Chapter 9 Lipstick.
~Haven.
“What the fuck is Haven's lipstick doing on your shirt!” Hannah screamed.
She gasped afterwards, scared of Walter's next words. I could tell….the way her face fell twice as pale….she was scared.
Scared of reality, scared of what had already happened.
My heart thumped.
If Hannah found out, that I'd been sleeping with Walter? Everything.. my plans to know what he truly felt for me, my plan to carry his child. It would all be gone.
Father would toss me way further than he did the last time.
“Walter ….what's this?” Hannah asked again, this time, tears streamed down her face.
My gaze remained fixed on Walter.
I waited, patiently for what he'd say.
“Yes. It's Haven's so?” Walter finally broke the ice.
My eyes widened. My heart raced….my knees weakened.
I gasped.
“What?” Hannah asked ... .her hands slowly slipped off Walter's letting go of his hands. “I slept with Haven, so?”
“Walter,” I mouthed, taking a step back.
“I never wanted you, Hannah and you know that. You, your dad, your mother, my father. ..you all forced me into this, remember? I told you…I wanted Haven. But y'all said she was a trouble maker. They said you were the ‘better one…”
“Walter! You can't do this to me!” Hannah cried weakly.
Walter stood up, walking towards me with no sense of remorse in his eyes. “I love Haven. I always have. And nothing is changing that fact.”
Walter reached out for my hand, he pressed a kiss on my forehead and gently stoked my back.
“Even if I'll have to fight the whole world to be with you, I will,” he whispered.
It felt like a dream.
It felt unreal ….. Well, it was.
It was all in my head.
Hannah was still there, crying for answers and Walter? What he did was far from embracing the fact that he wanted me.
“What? Lipstick? Where?” He denied.
Even though it was so obvious.
Oh ... .I was only day dreaming.
Walter burst into a loud bout of laughter. One that made Hannah question her own sanity.
Her cries stopped. “Are you .. laughing?” She asked, confused.
What is he doing…..
Even i was starting to wonder if HE was sane. His wife had just found her sister's lipstick on his shirt and he …. laughed?
“Walter?” Hannah called.
“Of course I'm laughing, Hannah,” he laughed further. “It's funny the kind of joke you're making.”
He said.
“What?” Hannah gasped.
Exactly. What?
“There’s obviously no lipstick stain on my shirt, Hannah. So it's funny when you make such a joke especially with the fact that Hannah is here and she might feel offended.
You know…. you're indirectly accusing her of infidelity,” he said.
My brows creased.
“Walter there's a…..”
“Hannah are you, hallucinating?” Walter asked. The smile of his face dropped.
He suddenly looked concerned, worried…. Disturbed that his wife had started seeing thing.
Hannah's face dropped.
Fear overwhelmed her. She mumbled something.
She questioned everything she'd seen.
“I don't….I don't know,” She whispered, tears streaming down her face.
Walter immediately pulled her towards himself. “Listen Hannah, calm down. I'm not mad at you. I swear. I understand,” he whispered, stroking her head.
How can…..
I stood there, shocked.
Walter was …. something else.
“I'm sorry, Walter. I'm sorry I made false accusations against you. I didn't mean it. I swear…I just. … I don't know what's wrong with me anymore,” Hannah cried, blaming herself.
Walter took a deep breath. He didn't shake, he didn't stutter. His act? Perfect. “You don't have to worry, Hannah. I love you, no matter what,” he assured.
Hannah sobbed in his hands.
I stared …questioning everything I thought I knew about Walter.
The love in his eyes as he told her not to worry, it felt real.
Too real that I was starting to question things myself.
If I actually slept with Walter and the lipstick stain existed, or if I was also hallucinating.
Hannah cried, and Walter kept telling her how much he loved her.
Walter was starting to mess with my sanity.
I couldn't take it anymore.
I stormed out of the hospital room, rubbing my hands against my thighs.
I got into my car and sat. Quietly.
Something was kicking in….and it was fear.
I thought I knew Walter but I didn't.
He was unpredictable … I could barely tell his lies apart from his truth even though I knew was truly happened.
He was a manipulator and he did it…. comfortably.
My head still felt heavy when….knock knock knock.
Someone hit the side glass.
I flinched, I raised my head and found Walter staring back at me.
I unlocked the door and he stepped in.
“We shouldn't be seen together. People are watching,” I said, my head down. I tried avoiding his gaze.
I still needed sometime to think ….to think of whether or not I should trust Walter.
“Your glass is tinted,” he reminded, shrugging his shoulder.
“Oh,” I whispered.
“Look at me.” He said.
I cleared my throat.
“What you did back there….with Hannah. You made her think she ….” I mouthed.
“I saved us,” he reminded, his hands cupped my face, forcing me to look into his eyes. “I bought us more time. More time to do whatever it is we want. Even if she sees anything after today, she would only question herself,” he smiled.
“She'd think she's the problem. She'll question everything. It'll only make her go crazy.”
Not that I was worried about Hannah….I was just bothered by how comfortable he was doing it.
“So?” He asked. His face remained emotionless.
“You want me? Don't you?” He asked, pressing his lips against mine.
I hesitated. I didn't kiss him back.
“You're scared of me now?” He asked. “You think I'm lying to you too?” He asked.
“Do you love Hannah or not?” I asked….. at that point, I didn't know what he wanted or what he didn't anymore. “Do you want me?” I asked.
“You know the answer,” he whispered before leaning in to kiss me.
Sincerely, I don't. No one does.