Your Lying Eyes

Your Lying Eyes Chapter 5

Anna took a sip from her glass and wiped her tears away.  She thought back to earlier in the night, before the party, when they had made love.  Just thinking about it made her stomach do somersaults.  The way he'd touched her and looked at her.  The things he'd told her, how he loved her so much.  The tears started again and she let out a sob.

"Anna?" a soft voice broke through her thoughts, making her look up.  Seeing Jason standing there she tried to brush her tears away.

"Anna, what's wrong?" he asked her, his hand on her shoulder as he took a seat at the side of her.  He glanced around as he sat down.

"Where's Howard?" he asked her, wondering what had happened.

"Upstairs.  In our room," she replied, staring down into her glass.  "We had a row.  I know what happened Jason.  I heard you and Howard talking about it out here in the garden earlier on.  About him being with Sophie yesterday afternoon and sleeping with her."

"Oh fuck," groaned Jason.  "I'm sorry Anna, really I am.  I never wanted you to find out.  You've been hurt enough in the past."  He slipped his arm around her shoulders, hugging her.  As he did so he looked at her left hand, and the third finger now bare of its ring.

Taking hold of it, he lifted it up, looking at her.

"Where is it?  Don't tell me this means what I think it does?" he asked her gently, watching her face.

She nodded her head, unable to speak once more.  He put his arms around her and pulled her closer to him as she sobbed out what had happened that night.  How she had heard them, then had confronted Howard later in their room.  How she had needed to be away from him while she thought what to do about it.

"And what do you want to do?" he asked her dreading what the answer might be.

"It has to end.  I can't go on like this anymore Jay," she told him through her tears.  "It's the last time he's going to hurt me.  I have to put a stop to it."

"He does love you, you know," he told her.  "He said so earlier tonight.  Sophie meant nothing to him.  You're the one he loves.  He wants to marry you."

"Got a funny way of showing it then.  Sleeping with her the day before we get engaged." She sobbed against him, her tears soaking through his shirt as he held her.

"Oh hun, I hate seeing you like this. I know he's one of my best friends, but he really is a total fucking shit.  He doesn't deserve you," he told her, stroking her head, trying to comfort her.

"I can't keep letting this happen to me Jason.  It has to stop.  I've got Maisie to think about now.  She can't grow up seeing the same thing happen over and over again, it wouldn't be fair on her would it?" she managed to get out through her tears.

"Why does he do it Jay, why?  Have I done something to make him do this to me?  I love him so much, I'd never hurt him like he's done to me, never."

"I don't know Anna, I really don't know," he told her softly.  The sight of her in such raw pain was making him feel upset now.  He wanted to make things better for her but knew he couldn't.  If she were his, he'd never do anything to hurt her.  He couldn't understand why Howard did it.

He stood with her in his arms as she cried.  Eventually the tears subsided and she began to calm down a bit.  Sitting her back down again, he gave her her glass to drink from. The breath was still catching in her throat, she had sobbed so hard.  He kept his arm around her shoulders, rubbing her back.  Suddenly she shivered and he became aware that it had turned colder.