Forbidden: His Father's Desire

SANDRA’S POV “So this is what you’ve been doing?” My voice shakes no matter how hard I try to steady it. “F*cking my best friend behind my back?” Pamela jerks the blanket to her chest with both hands, her knuckles turning white around the fabric. Her eyes widen, darting between me and Austin like she’s searching for some miracle explanation that doesn’t exist. A second ago she had been laughing. I heard it from the hallway. Now she looks like she can’t breathe. Austin barely reacts, no panic or scrambling for excuses. He pulls his shirt over his head like I interrupted a meeting instead of catching him in bed with my best friend. The movement is slow, casual, almost bored. I stare at him because my brain refuses to catch up with what my eyes are seeing. The tangled sheets, the discarded clothes on the floor. Pamela sitting in his bed, their bed now, apparently. “Say something.” I wipe angrily at my face. “Go on, tell me I didn’t just walk in and see exactly what I saw.” “Sandra, please……” Pamela’s voice wobbles. “It’s not……” “Don’t.” She flinches. “Don’t lie to me, not right now, not when I’m standing here looking at both of you.” Pamela immediately looks away, good because if she looks me in the eyes and lies, I might actually lose it. Austin drags a hand through his hair and exhales slowly like he’s the one having a rough day. That stings more than I want to admit because he should look guilty, look ashamed, instead he looks annoyed like I’ve created an inconvenience or I’ve ruined his morning. “What are you doing here?” he asks. For a second I honestly think I heard him wrong. “What am I doing here?” A laugh escapes me. “Are you serious right now? That’s your question?” Austin shrugs. My stomach drops not because he cheated, not because Pamela is standing there half naked but because he genuinely doesn’t think he’s done anything that bad. “No apology?” I ask. “No sorry, Sandra? No holy s**t, I messed up?” “Sandra……” “No, go ahead.” I spread my hands. “I’m listening.” Austin rubs the back of his neck. “Babe, you’re turning this into something else.” I blink then blink again. “What?” “You know how you get when you’re upset.” His voice stays maddeningly calm. “You stop thinking clearly.” For a second the room goes completely silent then I laugh because if I don’t laugh, I might throw something at him. “I caught you in bed with her.” “It didn’t mean anything.” The words hit harder than the cheating, I feel stupid. Every date, every promise, every late-night phone call and every stupid conversation about our future. All of it flashes through my head and crashes into that one sentence. “It didn’t mean anything,” I repeat quietly. My throat burns. “So what exactly did I mean?” Austin doesn’t answer, he just stands there and that hurts more. Pamela wipes at her face. “Sandra, I swear, I never wanted this to happen like this.” I stare at her. “Like this?” A bitter laugh slips out. “You didn’t trip and fall into his bed, Pamela.” Her face crumples. “You both made a f*****g choice.” Silence. “God.” My voice comes out smaller this time. “I trusted both of you.” Austin rolls his eyes. “Can you stop being dramatic for one second and think about this properly?” Something inside me cools instantly like ice sliding through my veins. “Think about what?” My voice rises. “What exactly am I supposed to think about?” I point at the bed. “At her?” “At you?” “Should I pretend I imagined all of this?” “You’re emotional.” “No shit.” “You aren’t being rational.” I stare at him and suddenly I don’t recognize him anymore, maybe I never did. “Damn you,” I whisper. His jaw tightens and I turn toward the door. “Sandra, wait.” Pamela’s voice cracks behind me. Against my better judgment, I stop, she looks desperate now, tears streaking her cheeks, blanket clutched against her chest. “You don’t understand what’s been happening.” I close my eyes briefly then laugh. “What the f**k does that even mean?” “It wasn’t supposed to happen.” “If you say it just happened, I swear to God……..” “We care about each other.” Silence crashes into the room. Austin’s head snaps toward her. “Pam.” “What?” she fires back. “It’s true.” I look between them then I look at her and I understand. She thinks he’s going to choose her, the realization almost makes me feel sorry for her. “He’s not going to choose you.” The colour drains from her face. “You’re convenient right now.” “Sandra……..” “The second this stops being exciting, he’ll do the same thing to you.” “That isn’t true,” she whispers. I look directly at Austin. “Tell her.” Nothing, not one word and Pamela’s face falls. “Good luck, Pam.” I step into the hallway. “You’re gonna need it.” this time I don’t stop walking.