His fooled cheat

Chapter 1

Remember your first love? The first person to make you feel those ridiculous butterflies in your stomach. That guy that held your heart in the palm of his hand and could do whatever he wanted with it. Well, I have tried to push mine as far back as I could. I had only loved one guy, David Cleary Jr. David was the school’s ice hockey star and crush of many a high school girl. Well, he was, until he became a dad at eighteen.

I, Holly Forbes, was on the outside when David found out he was going to be the father of the beautiful Marie Harper’s baby. Yes, David was my boyfriend, albeit unfaithful.

After begging my mother to transfer me to a school in Portland where my grandparents stayed, I finished high school without any other hindrance and a normal, stress free future ahead. That was until I received a call from my mother, begging me to come home for a bit that summer.

I hadn’t been home in almost ten years, even though it was only twenty minutes away. My mother had always come to Portland to visit for holidays. Now, she thought it would be a good idea if I came home. Frankly, Cape Elizabeth didn’t feel like home anymore. I didn’t want a part of the absolutely breath-taking town that belonged in a snow globe.

In fact, I had plans to visit San Francisco with my colleague and roommate, Leah. Her boyfriend had just moved to San Francisco and had extended an invite to me as well when he heard I would sitting in our apartment for the entire summer.

My mother had felt that I needed to make peace with what had happened and face my demons, but facing the very people who had hurt me seemed too difficult to bare.

I never quite knew how David had come to cheat on me, but I knew it was true, especially when he didn’t put up a fight when Marie’s parents insisted he marry her.

Leaving town was a better option instead of facing pity and humiliation.

“Mom, I am in my car. I’ll be there soon. I love you too. Yes, I’ll call you when I get to your place.” I ended the call with a sigh and parked myself in the driver’s seat. I still couldn’t believe I was going back to Cape Elizabeth. I felt slightly irritated with my mother and myself. My mother for forcing the issue and myself for still being angry at people who probably never spared a thought for me.

The drive was over too quickly and before I knew it, I was in Cape Elizabeth. Now, it was no secret why I wouldn’t visit, but my mother pretended that the problem never existed. I sat in the car and pulled my phone out of my bag. As I was about to hit dial, I was startled by a tap on the window. Looking up and highly annoyed, I immediately recognised the face.

Before I could put the window down, the door was yanked open, “Holly?”

“In the flesh!” I said dryly.

“Its me, Ginny!” the tall blond smiled widely and enveloped me into a hug.

“I know. You still look the same.”

Still I barely offered a smile, but the bubbly girl was still friendly, “You should come by. Everyone would love to see you.”

I forced a smile, “Really?”

“Yeah! Jamie just got in from New York last night and David is-“

Before she could carry on, I cut her off as politely as I could, “Ginny, I really have to go. My mom probably wants to meet for an early dinner in town.”

She carried on smiling, “Sure. I’ll tell David you’re home.” I didn’t bother asking her not to, because knowing Ginny, her entire family would know by the time I got back in my car. The Cleary’s lived just a block away, but I intended on keeping my distance. There was no way I wanted to see how happy David was. For me, it had felt like David’s entire family had betrayed me. Seeing Ginny had already brought up memories I had worked hard to forget.

After getting hold of my Mom and getting her to agree to a dinner in town, I headed to the Sea Glass restaurant. My mother and I have been going there since my Dad passed on, which was when I was thirteen.

My Mom looks very happy with herself. She is dressed in a white shirt and skinny blue jeans. Her hair is a knotted mass piled into atop her head. Her eyes are beaming brightly as she extends her arms to me.

“Holly!” she squeals as she pulls me into a hug.

“Mom.” I say with a small smile.

“Come, let’s sit.”

“So, how are you? I haven’t heard from you in weeks. Even though I’ve been e-mailing you everyday!”

“Mom, I’m just so busy. I really had to beg for these couple of weeks off.”

“I’m sure.” She says sarcastically.

“So, why the need for me to come here?”

I run my hands through my hair with frustration as my mother smiles like Cheshire cat.

“Mom!” I urge.

“OK, don’t be mad, but I was speaking with Ginny Cleary and she-“

“Just stop!” The mention of Ginny’s name immediately sets off warning bells.

“OK, listen Holly. Its been ten years since everything happened. You need to make peace with it or move on.”

“Mom, David has moved on and is a happily married man. I just can’t deal with that pain.”

She tilts her head to the side and rubs one of my hands from across the table, “OK. We’ll let things happen naturally.”

What was my mother on? I just wanted to forget David and I am almost certain that he had forgotten me. Irritated by it all, I decide that I’m no longer hungry.

“Mom, I’m going to head to the house and then have a nap. I’m kind of tired. I’ll see you later.”

She shrugs her petite shoulders and smiles again, “Sure thing. I’ll see you later.”

On the way to the car, I decide to head across the street to the local inn for something stronger than the ginger ale my Mom had ordered for me.

As I fingered the rim of my tumbler, I noticed the seat next to me become occupied. Praying it wasn’t a tourist about to start a conversation, I slid off the stool, gathered my bag and drink hurriedly, in turn colliding full on with the man.

“Oh my god, I’m sorry!” I mutter, watching him assess his stained shirt.

“Holly?”

Oh brother! Another Cleary, Jamie to be precise. David and Ginny’s older brother. We never had much contact back when I’d lived in Cape Elizabeth, but knew each other well enough to know

The full extent of my reason for leaving.

“Yeah, its me.” I manage a smile at him. I had forgotten how good looking the Cleary’s were. All three of the siblings were blond and tall with sharp features. Jamie was always so sullen looking, while Ginny and David were always lively. It was like Jamie couldn’t be bothered with the world around him.

“You back for good?” he asks, but not quite looking at me. He seems annoyed. He is wearing a shirt that’s unbuttoned at the top with his skinny tie loosened. Besides the beer he has in hand, he is also carrying a messenger bag.

“Uh, no. No, I came for a visit.”

“OK.”

“You?”

“I live here since graduation. You’re not here because of David are you?” he almost looks concerned.

“No, don’t be ridiculous. Why would I be here for David?” Its my turn to be annoyed.

“Still feisty!” he teases, also relaxing at the same time, “Join me for a drink? Unless you have plans.”

“No, I don’t. I mean, I don’t have plans.” Suddenly, I feel as shy as I used to around him all those years ago.

“Great, let’s grab a seat and get you a refill since your drink is all over my shirt.”

“Sorry about that.” I cringe inwardly.

We spend almost an hour just talking about what we’ve been up to since we last saw each other and I think it’s the most time I have spent talking with Jamie. He rarely makes eye contact and speaks with quiet confidence.

“So, you’re a market research analyst for a sports equipment manufacturer in Portland and you still live here. Married? Kids?” I ask him as much as possible to avoid speaking of my minimal existence.

“Yes, no and no respectively.” He laughs. When he does make eye contact, he looks intently into my eyes, “I know now that you’re an accountant for a law firm, but I still don’t know anything personal.”

Somehow, the words start spilling out, “I’m single. Really single and I don’t even own a cat because I would have to have time for any sort of relationship. I have a roommate, at twenty-seven and frankly, I think it’s the only friendship I have.” Wow! That felt refreshing, but soon I feel embarrassed and I think it shows up on my face because Jamie has his hand over mine.

“Hey. You OK?”

I quickly yank my hand out under his, “Yeah, sure. Look, I told my Mom I would go straight home and it’s getting late.” I say it before I realise how juvenile I sound.

“You need to get out more.” He laughs.

“I do.”

“OK, so let’s do this again. As friends of course.” He adds the last bit so quickly, to obviously not give me the wrong idea.

“Yeah, let’s.” I say it without promise. I have to admit, it didn’t feel like I was out with David’s brother. It felt like I was just speaking with a friend.

“You’re at your mom’s place, right?”

“Yeah. I am. I’ll see you around.”

My mother is waiting up in the living room when I get to her place. This is reminiscent of high school, except she looks more ticked off than concerned.

“Relax, I was with a friend.”

“Who?” Even she found the friend part hard to believe.

“Just an old high school friend.”

“Dav-“

“Mom!”

“Ok. Well, I’m going to bed. Pancakes and bacon for breakfast?”

“Sure.” I lean down to kiss her on the cheek, “Good night, Mom.”

The next morning flies by with Mom making her strawberry pancakes and bacon before heading off to her job as an English teacher at the high school. With things winding down before the summer, tourists are starting to flock to Cape Elizabeth. Never having been back after school, I decide to take a tour of the town.

Dressed in denim cut offs and a shirt with ankle boots, I slip one of my Mom’s sun hats on and put a dab of gloss on my lips. Incognito and looking like a tourist.

Having parked my car in a spot at the edge of the main street, I walk aimlessly, looking through shop windows and generally just passing time. Soon enough I find a coffee shop that isn’t too busy and park myself down for some java.

I whip out my book I’d brought along and regret it after just one chapter. As I sip on my filter coffee, I look around the sidewalk and notice how many of the stay-at-home moms are milling about or having a quick get together while the kids are at school.

That’s when she catches my eye. The petite brunette with her wide-eyed gaze is chattering away animatedly while her circle of friends laughs. She is sitting a few tables away and waves her manicured hands about as she carries on with her story. Still as flighty and flirty, Marie Harper is beautiful and not the fat housewife I had hoped she would be.

Almost as if she hears my thoughts, she turns to face me and smiles politely, followed by a little curling of her fingers, which is what I assume to be a wave in my direction.

‘Please don’t come over, please don’t.’ I think to myself. Of course, she excuses herself from her friends and walks over to me. Quickly adjusting my posture, I sit up straight and prepare myself for whatever she might have to say.

“Holly! I thought it had to be you.” She actually air kisses me in a display of fake affection.

“Hi Marie.” I literally have nothing else to say and can’t imagine why she would want to talk to me. This is the girl who made me look like a crazed, desperate girl. She and David had hurt me and acted as if I were the one who had done something wrong. In fact, I had been so stupid to believe David’s pleas of innocence and then just claiming he couldn’t remember a thing.

We had carried on for about another week as a couple before Marie’s parents threatened to have David arrested for all sorts of things. One was claiming that he had date r***d Marie. She later confessed it was consensual and they had fallen for one another.

I suddenly felt sick at the remembrance of that awful period in my life.

“What are you doing here? Just visiting I presume.” She still spoke with the same little voice that dripped with arrogance.

“Yes, just for a little bit of the summer.” I offer as little information as possible without sounding hostile. I do not want this woman thinking I am here for any other reason than a quick visit.

“Oh, I see. You know we’re having our reunion this June, right?”

“I didn’t graduate from C.E.”

“Oh, that’s right. I wouldn’t have noticed then anyway. What, with me being pregnant and planning a wedding all in time before Hope arrived.”

Hope…they named her Hope. I’d never wanted to hear anything about their child. Now I knew she was a girl and her name was Hope. I felt like Marie was purposefully drowning me in conversation about her wonderful life. I felt a sudden bout of dizziness come on. Marie continued to talk. It was just all too much. I quickly dug into my purse and managed to fish out some cash for my cheque.

Placing the money on the counter, I got up and excused myself while she carried on. As I turned to leave, she called out to me, “Holly?”

“Yes, Marie?”

“I’ll give David your best?”