The Contract Next Door

The Betrayal

Sienna’s POV

“I think you deserve to know.”She says.

“Know what?” I ask.

I am very confused.

She looks at Ryan.

I look at him as well.

He looks distraught.

I know from that expression that she is definitely not a stranger.

“I’m Natalie.” She says.

“Ryan and I have been seeing each other.” She continues.

For a second, I thought I had misheard her.

I look at her then back at Ryan.

“Ryan?”

No answer.

“Is she telling the truth?”

He still doesn’t answer.

“Is she telling the truth?” I ask louder this time.

Finally, he nods.

“Yes.”

My stomach drops.

Natalie wipes her cheeks. “I didn’t want you to find out like this. I told him he needed to tell you. But he was delaying it.”

I can’t process it.

“I’m pregnant, Sienna.”

I look at her stomach. Her hand was still resting there.

Then at Ryan.

I can’t speak. I open my mouth but nothing comes out.

Everything suddenly falls into place.

You can’t keep lying to her.

You promised she’d be the first to know.

“You can’t hide this forever…”

The text messages. The receipt for two from the restaurant. The phone call he stepped outside to make. Him telling me I was overthinking and that I needed to trust him.

My suspicions were right.

And he knew that the entire time.

Tears come rolling down my cheeks. Not loudly just blurring my vision all at once.

“You had so many chances to tell me.” I say and my voice cracks..

Ryan steps forward. “Sienna listen, I didn’t mean for things to go this far. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I was going to tell you.”

“You had so many chances,” I repeat. Yet you looked me in the eyes and lied every single time. You even accused me of invading your privacy and let me apologize to you for being suspicious.”

That is what is killing me. Not just the affair. Not just the pregnancy. It was me saying sorry for doubting when he knew what exactly he was hiding.

“Do you know what you did? You made me feel crazy and guilty for trusting my own instincts.”

He shakes his head. “That’s not what I…”

“That’s exactly what you did.” I cut him off.

Natalie shifts awkwardly at the door. She realizes we need to speak privately.

“I’m sorry.” She says to me. “I really am.”

I don’t respond.

She leaves and the door clicks quietly behind her.

“You know very well that trusting people hasn’t been easy for me.

Especially since my parents died when I was young leaving me to depend on myself. I had to learn to rely on myself for everything. I didn’t have anyone to call so I figured life out on my own.” Now, I am crying for real.

“Maya was the only person I trusted. For years it was just her. Then you came into my life. You were one of the first people I trusted enough to let my guard down. Yet you looked me in the face and lied to me for a long time.”

Ryan’s eyes are red now too. “Sienna I’m so sorry I messed up so badly. Please.”

I shake my head. I didn’t even recognize him.

“I thought I knew you.”

“You do.”He says quickly. “You do know me.”

“No, I knew the person you pretended to be.”

“I thought I was falling out of love with you. I thought we had reached the end and I just didn’t know how to admit it.” But being with you this weekend, it made me realize I was wrong.” He says.

I am stunned.

“What happened with Natalie was a mistake. The worst mistake I’ve ever made. But it doesn’t change how I feel about you.” He adds.

“You don’t get to call it a mistake and expect to make it disappear.”

“I still want us, Sienna, I still want you. If you’ll allow me, I’ll fix this.”

I stare at him.

“ Maybe you do love me. Maybe you do want me. But you still chose someone else.”

“I can’t. I can’t take this anymore.”

I grab my bag from the chair.

“Where are you going?” he asks in a panicked voice.

“I need to get away from you.” I say.

I leave before he can stop me.

I knock on the door.

After a few seconds, Maya opens the door in her pajamas with her hair a messy bun holding a mug.

When she sees my face, she immediately knows something is wrong.

“Sienna? What happened.”

I try to explain but I can barely get the words out.

Maya just pulls me inside, shuts the door and holds me while I cry.

I’m eventually able to get the words out and narrate the whole story to her.

“I don’t know what to do.” I say after I’m done.

“You don’t have to figure everything out tonight.” She says while rubbing my back.

We’re sitting on the couch now. My eyes move around her apartment and they land on a brochure for a town. Belmont.

“You always said you wanted a fresh start.” She says quietly following my gaze.

She’s right I have been talking about it for a while I just never acted on it.

Belmont. We have talked about it many times. A new city where no one knows us. Where there were actual jobs in my field.

“I can’t stay here.” I whisper.

“I know.”

We don’t make a huge plan.

“We’ll find an apartment together. I’ve already started looking.”

I shake my head. “I don’t want to ruin my life because my relationship fell apart.”

“You’re not ruining anything. I’m coming with you. We’re doing this together. Like we’ve always talked about.”

For the first time this night, I feel like I have somewhere to go.

After a few hours of looking for an apartment and how we’re going to move and settle down in a new city, I return to the apartment.

Ryan is still awake. He’s sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. He stands up immediately I walk through the door.

“Sienna...”

I stop him with a hand up.

“I can’t do this anymore.” I say.

“Sienna please reconsider-“

“I can’t be with you after this.”

He stares at me.

“I need to sleep. Goodnight.”

I walk past him, enter the guest room and close the door.