One Door Closes

It was late morning when Selene woke up on her bed in the blue room. She felt the warm body behind her and, remembering the events of the previous night, she turned over to see Lucy's tear-covered face tilted up at her under the comforter. She still had a crumpled-up tissue in her hand, which was raised to her nose as if it had stopped in mid-wipe.

"Poor thing," Selene thought, as she gently moved a few strands of hair that had fallen on her friend's face off to the side.

That seemed to set off a fresh set of tears as Lucy choked out, "I'm awake."

"I'm sorry," Selene quickly said as she drew her friend in for a hug. "I didn't mean to wake you."

But Lucy shook her head and told her, "You didn't. I've barely slept."

After Selene rubbed her back for a little while, Lucy calmed down, and only a few sniffles could be heard. "Still pretty raw, huh?," she asked Lucy.

Lucy only nodded not even able to open her eyes.

"Do you want to stay in bed some more, or do you want to go to the kitchen and get breakfast, or do you want me to bring you breakfast in here? Whatever your little heart wants. You let me know," Selene offered.

"Ugh, I don't think I can eat. I have no appetite. But I could use some coffee," she responded.

Selene rubbed Lucy's arm and said, "You got it. I'll be back in just a few minutes."

As she was making coffee in the kitchen, Ben came over and asked, "How is she?" He had kept the office door open so he could keep an ear out for when Selene made her way out of the bedroom that morning.

Selene shook her head and replied, "The same. She said she hasn't slept so I'm making some coffee for us."

"Do you want me to make you both some breakfast?," he offered.

"Umm, she said she has no appetite, which I don't blame her after everything. I'm a little hungry but I can always just make something quick for myself while the coffee is going," she said.

Ben waved her off and said, "You take the coffee to her, and I'll just make you something simple and bring it to you. I'll make some for Lucy too in case she changes her mind. It's getting kind of later, so you never know."

"Thank you," she said with a small smile as she knelt to grab the tray in the bottom cupboard.

When the coffee was ready, Selene carried the tray with the two cups back to the bedroom. She found Lucy sitting up staring at her phone. "Did you get another message?," she asked as she placed one cup on the night stand by Lucy, along with a bowl with sugar cubes and a teaspoon.

Lucy threw the phone down away from on the bed her toward her feet and sighed before responding with, "Only the 50 billionth one." Then she rolled her eyes, "Like I want to hear what that asshole has to say." Then she got up and said she had to use the restroom.

Selene took her own cup of coffee and sat on the bed thinking about all that happened last night after she received the call from Peter when he said, "We need your help." She had asked, "Who is we? What's going on? You're scaring me." It was then that he told her that Lucy had called him about three hours before then, asking if he could come pick her up. It was clear she had been crying but was trying not to as she was talking to him. He tried to get the story out of her over the phone but all he knew was that she had driven down to surprise Kyle who was there on a business trip, and it had clearly not gone well.

Lucy asked Peter to drive down and get her since she was in no shape to drive, so Peter took the train down and was driving Lucy's car back up. He still did not know the specifics but Lucy found out that Kyle had cheated on her. He tried to whisper that part to her on the phone, but even over the phone Selene could hear lucy start sobbing as soon as he said those words.

Peter was calling Selene to see if Lucy could stay over with her. He had offered for her to stay with him, of course, but he thought this might be one of those times where a woman needed another woman. At first Lucy didn't want to bother Selene, but Peter could just tell. And, of course, Selene insisted that he bring Lucy over as soon as they got back up to the city. Peter had stayed for a little while, but then left to go back home, exhausted from the drive.

Selene still didn't know the whole story and she didn't want to push. All she knew was that Kyle had been calling and messaging Lucy practically all night. She had just let Lucy cry on her shoulder, take a long shower, and then cry some more. She had hoped that her friend had gotten some sleep, but it didn't sound like she had.

Lucy came out of the restroom and shuffled her way back to the other side of the bed. After she sat back up on the bed, she picked up the cup of coffee and sighed. "So…," she started and then sighed again. "I don't even know where to start."

"It's ok," Selene said as she reached her hand over to rub her friends' arm. "Take your time."

Lucy began with what happened after she left Ben's place the day before and how she found Kyle's place empty. She mentioned how Patricia, Kyle's assistant, had told her that he, along with his colleagues, were on an overnight business trip. Tears were flowing as she held back the sobs. She went on, "So, figuring it was only a few hours driving distance, I decided to drive down and surprise him, since the whole picnic thing was a bust, you know?" Selene nodded with her concerned eyes.

"And, you know, Patricia knows me, so she gave me the hotel information including the hotel number and everything," Lucy continued.

It was time for Selene to sigh as she said, "Oh no. Please don't tell me."

Lucy nodded as she cried, "Not hard to figure out, right? There I am looking like a smiling idiot as I knock on his door, except he's not the one who answers it." Selene put one hand over her mouth and reached the other to hold Lucy's hand. "At first I think I have the wrong room until I hear his voice ask who is at the door and then I'm just like shocked. I didn't even know what to think, you know? Like I'm looking at her and she's looking at me like I'm the one who doesn't belong there and what am I doing there? Then he comes waltzing over and takes one look at me and, of course, typical male asshole response." She made her voice deeper in a fake imitation of Kyle's voice, "'Babe, this isn't what it looks like!' he says. Like I don't have eyes and can't see what is going on. Like I'm somehow stupid."

Selene was heartbroken for her friend. "I am so so sorry. I can't even imagine," she said.

"I think I was in shock because I didn't say one word," Lucy continued. "I just turned around and started walking back the way I came. Fuckwad couldn't even follow me because he was only in a robe. Just as I'm getting into the elevator I see a flash of him, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans but no shoes mind you, and he dares to stop the elevator doors. He starts apologizing and asking me to talk to him and I just told him to basically shut up and leave me alone. I'm pressing the close button on the elevator and then he dares put his hand on me and that's when I lost it. You know me. Sweet little Lucy right? Well, that's when the bitch must have come out of somewhere because I slapped him."

Selene looked shocked, but she exclaimed, "Good for you! He deserved much worse!" She had to stop herself from also saying "About time!"

"Seriously!," Lucy said with a little smile, "He looked stunned. He stumbled back and just said he'd call me to straighten things out and I was like don't bother," and then that's when I went back to my car and called Peter. Well, after I sat there for like 15 minutes just staring at nothing until I broke down crying for another who knows how long."

"I just can't believe it's come to this, you know?," Selene sighed.

"I know. I mean, I guess the red flags were there and I just pushed them aside," her friend considered as she thought back on the last few months. "But then, and I know this is maybe just my own paranoia, but I feel like what if this is karma because I was sort of flirting with Max?"

Selene immediately gave a small slap to Lucy's hand and snapped, "Okay, no! That is not at all it! First, of all, what you and Max did was barely flirting and if it was, it was like level 1. Not even. Level 0 point 5. And second of all, that's been like what once? Really recently? And what Kyle did was waaaaaaaay worse and I'm sorry I don't want to make you feel bad but it has probably happened more than once because like you said there were red flags for a while. So please do not put the blame on you. You have done nothing wrong. And even beyond this. It's not because you're not pretty enough or sexy enough or anything not enough. He cheated because he's a selfish dick. That's it. That is the only reason men cheat. Men cheat on super models! This was not your fault."

Lucy sighed, "I guess you're right."

"I know I'm right," Selene adamantly nodded.

She took a sip of the coffee and Lucy joined her. They both sat there for a little while just drinking coffee in silence.

Selene was about to say something when there was a knock on the door and Ben called out, "It's me with breakfast."

"Come in," she answered.

Ben gave Lucy a concerned look and asked how she was feeling. Lucy shrugged and said, "Eh, not the greatest."

He nodded and then put the tray with the food and orange juice on the dresser. "Well, I won't bother you ladies, but let me know if you want anything else."

"Thanks again," Selene said.

"Of course," he responded. Then he turned to Lucy and suggested, "Try to eat if you can or at least drink the juice so you don't get dehydrated from the coffee. I also have water here too." When Lucy nodded, he turned and left the room.

Lucy turned to Selene and said, "I know you guys are having problems but he's really sweet."

"I know. It makes it hard to stay upset with him," Selene admitted. "Not that I'm upset upset, but you know what I mean.

"Yah, I know. How are you doing anyway? I know you have a lot going on too," Lucy asked.

Lucy ended up taking Ben's advice and eating breakfast with Selene as she told her about the therapy appointment and such.

When they were done, Selene said, "I'm sorry I can't come with you to your place, but you're welcome to stay here for as long as you need."

"Thank you, but it's ok," Lucy replied. "I need to go home and just figure out what I want to do. I mean, obviously we are through, but I have stuff at his place and vice versa. I guess I'll have to talk to him at some point, but I don't know when. Maybe I'll ask Peter to come stay with me tonight. Right now, I'm kind of sleepy. Do you mind if I take a nap first?"

"Of course not," Selene responded. "Let me take all this out of here and let you rest." She grabbed the cups and put them on the breakfast tray and then took that along with the other tray out of the room with her. Closing the door to the bedroom, she let out a breath, hoping that her friend would be able to get some sleep.

When Selene was done putting everything in the kitchen and taking care of the dishes, she made her way to the office. She knocked on the door, which was ajar, and pushed it open further. Seeing Ben on the phone she made a gesture like she was sorry and backed out.

She barely had time to sit on the couch when she saw Ben walking toward her. He asked, "Did you need something?"

"No, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," Selene quickly replied, waving her hands apologetically.

Ben smiled and said, "It's ok. I can call them back," as he sat down across from her. "How's Lucy?"

"Trying to sleep. That's why I came out here," she told him. Then Selene got up and went over to sit next to him. She took his hand in hers and said, "I found out the whole story of how she found Kyle in a hotel room with some other woman, and I just can't even imagine." Ben's face showed how sad he felt for Lucy. "It just got me thinking about our own issues when it comes to trust and I guess I just want to say that I know you would never do that to me so if I can trust that, then that must mean that this relationship can be saved. It will just take time but now I know."

Ben pulled her into his embrace and held her as he said, "I love you so much."

"I love you too," she said back.

He pulled away, put his forehead on hers and teased, "And I would show you just how much if I could, but I know it's not quite the right time, right now."

Selene smiled and said, "There's always tonight."