Tangled in Temptation 18+

T W E N T Y-S I X - L I F E I S A B I T C H

Life is a bitch. Some parts of  life are beautiful, other parts: heartbreaking and horrifying. Life is filled with good and bad surprises. Life is full of...life and death. Health and sickness. Isn't it just sad how we were all born to die? Sometimes we wonder, what's the purpose of life? What's the sense of living to survive for a few years? Why is life so cruel sometimes? So heartless?

All life wants to do is take away the people that we love so dearly. Life can be so brutal that it gives away sicknesses like free food. Life be like: Here, you get cancer! You get HIV! You get ARLD!

Cassie developed ARLD. Liver disease. Do you have any idea how deadly that can be? Hailey's and Zach's hearts were broken. Would she make it out alive? Would the liver transplant be successful?

Cassie's eyes were closed as Hailey and Zach stood beside her. Her frail body was covered in a long, blue hospital gown and a white sheet was thrown over her. Her face was white and pale and her lips were thin and chapped. Her hair had lost all its shine and color and she almost seemed...dead.

Zach's heart broke for the millionth time as he stared at her. This could not be Cassie. The person laying there was not Cassie. It couldn't be.

"Cassie?" Hailey breathed, lightly touching her arm.

Cassie's eyes fluttered open and she slowly turned her head towards her best friends. Upon recognizing their faces, her eyes welled up with tears and Hailey flung herself into her arms.

"Oh, Cassie, I thought I had lost you," Hailey cried.

"Oh, not yet," Cassie forced a laugh as her cheeks became wet with her tears.

"Don't give up, please. I want you to fight this. For you, for me and for Zach,"

Cassie smiled sadly at her before turning her  gaze towards Zach, "Zach..." She breathed as tears swarmed her eyes.

"Cassie, I don't understand. How can you have ARLD? I've only seen you drink when we go to parties,"

A sorrowful expression washed over Cassie's face as she sunk herself further into the bed, "As you both know, my parents died in a car accident when I was fourteen. I moved in with my uncle who was a junkie, and he...he introduced me to alcohol. He said that it would take away all my sorrows and pain and I...I believed him. He was my uncle, of course I believed him, even though I knew he was a junkie. I just wanted the pain to go away. I became like him. I got fake IDs, I went to clubs, parties...I couldn't stop drinking. I'd drink everything. From beers to liquors and rums. It took away the pain for some time,"

"Oh, Cassie..." Hailey cried as she shook her head in dismay. Hailey knew Cassie's pain. She had been there and still is there. The girls had both lost their parents when they were teenagers. It was one of the reasons why they connected so much. They were like...sisters.

Zach hung his head and closed his eyes as his heart fell in pity for Cassie. The poor girl had been through so much.

"I couldn't stop drinking. I'd even steal my uncle's beers. Some days I was so drunk that I couldn't even get up for school. How could could I had gotten up for school when I'd be passed out?" Cassie cried.

"That explains why you weren't at school so many days,"   Hailey sniffed.

"Yeah, I was too drunk. My life was going downhill. I drank and drank throughout the years. Then my uncle died when I was eighteen, and that's when my life fell apart even more. I had you guys but I still felt alone. I was so broken and ashamed that I couldn't even talk to you guys about it," Cassie said as she wiped away her tears.

"I should've realized how sad you were. I didn't see it. I'm such a bad friend," Hailey bawled and Zach pulled her into his arms as he rubbed her back soothingly.

"No, no, no, don't blame yourself, Hailey. You couldn't have noticed. I was a master as masking my troubles. It's not your fault. I'm sorry I allowed it to get so far. Really, if I had known I would've been in a hospital bed today, I wouldn't have taken up my uncle's suggestion to try alcohol,"

Even though, life was a bitch. Sometimes there were consequences to our actions. Consequences that we had to face for the lives that we had chosen and the actions we decided to take.

"Your uncle was a basta—"

Zach's words were cut off by Cassie's interjection, "No, no. Please don't. My uncle loved me but he didn't love his life. He didn't know how to show love. His mind was messed up and he believed he was doing me good by introducing me to the one thing that helped him to forget his sorrows. Don't blame him. He didn't force me to drink. It was my choice. Blame me,"

"Oh, Cassie," Zach breathed.

The trio couldn't control their tears. What would happen now?

Doctor Hill entered the room with a pleasant smile, "I'm sorry but you guys have to go now. We will be starting the liver transplant in a few minutes,"

Hailey nodded at him before turning back to Cassie, "I'll see you in a bit,"

Cassie forced a smile, "Please stop crying, both of you. I need your strengths. Don't think of my illness. Think about all the good times we had together. Think about people who make you happy. Think about Romeo, Hailey. If you're still still with him, then that means he must be making you really happy,"

Hailey blushed as Zach's smile dropped abruptly upon recognition.

"Wait...Romeo..." He whispered aloud as he tried to remember where he knew that name from.

"Shit," Hailey cursed under her breath.

"Romeo...Romeo...sss....Romeo Snider!" Zach bellowed upon realization.

He turned towards Hailey menacingly, "You're dating our  boss?"

"No, no! Of course not! That's absurd!" Hailey laughed nervously.

Cassie glanced between them in confusion. Didn't Zach know she was dating Romeo?

"No, it's not absurd. You are lying to me, have been lying to me. Of course you're dating Romeo. He wasn't at work  a couple months ago and everybody thought he was missing and you told me that your boyfriend was missing as well. You didn't even want to tell me his name. I didn't even know you were dating. And then, that day in the cafeteria when we were alone and he walked in, you couldn't stop blushing and smiling. He even seemed jealous when he saw me. The man shook my hand so damn hard and I remembered wondering what was going on!" Zach yelled angrily.

"Zach, I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you!" Hailey cried.

Doctor Hill stood there uncomfortably as he curiously watched their exchange.

"No, you're only sorry that I found out. You wouldn't have told me. You'd continue to lie to me. How can you date your boss, Hailey? Our boss?! He's married and he has a kid! He's old, too old for you!"

Hailey's heart sank. He sounded just like Cassie when she had scolded her about dating her married boss.

"He's not old—"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Zach cut in.

"Because I knew this would be your reaction!" Hailey screamed and Zach glared at her in disappointment.

She was stupid, he thought. She had to be.

Without another word, he forced a smile at Cassie before rolling his eyes at Hailey. He nodded at the silent doctor as he made his way out of the room.

Hailey sighed sadly and turned to Cassie with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry, I thought you told him," Cassie said.

Hailey shook her head, "Feel better,"

She turned around and walked away out of the room before storming after Zach,

"Zach, where are you?!"