What's a Girl to Do? (Season 3)

Chapter Twelve: Climax

All my efforts to get in touch with Nicholas failed, and all I could think about was his expression when he'd thought that I'd accepted Josh's marriage proposal. His reasoning behind my supposed acceptance was so warped that even I didn't want to begin to analyze it. And as the days flickered by, and I was forced to sit beside Nicholas in the courtroom again, as Paul Farris was sentenced to life in prison without parole, I felt empty then as Nicholas gathered his things and left me behind. We'd got the verdict we handed, but the fact that it appeared—on the surface, at the very least—that I belonged to another man had hurt him deeply.

In the days that followed, I began to look at things from another angle, from his point of view, and began to understand his reasoning. Of course, I wished he could understand that I would never knowingly marry Josh. Given the fact that there was no chemistry was one thing, but there was also the notion that he and I could never be compatible, due to all the lies we'd told the other and the false promises we'd made to ourselves. How I wanted just to speak to Nicholas, but such a thing was difficult, due to his refusal to speak to me.

After court, I went to go pick up Iana, and went back home to pack a bag, and showed up at the diner afterwards. I asked Fiona if I could crash at her place and, upon seeing the devastation behind my eyes, she immediately accepted. When she got off work and found me, glued to the baby monitor and some bloody horror film simultaneously, she immediately made a groan of disgust and switched off the T.V.

"Okay," she said, sitting down beside me, her no-nonsense attitude reigning supreme. "What is going on with you? Ian says you've been quiet for days, and you didn't text him to tell him you're crashing here. What's going on?"

I shrugged. "Can't spend a long weekend with my sister?"

Fiona smiled. "Well, of course you can—I love having you here, Murph. But in all seriousness, why are you so mopey, and why are you wearing the most...god-awful diamond ring that I've ever seen?"

I smirked, which turned into a chuckle as I finally allowed myself to look down at it again. "I originally thought it was just me, but I guess it isn't."

"It isn't," Fiona replied, making a face. "What the hell?"

I sighed. "Josh asked me to marry him."

"Holy shit," she said, immediately straightening up. "What did you say?"

I shook my head.

"You said 'no' and he gave you the ring anyway?!"

I shook my head again. "No. I tried to say 'no', but Josh insisted I wear the ring until I make up my mind," I replied.

"Are you going to say yes?"

"Fuck no!" I cried out, gasping aloud then, shocked that the words had come out so fast, and without any effort on my part to call them back. "Oh, my god..."

"Seems that you feel really strongly about that."

I nodded. "I have to."

"Why?" she asked.

I bit my lip. "Okay, Ian's the only one that knows—well, him and Nicholas—but I'm having kind of a crisis situation and I need my sister right now."

Fiona nodded. "I'm here."

I sighed, my shoulders slacking completely. "Well, I found out a few weeks ago that Josh is cheating on me with Chrissy Andrews."

"That know-it-all looking bitch who's all over his social media?"

I nodded. "The same."

"Jesus," Fiona replied, running her hands through her hair. "Wow. I was not expecting that from a person like Josh."