my waist. Our parents smiled, acknowledging their pleasure in seeing us so happy.
I returned home at the end of the evening with renewed hope that the crisis had passed.
Danny’s mood change was holding the next morning. Unfortunately our plane was leaving at ten so we couldn’t linger when the alarm clock signaled. But Danny slapped it off and pounced on me anyway.
Sapphire eyes twinkling with full strength had their desired effect. I melted. My heart galloped. Danny grinned and he pulled the sheet out of the way. Right as our lips crushed together, he entered me.
Conscious of the time, we couldn’t enjoy each other for long. Soon, Danny gave me one more kiss and removed the arm holding me pressed against him.
“Time to rise, sleepyhead.”
I groaned, unhappy. Then I playfully climbed on top of him, straddled his hips, and looked Danny straight in the eyes.
“I don’t want to leave,” I complained.
Danny kissed me as he brought himself up to sitting with me still on top. He swept my hair out of my face and placed his hands on my shoulders.
“What difference does it make?” Danny asked. Ferocity filled his eyes.
Huh? Was he nuts? “Danny, we just woke up in our own home. Tonight we’re going to sleep in a dorm room,” I cried.
I didn’t want to, I knew it was childish, but we’d had this discussion so may times, what did Danny still not get about my understanding my disappointment with our housing situation. And why wasn’t he equally as unhappy over it? I broke down sobbing, distraught.
Danny wrapped conforting arms around me.
“Shhh, shhhh, Eli. Don’t cry,” he said softly, trying to soothe me. “As long as we’re together, wherever we are is home.”
“It doesn’t bother you?”
“It does, but we’ll make do,” he answered tersely.
Now with only two hours left before the Gulfstream touched down, Danny was napping, his head resting in my lap. I mindlessly stroked his soft, thick hair while I sat on the sofa brooding, starring out the window at the endless blue sky.
Maybe Danny was right. Maybe as long as we were together the accommodations wouldn’t matter.
Who was I fooling? Of course it mattered. Last spring I might have been excited that being a sophomore meant having a single. As a freshman, the prospect of any room without roommates pleased me. Now, no longer. I was used to so much better.
Upon opening the door and entering my room, I broke down again. Sobs wracked my body. Danny ushered me over to the bed and sat me down on the bare mattress, holding me in his arms. I didn’t want to live here.
“It’s awful,” I cried. “Danny, how are we supposed to live like this?” I wanted a house! Or at least an apartment, and I wanted it now!
The dormroom was perhaps seven feet wide and possibly fifteen feet long. Upstairs, Danny had nearly an identical one. There wasn’t even a real closet; just a freestanding wardrobe. How would our clothes fit? In another century, these rooms had been designed not for the wealthy girls who attended Donnelly at the time, but for their servants. Servants didn’t require space for designer wardrobes!
“We’ll figure it out,” Danny responded, but I didn’t see how that was possible.
With Danny owning the larger bed, we were obviously sleeping upstairs. If I had to trek down here every morning to get dressed, ugh! This was no better than last year. My head slouched into my knees. I was totally depressed.
Danny massaged my shoulders. Usually that cured me. It didn’t now.
“You’re tired, babe. Let’s eat and you’ll feel better. Then we’ll unpack.”
Save for freshmen, the dining hall was empty and we enjoyed a quiet dinner together. Danny was right. I felt better physically, but my mood was just as pissy.
“We don’t have to do everthing tonight, Elizabeth. As long as the bed is made and we have clothes for the morning, we’ll be good.”
Sleep did not come easily. Danny’s full-sized bed felt foreign and small. I wasn’t used to dorm sounds; doors opening and closing, and rowdy voices oblivious to us trying to sleep. But Danny was sleeping peacefully. How could he?
I missed the sound of waves breaking and the salty ocean air. Only the strong arms wrapped around me felt familiar, but I wasn’t sure if they held me in affection or for safety, to keep me from falling off the bed and onto the floor.
Morning was worse, if that was even possible. Stepping out of the shower, we encountered two guys in shorts and tees shaving at the sinks. They were starring, gawking actually. Had they never seen a girl in a bathrobe before? Or were they envious of Danny, his sculpted chest and flat abs prominent as he wore a towel wrapped at his waist. Perhaps they were jealous because Danny was with a girl and they weren’t.
It was so awkward! And we couldn’t escape. Danny and I had our toiletries waiting at the two middle sinks, trapping us between the ones being used by the guys who continued staring. I didn’t want to brush my teeth in front of strangers.
Danny had lived on this same corridor last year. How did they not know us? Then it hit me; freshmen, more than 600 new students to discover that we were Miranda Jordan’s daughter and Steven Newman’s son. How many already knew we were at Donnelly but didn’t know us by sight?
More than six hundred new students whose trustworthyness we would have to decipher. Ugh! I hated this. Count me out! I had my group of friends. I didn’t want additional ones. It was too much work.
Danny must have had the same realization because he smiled at the guys and warmly asked,” You’re freshmen, right?”
“Yes. I’m Sam,” said the slender one with dark, curly hair.
“And I’m his roommate, Ian,” added the other whose short sandy hair was sticking up.
“Danny Newman, sophomore, and this is Elizabeth.”
“Hi,” I said uncomfortably, “I’m a sophomore too, and his roommate.”
“Yes, she is,” Danny smiled.
I relaxed. I didn’t want Sam and Ian thinking I was some girl Danny had picked up for the night.
“Sophomores,” Ian pondered. “Know where we can find a good party?”
I’d let Danny handle this one. “We only checked in last night. Don’t let your RA hear you asking me though,” Danny chuckled.
Maybe we should introduce Ian to Duncan, I thought sarcastically. As a freshman last year, Duncan Lebeau had established a reputation as the most notorious partier on campus. Much to my chagrin, Danny spent too many evenings with him at a campus housing enclave called the Village. My contempt for Duncan’s friends only intensified after Danny had a fling with one of their girls and we nearly broke up.
“Eli, it’s like you’re paralyzed, babe.”
Danny was right. After returning to our downstairs room after breakfast, I sat on the bed starring at the two suitcases I was never able to touch last night and a stack of cartons that had spent the summer in storage.
“I don’t know what to do. There isn’t enough room upstairs for everything.”
“You don’t have to decide today, Elizabeth. Let’s get your stuff unpacked and we’ll deal with that later.”
“Danny, it would be different if your room was on this hall. I can’t function with my bed upstairs and my clothes down here. How about if you hang your winter stuff in this room? Then you’ll have room upstairs for what I’m wearing now. When it gets cold, we’ll switch.”
“Eli, you’re obssessing. Start unpacking. If you want to keep stuff upstairs, do it gradually. Like last night. Where are your clothes from yesterday?”
“Upstairs. I hung my skirt in the closet and the rest is in the laundry bag.”
“And when it comes back from the laundry, it’ll go upstairs. See? Now please, let’s unpack.”
Soon all the clothing was put away, but my mood did not abate. Surrounded by cartons, I didn’t know what to do next. I didn’t want to do anything. I was numb.
“Let’s make up the bed,” Danny suggested.
“Why? We’re not sleeping down here.”
“This room is depressing, Elizabeth. If we make the bed, the linens will make it cheerful. Maybe then you’ll get out of this state.”
“It’s still depressing,” I moaned once my pink and white Kate Spade linens were neatly dressing the bed.
“Now let’s tackle these cartons,” Danny urged while ignoring my previous remarks.
“That’s okay. I wasn’t going to unpack them. I’m sure we’ll be moving soon, so why do it twice?”
Danny took me by my shoulders and leaned in to make eye contact.
“Eli, it could be a while. Classes are starting. When do we even have time to look for a place?”
“It’s not like we’re buying a house. Finding a rental shouldn’t be difficult.”
“Baby, maybe we should wait until second smester.”
“Are you kidding me?” Tears began to form, and I blinked hard.
“Our parents have paid for this semester. Moving now would waste their money.”
I couldn’t believe those words were coming from Danny’s mouth. Anyone else’s perhaps, but not Danny’s.
“Since when do you care about the cost of anything?” I blurted.
My world was caving in. I ran to the bed, burrowed my face in the pillows and sobbed. What was going on? Last week Danny had seemed off, but before we left Malibu he appeared to have returned to his usual self. Now he wasn’t interested in finding a place to live?
Instantly, Danny was at my side, brushing hair off my wet cheeks. “E, don’t cry.”
I lifted my tear-stained face and came eye-to-eye with him.
“Danny, is there something wrong between us that I don’t know about? Because we’ve been discussing this move for months.”
“No, babe. It’s just… I don’t know. As soon as we landed, I realized I missed my friends. It won’t be Donnelly without Cam and Shane living down the hall. Baby, we’re only sophomores. I’m not ready to live off-campus yet. I want the full college experience.”
“But what about us?” I cried, my voice rising. “Are you saying you only want to live with me when we’re in L.A? Cause we’re barely there, Danny!”
“That’s not it at all,” Danny answered defensively. “I love you, Eli. I’m just thinking that Donnelly is a difficult school to live off-campus at because everyone else lives on it. We’ll have no social life.”
“So where does this leave us?” I fretted.
Danny smiled impishly. “Inconvenienced,” he answered. “We’ll live upstairs but you’ll have to leave most of your stuff down here.”
“That’s not living together. That’s sleeping together,” I complained.
Danny smiled. “It’s living together, collegiate style.”
“I don’t like this,” I mumbled.
“I know you don’t, but you love me, so we’ll do it.”
“I want to go home!” I wailed.
Danny pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly.
“Babe, I know this is difficult,” he said soothingly. “You’ll see. Give it a couple of weeks and we’ll be used to it.”
Danny lifted my chin and kissed me. At first I forced myself not to respond, but my body wasn’t listening. I relaxed, gave in, and enjoyed the kiss.
“Feel better?”
“You think all you have to do is kiss me and I’ll get over it, but I won’t.”
“Liz, you’re killing my self-esteem here,” Danny said with mock dejection.
Then he tickled me and we both laughed, though I tried not to.
By mid-afternoon, we had completed unpacking the cartons and setting up my room. The predicament was still depressing, but the room no longer was.
While I waited for Danny, who had gone upstairs for a few things, I uploaded photos I had taken in Malibu last week. The perfect view from our bedroom balcony of the sun setting over the beaking waves cheered me. A few quick keystrokes and…
“What are you doing, babe?” Danny had let himself back in.
“Making a poster,” I answered. “Want one?”
“Move over. Let me see.”
I relinquished my chair to Danny and sat cross-legged on the bed while watching him scroll through the photos on my laptop.
“This is the one I want, but only a 5x7. It’s going on my desk.”
I glanced at the screen. The photo was of me! Taken on the patio, I was relaxed and content, seated on a lounge, wearing Danny’s grey cashmere pullover and a bathing suit. My knees were pulled up and I was laughing, green eyes mischievously flashing, because Danny had been making funny faces. Even I had to admit, it was a great shot.
“That way even when you’re not home I can see your beautiful smile.” As an afterthought Danny added, “And a wallet sized one too. You’ll always be with me.”
We may be living in a dorm for now, but knowing that Danny wanted me with him always, even when classes and activities would keep us apart was more than adequate compensation. I smiled. Could it be the real Danny was finally back?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN - DANIEL
“Leaving? Shane asked as we ran into him in the parking lot.
“Man, it’s great to see you,” I joyously greeted Shane.
We embraced like brothers who hadn’t see each other in years. Had it only been three and a half months? It seemed like forever.
Shane was unloading two large suitcases on to a luggage trolley and his car was still packed with cartons and clothes on hangers. Cam was also returning today. I looked forward to hanging with the guys this evening.
“Elizabeth!” When we broke apart he saw her beside me.
“Shane!” Eli squealed. “I missed you!” She jumped into his arms for a hug.
“You’re still with this guy? I was sure you’d come to your senses by now.”
“I know, right? I’m a masochist,” Elizabeth laughed.
“Cam will be disappointed,” Shane teased. Eli smiled at this reference to Cam’s short-lived crush on her early last year. I grimaced.
“Where are you going?” Shane finally asked.
“Running errands.”
“Eli’s having a difficult time adjusting to dorm life so we’re picking up some posters we had made from photos we took at the beach.”
“Shane, it’s awful here,” Elizabeth protested. “These freshmen in the bathroom were gawking at us this morning.”
“And there was no spa tub! Poor, you!” Shane laughed good-naturedly.
Eli rolled her eyes, not amused.
“Of course they were gawking. They’re freshmen,” I laughed. “The prettiest girl they’ve ever seen is standing before them dripping wet in a bathrobe. That doesn’t happen in high school.”
Shane nearly doubled over laughing. I couldn’t stop laughing either. What was funnier, Eli’s naivity or Shane’s hysteria?
Elizabeth glared. She didn’t get it. Eli didn’t understand the power of her beauty and I was glad.
“How was your summer, Shane?” I finally choked out as my laughter subsided.
“A lot of hard work,” Shane stammered as he tried to stop his own laughter. “My parents still like their beach house so they won’t give it to me like yours did. It may have been the Hamptons, but it was still living with Mom and Dad.”
“That sucks for you,” I said.
“Tell me about it,” Shane continued. “I’m surrounded all days by babes in bikinis and I have nowhere to bring them at night.”
“Poor thing,” I laughed.
“It’s not funny, Newman. What I wouldn’t give for your set-up.”
A couple of hours later we retuned to my room to continue unpacking.
After a break for a surprisingly good nap, I woke with the realization that this was not what I needed. Despite Elizabeth, still deep in sleep, lying next to me with a lovely smile playing on her lips, I did not want to be here.
I felt trapped, afraid to move for fear of waking her. Elizabeth would want, no she would expect, that we would make love and I didn’t want to. I had no desire.
What was wrong with me? A stunningly beautiful woman who I happened to love, a girl who turned heads wherever she went, was lying naked next to me and I had no interest.
Visions of Vanessa, the black clad demon, consumed me. My stomach sank. The nightmare was haunting me though I was awake. Flashbacks of our last evening together were particularly powerful and the pain was unbearable. My breathing became shallow. Guilt overwhelmed me.“Get out! I shouted nt my brain.
I closed my eyes and tightly squeezed them together, an attempt at blocking out the disturbing memories. That only made it worse. Without Eli in my line of sight, Vanessa’s threatening presence was even more vivid.
Immediately I opened my eyes and concentrated on Eli, trying to replace the evil vision with one of beauty and goodness.
It didn’t work. I had to get out of here! One more night and I feared I would have an actual breakdown. How I longed to hang out with Shane and Cam. And Duncan should also be back by now. Freshman Ian wasn’t the only one wanting to party
When Eli woke I would lay down the law. If she didn’t like it, I didn’t care. After a summer spent under Dad’s watchful eyes, what I wanted more than anything was a night with the guys. I desparately needed to get wasted.
There! Decision made! I felt infinitely better, my attitude adjusted. Time to wake Eli. My desire had returned.