One night was all it took: Season 3 "One second was all it took"

Halfway

Dad's gone in San Fransisco, and I am walking into my house. There are no feelings inside of me over him leaving. I hardly wanted him here. It was more of an 'I don't know you as my dad' type of situation and I am honestly glad it's gone...he's gone.

Setting my keys on the entryway table, I slide my shoes off. I cannot stop thinking about Jared and his conversation from the other night.

"You get sexier every time I see your beautiful face," Natalia says as she pops out from the kitchen.

"Me?" I question and lick my bottom lip as I stare at her holding what looks like pancake batter. "You just turned me on by walking out of the kitchen with that sexy 'cook' look you have going on."

"How did it go with dropping your dad off at the airport?" She questions while stirring the bowl.

Exhaling a long and deep breath, I nervously smile. I must tell her the truth about what Jared said and I do not know how this is going to turn out.

"So...we need to talk." I say as the obvious nerves inside of me flow out with every word. "Dropping Dad off was fine, but what I was told by Jared last night is not fine."

"About you having a threesome with Rya and some guy almost two years ago?"

I'm speechless and freeze in place. How the fuck does she know about it?

"You..." I pause as curiosity rapidly grows on my face. "You know about that?"

"Yep!" She says in a careless, yet smooth tone as she continues stirring the pancake batter. "You were drunk. She was drunk. That may be why you have a bit of an attraction to her. She's been the subject of our conversations more than she needs to be and I've always known there is a connection between you two and now we might know why."

Leaning against the entryway table, I am trying to play this off as it not being a big deal. But in the back of my mind, this is a big deal. I fucked Rya and don't remember it. And the worst part about all of this is, now that I know I fucked her, I wish I could remember it, and I don't know if it's because I had sex and can't remember or if it's because it's Rya and I want to know that feeling.

"Ok," I softly say. "Well, I guess we both know that something did happen. I was not expecting to hear that. And the more I try thinking about that night, the more I realize it-"

Natalia quickly flashes her hand in front of my face to stop me and sets the bowl of pancake batter down. "It doesn't matter. I do not need to know any other details. It's done and it will stay that way."

"Fair enough!" I say, watching as she picks the bowl back up and slowly walks away. "Are you feeling all right?"

She glances over her shoulder, giving a fake smile while continuing to stir the pancake batter.

"I am certain I have the flu. Do not expect me to go anywhere today. I am only up making pancakes because you know me, I cannot stay down. I would recommend no sexual activities from me until I am cleared, miss lady."

"What?" I question while analyzing her pale face and the overall look of death in her eyes. "How did I not see this when I first walked in? And I do not care if you cannot relax, you have to relax."

She is trying to push away. I exhaled and pressed the back of my hand against her forehead. "You're burning up. Shit! This means I will probably get it too!"

I step back and cover my mouth. Not certain why I am covering my mouth now when I slept next to her last night...and did a lot more than that in the car.

I shake my head, confused. "How did I not see this when I first walked in?"

She plops down on the couch like a fish, reaches out for the remote, and turns on the TV.

I have never seen her sick yet and I do not know if I like it. Her face looks like the living dead. Her eyes are sunk in. Her cheeks are slightly flushed but the rest of her face is pale. Her mouth is slightly hanging open while she is breathing heavier and faster than usual. That 'sick smell' coming off her breath is very noticeable also.

I quickly stepped back. I wave my hand in front of my face hoping to remove any little bit of her sickness trying to enter through my nose or mouth.

"Babe! This is horrible! I did not know you were sick. That makes sense as to why you did not go with me and Dad and why you do not seem to care too much about the Rya and me situation...although that is old, and we were not together. But still! I can call into work-"

"Don't call in. Just go." She weakly argues while waving her hand. "There is nothing you can do for me. It is just the flu, and I must rest. I have plenty of water. I feel decent. I can get things myself. I will nap and get back to what I was doing. You go take care of the bar, babe! Love you!"

"Okay," I say but feel reluctant. "I love you too."

I do not want to leave her. Everything in my body is telling me to stay here with her and help her, yet someone must open the bar and I know damn well Jared will not.

Swiping my keys off the stand near the door, I take one more glance back at her and her sickly-looking face. I exhaled a slightly worried breath as I swiftly opened the door and stepped into the sunshine-filled day.

So, to recap my morning as I start up my car...I slept with Rya in the past, which kind of explains a lot. My dead father is alive and now on a plane to San Fransico. My beautiful girlfriend looks like the living dead. And I am about to go open a bar that I own. Life could not get any more fucked up, yet amazing at the same time.

Pulling into the back alley I see the back door is already open. I am not dumb. I know Jared is not here and no car is here for Rya or Gemma. So, who the fuck is in my bar?

As I step out of my car, I fumble to slide the mace from my purse. I am not taking any chances. I know I am the opener this morning and even if Jared read the schedule wrong and did show up, he is never on time.

"I don't know who is in my bar, but I have mace and a black belt in karate!" I yell as I step into the kitchen.

"Girl you are the furthest from a blackbelt I've ever seen!" Jared argues while strolling around the corner with a bucket of ice. "And what the hell are you doing here? I open today, not you."

"Wait..." I say and pause, staring at the bucket of ice in confusion. "I opened today..."

He sets the bucket down and slides it toward the bar doors. "You look confused girl. Get over it. You and Rya slept together. It has been damn nearly two years. Gemma and Rya are now a couple. Just...let it be."

I grit my teeth and slap my hand against the kitchen counter. "They are not a couple! And how is that even the conversation now? I didn't say anything!"

"It's written all over your face." He argues, picking the bucket back up. "You don't have to say shit. Not only that but I've known you forever and you're not going to let this go easily."