The Holder to Cherie's Heart

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It was near 8pm when David walked into the house. He spotted Elena and Cher on the couch watching television with two buckets of empty ice cream containers on the table with lots of used tissues on the floor and the couch and…basically everywhere.

‘I hope I’m not cleaning this up, ladies’ He said.

Elena’s head snapped towards David. She smiled and got up to greet him.

‘Babe, you’re home!’ Elena greeted with a peck on his lips.

‘A little birdy told me to come home early.’ He said with another peck to her lips as he wrapped his arms around Elena.

‘That little birdy is me, isn’t it?’ a broken voice behind them called.

David chucked, ‘sure is, Cher.’

Suddenly, his eyebrows crinkled, ‘are you alright, Cher? Brody was a mess every time I went to check on him today. I had to drive him home too and when he saw the lights were off, his whole mood dropped. He was honestly a pain to be honest. I’ve never seen Brody like this from the 27 years of my life. The last time I saw him cry though was when he lost his favorite truck when he was 11. But never like this, are you and Brody alright?’ David asked.

Cherie’s lips quivered and she felt tears well up.

‘Uhm, babe, let’s drop it for now, alright? Let’s discuss tomorrow. Cherie will be staying with us tonight. Skye is in her crib, why don’t you go greet her.’ Elena suggested.

‘uh… yeah alright. I’ll be back in a few; I’m going to go check on my little princess.’ David grinned and strolled out of the room.

‘Thanks El.’ Cherie thanked.

‘What are friends for?’ Elena smiled.

The next morning at 7am, Cherie woke up with crusty stuff around her eyes. Eye boogers… attractive, she thought. She entered the bathroom and looked at her reflection. She scrunched her face, she looked disgusting! Her hair was all over the place with tangles everywhere. Her eyes were puffy with the crusty material around her eyes; she had a trail of dry snot leaving her nose, drool marks near her mouth and big dark bags under her eyes. She sighed, what a night. She never had a night where she slept alone the last 4 years Brody and her decided to move in with each other, just except for those 3 days when Brody had a business trip to attend to. She remembered, she couldn’t sleep at all those 3 nights, she was lonely and cold. She missed him then and she still does now.

After Cherie finished her shower and dried herself, she put on the baggy t-shirt that Elena lent her to sleep in last night. Most likely David’s shirt; and some pajama pants that were Elena’s. She walked into the kitchen to find David with his morning coffee while reading his newspaper with Elena nowhere to be found. She was probably still sleeping, Cherie thought.

David looked up and smiled,

‘Morning Cherie! Want some coffee? Anything to eat, perhaps?’ David offered.

Cherie smiled, ‘Maybe a coffee, but I’ll make it myself, thanks.’

As Cherie prepared her coffee from the coffee machine, it was like déjà vu. The smell of the coffee, the way she made it… the all similar feeling she had yesterday morning when she was making Brody a surprise coffee. Tears started to well up in her eyes and she quickly wiped them away.

David softly asked from behind her, ‘Cher? You okay? Do you want to talk about it?’

Cherie cleared her throat, ‘ah- mm, no I’m fine. Just making some coffee, don’t mind me.’

‘Cher, whatever happened? You must know Brody is in a complete mess. Yesterday at an appointment, he was all dazed. He wasn’t even paying attention. He didn’t drink any of his daily coffee like he usually does, and whenever I walked into his office, he had his head in his hands. I don’t know what happened, Cher, and you don’t have to talk about it until you’re ready but at least talk to him. Communication is key to a relationship, love. I’m worried about both you and him. It’s obvious you both are still in love with each other.’

That’s when Cherie snapped.

‘If he loved me, he wouldn’t have been cheating on me! He wouldn’t have been kissing and groping and nearly sexing this blonde lady when I walked into his office yesterday! He wouldn’t have left me to run, he would have chased me. He doesn’t care, David! It’s all a show, I just know it! He fooled me, how could I be so… so weak; so gullible and cheap. I knew he was a player before, he still is! David, don’t you get it? I don’t satisfy him enough, he probably only loved me because of that coffee I make for him.’

David’s eyebrows scrunched together and his fists clenched around his newspaper.

‘Brody… Brody… what. Brody did what?! Oh that son of a-‘ he started.

‘Don’t.’ Cherie warned.

‘Oh I am going to snap his neck when I see him. Wait… what blonde lady, you say? Did she have blue eyes and a small beauty mark on the tip of her upper lip?’

Cherie paused and then nodded, remembering how she looked like and then grimaced when the scene of Brody and her were… doing it off.

David sighed, understanding crossed his features, ‘That’s Lea. She’s a flirt, okay? She has always been chasing Brody since she entered the business, which was 2 years ago and to be completely honest, Cherie, Brody never paid attention to her, he completely ignored her. He was about to fire her actually but I didn’t let him because she’s good for our business. Cherie, Brody loves you with his whole heart. He’s miserable because he let Lea… do what she did at that same moment you came into the room. I know what he did was completely wrong, but Cher, listen to him, maybe? He loves you, he has a picture of you in his drawer, you know that? Not only that, but his desktop background is a picture of you and him. Don’t tell him I told you this, but I’m his best friend, I know him. Cherie, please, don’t doubt his love for you. It’s obvious to everyone who looks at you two, that you two are completely in love.

I called him this morning actually. He was all grumpy and angry. He asked me if I knew where you were and I know you probably didn’t want me to tell him this, but I told him you were with us. You know what he did? He completely sobered up from his grumpy state. He asked if you were okay, he asked if you were going to come home soon, he asked if you were going to forgive him. He fired off so many questions that were asking about you. He’s desperate, love. You’re the only thing that matters to him, Cherie. He said he didn’t even want to go to work today because he wanted to wait until you came home. Cherie, talk to him. He’s on the edge right now; I’ve never seen him so… so broken before.’ David finished.

Cherie didn’t know she had tears running down her cheeks until she felt a droplet on her thigh. What should she do? She didn’t know. She wanted to talk to him, she really did. But she didn’t want to believe in anymore lies. She didn’t want her heart breaking. She didn’t want to think about what the one man she loved dearly, did. She didn’t want to believe what she saw. She didn’t want to listen to him. She didn’t want to see him but at the same time she did. And lastly, she didn’t want to be hurt again…