For those of you who have been -oh-so-patiently-waiting- for this update... I suggest that you go back and refresh yourself on the last few pictures of the last chapter. This picks up right where the last one ended.

Special thanks to all the new readers! I've enjoyed reading all the comments from old and new fans. You guys are why I keep writing. As I might have mentioned before, I started a new job the 1st of the month and am working long hours. I hope future updates won't take so long!! Again, many apologies!!

And without further adieu, I present chapter 24. Enjoy!!!

___________________________________________________________

I could hear Emilio’s footsteps pounding behind me as I ran through the deserted hallways of his office building. Trevor had spotted me standing at the door and thrown Emilio to the floor in a daze. He hadn’t even bothered to do more than fasten his pants before running after me. I could hear him calling my name, begging me to stop and hear him out, but I just kept running, blindly trying to find the doors through the tears now streaming down my face. At last I recognized the blurry outline of the exit and burst out into the cold night.

I jumped into my van before Emilio could catch up with me and sped off. In the rearview mirror I watched him run after me a little ways before he stopped in the middle of the road and hung his head. He’d been caught, the charade was over, he was defeated.

As soon as I returned to the house I was overwhelmed with memories our home had seen. Memories of the times Emilio and I had shared – happy times. Now, they all seemed so far away. I pushed away my thoughts and began to pack.



----------------------------------------------

“He was WHAT?!?!”

“Oh come on Kelli, don’t make me repeat it,” I said plaintively. “Can I stay here for a few days? Just until I figure out what to do?”

“Oh honey of course you can!” she patted my shoulder.

“As long as you’d like,” Damion agreed.



“We’d be more than happy to have you and the girls here until you can get back on your feet. I apologize that there’s not much room here, but we can bring down my old crib from the attic and set it up in the guest room.”

“Thanks guys, I really appreciate it,” I said. “If you don’t mind, I think I’m going to go take a bubble bath. I really just want to be alone right now.”

“You go relax, and let me know if you need anything honey,” Kelli said. “Don’t go pushing us away, you really need your friends right now.”

I nodded and headed towards the bathroom. I could hear them playing with the twins as they carted them off to get ready for bedtime.



That night I tucked Gabrielle and Isabella into Kelli’s old antique crib and kissed them both goodnight.

“It’ll be okay my loves. You’ll see, everything will be alright,” I whispered, hoping my words were true.



As I lay in the strange bed that night, images of the scene I had witnessed only hours earlier replayed in my mind. I was imagining alternatives to what I should have done, including shoving Emilio out the window in his office. My thoughts turned into dreams as I finally drifted off to sleep.

In the morning I awoke to wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. Kelli was cooking breakfast. Damion had dropped the girls off at my grandparents’ house where they had offered to keep them as long as I needed, and now he was busying himself by doing yard work and fixing up the house.

“He only ever does repairs when he’s angry,” Kelli laughed. “It lets him work out his aggressions. I just hope he doesn’t punch out a wall with his bare fists, but he’s so mad at Emilio I wouldn’t put it past him.”

Kelli did everything in her power to make a pampering day for me. We spent the day shopping, watching movies, eating chocolate ice cream, and all the typical girly things that take place after a breakup. While I appreciated her efforts, the end of my marriage wasn’t the same as a typical breakup. I’d had a wonderful day and being with my friend had helped to ease some of my pain, but when dusk came I excused myself to my room and just sobbed my heart out.



Shortly, my depressive reverie was interrupted by a small knock at the door. It was Kelli.

“Hun, I know you aren’t going to like this… but there’s a visitor here to see you.”

I knew by the look on her face that it was Emilio. Suddenly, I wasn’t sad anymore - I was angry. I wanted to hurt him! To cause him as much pain as he had caused me.

“We told him to leave, but he said he won’t leave without seeing you. I can call the cops or something, but I thought you should know…”

“No, it’s okay. I’m a grown woman, I can tell him to leave myself,” I said, abruptly leaving the room before my friend could protest.

Emilio was standing on the porch, arms folded across his chest.



“Oh Kat! Thank God you’re here. I was worried about you…” he stopped, seeing that I was not amused. “Listen, about last night… I, uh, never meant for –“

“I don’t want to hear it,” I said coolly. “What’s done is done, you can’t take it back. I think it’s best that you just leave.”



“But sweetheart, please hear me out. I’m, sorry. I need to explain what happened.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don’t you DARE come around here calling me ‘sweetheart.’ You don’t need to EXPLAIN anything Emilio, I have eyes! I’m not an idiot! I KNOW what I saw. Don’t try to justify yourself to me!!”



“You’re right; I have no excuse for my behavior. But I want you to know I never meant to hurt you, Kat,” he said pleadingly.

“NEVER MEANT TO HURT ME!? If you didn’t want to hurt me, you would have been faithful. What about our wedding vows, Emilio? You vowed to be MY husband, MY lover. Not HIS!” I spat viciously.



“Geez, Kat, I’m trying to work things out here!”

“There’s nothing to work out!”

“What about your family,” he spat back angrily. “What will they think? Do you think they’re going to sit back and let you leave me? You know as much as I do the importance of ‘heritage’, and all that bullsh*t they preach. It’s not going to be easy for you.”



“You leave my family out of this! This is between you and me Emilio! If you wanted us to stay together you would have never cheated on me in the first place. It’s over!” I screamed.



The realization that he wasn’t going to get his way on this one finally sank in. “Baby no. Please, we can work this out. If you leave me… what will I do? I can’t live without you. I didn’t mean to do it. Trevor, he… he tricked me. I never meant to sleep with him. I f*cked up, Kat – you’re the one I love. What about our daughters? They need me. YOU need me. Kat, I need you. Please.”



“I don’t NEED you! And MY daughters certainly don’t need you either! You were never a father to them. Grow up and take responsibility for your own actions. YOU are the cheat. YOU are the liar. Noone else can make you do anything you don’t want to do.”



“But… Kat,” he sobbed.

“GET OUT OF HERE! I don’t want to see you ever again!”



Suddenly infuriated, he spat back, “You stupid b*tch! You’re so jaded! Life isn’t some fairy book; people don’t just live happily ever after. After all I’ve done for you, do you really think you’ll be better off without me? You won’t last a day.”

Something inside of me snapped. I didn’t have to stand there and let him talk to me that way. Before I knew what I was doing, I had reached out and slapped Emilio sharply across his face.



For a moment he just stood there before the glint in his eyes turned from shock into anger. I opened my mouth to utter a dumbfounded apology for what I had just done, but before the words could come I felt the sting of his palm on my cheek. He was much stronger than me and the force with which he had returned my slap was overbearing. The pain was searing and I stumbled back several steps.



What I didn’t know was that Kelli had been watching us through the window, and when she saw Emilio strike me, she had screamed for Damion.

As I struggled to regain my balance I was vaguely aware that Damion was now on the porch, and when I regained my senses, I realized that he and Emilio were fighting each other.



Emilio was bigger and stronger, but Damion knew how to fight dirty and soon shoved Emilio off the porch, and chased him from the property.



I sank to the ground, watching Emilio tuck tail and run off. My jaw was throbbing, and my marriage had just ended horribly. My life had definitely not turned out the way I had imagined.



I only got to sulk for a little bit before Kelli was beside me, picking me up and embracing me warmly.

“I’m sorry,” I sobbed into her shoulder. “I’m sorry for getting you guys involved in my problems.”



“Shhh. Hush now. This is what friends are for Kat. I will always support you, no matter what twists and turns your life takes.”

We stood there in silence for a long time, until the crickets that had fled the violent scene resumed their chirping in the night air.

“What am I going to do Kelli? My life is over…” I said, breaking the silence.

“Honey, this isn’t the end. It’s only the end of the beginning. You’ll see. Life has so much more in store for you.”