The betrayal

"I finished reading that book that you suggested," Sienna said to Ricky, "You were right, I loved it."

"I told you that you would. I know you by now," then he stood up and went to the kitchen table, "I have another one for you. So much like the one you just read. You'll love it."

She took the book, and started to glance through it. "Thank you, I can't wait to read it," she said to him. She looked up at him, and for some reason it suddenly felt wrong. She did have a boyfriend, but he was just her friend. He was her boyfriends best friend, after all. So she had never felt odd for talking to Ricky, in fact Dan, her boyfriend, had always said that made him very happy that they were friends.

Feeling odd being there, she said, "Well I should be getting home. Make sure that Bec didn't burn the house down or anything."

As she turned to put her shoes on, he asked, "Has it gotten any better?"

"No," she answered, "I don't know what else to do. I don't want to leave her alone, but I can't take much more of this. I can't watch her spiral anymore."

"Try talking to her one more time. She's your sister, after all. I know it's hard to live together with her acting like this, but she's your sister. You have to try everything before you leave. Once you leave, then that will be it, right?"

She looked at him, knowing he was right as usual, "Fine," she agreed, "But I'm telling you that if she doesn't one more thing to me, I'm leaving."

He nodded, and smiled at her. He put his hands on her shoulders, and for a moment they just stood there looking at each other. Then he leaned in and kissed her. If she was being honest, she kissed him back. But she realized what was happening, and pushed him away.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that," he said right away.

She just said, "It's okay." Her head was spinning as she tried to get her thoughts together.

Then suddenly he said, "No, I'm not sorry," she looked at him shocked, "I know Dan is my friend, we've been friends forever. But I've also seen how he treats you, and you deserve better. I've felt like this for a long time. I've held it in because of Dan. But I love you."

She looked at him, and without thinking just said, "I love you too."

He went to her and hugged her. They were going to kiss again, but Dan stopped them, and said, "We can't."

"You're right, I need to break up with Dan," she said, and then saw him smile, "You didn't think that would be my reaction?"

He laughed, and said, "I hoped, but I wasn't sure. I want to be with you, forever. No matter what happens."

"I'll call him when I get home, and I'll call you when I'm done," she said to him. She kissed him on the cheek and left quickly before he could say anything. As she walked home, she couldn't help but to smile. She felt at peace, and happy. She knew that Ricky was the one that she was meant to be with. But as she walked up the stairs, she felt guilty for what she knew she was doing to Dan, how she was going to hurt him.

She walked in, and suddenly knew that something was going on. She knew that it wasn't going to be good, and she wasn't going to like it. The lights were off, but she could see from the light coming through the windows from the parking lot below. She walked slowly through the house. Drinks and food everywhere.

"Bec," she called as she walked through the apartment. The doors were all open. As she walked into the doorway of Bec's bedroom, she saw them. There in bed together, was Dan and Bec. She started to walk backwards in shock, as they got up and called her name. She stood there, eyes closed, trying to process what was happening. 'Just breath, deep breaths' she said to herself, as she could feel her heart beat rising.

"I'm sorry, it's not what it looks like," Dan said to her, by this time they both had clothes on.

She looked at him shocked, did he serious just said that. "You can't be serious," she said in response, "it looks like you were doing my sister."

He clearly was thinking about it, trying to find a good response. "Don't," she yelled at him.

"Oh come on, you don't even love him," Bec said from the door frame, so casually. Like Bec was irriated with her.

"I don't even see how that matters, or how that is the point. You are my sister. The one that I should be able to trust," she spoke as she went closer to Bec and was trying not to cry, "What have I done to you for you to do this to me? He's my boyfriend, and you sleep with him?"

"You don't even love me, I just annoy you. You never cared about me. The perfect daughter, you got what you deserve."

She looked at Bec's face, trying to see any trace of emotion and caring. But honestly she couldn't see anything in there. She could smell the alcohol on her though, and knew that they weren't going to get anywhere that night. Even if they had the conversation the next day, Sienna knew her response won't change. She was officially done. So she went and picked up her purse.

She turned to her and said, "If that's how you feel, I'm leaving. I'll move out, and you won't ever hear from me again. I'll be back for the rest of my stuff another day."

Sienna started to leave, and Dan yelled, "Wait, I'll drive you."

She turned to him, and just felt anger, so she said, "You can't think that we are still together. We are so done, you will never even see me again. You are a shady man, frankly, you two deserve each other."

Before either of them could say anything, she turned and left. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she knew the resolute. She knew that she was done with both of them. He didn't hurt her as much, she was breaking up with him after all. It was Bec that really hurt her. As she was walking, she started thinking. What now? Where was she going to go? Really, she hadn't really thought about it. As she started thinking, Ricky was calling her. She picked up the phone, but then couldn't say anything.

Finally, he said, "What's wrong?"

She took a deep breath, and said, "I got home and found Dan and Bec together, in bed."

"Woah, I didn't...see that coming. Are you okay?"

"Hmmmm...I guess, I don't know. I left the house, not sure where I'm going."

"Where are you? I'm coming to get you."

As he drove her back to his house, they didn't say a single word. Neither knew what to say. She needed to process everything that had just happened. She sat on his couch, without speaking, for a while. He got some food ready, and waited for her to say something first.

"I just can't believe that just happened. When I walked in, and saw the mess in the apartment, I knew she had been drinking and had a party again. I just never thought that Dan was there too. I know that I was going to break up with him, but that's not the point. It was with my sister. It's one thing to cheat, but with my sister. Really it's her, how could she do that?" Sienna said, sounding so defeated.

She looked at Ricky, and he just responded, "I don't know, my love. I don't know."

"What do I do now? I can't live there with her. I left, I don't have a plan. She was just so mean, like she won't even say that she's sorry."

Without thinking, he said to her, "You'll live here, with me."

She looked at him shocked, as he walked to her. Then she just said, "You can't be serious? That's crazy."

"It's not crazy. I love you, I want to be with you forever. I've thought about it for a while. I know that you don't have any other family. I know I can't offer you the world, but I will offer you everything that I have, and everything that I am."

She looked in his eyes, searching for the truth. But all she could see was love, and pureness. The pureness of his heart, and the words that she knew he really did mean. It was that moment that she knew, he was the one she was meant to be pulled towards. Everything that she had been through was meant to happen, to lead her to him.

"I love you too, okay let's do it," she answered him. And he kissed her in a pure way, that she knew that everything would be alright.

She didn't want to waste any time of course. She didn't want to prolong having to see her sister again. So a week later, when Bec was at work, they went in with her friends to pack everything up. She was only taking her personal items, no furniture, so it won't be hard. Sienna had taken enough money to pay for two months rent, and planned to leave it on the counter with a note for Bec. A short note, that explained she was paying for two months rent, and she was done. They were almost done packing, when Bec came home early.

"You're home early," Sienna said to her, "I'm sorry, I thought we would be done before you got home. We'll be done in a minute."

She turned to leave, and Bec said, "So that's it?"

Ricky came up behind them, and told Sienna, "That's everything."

Sienna got the money, and handed it to Bec, "Here's two months rent, as a geasture. Now that's it."

"Come on, you can't be angry. I'm your sister after all."

"So what? What does that mean? It doesn't mean anything to you clearly, or you won't have done it. I was the only one there for you, and you did this to me."

"You didn't really love him," she said, so meanly.

"I can't believe that is your response. That isn't the point. That would never be the point. It's not him that upsets me, it's you. Even if you thought I didn't love him, you knew he was my boyfriend, and you slept with him anyways. The fact that you don't see the problem with that, is why you are a bad person. You deserve to be alone for the rest of your life. You can do whatever you want now, and I'm sure that you will only destroy everything that comes into your life. As you always do."

Ricky put his hand on her shoulder, and said, "Okay, come on. Let's just go, it's not worth it."

"You're right, let's go. I may not know a lot right now, but the one thing I know for sure is that you will never see me again."

And with that they left. As she drove off, she looked back at the apartment she had once called home. It now looked so cold, and unknown to her. But even in that moment she was grateful for it all. It was because of what happened that helped her to get to the place that she was truly meant to be.

- T