Hetty and Ryan: Overcome

Phone Call

Hetty burst into her room and grabbed her phone, her heart pounding. She couldn't break up with Cooper over the phone from a cabin in the woods during her weekend retreat. That was so low. But maybe she would call him and feel out the situation. Maybe, if he was feeling the same way she was feeling, there was no sense in dragging this out...

When she saw the screen of her phone, she did a double take. There were six missed called from Stephanie. Six. And a text imploring Hetty to call her asap.

Her heart raced, not wanting to believe that she was about to receive tragic news.

"Hetty," Steph answered immediately, sounding out of breath with emotion.

"Steph, what's wrong? You called me six times."

"No one is hurt, okay? Everyone is safe. It's not something like that." Hetty felt adrenaline shoot through her stomach, spreading throughout every vein of her body.

"My sisters are fine?" She felt her eyes sting with hot tears.

"Yes! I'm so sorry - I didn't mean to scare you. I thought you would pick up your phone if I kept calling."

"I'm at a retreat for work - we were hanging out, and I left my phone in my room."

"I know - I mean, now I know you are on a retreat. You forgot to tell me you were going out of town. Wait, have you been drinking?"

"Yeah, a bit."

"Are you drunk right now?"

"Nah. Tipsy, not drunk. Steph, tell me what's going on!"

"Hetty, I stopped by your place earlier to see you - to hang out."

Hetty felt a sensation of knowing what was about to be revealed, but her brain couldn't form it into clear words or a full picture.

"Cooper answered the door. I heard him call out, 'It's the pizza.' Hetty, he answered the door with his shirt off and a woman hanging off of him!"

Silence.

"Hetty, I'm so sorry. I didn't know the right thing to do, but I just wanted to tell you immediately. He begged me not to tell you - said he would explain everything to you when you got home, but I didn't feel okay about waiting. Especially because I know how hard you've been grappling over this thing with Ryan, and now that you aren't pregnant anymore... you need this information!"

Ringing, blaring, blinding silence.

"Hetty!"

"You're sure, right?" Her words were fuzz leaving her mouth. They stuck to her and choked her and sounded muddled. "I mean, he admitted to it?"

"The way I found them, there was no way he could spin it to try to deny it. She was wearing his t-shirt and no pants. Like some dumbass, cliché shit out of a movie. Stupid - so, so stupid!" Hetty could hear her friend absolutely beside herself with rage on Hetty's behalf.

"I think I knew this whole time, but I didn't realize I knew," responded Hetty. Her voice was calm, too calm. It sounded a million miles removed.

"Hetty, are you okay? Are you in shock? Do you want me to come see you, or do you have someone there you can... you know, be with or talk to?"

"Hm," replied Hetty, sardonically. "Yep. Yes, indeed - I've got someone here." She gulped back a river of rage and an ocean of anticipation. Her fingertips tingled with the fluttering sensation of caffeine and electric sparks. "Did you know Ryan was here on the retreat with me?"

She heard Stephanie gasp dramatically. "Seriously? Wait, have you done anything with him already?"

"We have been trying for months to keep away from each other - to stuff our emotions down, to keep our hands off each other. All for what? I'm so, so stupid. All the signs were there... and I blamed myself?" She felt her voice rising and her hands trembling violently as she held the phone to her ear.

Right then, her phone started buzzing, and Hetty looked down to see multiple texts coming in from Ryan.

Where are you?

Are you coming back down? Did you know they have a hot tub here? Bring your swim suit if you have one. :)

Hurry up, pls. I'm dying to see you in those yoga pants.

Hetty had no energy or desire to further discuss anything with Stephanie, despite how much she loved her best friend. She felt like she had to get off that phone call and out of this cabin immediately or she would vomit.

"Steph, I have to go. Thank you for being such a good friend. I love you so very much."

"Hey, wait! Are you sure you're okay? Are you going to make a move with Ryan?" Steph sounded concerned and intrigued at the same time - the question came in a tone of slight complicity.

"I absolutely promise you, I am okay. I'm in a bit of shock. I will need to process this. But right now, Ryan is waiting for me downstairs with his guitar."

* * *

"Were you serious about the hot tub?" Hetty whispered, sitting right next to Ryan on one of the large, fluffy sofas downstairs. She put her hand on his arm and bent her leg so her knee rested carefree and innocent against his leg.

"Yep," he smirked. He was tuning his guitar. As he handed Hetty another beer, she noticed his hair was damp.

"Did you take a shower?" she asked, incredulously.

"Um, yes," his eyes darted around and he blushed.

"Why?" she teased.

"Needed to cool down." He cleared his throat. Hetty laughed at him, her stomach on fire.

A sort of rage was bubbling just under the surface, but it was collaged over with colorful layers of so many other emotions - joy, desire, love, euphoria... and the glorious sensation of being tipsy.

Ryan seemed to notice something was up.

"Where did you go?" he inquired. "Cold shower, too?" They shared seductive eye contact.

"Funny. No, I had to make a phone call. But instead, I... uh, received an interesting phone call. But, I don't really want to talk about it yet, if that's okay."

"Are you sure? Is everything okay?"

"Not really. But in a way, yes. Let's just try to enjoy ourselves."

Ryan started strumming chords, and people gathered around them. He sang "You and Me" by Dave Matthews, staring at Hetty throughout the song. The tipsy people around them "awed" watching them.

Someone else borrowed Ryan's guitar and played "Wonderwall" for everyone to sing along to.

Ryan took Hetty's hand fully in his, for the first time since they had dated eight years ago. He stared down at her hands, and Hetty thought he was again admiring the bracelet he had given her so many years ago. But then she felt his finger grazing over each of hers where they met the palm of her hand.

"You don't have your engagement ring on anymore."

"No," she confirmed, her throat swollen. He continued to stroke her hand.

After a few more songs on guitar and a few more drinks, someone brought out a portable speaker, hooking it into their iPod. The counselors, psychologists and specialists danced and laughed and drank. It was interesting to observe how, for some, it was a harmless way to blow off steam and have some fun, while others were clearly not okay. One young woman blathered on about her ex, slurring her words as the mascara streamed from her unnaturally long eyelashes.

Hetty didn't know which category she currently fell into, but when she felt Ryan's arousal against her backside as they swayed together to Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," his fingertips pressing into her pelvis, she realized for the first time that she no longer had to feel guilty. Fleeting thoughts of fury darted through her brain, mixing with her elation in an inexplicable, electrifying blur.

"Hot tub time!" someone yelled. A bunch of people scoffed, commenting that it was freezing outside.

"Let's go!" urged Ryan. "I brought towels and robes for us. Did you know the rooms have robes? Come on, it will be great! Did you bring a swim suit?" His excited, boyish charm overtook her. 

"Yeah, I did," Hetty replied with a light chuckle, staring openly into his eyes.

"Well," his voice cracked and he cleared his throat. "Let's go change."