Fuck, did Chancellor make the memory stick? Was he trying to help Wendy Woo?
“What happened to Peachy Sue, Meredith?” I ask.
Her eyes snap to mine. “I didn’t see anything,” she blurts out in a rush.
“I know you didn’t,” I reply calmly.
She begins to shake her head. “Act calm and nothing happens to you,” she says.
I frown as I watch her. “Who told you to act calm?”
She stands suddenly. “We need to go home now.”
“Why?”
“I’m tired, very tired. I need to go to bed.” She begins to get agitated.
“It’s okay,” I tell her as I stand, too. “We can go home now.”
She puts her head down and rushes to my car. She’s fidgeting with her hands in front of her, clearly rattled as soon as I mentioned Peachy Sue. Fuck, I need to get more information from her. She knows what happened to Sue, I’ll bet my life on it.
We drive back to her apartment as I try to think of a plan. I can’t ask her outright or she freaks out. The only way I am going to get more information from her is if I spend more time with her.
Fuck’s sake.
We pull up outside her apartment. “Do you want to have ice-cream tomorrow?” I ask.
She thinks for a moment. “Can’t we go dancing instead?”
I wince. “Sure.” I fake a smile. “I might get the guys to come, too. Is that all right?”
She smiles broadly. “Can Callie come, too?”
Fuck, it gets worse. I don’t want to hang out with Tully’s friends like a fucking loser.
“No, Callie can’t come.”
Her face falls. “Oh, okay then.”
“I’ll call you?”
“Do you have my phone number?” She frowns.
“Actually, no. What is it?” I already have all of her details, but I can’t tell her that.
Tully
I lie on the small sofa in Simon’s hospital room. It’s been three weeks since I lost my love. Twenty-one days since Brock left, and I haven’t heard from his since. I know I won’t. He’s too proud to ever contact me or take me back.
Every night I cry myself to sleep. Every day I just about make it through without falling apart. Why did this happen? Why did it have to be Simon? Why do bad things happen to good people? Simon didn’t deserve this sickness.
Brock didn’t deserve this.
I’m a bad person. No matter what I was going to do, someone was going to be hurt. It couldn’t be the man who is already sick.
I just want to know if Brock’s okay. I can’t bear the thought that I’ve hurt him. I called Callie and Meredith, as they’ve both seen him when he interviewed them over Peachy Sue’s death. They said he’s normal, that he seems fine.
I, however, am not.
I feel like I’m being punished for leaving Simon. It’s as if God wants me to know how much a broken heart hurts.
A punishment for my crime.
I’m carrying on as normal on the outside, but inside I’m dying a little every day without Brock in my life. I’m suffocating in grief. I don’t feel like a whole person anymore. It’s like the shell of me is here with Simon… but my heart left with Brock. Now it’s smashed into pieces and buried in the depths of Hell.
I swipe the tear away quickly before it leaves my eye. I’m trying so hard to put a brave face on for Simon but it’s getting harder, not easier.
I’ve sacrificed my own happiness for someone else’s, someone who is fighting just to stay alive.
I did what I had to do.
Simon is a good man. The best. I’m the one who’s fucked in the head.
“It looks like we can transfer you back to Sydney early next week.” The doctor smiles as he closes his folder.
I sit up quickly. “That’s great.”
“I’ll make the arrangements and we can get the ball rolling.”
I walk over and sit on the bed next to Si, taking his hand in mine. “See, it’s all working out.” I smile. “Australia, here we come.”
The nurse takes Simon’s vitals and writes in her chart. “Everything looks great.” She smiles.
The last three weeks have been a blur.
Hope for Simon has been followed by sadness for Brock.
I honestly don’t know whether I’m coming or going anymore.
Simon was transported back to Sydney last night. The flight was long and filled with worry. But we made it and, hopefully, some sense of normality will return to our lives soon.
I go back to work on Monday. I drove past the gym last night on my way home from the hospital, and when I saw Brock’s car parked there I burst into tears and cried for two hours.
I’m so sad, working on autopilot.
When Brock left me in London, he took a piece of me with him.
Simon and I had the talk last week. He asked me if we could get back together and I had to be honest and tell him the truth.
It’s not like that for us anymore, even though I love him so much. It’s just a different love now. A family kind of love, not a romantic kind of love. He was down for a few days, but I think it would have been much worse if I had lied to him about my feelings.
I care about him way too much to ever lie to him. Simon’s parents have gone home for some much-needed respite. I’m going to stay another hour or so, and then I will head home, too. I haven’t seen my friends or anything yet. Last night I was too tired and emotional to be good company.
There’s a knock at the door, and I look over to see an attractive blonde girl.
“Hi.” She smiles nervously from the doorway.
“Hi.” I smile back.
Simons face falls. “Penny?” he gasps.
Her face lights up. “Hi, Simon.” She looks nervously between us. “I… I.’ She pauses for a moment. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
“Not at all, please come in,” I say.
Her eyes meet Simon’s, and they both smile softly. I glance between them. The chemistry is palpable.
Oh my God, is this…?
“Tully, this is Penny,” Simon says with reverence.
Simon told me that the girl he was seeing while we were apart was called Penny.
“Penny,” I gasp. Unable to help it, I grab her in an embrace. “Simon told me all about you.”
Her face falls and her eyes flicker to Simon. “He did?”
I smile and take her hand in mine, and she swallows nervously.
“I was wondering if I could talk to the both of you?” she asks.
“Of course.” I smile.
Simon frowns and looks uncomfortable with Penny and I being here together.
“I know you two are back together and everything-” she whispers.
“We’re not back together,” I interrupt.
She looks at Simon, pausing, as if nervous. “I’m pregnant.”
Simon and I stare at her.
“The baby’s yours, Simon.”
My eyes are wide as I stare at her in total shock.
Simon’s face falls. “What?” He glances at me nervously “But we didn’t…” His voice trails off.
“I know, but I haven’t had sex with anyone else in two years. The condom must have broken or something,” she says quietly. “I didn’t come here to stress you out or bother you. I came because I feel you should know.”
Simon stares at her, unable to speak. He is so shocked.
A smile crosses my face. “Of course.” I look between the two of them. “I’ll leave you both alone.”
Simon becomes panicked. “T-Tully, where… where are you going?” he stammers.
I smile. “Home, Si. I’ll be back tomorrow.” I take Penny’s hand in mine. “You stay here.” Unable to help it I wrap my arms around her. “Congratulations, this is wonderful news,” I whisper into her hair. I turn to Simon and kiss his forehead. “A baby, Simon,” I whisper with glee. “This is so amazing. Congratulations.” I take both of their hands in mine. “You are going to be a wonderful father, Si.” I smile through tears, and I turn, leaving them alone to talk about their future together. I walk out into the corridor and I swipe my tears away as carefully as I can.
I don’t know why I’m crying.
I’m happy. I… I… I just don’t know how I feel about this.
I’m so shocked.
This is the absolute last thing I ever expected to hear. It doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing, though, does it?
God, wait until Simon’s parents find out. A baby out of wedlock. I wish I could be there when he tells them.
I make the trip to my car, and with every step I get closer to it, a little bit more excitement fills me.
Simon has something to live for, something that isn’t me, and I could feel that he and Penny have a connection.