Chapter 65 Not This Time

Anna ended the call and the phone slipped from her nerveless fingers. She wrapped her arms around her self and lost it. Ugly crying was an understatement as her face went red and her eyes rolled with tears and sobs that racked her body until she felt like she would blackout.
“Anna, please stop you’ll hurt yourself,” Bess said softly as she wrapped Anna in a hug. She rocked her friend and met Nathan’s eyes over her shaking shoulders. The worry on her face was more than echoed in his eyes.
“I can’t. I’ve gone through so much to be with him and I find him in bed with Isabel. How could he do this to me?”
Bess pulled back and pushed Anna’s hair back. Anna’s face was pale and tear-stained and her blue eyes looked enormous in her face. “I don’t know hon, Sometimes people make stupid mistakes.”
“This is not a mistake. I have put up with his mother and sister for years and since our anniversary party, it’s been a hundred times worse. These last few months have been misery.”
“Then why stay with him? “
“Because I love him. Loved him.” She corrected sadly looking down at her ringless fingers. “why did I let this go on for so long?”
“Why do we do anything for anyone? Because you love him. I think you should talk to him, Anna.”
“What’s the point? He’s just going to lie to me again. Too many things have happened between us. He’s jealous, our trust in each other has been tested by god knows how many things, and now he’s in bed with Isabel. How can I live with that?”
“Anna, maybe there is an explanation.”
“What explanation? In what romance novel world is that possible? He was naked in our bed with Isabel in his arms, there is no explanation.”
“Oh Anna, I’m sorry.”
“Can I do anything?” Nathan asked putting a gentle hand on Anna’s shoulder.
“No, I just need to get somewhere that I can think and decide what to do.”
“Grab your stuff lets go to my house, John may figure it out but I won’t let him in unless you ask me to.”
“He’s right Anna, we need to go because I’m sure John’s on his way.”
Anna nodded and walked with Bess and Nathan toward the elevator. Tears were still running down her cheeks and she was beginning to feel numb like she was when the world went black and she died. Just like the fear she’d felt as she knew her life was slipping away, the fear that her dream of loving and being loved by John was dying too.
Nathan hit the down button as he met Bess’s eyes and Anna caught the look but ignored it. The numbness and misery was spreading up her body and currently wrapping around her heart. She was exhausted all the way down to her bone marrow. The bell dinged alerting them that the elevator had arrived and they turned to step in and froze in place.
John leaned against the elevator door supported by his friend. He looked blearily out at the three of them standing there and his eyes immediately shot to Anna. Anna wanted to run, a voice screamed inside her to run, but the numbness had closed over her encasing her in icy detachment.
“Anna please listen to me,” John said as he stumbled forward. “It’s not what it looked like.”
Anna was tired and sick at heart of all the things they’d had to overcome since she came back here. Five years of misery was enough, but to come back in time and face this and fail was far worse.
“No, I said what I needed to on the phone. I’m done.”
“Anna my mother gave Isabel a drug to put in my drink. She barely got me to bed without help.”
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard! John you couldn’t come up with anything better, this is not a lifetime movie.” Anna shouted as the ice melted under the heat of her anger.
“Anna please believe me.” He begged to reach for her.
“Don’t’ touch her.” Bess said stepping between them, “She said no.”
“Bess I don’t want to have to move you but I will. I have to fix this.”
Bess was gently moved aside as Anna stepped forward. She was tired of being miserable. “I made myself clear, I’m done with the lies, I’m done with drama and I’m done trying to make this work. If the universe was ever against anyone I’d say it’s against us. The universe is trying to tell us something and I‘m ready to listen.”
“Anna, I swear I’m not lying, I love you.”
“I can’t believe you john. It’s over.” She said as she pushed past him and got onto the elevator.
John surged forward and grabbed her arm pulling her close. “Please” he begged but she pushed him back against the wall.
“NO! There is nothing you can say that will make this okay, stay away from me.” Bess and Nathan got on the elevator with her avoiding his eyes. The elevator door slid closed on Anna’s glaring eyes and a face full of fresh tears.