Finding Solace (8 page)

 
It was
finally Monday night. I had finished my last client and I was ready to get the
hell out of work. I had already texted everyone and it seemed it was going to
be a full house at the alley tonight. I remembered to bring a change of clothes
this time. I had no desire to give anyone a show of my panties tonight. Heather
was meeting me at my work in fifteen minutes. I was so excited to get some
alone time with her. After I changed out of my dress, I put on my favorite
green and purple long sleeve tunic top. I paired it with some black skinnies
and 3 inch black strappy heels.

 
I know it is
silly to wear heels when you are just going to change into bowling shoes once
you get there. But I love how the right pair of shoes makes an outfit feel
complete. It was probably close to the time Heather was going to be here by the
time I was done changing. So I grabbed my purse and keys and walked to the
front of the salon. You might have noticed that I have not mentioned Colt yet.
There's a reason for that. I haven't heard from him, not once. I know we both
felt awkward that morning when we got in the cab. Maybe we should have
discussed where we were going to go from there, but we didn't. And now I wasn’t
sure what to think. It had worked out pretty well that I had not had the time
to. As I was thinking about all this, Heather walked in. Wow, she looked
amazing. She never had to try hard, but it was times like these that I wondered
why she never pursued modeling. Being a medical assistant was all she ever
talked about in school. So it did not shock me in the slightest when she went
to med school after we graduated. I just think she missed her calling. The
exotic way her bright blue eyes open to her cheek bones. In school, she would
turn every head she walked past. All right, I'm cutting myself off. I sound
like I have a crush on her or something. I stand up, pulling her into a hug
that felt long overdue. She gripped onto me like she felt the same way. She
pulled back and asked if I was ready to get my drink on. And I responded with
a, "hell yeah!"

 
The drive
over to the alley was a short one. I only worked a couple blocks down from it.
The owner of my salon was pretty smart locating it close to the college campus.
We got a lot of business from its students. But I was sure that is also why ‘51’
and the bowling alley are a short distance from it also.

 
I had to be
the one to bring up Jason. I made sure to not mention Shawn. I kept it to just
asking her how things are going between them.

 
"We are
good."

 
"Heather,
it’s me, your best friend. You can talk to me."

 
“I know.
It’s just that I don't know what happened that night and its eating me alive. I
love Shawn to death, but he's Shawn. I would never want to be anything more
than friends with him. How did my shirt end up on the floor, Sadie? How did
Shawn end up in just his boxers? How the fuck did I end up passed out in a fucking
bedroom? And how do I tell Jason? I love him, Sadie. I don't want to lose him.
He would never forgive me."

 
"Heather,
let’s think about this. You’re going to have to start asking questions. Talk to
Shawn." She interrupted me so fast. “Talk to Shawn? Are you crazy?"

 
"Well,
you can't avoid him forever."

 
"Watch
me."

 
If we hadn't
pulled up to the alley by then, I would have tried harder to reason with her.
It seemed almost everyone's cars were already there.

 
I left the
conversation where it needed to be left, in the car. We got out. I grabbed her
hand, and we walked into the craziness that we know as Monday nights.

 
Everyone was
already down on the lanes, so we walked over to the group Jason was in first. I
was saying my hellos when all of a sudden; I was picked up off my feet and
scooped up in the arms of none other than, Mike Harrison.

 
"Mike,
put me down!"

 
"Aw,
little one, I tell you every time. You've got to get used to this. It’s always
going to happen. I just love you too much to stop torturing you."

 
He put me
down and I grabbed him into a hug. I have not seen him since his big fight. A
lot of the swelling was gone and the bruises were turning yellow and green.

 
"Did I
tell you how amazing you were to watch? But if I haven’t yet then let me add,
Stop dragging it out!"

 
 
“
Ha
,ha,ha
,
that's funny. You know full well if I take them down too fast, the promoters
don't make as much money. If they don't, I don't. It’s all part of the game,
Sadie. I got it under control. Don't you worry your pretty little self about
me, I'm a big boy." He flexes as he says it making his chest muscle go up
and down in opposite turns. I just slap his chest and turn to find Heather. She
was sitting in a chair, staring off into space. What the hell could I do to
help her? I walked over and asked if she wanted a drink.

 
She just
held up her hand to show me she already had a beer. Jason walked over and
leaned down. He brushed her hair to the side and kissed her forehead. You could
just see that they were made for each other. I excused myself and walked up to
the bar where I found Shawn standing there talking to Bryan. I went up and gave
them both hugs and said hello. Bryan was complaining about all the crappy
shifts he has been getting at work. Shawn just explained it was a round robin
schedule. Everyone had to take turns for the hot nights. I was getting bored
listening to them go back and forth so I attempted to walk around to the other
side of the bar to get a drink. But luck wasn't on my side. Shawn broke
conversation with Bryan and called for me to wait up. I stopped walking and
turned as he quickly caught up.

 
"What's
going on, Sadie?"

 
"What
do you mean, Shawn?"

 
"Please,
don't play stupid. Why was Heather freaking out that night? And why were you
screaming at her?"

 
"Shawn,
I'm not doing this with you and sure as hell not here."

 
I turned to
walk away when he got louder.

 
"I
don’t fucking get it! I pass out and all of a sudden you’re screaming at
Heather to get out of the bed with me. Why the fuck is everybody mad?"

 
I didn't get
the chance to respond. Jason’s fist came out of nowhere and with contact, broke
Shawn’s jaw immediately. But he didn't stop with one hit, he kept going and
going. Girls were screaming. Guys were trying to pull Jason off Shawn. Nothing
was working until Mike showed up and took Jason down. Everyone stood there in
shock. I was spanning the room when I saw Heather. She was standing toward the
back with her eyes about to pop out of her head and her hands covering her open
mouth. I immediately started moving, attempting to get through the tide of
people all moving toward the scene to get a better look, while I was trying to
go against it. It seemed to take forever but I finally made it. I grabbed her
so hard and flung my arms around her. She was shaking terribly.

 
"Heather,
it’s going to be okay. It’s okay. It’s all going to be okay."

 
I just kept
repeating those same words over and over but her shaking didn't simmer down one
bit. I pulled out of the hug and grabbed her hand. We needed to get out of
there, fast. I started walking, never letting go of her hand, but she was locked
in place, she wouldn’t budge. I turned to see what was keeping her from moving
and that is when I saw a freight train coming right for her.

CHAPTER
11

 
Jason
looked like he was on a war path. Mike was still trying to rein him in, but the
sea parted for Jason. He was in front of Heather in no time.

 
"Is
this why you have been acting so weird? Tell me now, Heather! Tell me what the
fuck is going on! I walk by Sadie and Shawn and all I heard is you were in bed
with Shawn before I exploded. When the fuck did you cheat on me? Huh? Why the
fuck didn't you tell me?
God!"

 
Jason turned
around and punched the first wall he could get close enough to.

 
Heather was
sobbing to the point I thought she was hyperventilating. She just stared at
Jason and shook her head back and forth over and over and over again.

 
"How
could you do this to me? I loved you! Didn’t you know that? Huh, didn’t you
know I would have done anything for you?
You stupid bitch!"
Tears started forming in his eyes. With that, Mike pulled Jason out the door.

 
I wasn’t
sure if they left or not. But it wasn’t like I had a chance to find out either.

 
When the
saga of Heather and Jason died off, everyone refocused on Shawn, who was lying
on the bar floor unconscious. I left Heather and ran over to him, shoving
people out of the way. I kept pushing people back away from him. I was not
going to let anyone move him for fear of a head injury. Sirens were being heard
in the distance. It all seemed to be happening at once. I don’t know if I blacked
out or what. All the noise faded out and time was standing still. All of a
sudden I could hear someone saying
its
okay
m’am
’, we've got it. I kept swatting away hands but that
voice kept returning.

 
 
“We have the situation under control. Please,
step aside; we will take good care of him." When it became clear, I could
see the paramedics stabilizing Shawn’s neck and putting him on a stretcher.
Bryan came over to me and put his arms around me.

 
“He’s tough,
Sadie. Shawn is going to be just fine."

 
I turned
into his chest and just lost it. I cried so hard. I cried for Shawn. I cried
for Jason. I cried for Heather. I even cried for myself. I just stayed in Bryan’s
arms until all my tears were shed. He continued to rub his hands up and down my
back soothing me. When I felt like I could pull it together, the ambulance was
loading Shawn. We all watched it drive away in shock and then it hit me, where
was Heather? I walked back to where I had just left her, but she wasn't there.
I scanned the room and found her sitting back over at the lane we had been
bowling at a few minutes ago. This seems insane because it felt like a lifetime
had passed.

 
She was with
Dave and Geoff. Bryan walked over with me. When I got there, Heather was in a
state of shock. She had her eyes open but it was as if she could see through
whatever was in front of her. I crouched down and looked her in the eye.

 
"Heather,
hey it’s me, Sadie. I'm here honey. I'm right here."

 
No response
was coming from her. I stayed there and rubbed her legs, waiting for some kind
of response. In the meantime, the guys were talking. I started hearing words
like ‘jail’ and ‘kicked out’, so I paid attention. Dave was the one talking
now.

 
"They
can't find out it was him."

 
Bryan spoke
up and said, “What about his hand? The boxing league will kick him out if he
gets an assault charge."

 
Geoff was
next, "There is no way Shawn isn't going to report him. That's if he even
makes it
through,
or all the people over there giving
their report to the cops. We don't know how fucked up Shawn is. If shit really
goes down, Jason could be looking at attempted murder. He is a skilled fighter.
The law considers his hands deadly weapons. This isn't going away guys. The
crazy shit is just getting started."

 
When that
last sentence was spoken, Heather finally came out of her trance.

 
She must
have been listening because she just stood up and screamed, "No!" She
ran like a bat out of hell through the alley and out the door. I was right
behind her. She stopped at the car and I was there to grab her again in another
hug.

 
“How can
this be happening? How could I have done this? Sadie, I don't even fucking remember!"

 
I had
nothing. What could I say? I stayed quiet for a while before I said,

 
"You
didn't do this. You didn't do anything tonight other than get your heart ripped
out. They did this, not you. Do you understand me?"

 
 
I wasn’t sure if I even believed what was
coming from my mouth. It’s not that I blamed Heather for what happened tonight.
It was just the fact that she slept with Shawn that started all this. That was
her choice. She didn't respond. She just continued to cry. The ambulance was
now gone and I had a decision to make. I needed to go to the hospital to be
there for Shawn but I also needed to take care of my best friend. I wanted to
call Mike and see how Jason was doing with all this too. I felt like I was
being pulled into a million directions. Heather always would come first. That
part was easy. The rest sucked ass. So I grabbed her, forced her to look me in
the eye and said, “It’s time to go."