8. THE PAST 8

Yvonne couldn't get the explanation she wanted from Raymond on that same day. The following day, she was supposed to remind him, he woke up with a high temperature and fever which held him down for days so she forgot completely. They stayed in the beach house for more days even after his recovery. "Let's go to the beach, now that you have recovered," Yvonne told Raymond as she was feeling bored in the house. "Okay." They changed their clothes, Yvonne wore a bikini while Raymond wore short knickers. They played with the water and around on the beach till they were tired. They set up a big shade to rest and block the sun. Yvonne laid on her back while Raymond sat down facing the beach, thinking. After some time, Yvonne sat down on his lap while his hands went around her body. Suddenly, his hands tightened around her, "Mond..." She looked up to see him staring into the distance. "What is wrong, Mond?" Tapping his hand to gain his attention. "Nothing." He closed his eyes, shaking his head negatively. She stood up from his laps, "You have fully recovered so give me the explanation you were supposed to give since the first day we came here." "Babe, forget that explanation. it's none of your business." "It is since you brought it up and also since it got you sick." She stated to him. "I can't tell you, babe." "Why can't you tell me?" "I don't know where to start from and how to make you understand." He replied in frustration. She went behind him and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly, "Try me..." She waited for him to talk. "You can't understand, Yvonne. Drop this topic, it's causing my head to ache." He raised his voice at her. She hit his shoulder, "You are annoying and... Mond, One way or the other, I will get to know. Be it today, tomorrow, or any day." She yelled at him in anger. "And if I find out those things on my own in which your part is... You know me very well, Mond, very very well." "Fine. Go suit yourself." He did not bother to look at her nor did he turn in her direction. She hissed and went back into the house. He stayed outside for some time to clear his head and at the same time, give Yvonne space to cool off. Feeling relieved, he decided to go back into the house. Entering into the house, he met Susan in the sitting room smiling mischievously, and right in front of her was Yvonne on her knees in tears. He knew THE CAT HAD BEEN LET OUT OF THE BAG. At that moment, he wished he could go back in time to change some things or to even set things right. "Hey, Love." Susan saw him first as he entered. He glared at Susan with pure hatred in his eyes, "Heartless bitch. I guess you are satisfied now." "One part is done so... I am 50 percent satisfied." She smiled sheepishly at him. He knelt beside Yvonne, "Kitten, am sorry." He touched her shoulder. Yvonne shouted at him in anger, "Don't you dare touch me." She moved away from him. The look of disappointment in her eyes knocked him off his feet. He felt angry at himself, it would have been better if he had told her instead of hearing it from someone else, most especially, not from her best friend. "Kitten, It was a mistake. I can explain... I would tell you all that there is to say. Please... Talk to me, Kitten." Yvonne continues sobbing loudly, "Please stop crying, it..." Susan interrupted him before he could complete his sentence. "Let her be and let's go home, Love." He closed his eyes to contain his anger before opening them to look at her, "Shut the f**k up, Susan. Get out of this house this minute." "I am not leaving you here with this bitch." She pointed at Yvonne who was curled up in front of Raymond. "How dare you?" He stood up immediately, roaring at her. He dragged her out of the house and locked the door. She banged the door for some time and left. He went over to Yvonne and carried her in a bridal style. She struggled to get down, "Put me down right this minute... Let me go... Put me down!!!" "Am sorry, Kitten. Let me bathe you and then we would talk, please." He pecked her forehead and she stopped struggling, resting her head on his shoulder. He prepared a bath for her, undressed her, and helped her into the bathtub. She pushed his hands away from her, "I need my privacy. I can bathe myself. Thanks." She said in a cold voice. He nodded sadly and went out of the bathroom, he paced from one corner to the other restlessly, thinking of how he would explain all that happened to her. He had been checking the time, she stayed in the bathroom for an hour. Immediately he heard the door opening, he moved toward her. She raised her hand before he could get closer to her, to stop his movement. He looked into her bloodshot eyes, pleadingly. She turned away and went toward the closet. Soon, she came out wearing one of his shirts like she normally does every night. "At least there is still hope." He thought to himself. She went to sit on a couch, he sat across from her, "So..." "Kitten, am sorry. I did not mean to hurt you." "Yea, I believe you and that's the annoying part also why I'm giving you a chance to tell me the whole truth." He sighed, "I would... It happened on the day... I went to a club with James and my friends..." He explained everything without leaving anything out, all that happened in the club because that was what he could remember till the next morning. "I woke up with a hangover, suddenly I felt a hand on my chest, I jumped out of bed and that was when I noticed I was naked and Susan was also on my bed, naked." He bowed his head in shame. "Why can't you remember what happened? With what you said the wine you took wasn't alcoholic." He told her about his call with James that morning and what he told him. Yvonne gasped in shock and stood up in anger, "That bitch." Raymond went toward her and gently held her from behind, she relaxed into him. "Kitten, am sorry. I should have told you earlier and am sorry, I shouted at you." "Why didn't you tell me? Since two years ago?" He whispered, "I didn't want to lose you." "You might still lose me, Raymond." She said to him. He flinched at what she said, looking at her with shock and disbelieve. He did not want to lose her, he was ready to do anything even if it gets to the point of begging. "The arrangement between your Dad and hers?" She moved away from him before turning to him. Raymond looked shocked, "How did you..." "She told me about the arrangement but not the name of the guy. With what she said, I know it's you." She interrupted him, telling him what Susan told her. He explained everything to her without leaving anything out. "I kicked against it. I never begged her but gave her a warning of what would happen if I am to marry her." "And I guess, she did not stop coming after you." She said in anger to which he nodded. An awkward silence followed till he broke it, "Kitten, please don't leave me. Give me a second chance." "A second chance... I would need space from you for the next few days we would stay here." "Baby, please. This was what I have been afraid of." Raymond pleaded. "You should have told me when it happened. The person you told was James. Fine, he told you what he saw and the next thing, you should have done was to tell me." "Kitten..." She raised her hand to stop him. A tear rolled down her face, "Raymond, you kept it from me for 2 years." She raised two of her fingers, emphasizing the two. "If she hadn't told me, you won't have. I am trying to digest what happened and think but being around you or seeing you won't let me." Knowing, there was no other way to avoid what she said, "Okay. But I never meant to hurt you in any way, Kitten." He pecked her on the lips and left. She followed him to lock it and right at the door, she broke down in tears. It had felt like her heart was breaking into pieces while Susan was talking, if Raymond had told her, she would have forgiven him and tried to forget what happened. But she doesn't understand was why did it have to be her best friend of all the girls in the world. "Why her?" She screamed, her voice echoed within the room.