Hidden [COMPLETED]

Chapter 11

"He left?" Freen asks as she gets out of bed and sees Becky coming back inside.

Becky frowns. "He did. And he left suddenly. He never does that."

"Maybe something came up at the station," Freen suggests.

"Yeah, maybe."

But who is she fooling? Freen knows exactly why Heng left. Seeing her in Becky's bed probably confused him. Only God knows what he might think of her now.

After realizing she has been lost in thought for a while, she looks up at Becky, who is smiling at her. For a moment, Freen wonders why Becky is looking at her like that, then it hits her.

"Oh! You're probably wondering why I kissed you?"

"No, I'm not. In fact, I kissed you back."

They have another staring contest.

"But I'm not like you, Becky," Freen says bluntly.

Becky furrows her brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I don't sleep around. I'm someone you might call too basic or too boring," Freen replies casually as she walks toward the kitchen to make tea.

"Where are you going with this?" Becky asks, following Freen into the kitchen.

"I told you about my boyfriend, right? I've been with him since high school. He's the only person I've been with."

Becky waits for her to continue.

"I never thought about sleeping with anyone else until that day we talked about it. I don't just jump into bed with anyone, Becky."

Becky looks at Freen, amused.

"Sex is just sex, Sam. It doesn't have to be more than that. You don't need to complicate it with feelings or emotions."

If Freen was on edge before, now she's over it.

"So I'm just another score? Another person for you to sleep with?" she snaps.

"Oh!" Becky gasps in realization.

"Fine. I understand this was a mistake. I shouldn't have kissed you. It won't happen again."

But I want it to happen again. I wanted you to tell me you have feelings for me. How pathetic am I?

"Okay?" Becky asks again, noting Freen's silence.

"Okay."

Silence.

"We were talking about my nightmare, right?" Becky quickly changes the subject.

"Huh? ... Oh yes." It takes Freen a moment to catch up.

"I was actually thinking about her before going to bed. The wife."

"Freen?" Freen asks in confusion.

"Mhhmm."

"I received some court papers last week. Tomorrow is Saint's will reading. I can't avoid it anymore. She's going to be there, and she's going to find out her husband had another life with another woman. She'll hear it from some random lawyer."

"She doesn't deserve that, Sam."

"What do you mean?" Freen asks, trying to grasp where this conversation is going. She hopes it's not heading where she thinks it is.

"She can't find out about us that way. I should be the one to tell her. I have to tell her."

"Wha--" Freen begins but is cut off by Becky.

"I'm going to her apartment before the will reading, and I'm going to tell her everything."

Freen stands frozen in the kitchen, unable to move. It feels like the wind has been knocked out of her.

******************************

Freen is in her apartment in Bangkok, getting ready for the will reading. She has no idea what to expect and isn't prepared for the confrontation with Becky. She's so lost in thought that she almost misses her phone ringing.

"Becky?"

"Hi. Are you in Pattaya?"

"Yes...yes. I'm taking some photos." She internally curses herself.

"Look, Lyra's school just called. She's sick, and I was wondering if you could pick her up and take her home?"

Great! How is she going to manage this? She's in Bangkok at the moment.

"The thing is... I'm a little... Is there no one else who can go?"

"I called Heng a few times, and he isn't picking up. I'm in Bangkok..."

"Bangkok?" She's already here. This is going to be a disaster.

"I'm here for the will reading, and like I said, I want to see his wife first."

There's a long, lingering silence.

"In fact, I'm outside her apartment right now."

If Freen was shocked before, now she's terrified. She rushes to the front door and looks through the peephole. Her body almost freezes at the sight: Becky is standing outside.

"I came early to get it over with because if I wait until later, I'm worried I will chicken out."

Freen needs to stop Becky, somehow.

"Becky, you're under no obligation to talk to her."

"If I don't, she'll find out at the reading. I can't do that to her, dammit."

"I can't do that to her. It wouldn't be right."

"Look, Becky, I think it was him who should have said something... He should have had the courage to say, 'Honey, I've fallen in love with a woman who's so special and so different that I can't give her up.'"

Another silence passes, causing Freen to question her own words. Is that how she feels about Becky? Is that how Saint felt?

"You know? I think his wife should have had the chance to hear her husband's explanation, not yours."

Both Freen and Becky stand on either side of the door, both in agony and despair.

*********************************

"We're here," Freen announces once she gets home with a tired Lyra in her arms.

"Does your tummy still hurt?"

"No, but I feel sick."

"We'll take care of it," Freen says, putting Lyra down on the couch and kissing her forehead.

When Freen turns around and looks at the house, she is startled.

"What the hell happened here?" The house is a mess.

"I think we've been robbed," Lyra offers.

Heng is at the station going over some files when he receives a call.

"Hello?"

Once he hears the other person, he is immediately shocked and abruptly stands up.

"Take it easy, Freen. I'm on my way," he says before hanging up and hurrying out.