Perfect Storm

Chapter 11

I stepped through the door of Olive Garden and looked around the dining room, finding Zoe, who was waving anxiously to me.

When Zoe had asked me last week to have lunch, I couldn't come up with an excuse at the moment, so I had accepted, thinking I could call her later and get out of it. Problem was, I had kind of forgotten and when she called me this morning to remind me, I once again couldn't come up with a good excuse.

It wasn't that I didn't want to have lunch with my friend, it was just that I felt so awkward around everyone from my old circle now that I had been gone for an entire year and Ryan and I were no longer a couple. It also didn't help matters at all that I had a huge secret hanging over my head about what I had been doing that entire year I was gone.

Zoe stood up and gave me a big hug when I approached the table. "I'm so glad you made it Bree. It's been way too long since we hung out."

"I'm glad too. I've just been so busy lately, but things have finally calmed down. Somewhat anyway." I explained.

It had indeed been busy the last month or so. After a string of top three finishes, Ross picked up his first cup win at COTA. Between the media and the celebrations, I was all over the place. He was being talked about a a serious contender for the championship. Everyone wanted a piece of him, so I had a lot to handle between press releases, interviews and the usual sponsor obligations.

Surprisingly, Zoe and I picked up like no time had passed. Conversation flowed so easily. No mention of Ryan and Laken or why I had stayed gone so long came up, until I asked a simple question.

"How long are you in town for?"

"We're staying overnight. Chase has some stuff at Hendrick to do today. We're going to the Morgan Wallen concert tonight and crashing at Ryan's house since Miss Thing is out of town. Oh my gosh Bree. You should come to the concert. I know you love Morgan Wallen, and we have an extra ticket since she isn't around."

"I don't think that's a good idea Zoe. I know how Chase feels about me, and I don't know if Ryan and I are at the point where we are ready to hang out with each other for more than a few minutes." I replied, but damn I would love to go. Morgan Wallen was one of my favorites and getting tickets to one of his shows without paying the amount equivalent to your mortgage payment was damn near impossible. Of course Ryan and Chase could afford it.

"C'mon Bree. It's front row and backstage passes. Chase can suck it up, and as for Ryan, it's a concert. It's not like you have to talk to him. Damn near impossible to talk over the music anyway." Zoe said, and she did have a point, except for one thing.

The big problem was that Ryan and I were not exactly getting along right now. Last week at Richmond, Ryan and Ross had gotten into a little on track altercation. It all started when Ross got loose under Ryan and ran Ryan up the track a bit. To show his displeasure, Ryan ran into the back of Ross, getting Ross loose enough for Ryan to make the pass. Ross didn't appreciate the gesture, so he bumped Ryan. They didn't wreck each other, it was more or less a pissing match, but Ryan threatened to wreck Ross over his radio, and Ross just kind of blew it off.

After the race, Laken confronted me, telling me I needed to get my "boyfriend" under control, and we got into a screaming match, which Ryan broke up, then I yelled at him. Of course I was going to take Ross's side. He was my best friend and Ryan was my ex-boyfriend.

Not one of my finest moments, but I didn't really want to get into that with Zoe. Instead, I focused on my rift with Chase.

"Zoe, I don't expect Chase to suck it up. He's loyal to Ryan. I really don't think he wants me around. Do you know what he said to me a few weeks ago? He pretty much said I shouldn't have come back, and told me I better not be screwing with Ryan's head."

"Well, that was pretty damn rude of him. You want me to knock some sense into him?" Zoe asked, with a slight grin.

"No. I fully expected him to be upset with me. He confused the hell out of me though because then he told me that I need to fix it since I broke it." I said, remembering Chase's words from that day that still had me scratching my head.

"Chase actually has a point there." Zoe replied, matter of factly.

"It's not something I can fix. I had my reasons for breaking up with him. Even if I did want to get back together with him, it's too late. He's with Laken now. He's moved on, and he's happy."

Zoe suddenly choked on her drink that she had just taken a sip of. "Happy?" She sputtered. "Is that what you think? He hasn't been happy since you broke up with him. Yeah, he puts on a good act, but those of us who are close to him know better. Laken is a leech. She had everyone fooled in the beginning. We all thought she was so sweet, but as soon as she moved in with him, she realized she really had her claws in him and showed her true colors."

"If she's so bad, then why hasn't anyone said anything to him? She obviously acts one way around him, and another way around everyone else." I replied, knowing this to be true as I had on several occasions been the recipient of Laken's ugly side.

Zoe shrugged. "He needs to figure it out on his own. Chase said if we try to influence his feelings, it may just push him closer to her, or some bullshit like that. I don't know. It's really not my place. Chase has made it pretty clear he doesn't like her, and Ryan can't see his reasons, so he just needs to see her true colors on his own."

It sounded wishy washy in my opinion. As a best friend, Chase should be the first to tell Ryan what Laken was really like, but I guess he had his reasons for not doing so. Again, not my problem.

"Will you please come with us tonight Bree? Please. It will be so much fun and I know you could use a night out. It seems all you do is work. I promise Chase will be on his best behavior or else, and like I said, you won't even have to talk to Ryan.

I really did want to go. It was Morgan Wallen after all.

"Yes. I'll go." I replied with a small sigh.

"Yay." She clapped her hands with glee, but then I saw her face turn serious. "So, are you ever going to tell me the real reason you broke up with Ryan because I'm not buying your excuse about seeing other people and trying new things. I know you Bree. Ryan was your sun, moon and stars. That doesn't just go away. I also see something different with you. I can't really put my finger on it, but something happened and you are keeping it to yourself. I'm also not buying that you and Ross are more than just friends. I don't know if you are trying to make Ryan think you moved on with Ross. Maybe that's why Ryan and Ross keep getting into it. I don't know, but I do know that there is more going on with you than you are telling me, so you might as well tell me everything."

Dammit. Why did she have to be so blunt, and so observant.

Maybe it wouldn't hurt to tell Zoe. I trusted her, provided I could convince her not to tell Chase because he would go straight to Ryan. It would be nice to confide in another woman. Don't get me wrong, Ross had been beyond great through the whole ordeal, but he was a man. He had no idea how it felt as a woman to have a large part of your womanhood stripped away.

I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "If I tell you Zoe, I need your honest to God word that you will not repeat any of this to Chase. If Chase finds out he will tell Ryan, and I can't have that. You have to promise me." I said adamantly.

"I promise Bree. Just spill." She said.

I took another deep breath before finally uttering the words that still ripped me to shreds. "I had cancer."

A/N: Just a quick reminder that Zoe's name was changed during the writing of the story. Sorry for any confusion.