Ethereal {WLW}

Chapter Sixty: Happy New Year, I Guess?

Cami's POV:

It's December 31st, which means I've been with Rhea and her family for about six days and enough time has passed back home for all my drama to be aired out.

Ethan did as I expected and spread my affair with Rhea around like wildfire. I've gotten many calls, texts, and my mom has received many visits over to the house since it all happened. It's got so bad that I had to turn off my phone and tell anyone that actually mattered to me to contact me through Rhea.

Rhea's been a real champ through this, trying to keep me as supported as possible as she intercepts every call and text that comes her way. I've tried to offer to go home and deal with everything, to take tension off of everyone's shoulders, but my mom, Naomi, and Rhea won't allow it. Naomi says she's got everything handled and took my boys and my mother in, so they didn't have to deal with the frequent visits.

The first day that everything got out was literally the day after Christmas. I felt as if I had been punched in the gut and all air had left my lungs when I got the first few texts from the bitch brigade. All of them instantly pivoting their blame on affairs from my husband to me. 

It's amazing how a same-sex affair instantly made all his cheating alright in their eyes, but I should have figured.

The first two days I hardly left the bed, with every text getting wildly more inaccurate of what happened, and stories being spread around that were far from true. Things had even gone as far as someone spray painting the garage doors at the house with the words, 'homewrecker', on it. Naomi quickly repainted it though, not allowing too many eyes to see it.

Not all texts were bad, some were supporting or curious as why I chose a woman. I never answered them, but they were nice in the line of hateful texts.

Rhea quickly took the phone away the more she noticed the texts getting to me and creating emotions inside of me that were hard to process. I was angered, hurt, and scared, but I wasn't surprised. I wanted Rhea and I know that this was the price we'd have to pay by being with each other, there's just no amount of mental prep you can do to prepare yourself for this kind of situation.

Rhea was patient through the whole process and Dean and Lena were very loving. They'd bring me food and Lena even came in the room to hold me at times while I was crying, it's no wonder why Rhea missed them so much.

The more time I spend with Rhea and her family, the surer I am that she is where my future belongs. Her family has quickly begun to feel like my family, and they make the both of us feel nothing but support, which is something we desperately need right now.

I won't lie and say things haven't been a bit awkward, especially with Emory. I find it a bit hard to look at her, knowing she was Rhea's first love. A part of me feels a tad bit irritated with her, knowing she gave up on Rhea and didn't appreciate such a pure heart, despite Rhea's many protests in saying they were both to blame.

The last few days have been much better though. The lack of screen time has helped, and Rhea has tried to keep me as busy as possible. She's showed me all around her hometown and brought me to her mom's place, which officially sold today.

Rhea wanted me to see the place she grew up and despite how bare it was, it felt special to be in a place that helped form my love into the person she is.

Rhea and I were currently skating on the lake in the back of Dean and Lena's property as Lena cooks us lunch and Dean cuts wood for the fireplace. We've been trying to do everything we can to enjoy the season and I'm desperately trying to muster up some joy before Rhea's birthday, which I've done no planning for.

I didn't have time to get her a gift and I have no clue what we're going to do to celebrate. I've been so busy trying to keep my head above water, that I've been letting the ball drop and I just hope I can regain control over it within the next few days.