Since We're Alone |NH|

Chapter 75

I barely slept that night.  In fact, I don't think I slept at all.  I kept calling her only to go straight to voicemail which only meant she had her phone off, not that I had been blocked.  So I breathed slightly better thinking that.  I kept texting her, asking her to let me explain and that what she saw was not what had actually happened.

The next day, I hardly got out of bed.  Her phone remained off.  I went downstairs at one point and saw Mully sitting on the couch.

"Have you heard from Tomi?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

"Not yet," he responded, curtly.

I got some water and went back to bed.  When I woke up again, I called Ophelia's phone, again, but still nothing.  I then remembered that Tomi had said I needed to convince her.  So I called her phone but it just rang, which was a good sign that she hadn't blocked me either.  I texted her and asked her to let me explain.

The next day, I got out of bed around two in the afternoon and made my way downstairs.  I stopped when I heard Mully talking.  He was on the phone with Tomi and when he saw me, he put her on speaker.

"Did you know about this?"

"No, Tomi, I didn't because there's nothing to know other than that Maggie is a conniving, manipulative little bitch who clearly faked the whole damn thing.  Niall admits that she did kiss him in the hallway while trying to tell him to dump Ophelia but he pushed her off and told her to fuck off.  And I believe him.  I have no reason not too.  And, quite frankly, neither do either of you.  How can you believe something that someone you don't even know showed you when knowing that sort of thing can be faked."

"You know, I said the same thing to her. I told her that we both had suspected this Maggie had done something. She even heard him talking with his cousins the next day after the barbecue comparing her to Maggie. She's felt like she been competing with her ever since."

Mully shot daggers my way with the look he gave me. Covering the phone so Tomi wouldn't hear him, "Seriously? Look what you've fucking done. That girl hasn't been at peace in two months."

"How was I supposed to know she heard that conversation?" I said in my own meek defense.

"You shouldn't have been having that conversation in the first place." He went back to listening to Tomi. "Tomi, the things she showed Ophelia were all fake. Niall has had absolutely nothing to do with Maggie since they broke up. And myself, along with most of his friends, have made sure to make it impossible for him to contact her or her to contact him. She has faked this whole thing."

"Honestly, I believe that. I do. And I told her that. Hell, she didn't initially believe her, either. She told me she kept saying to Maggie that she was lying and that Niall wasn't that guy. But Maggie kept shoving her phone into her face and joyfully playing a sex tape for her. So even if Ophelia didn't believe the texts, she saw a video of the guy she loves having sex with someone else in the same bed she has shared with him."

"She loves me?" I whispered, my heart shattering into even more pieces.

"And it clearly freaked her out, as it would anyone. She hasn't gotten any real sleep because every time she closes her eyes that video pops into her head. Although, I don't think she has to close her eyes to see it. I mean, how would you feel if some ex of mine showed you a sex tape I made before we ever met?  Huh?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't be too thrilled, either.  But I'd believe you over him if he was trying to destroy our relationship."

"I know you would.  And I believe Ophelia wants to believe Niall.  She mumbled something about thinking it was fake until she saw them kiss. I think that kiss did something. The state of mind she was already in plus that, I think she just broke."

"But I pushed her away!  Did she not see that?" I whispered.

"Did she not see him push her away?"

"From her reaction, I don't think so.  Had she seen it, I don't know what she would've thought.  But," Tomi paused for a minute and muffled the phone.  She was speaking to someone.  "Look, I want to believe Niall but Ophelia's been nothing but straightforward with him over the past several months.  And he's told her nothing. After that conversation she overheard, we did do some snooping. We already knew he had been in a long term relationship with someone because I did look him up once after their first couple of dates because she said he was acting weird. And I pointed out that he's never not acted weird," Tomi said, a little laugh in her voice. "But, anyway, we did finally both of us do some digging. She isn't proud of it but she wanted to know what she was up against but also didn't want to pry and scare him. And though there's plenty of evidence that shows how clearly unhappy he was, nothing definitive. But we both kind of figured she must've cheated on him and that he acted the way he did because of that."

"She did cheat on him, amongst many evil things she has done to him."

"What the hell did she do?" Tomi's voice was actually laced with real concern. "What happened between them? Is it that bad?"

Mully looked at me, "Yeah, Tomi, it's pretty fucking bad. And he should be the one to explain it all. Please, convince her to listen to him. Whatever she chooses after that, is up to her, but please get her to let him explain?"

Tomi sighed, "I can try.  But, I make no guarantees.  She's pretty fucking mad, as am I.  She's my best friend and he essentially has lied to her from the very beginning."

"I don't know if I'd go that far."

"Fine, he kept things from her; clearly very important things; things that maybe could've prevented what happened the other night. And that's on him. And he needs to live with that. He needs to live with the idea that she may not listen to him. He needs to live with the idea that he may have just lost her."

"I can't lose her," I whispered.

"I like Niall, Mully. You know that. And you know I've been rooting for them. You've told me on several occasions how happy he's been since he met her. And I've honestly never seen her happier than when she's with him. But, he fucked up and now he needs to face those consequences."

"Yes, he does.  But do you think she'll at least let him explain?"

There was a pause. A painfully long pause. 

"I don't know. Right now I can't even get her to eat. She hasn't gotten out of bed in the last two days. I'll try to talk to her, but I make no promises. And, hey, tell him I know he's been trying to contact me to see if I'll meet with him so he can explain. I'll text him here in a minute but can you tell him I work tomorrow morning and he can either come to the bar or we can meet after my shift?"

"I will let him know," he said, looking over at me. 

I sighed with the first sign of the smallest bit of relief I've gotten in two days. Tomi was going to let me explain.

"Okay, I've gotta go. Talk you later."

"Okay,"  Mully paused.  "Tomi?"

"Yeah?"

"Are we okay?"

She sighed before answering, "Yeah, we're fine. I'm pissed as hell but not at you. And Niall will be getting an earful from me tomorrow."

"I don't think he would expect anything less and he's willing to take it. He knows he messed up."

"I know."

Mully sighed, "I love you."

"I know.  I'll call you later."

"Okay.  Bye."

"Bye."