Not A Second Time

Chapter 5

As I was crying, Tessa and Shyla were on each side of me, hugging me. Calvyn looked at me and noticed I was dead tired. “Want to go to sleep?” he asked me. I nodded. He picked me up, I guess he figured I was either too lazy, sad or emotionally crippled to move by myself. Either way, he was right. He set me down in my bed and I tried to go to sleep.

Like I said, tried.

Tears still stuck to my face. Why would he do this to me? What did I ever do to him? Why why why?

I finally went to sleep.

---

I woke up around noon the next day but I didn’t want to get up. I just lay there. I finally sit up and open my eyes and Shyla is at the foot of my bed. She smiles and says “Well good afternoon malady.” Then she turns to the door and yells “TESSA SHE’S AWAKE!”

Tessa comes in with a plate of toast and some green tea. I smell the tea and as soon as she puts the plate on me, I chug it down. “Are you okay?” she asked. I shake my head and I feel more tears fall down.

“I just want to stay in bed all day ya know?” I asked her. She nodded and replied “Well none of us are leaving until you feel better. I smile and she gives me a small hug. I didn’t know I’d feel better so soon.

Ringo’s POV:

“Wake up Rings!” George yelled as he started hitting me with pillows. I woke up and looked at my watch. It was only 6:00 in the morning! Why should I get up?

“What do you want George?” I asked, going back to sleep.

“You know,” he started. “Most people don’t sleep in until 3 in the afternoon.”

I got up and remembered that I was in Australia. Time was different here. I whispered “Shit” under my breath and said “Okay I’m getting up.”

“I’m getting lunch,” George said, leaving the hotel. Well I hope you bring me back some lunch. I looked at the clock and fixed my watch. I get up and start getting ready, first thing I do is jump in the shower.

While in the shower I hear George come back. “DID YOU GET ME SOME LUNCH?” I ask him. I hear silence and then a door open and close. I’m going to take that as a no.

I get out of the shower and get dressed. As soon as I’m finished getting dressed, George walks in with more lunch. “I brought you some lunch,” he said, handing me some.

“Uh huh – before or after I asked you?”

“Shut it and eat your food.”

I give him a look and bit into my sandwich. George, while I was eating, said “You know, since we’re here, we should go to the beach today,” he says. “We could be here for more than one thing.”

“Yeah sure,” I said, eating more. “It beats being home doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, glad I came with.”

After we finished eating, we grabbed our swim trunks and some towels. We left the hotel and hit the beach.

*-*-*-*-*-*

At around 7:00, we left the beach and ate some more. I asked George “Why don’t we pay Cleo a visit?”

“Because she might not want us to.”

“How are we supposed to get anywhere with her if we stay away?”

I finished eating and went outside. George was with me short after, sandwich in hand. We took a taxi to her house.

Once we get there, we go up some stairs and get to her apartment door. I knock and a guy answers the door. Is this her husband? “Can I help you?” he asked.

“I’m hoping you can,” I reply. “Is Cleo here?” I ask, trying to look past him.

I hear a voice from behind him, a few rooms away yell “GO AWAY RINGO!” It sounded like Tessa. The guy looks at me. “You’re Ringo?” he asked.

“Yea…” I reply. He slams the door in my Face. I look down and turn around when the door opens behind me. It’s Shyla.

“Wait – Ringo.” She demands.

“Yeah?” I ask.

“Cleo wants to see you,” she said, moving out of the doorway. I look at George and he looks back at me and we head inside.

Cleo’s POV:

I was drinking some tea when I hear a knock at the door. I look at Calvyn. He knows what I’m thinking and he answers the door. I swear – if it’s Allen I’m going to kill him. But I can hear the voice from my room.

Is Cleo here?

Tessa recognizes the voice and yells “GO AWAY RINGO!”

It was Richard. I think for a moment – I want to talk to someone who didn’t know my husband. I don’t know why, but I asked Shyla “Will you let Rich- I mean Ringo in?” She looks surprised but goes to do so.

Tessa looks at me. “Is this really what you want?” she asked. I nod, but I still don’t know why I ever let him in that night.