Beyond the end

In the night

"Mr Arnold is out of danger."
So the heart surgeon who had implanted a bypass on the man began to speak when he showed up to Andrea, who was waiting with Clare and Steve outside the operating room. Clare let herself go in a liberating cry on Steve's chest, who found himself destroyed by his stupidity and guilt. Andrea knew the boy was sensitive, but she didn't imagine it to that point. Pleasantly surprised, she smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. But Steve didn't cry for the man. He was crying because he could hear a worm. He had betrayed the trust of Clare, found after several years, who was now seeking comfort in his arms. Those same arms that a few minutes earlier sank into the skin of her roommate (of course, not a friend).
"What do you want to do, Clare?"
"I'll be here watching over my father"
"you can't, Miss" the surgeon said.
"your father will stay in intensive care 48 hours, it's the procedure; and he can't receive visits. Come home, take some rest and tomorrow you can come back to see how he spent the night"
" Clare go home, try to rest. You got a nice scare, but now it's all under control." Andrea ressured
The girl gained strength, hugged Dr. Z, whom she in fact barely knew, yet she had shown great sensitivity and closeness. And she went away. In the car Steve didn't say a word nor did Clare want to speak. He accompanied her in front of the door and left so as not to meet Valerie. He didn't propose to stay for the night nor did the girl ask him. At two o'clock, Steve showed up at the Silver house. He called David on his cell phone, who replied in a kneaded voice.
"Steve, what's going on?"
"I need to talk to you, I'm in front of your house"
He looked at the clock on the bedside table "But it's 2 am"
'Are you going out?'
"Give me 5 minutes."
It took ten to get back to life. They got on the Corvette
"What's going on?"
"I cheated on Clare"
"And you get me out of bed because you cheated on Clare?"
"With Valerie"
"Ah. It's not a good reason to wake up at 2 am, but it's definitely more interesting"
"And it's not over; while we were clinging, Andrea called"
"Did you make an orgy?"
"Don't joke: Andrea was in the hospital and received Clare's father with a cardiac arrest. And I was on the couch with her roommate"
"so... you and Valerie..."
"No... no, because we were interrupted"
"And how is the Arnold now?"
"Well...or rather, it's out of danger"
David burst out laughing "Sorry Steve, the scene is definitely worthy of seriousness and attention, but you will recognize with me that it looks like a Woody Allen movie"
"You're a jerk, Silver"
"Listen to you" David couldn't stop laughing "Okay, sorry, sorry. And so, you feel terribly guilty"
"That's right and I can't stop thinking about it"
"And you do well" David suddenly got serious. "My God, Steve, you are an adult man, you have a failed marriage behind you, a little girl who spends a lot of time with you, you need stability, you find a person who loved you and really loves you and you? Can't you keep the zip up?"
"I didn't come to make me judge, but to have a friend to vent with. But then, do you just talk to me about zips and couple relationships in danger? I don't think your resilience was more tenacious than mine"
"You're right Steve, excuse me. I had almost forgotten it, and instead you think about reminding me of it. Valerie sometimes looks like the devil. And like the devil, it's always more fascinating. And how the devil keeps tempting me"
"You too?"
"Yes, but not as you think. She proposed that I go back into business with her, in the management of the Peach Pit. How long would it take to turn my life upside down?"
"A few minutes probably"
"In fact. Even if..."
"As a though?"
"I don't know how much there is to question"
"In what sense?"
"I don't know. Ethan's arrival changed the relationship between me and Donna"
"I would be surprised otherwise"
"Yes, but it changed it for the worse. We are no longer accomplices, we are no longer having fun together. Let's just talk about the child, it seems to be the only thing we have in common"
"And how much does Val affect this reasoning?"
"not much; the chance to question my life with a much more rewarding job. You know what it means to manage a place, schedules, commitments. It's a vortex that total absorbs you."
"Yes, I know"
"And for a relationship no longer as solid as ours would be dangerous"
"Silver, I'm coming here to vent and it's you who vent to me"
"What do you want me to tell you? You made a mistake. Go and don't sin anymore"
"The Messiah of Beverly Hills spoke"
"No messiah Steve, just common sense. Do you care about Clare?"
"Of course"
"Can you hide what happened?"
'No problems'
"That's right, like a butterfly you are. Take advantage of the tragedy that just happened, which luckily didn't make your girlfriend lose her father. In the next few days she will be focused on something else, your escapade can pass peacefully unnoticed"
"What about Valerie?"
"Clare is her roommate, she needs her. For the moment she won't. Who can say it in the future. With me she is still silent, But think about today, then we'll see"
"Thank you Silver, that's what I needed"
"Can I go back to sleep?"
"Freely. Good night man"
"Good night Idiot"