Chapter Text
Chapter One - Tainted Love
The dark saturated clouds rumbled in the distance as an angry storm brewed against the luminous sky. The sea waves raged violently against the sand, pushing back and forth and spraying the water upwards on impact.
10-year-old Raelle Collar and 11-year old Scylla Ramshorn huddled together in a circle of glass formations that had been meticulously created by Scylla. The young blue-eyed brunette had been running up and down the beach with Raelle, collecting pieces of glass after the lightning had struck the sand
The smell was overpowering, a lingering stench of salt and seaweed filling the air as the wind grew to an icy gale. The rain hammered down like shards of glass and the lightning streaked, emblazoning the sky like a New Year’s Eve fireworks display
Raelle was drenched, her usually wispy blonde hair stuck to her forehead like a slimy resin as she stood impatiently, trying to get the other girl’s attention “Scylla, I gotta get home, momma is going to kill me” she yelled, her southern drawl coming out thick while the thunder echoed around her
Scylla didn’t flinch, she was too busy looking at her master creation that she had made in the sand. “Wow, did you see that?”, she screamed, her eyes blown wide. She searched for blue orbs that always seemed to perforate the sheathing around her heart “Did you know that lightning never strikes the same place twice?”
Raelle rolled her eyes “SCYLLA!!!”, she yelled again, this time much louder and it caused the brunette to finally pay attention
“You didn’t answer my question”, Scylla asked expectantly, a small smirk tugging at her bottom plump lip
Raelle stubbornly stood her ground, huffing and pouting. She crossed her arms to accentuate her point “Why do you want to marry me anyway?”
Scylla’s persian blues glowed against the bright moon and before she knew it she was walking over and reaching out to move a wet strand of hair out of the other girl’s face “So, I can kiss you anytime I want”
Raelle let her eyes close and the next moment she felt Scylla’s pillowy lips on hers
*************
15 Years Later
Scylla startled awake with a squeak, lifting her head slowly and wiping away the drool from the corner of her mouth before anybody could notice. She blinked a few times trying to focus only to realise that she was surrounded by commotion
“How could y'all let me sleep?”, she mewled softly, stretching and yawning as she attempted to lift herself off the marble desk that she had spent the last two hours sprawled over
The normally attentive brunette can’t even remember closing her eyes and right now, sleep wasn’t an option, not when she was on the cusp of a major deadline
Scylla’s assistant Anacostia, hovered over the brunette’s shoulder before placing a hot cup of coffee down on the table. “Don’t worry, it’s decaf”, she clarified with a wink. “Ya know, that southern drawl of yours is so much stronger when you’re sleeping”, the dark-haired girl added before returning back to her work
Scylla pouted, her cheeks flushing a light pink “What did I say?”, she asked timidly, fearful that her mouth had somehow hijacked her unconscious mind and revealed all her darkest secrets
Scylla was well and truly aware that she muttered things in her sleep, things about her past that she preferred to keep private. Memories that she had strategically buried deep down in the pit of her stomach where it was hidden away from the rest of the world. She had lost count how many times she had woken up in the middle of the night, covered in sweat with visions of a blonde girl with blue eyes slowly receding from her mind
It was kind of haunting
She remembers the last time it had happened where she woke up in a panic, clutching at her chest like her heart was being squeezed through a vice. After pulling herself together she sighed in relief when she saw her boyfriend, Porter, was still fast asleep next to her.
It had been four years since she last laid eyes on the charming blonde. Four years since she was in the same space as the girl who never had an issue making her heart dance inside her chest. Those blue eyes were like a calm waterfall in the middle of a tropical rainforest and her seductive grin captivated her morning, noon and night.
Scylla’s heart however; currently belonged to Porter but, that didn’t mean there wasn’t a residue left behind by the blonde who had stained her heart in the most maddening way
“You said that we’re all getting massive pay rises”, Izadora chirped in from across the room. The strange and quirky woman pulled out her measuring tape and continued doing the final checks on all the outfits for the upcoming fashion show. The normally stoic woman was the main dressmaker and if something didn’t fit right on one of the models, not only would Scylla’s reputation be tarnished, Izadora would never work in the industry again
Scylla rolled her eyes “I think we should call it a night. We have a big day tomorrow”
There was a round of cheers before everyone started packing up their stuff. It was well after midnight when they all shuffled out the door, giving Scylla a hug on their way out.
Scylla Ramshorn is a fashion designer who currently lives in New York and dating the most eligible bachelor in the city, Porter Tippet. She started dating the handsome and endearing man two years ago when they met at a charity gala. She had been there to promote her new line of spring flavours from bright colourful dresses to conservative long line suits while Porter attended to promote a local charity called fashion revolution
It wasn’t long before they started dating and Scylla was introduced to Porter’s mother, Gwen, who happened to be the Mayor of New York. To say the older woman was cold and ruthless would be an understatement and as Scylla quickly discovered, the Tippet’s lived and breathed politics. She hated it. She hated the narcissism that ruled the political world and the attention that came with it but soon found herself bearing no malice and accepting it when she started falling in love with Porter.
It didn’t take long for them to become a power couple, constantly followed by the paparazzi and their faces landing on every major newspaper and magazine in the city
At first, it was hard for Scylla being in the spotlight because she came with a past, a past that she wanted to keep private. She knew the press could be brutal when it came to a story and the last thing she wanted was her dirty laundry spilled across every major news outlet in the city.
Other than Porter, Scylla has another love in her life and that is her business. The smart and brilliant brunette is the owner of the lucrative fashion label Ramshorn, and much like Prada, Armani and Gucci, she wanted a one-word label that would one day sit alongside other fashion royalty. She is the head designer of a small team consisting of a marketing designer, two dressmakers and an assistant.
When she first arrived in New York, all she had was a duffel bag and a map. It wasn’t long after that she met Anacostia and Izadora at a fashion show convention in downtown Boston. They hit it off straight away and became really good friends and through Anacostia’s connections within the industry, Scylla got her first big break.
The fashion label Ramshorn was born
Scylla grew up in a small town called the cession with a population of 2500 people. There weren’t a lot of opportunities and most young people who lived there had to move to a big city if they wanted anything that resembled a career.
Scylla’s parents made very little money, skimming the poverty line and often scraping by week after week on a single pay cheque that was earned by her father who worked at the local mill. It was casual work so the hours were all over the place but it was a job. Scylla’s mother stayed at home most of the time and occasionally entered her cakes into the local competitions that were run throughout the year. They usually won trays of beef that had been donated by the local farm. It wasn’t money but it was food on the table
Although Scylla didn’t have a lot growing up, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that her parents loved her and if they could, they would have given her the world.
At 22, she quickly discovered that her only chance of making something with life was to leave. It wasn’t an easy decision so leaving in the middle of the night, with nothing but a duffel bag hanging over her shoulder was her only choice.
Her parents woke up the next morning to a note that said I love you but I need to do this
Four years later, life was pretty wonderful.
Not only was Scylla dating a very handsome man, her career was booming and she had two of the greatest friends anybody could ever ask for. Life was pretty damn perfect
********
After Scylla locked up her studio she walked the familiar path towards her two-bedroom apartment that sat right in the heart of the city. It was warm and calm and nights like this really made Scylla love living in such a vibrant city. The way the gorgeous parts of New York would light up in every colour known to man, the way the lights reflected off the windows of the buildings causing wonderous hues. It was beautiful
As soon as Scylla opened her apartment door, she was met with a scatter of rose petals that painted the floor, creating a path that lead to several large bouquets of red roses. There must have been hundreds of them, scattered meticulously around the room and she knew straight away that they were from Porter. The man was a charming, a modern-day Romeo and she would be lying if she said it didn’t send the butterflies in her stomach fluttering.
Scylla slid off her jacket and hung it on the hook by the door along with her bag before she walked over to the answering machine. With a smile, she pressed the button to listen to the message and not a second later a familiar voice caressed her ears
“Hey sweety! Listen, I know you must be exhausted so I wanted to do something special for you that would make you smile. There is a rose for every time I thought about you today. Good luck tomorrow and see you at the show”
The message ended and Scylla felt like she was floating on a cloud. She really felt like she was the luckiest girl in the world
After taking a hot shower and changing into her sleepwear, Scylla collapsed on the bed. It had been a long and busy day and she knew tomorrow was going to be even bigger. She needed a good night sleep and could only hope that for tonight only, her dreams weren’t tainted by the memories of a gorgeous blonde girl with blue eyes
*******
It was a madhouse, like someone released a fox in a room full of rabbits.
“We are officially late”, Scylla cursed loudly as she adjusted the neon aubergine top on one of the models.
When they first left the studio, they were making good time but everything was thrown upside down when Izadora realised a little too late that she had forgotten the most important box, the box that contained the 1st round of outfits. After a lot of swearing and cursing from Scylla, they went back to the studio and grabbed it and were now running late
“SCYLLA” came a loud voice from across the room. The brunette snapped her head up to see one of the interns squashed in the middle of an army of people, her eyes full of panic. Scylla immediately ran over to her “Yes, what’s wrong?”, she asked, trying to keep her voice calm even though she was about ready to lose it.
Scylla was used to stress, it was part of the job, but being head designer at her first fashion show that literally had every major designer in the world attending, nothing could have prepared her for that.
Many sleepless nights got her here and she wasn't about to let herself be swallowed up by the madness of it all
“This top is not working” the intern said, scrunching together her perfectly manicured eyebrows
Scylla ran her eyes over the top, pulling at the shoulders and tugging it down at the waist. Her head tilted left then right, face scrunching up like she was chewing on a lemon “It's not sitting right because it's on backwards” she finally answered before running off again
People were everywhere and Scylla needed a moment to catch her breath. She stepped off to the side, pinching the bridge of her nose and taking a couple of deep breaths before her eyes locked onto a handsome man walking towards her. All the stress she had been carrying just melted away as she gazed into his blue eyes.
“I am so happy to see you Porter”, she said before kissing him chastely on the lips
Porter gave his girlfriend a big charming grin, his white teeth glowing against the light “You’re going to be great sweety. I am sorry but I have to go and meet mum out the front but I’ll see you after the show ok. Good luck” he said before giving her a small kiss on the cheek and disappearing back into the crowd
Scylla exhaled a breath as she watched Porter leave, Anacostia joining her a second later “Please tell me Mr Perfect has a flaw somewhere?”
Scylla rolled her eyes and giggled “Nope! He is pretty damn perfect Ana.” She looked up at the clock on the wall and grabbed her friend by the elbow “Come on, it’s almost showtime”
*******
Out the front of the plaza hotel, photographers and journalists shamelessly pushed each other to secure the best position for photos.
The fashion show titled - Fire On The Runway by Scylla Ramshorn, was the hottest ticket in town and everybody who was somebody in the fashion world was there.
A stretch limousine pulled up to the curb and Porter extended his hand to assist his mother out of the car, the camera’s flashing madly as soon as the mayor placed a heel down on the red carpet.
Once the older woman had straightened out her tailored suit, she leaned in and whispered in her son’s ear “This better be all worth it Porter. I had to cancel a very important meeting for this”
Porter rolled his eyes “Mother, this is Scylla’s big night. I am sure whoever you cancelled on will understand. Come on, let’s get inside before the show starts”
Mayor Tippet huffed out her displeasure “Wouldn’t want to miss the grand event”, she sneered under her breath but luckily Porter hadn’t heard the comment.
As he led his mother along the red carpet, he could hear reporters yelling out to them
Reporter A – “Mayor Tippet, what are your thoughts on Porter and Scylla’s relationship?”
Reporter B – “Do you think they will get married soon?”
Reporter C – “Mayor Tippet, is Scylla worthy of your son?”
Porter bit his tongue and held onto his mother's elbow, ushering her along. He was used to the media and although he knew his mother didn’t approve of his relationship with Scylla, he was proud of her and proud of their relationship
Being an only child and born into politics forced Porter’s parents to become overprotective. His parents are both politicians and the generation of Tippet’s before them were ingrained in the political world in one way or another. Extreme wealth came with the territory so when Porter fell in love with Scylla, a simple girl with nothing to offer but a questionable past, Gwen only saw her as a money grubber.
********
The main showroom was grand in scale, decorated in white chiffon that draped from the roof and across the back of all the chairs. The spotlights beamed, zooming around the room and across the runway which was set up like a modern-day wedding chapel. The first row of seats were full, taken up by A-list celebrities, designers, editors and high-profile elitists.
On the wall at the top of the runway was the name Scylla Ramshorn in big blue neon lettering and just behind the red velvet curtain stood the brunette herself, trying everything in her power to not pass out from nerves
The audience was animated, some excited to see the fresh designs and appreciate the craftsmanship that went into each piece while others ready to critique the hell out of it all, visually deconstruct each and every outfit and find its flaws.
Scylla, more than anything wanted to make sure the message behind her designs was received loud and clear so everything had to be perfect. This is what she waited her whole life for, this moment.
When the spotlight stopped right on the curtain and the music started to build, the energy in the room lifted. Scylla did a final pull and tug on the outfit of the first model before tapping her on the shoulder to send her out. Scylla held her breath as model after model hit the runway. The hard work had been done, now she just hoped that it was all worth it.
********
A loud pop from a champagne bottle filled the room as everyone celebrated a successful show. The reviews were already coming in thick and fast, most of them praising Scylla for a job well done, while the odd critic gave a negative review. Scylla was proud as she stood with her team and a few of the models as they took the official photos. Her eyes softened when she spotted Porter squeezing his way through the mass of reporters before she politely excused herself
“Congratulations sweety” Porter praised before he lifted the brunette off the ground, spinning her around in a kiss
Scylla placed her arms around Porters neck, kissing him back “Thank you for the flowers and for coming tonight”
He placed her back on the ground and wrapped his arms around her waist “I just wanted the day to be perfect for you. Are you still ok for that thing later?”
Scylla quirked a brow “What thing?”
“The fund raiser”
“Oh, yes that thing.” Scylla had completely forgot about it or more to the point, chose not to remember. Spending an evening with Porter’s mother and her snooty counterparts was not her idea of a good time
“I have to go, I have a meeting but I will pick you up later ok”, he said quickly before turning and walking back through the crowd of photographers
Nipping at her bottom lip, Scylla couldn’t help but allow her mind to wander back to the blonde girl with blue eyes, wondering what she may have thought of today. Her heart felt heavy all of a sudden as she gazed around the room, smiling faces beaming back at her.
Forcing her mind out of the past, Scylla re-joined her friends to finish celebrating her achievement.
*********
Scylla was dressed to impress wearing one of her own designs, a black off the shoulder long dress with silver earrings and a matching clutch purse. Porter picked her up in a black limousine and after a short drive they pulled up at a secluded laneway tucked away from the main street.
Scylla took Porter's hand and stepped out of the limo before looking around at the strange surroundings “Um, are we at the right place Porter?”
Porter gave his girlfriend a soft smile “Don’t worry sweety, we are just taking the back entrance to avoid the cameras and reporters”
Scylla didn’t question it further and followed Porter to a red door. Once inside, they walked down a corridor while Scylla rambled on about her fashion show and how excited she was that New York fashion magazine, Sleek, gave her a rave review. Sleek magazine just happened to be the biggest fashion magazine in the world and if you got a good review from them, then you were doing pretty well.
Porter and Scylla were greeted by a well-dressed man who gave them a kind smile. He waited a few seconds before he opened the door and motioning for them inside
“I can’t see a thing Porter” Scylla complained and not a second later, all the lights flickered on, illuminating the whole room like it was Christmas
Scylla gasped, realising that she was standing in one of the largest jewellery stores in New York. She bit back a shiver and pressed her hand against her racing heart
Porter grabbed a hold of Scylla’s hands and turned to face her “Scylla Ramshorn, I love you and want to spend the rest of my life making you happy. Will you marry me?”
Scylla eyes blew wide and the first thing she thought of was the blonde that had taken over her dreams for the last four years. Her heart rattled against her ribs and she felt all the air leave her lungs
“Porter, are you sure that this is what you want?”, she asked hesitantly, hoping that he just had a split-second lapse in judgement
Porter shifted on his feet and looked around uncomfortably. There were at least 10 staff inside the store who were all standing behind a counter, patiently waiting to be of service. Porter cleared his throat, a little thrown off by Scylla’s question and slightly embarrassed that he didn’t get a “yes” straight off the bat
“Scylla, you know I never ask a question I don’t already know the answer to?”
Scylla mulled on it for a moment and looked around the room. Her heart wasn’t slowing down, in fact she thought if it went any faster she would probably end up going into cardiac arrest and dying right in the middle of the jewellery store. The brunette’s eyes met Porter’s and softened, remembering that the so-called blonde was her past and Porter was her future. That even though the blonde had owned her heart once upon a time, Porter owned it now
“Yes, I will marry you”
Porters eyes widened and his face lit up with a smile. He looked around the room and then back at his now fiancé and said “Pick one”
*******
Scylla and Porter kissed and cuddled in the back of the limousine on their way to the fundraiser. The night had been pretty perfect with not only Scylla getting great reviews for her show but also a dream proposal. She should have been feeling like she was floating on a white cloud, drifting aimlessly towards her amazing future. Instead, she felt like she just swallowed a giant frog and it was throwing a party in her belly and not in a good way.
Porter took Scylla's hand, the one with the ring on it, and kissed it softly "Wait till I tell my mother we're getting married, she will freak out", he said chuckling "Are you going to call your parents?"
Scylla froze, carefully easing her hand away at the mention of her parents. "Um, yes I will", was all she said. The fashion designer’s relationship with her parents wasn’t exactly on the best of terms, not since she packed her bags one night and left home without so much as a goodbye.
Although Scylla thought about her parents often, she had never had the courage to reach out to them because reaching out to them meant opening the door to her past and her past came with heartache. It also came with a blonde with blue eyes that she was trying so hard to forget
Porter pulled out his phone and offered it to Scylla "Call them now"
Scylla gently pushed the phone away, not wanting to seem hostile "Not tonight. I promise I will tell them"
Porter furrowed his brow "When am I going to get to meet them? Hopefully before the wedding?"
Scylla sat back in the seat and sighed. The last thing she wanted to do was open up about her past to her new fiancé, especially when that particular past included a girl with shimmering blue orbs and a grin that could make anyone do anything. It also included a life of memories she had left behind and didn’t really want to revisit "You will. It's just been a while since I spoke to them. I'd like to tell them first if that's okay?"
Porter shuffled closer, stroking his fiancé’s cheek softly "Scylla, of course. Whatever you need. I can't wait to marry you and have a big New York wedding"
Scylla grabbed Porters hand that had been touching her cheek and held it "Do we really need to have a big wedding? I mean, can't we have something small?" Just the thought of getting married in front of the press and their wedding put on the front page of every magazine in New York made Scylla’s stomach churn.
"Scylla, once the media get news of this there will be no way to keep it small. Plus, my mother won't stand for something small"
"Your mother doesn't even like me" Scylla scoffed
Porter cupped Scylla's cheeks "My mother isn't marrying you. I am and I love you", he said, before pulling her into a kiss and all Scylla could do was kiss him back
********
As expected, the fundraiser was full of political prestige, held at very boutique Sherry Netherland hotel in Manhattan and was invitation only
Mayor Tippet stepped out of the limousine and the press was quick to shove their microphones in her face. The older woman smiled, her crow’s feet wrinkles stretching across her face as she walked along the red-carpet waving like a monarch
A young bald reporter yelled out at the passing mayor "Mayor Tippet, care to make a comment about your sons recent engagement?"
The mayor’s eyebrow ticked up incredulously as her disbelieving eyes floated to the man that made such a ludicrous comment "Trust me, if my son were getting married, I'd have a comment", she answered, her tone formal and assertive
A few steps behind the mayor, Porter and Scylla walked along the red carpet, waving at the press. Scylla put on her best fake smile as she followed her fiancés towards the entrance of the hotel. She couldn’t help but feel her stomach drop when she spotted the horrid woman waiting for them at the bottom of the steps
“Hello mother”, Porter said as he leaned in to give the older woman a kiss on her cheek. Scylla moved forward into what could only be described as the world’s most awkward hug while trying to hide the bling on her left hand. "Nice to see you again Mrs Tippet"
Mayor Tippet pulled back from the hug, suddenly blinded by a shimmying light that was coming from the diamond on Scylla's finger. Gwen's eyes shot straight to the brunette’s hand before she yanked it up to her face. Without letting go of Scylla’s hand, Gwen turned to look directly at her son, eyebrow raised "Porter, I assume this is a friendship ring?"
Porter’s face flushed and he looked around, suddenly realising the cat was out of the bag "No, it's an engagement ring mother"
Mayor Tippet’s mouth dropped open and all the blood drained from her face "YOU’RE GETTING MARRIED?", she screamed, and that was it, the reporters attacked like a swarm of sharks at feeding time.
Reporter A – "Mayor Tippet, do you approve of this wedding?”
Reporter B – "Porter, when is the big day?”
Reporter C – “Scylla, when are you having Porter’s baby?”
Scylla felt like the world was spinning in the wrong direction. Tasting the bitterness of what her future could look like she closed her eyes. Everything sounded muffled around her and before she knew it, she was being tugged hard on the arm before disappearing inside the building. She knew the announcement of her engagement to Porter would be big news, she just didn’t expect that.
Truthfully, she wasn’t even sure she wanted that. A life in the spotlight. It was different being recognised as a fashion designer because that was born from her own hard work and talent, but being known as Porter’s Tippet’s wife left her feeling a little green around the gills
********
Scylla couldn’t focus
The brunette paced up and down her apartment, clearly agitated. “I have a problem” she finally said before taking a generous sip of her wine
“Can you stop pacing, you’re making me dizzy”, Anacostia complained as she sat next to Izadora on the two-seater couch
“Do we need alcohol for this?” Izadora asked, a smirk forming on her lips. The plain faced brown-haired girl always made sure alcohol was present when one of them was having a mid-life crisis and going by the perspiration sitting above the brunette’s brow, it was definitely the right time
Sighing silently, Scylla stared at her friends before the words just came tumbling out “I need to go back home.” ......... “To the cession”, she added, anticipating that one or both of them would start an interrogation. Her money was on Anacostia
Anacostia and Izadora looked at each other, their faces blank. They really didn’t know what to say. In the time that they have been friends with Scylla, she had only mentioned the cession once and the conversation was shut down faster than a runaway train
“You need to go back home?” Anacostia tried to clarify, still not quite understanding what she had heard
Scylla glanced at her friends and on the outside, she looked calm but, on the inside, she was a nervous wreck. She walked over to a nearby cabinet and grabbed herself a bottle of something a little stronger than wine, her single malt whiskey. She poured herself a glass and threw it back, before pouring another one “Porter asked me to marry him last night”
Izadora's jaw dropped to the floor and she was about to scream when Scylla held up her hand to stop her
“WAIT” Scylla barked “Before you scream and get all excited, I can’t marry him”
Both sets of eyebrows scrunched together before Izadora stated the obvious “Um, the most eligible bachelor in New York has asked you to marry him and you can’t?”
Scylla felt her throat tighten, the whiskey already going to her head “That’s why I need to go back to the cession. I can’t marry Porter, because I am still…. I am still…..married to Raelle”
“WHAT?”, Anacostia and Izadora yelled together
“Who is Raelle?”, the dark-skinned woman questioned, raising an unimpressed eyebrow. In the time that she had known Scylla she had never heard of a girl named Raelle or the fact that her best friend was married to her
“My high school sweetheart”, Scylla confirmed, eyes roaming the room
“You married your high school sweetheart? When?” Anacostia questioned again and damn if she was going to stop. Scylla was like family to her and this was big news
Scylla started pacing again
“Okay, okay wait”, Izadora interrupted, rising from the couch “Let me get this straight. You can’t marry Porter because you are already married to Raelle who is your high school sweetheart?”
“WAS, my high school sweetheart”, Scylla corrected firmly. She cradled the glass of whiskey against her chest but continued to explain “Raelle and I got married when we were 18 and at the time she was the love of my life. When I moved to New York I served her with divorce papers but she never signed them and after a while I just forgot about it”
Now Anacostia was on her feet, eyes widened dramatically “I thought you left your past in your past Scylla?”, she stated, a little harsher than she meant
Scylla turned to fully face the woman who she’d come to know as family. Inhaling sharply, she ran her hand through her chocolate brown hair “I thought I did Ana”
Izadora joined them with a more relaxed demeanour than she had before. She reached out and placed a hand Scylla’s shoulder “You haven’t been back there in 4 years Scylla. I thought you didn’t want to even think about the past, let alone go back. I mean, every time one of us mentioned it you practically bit our heads off”
Scylla could feel her eyes getting wet “I know Iza but what choice do I have? I can’t marry Porter if I am married to Raelle…Not legally anyway. Having to face my parents is one thing, but facing Raelle”
“Do you want us to come with you?” Anacostia asked in a soft tone and although the older woman was often quite bossy, she knew that right now Scylla needed an understanding friend
Scylla shook her head “No, its fine. I just need to go there, get the papers signed and get out. It will be fine. 2 days tops”
“Does Porter even know about any of this?” Izadora asked with a raised eyebrow although she had a feeling she already knew the answer going by the fear flooding through the brunette’s eyes
Scylla dropped her gaze, unable to face the scrutiny she knew was coming. It’s not like she was trying to hide anything from Porter, apart from being married, but the past should stay in the past and bringing it up would have only caused unnecessary stress on their relationship
Anacostia could read Scylla’s face like a book “He doesn’t know you’re married? SCYLLA!”
Scylla clenched her jaw and took another sip of her whiskey. The way she was chugging back the eight-year-old liquor she’ll be as drunk as a monkey’s horse in no time “Well, like I said, I forgot about the papers until now because I didn’t think he would actually ask me to marry him”
“Scylla! You have been dating him for three and a half years. Of course, he was going to ask you to marry him”
Scylla could feel the other girl’s harsh eyes on her and instinctively went on the defensive “You know Anacostia, you’re not helping. Try and understand my position for a second because I didn’t do any of this on purpose ok. If I had my way, I wouldn’t have married Raelle in the first place” Lie……..complete lie
Izadora could feel the tension in the room. In a softer voice she asked “When was the last time you spoke to your parents?”
Exhaling, Scylla’s face turned sad as she remembered how she left things. Her parents hadn’t held a grudge at all and all they wanted to know was that Scylla was well. Their love had always been unconditional which only made Scylla feel worse about how she treated them “I haven’t spoken to them since I met Porter”
Izadora’s face dropped “Oh, are you sure you don’t want us to go with you? We can hide in the background”
Scylla shook her head offering the other girl an appreciative smile “Thanks but I need to sort this out on my own”
Izadora stepped forward and pulled the brunette into her arms "Do you know why Raelle never signed the papers?", she asked, pulling back from the hug
Scylla met her gaze, her throat tightening at the question. She really didn’t know why the blonde hadn’t signed the papers and she didn’t want to know. Raelle was stubborn and maybe she didn’t sign them because she wanted to get back at Scylla for leaving. Maybe she didn’t sign them because she felt betrayed and wanted to hold something over her. Maybe she didn’t sign them because she was still in lo….. Scylla quickly shook those thoughts away "If we are going to get into my past then we definitely need something stronger than whiskey"
Stating the obvious, Anacostia said “What’s stronger than whiskey?”
Finally loosening up a bit, Scylla smiled "Oh, I have just the thing. I will get it and you and Izadora can order the pizza"
Scylla felt the tension around her heart ease a little, grateful that she had friends like Izadora and Anacostia who supported her no matter what. Going back to the cession was something she never thought she had to do. By going back, not only did she risk running into her parents, she had to face Raelle, the girl that had a power over her like no other.
Scylla was terrified
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Early the next morning, Scylla threw her suitcase in the back of her shiny black BMW and hit the road. She packed an overnight bag knowing her stay in the cession would be brief and told Porter that she would be staying with her parents with the intention of telling them about the wedding
Lies, lies, lies……….
Scylla had no intention of visiting her parents or letting them know she was getting married. She had one goal in mind and that was to see Raelle, get the papers signed and leave without anyone else even knowing she was there
The cession held too many memories, painful memories that she wanted to let go of. Not to mention people, people who were connected to those memories that she needed to forget so she could move forward with Porter and have a future in New York. That’s where her life was now and that’s where she wanted it to stay
Scylla had it all planned out. It was a 5-hour drive to the cession so she would leave early in the morning and arrive around lunch time. She would check in at the bed and breakfast just outside of town, grab some lunch and head over to Raelle’s. Once the papers were signed she would head back to the bed and breakfast, hide out there until she had to leave the next morning and get the hell out of there. It was a solid plan…..…..right?....…
............
End of chapter 1