Is It Revenge Or Love?

Who Are You?

I step into the hall and look for the stairs. I make a beeline once I see them and hurry down, trying not to break my neck. My singular focus is on getting out of this house, and I consider myself lucky when I step off the stairs and see the front door at the end of the hall. I hurry past a big opening on the right, only to have a voice stop me. “Rushing out?” I slowly turn toward the opening, looking for the voice that spoke to me.

Beyond the opening is a dining room with a grand chandelier over a big wood table. Past that is a kitchen with a nook off to the right of the kitchen that houses a smaller, more intimate table. An island separates the kitchen and big dining room, and that’s where I find the voice's owner.

Monroe’s eyes drink me in as he eats from the plate in front of him. “Are you going to get something to eat?” I stand in the doorway, torn between running out of this house or joining him in the kitchen. I’m not sure what the right move is, and I’m utterly embarrassed at the thought of anything that may have happened last night. “Let me help you. Come eat. There’s food here for you.” I swear my body moves without my mind’s input, and I find myself settling across from him as he slides a plate in front of me. “Did you sleep well?” I don’t trust my voice, so I nod, keeping my eyes on my plate. We sit and eat, and the only sound is the scraping of metal on plates.

“Di…did something happen last night?” The clang of his fork hitting the plate makes me jump. I look up discreetly to see Monroe sip from his coffee mug. If I’m reading him right, there’s a hint of amusement on his features, but I don’t want to dwell on that.

“I didn’t change you, if that’s what you mean. My house manager did that. She was here when we got here. You fell asleep in the car and after everything, I thought it was best to let you rest.” A wave of relief washes over me. I’m glad nothing happened between us. I wasn’t drunk, but I wasn’t in the right mind to consent to something so serious.

I nibble on the food in front of me with various thoughts swirling around in my head. There’s one that’s been lingering for a while now, and I really would like to get an answer to an important question. I gently put my fork down and look at Monroe. “When we were in school, you were Monroe Rivers.” I watch as his movements still. I’m sure he knows where this is going. “Last night, people kept calling you Monroe Jensen.” I take a deep breath, not really knowing if this is a good idea. “Who exactly are you?”

~Monroe~

Her question hangs in the air, getting heavier and heavier. I knew this would come up, but it definitely wasn’t part of the plan. I didn’t intend to address this with her yet, so I really don’t know what to say.

Her eyes on me are intense, and I’m starting to squirm under her gaze. I wasn’t ready for this and don’t know how to navigate it without completely destroying my plans. I swallow, prepared to tell her something when she beats me to it. “Never mind. I guess this is something you want to disgust.” Jaylene stands and steps away from the counter. “I think I should be heading home now.” I straighten up, and pull my phone out of my pocket.

“I can have my driver take you home.” Jaylene shakes her head.

“I can get an Uber,” I sigh, then start tapping away on my phone, messaging my driver.

“Just let him take you home. It’s free, and you won’t have to wait.” An alert causes me to check my phone. “He’s already outside.” She nods and grabs her purse and shoes. Jaylene walks to the doorway, but I call out before she can cross the threshold. “I’ll call you later.” She doesn’t respond or turn around. I watch her walk out, and my chest starts to ache. I close my eyes and shake my head, determined to push past whatever this feeling is. I can’t afford to get caught up in any mess with Jaylene. I need to stay focused on my goal.

~Jaylene~

The ride home was silent as I mulled over our breakfast. My biggest questions are who Monroe is and why he won’t tell me what’s going on. He became so silent when I asked what I thought was a simple question. It seems he’s hiding something, and I have no idea what. I hate to say that my original doubts seem to be accurate.

I turn my phone over in my hand, the black screen staring at me. My phone died at some point, but I’m not worried about it. I don’t want to see the messages that I’m sure are there from my parents and Deon. I haven’t even begun to think about everything that happened last night and what it means.

It doesn't take long to reach my complex. I thank the driver and hurry inside the building. I really can’t wait to take a shower and try to forget this weekend. It was more drama than I ever imagined would happen to me in a small amount of time. It’s the type of stuff you see in some Lifetime movie or something.

I let myself into the apartment and am met with music blasting and Amber singing at the top of her lungs. I smile and lock the door, placing my keys on the hook on the wall. I walk into the living room, and Amber is dancing around with music playing on the TV. She turns as I walk into the room, and a smile lights up her face. She pauses the music and runs up to me. “Hmm….coming home late morning, wearing the same dress as the night before,” Amber smirks at me and nods her head. “Someone got lucky, and I want all the details.” I shake my head, dropping my purse and shoes. I pass my phone over to Amber.

“Can you charge it please?” I turn and walk toward my room, hearing Amber’s hurried footsteps following me.

“You can’t just leave me hanging, girl.” I unclasp my dress and let the front fall as I turn the water on. I stand in the doorway of the bathroom and look at Amber.

“I really need to shower and change. When I come out, I swear I will tell you about how I got kidnapped, okay?” I leave Amber gasping in the hallway as I close the door to get in the long-awaited shower.