BACKSTABBER

SHE LOOKED AT HER FRIEND, THEY WERE FRIENDS FOR MANY YEARS. LITTLE DID SHE THINK WHAT WAS IN HER MIND.

LITTLE DID SHE THINK WHAT WAS IN HER MIND.HER BEAUTIFUL FRIEND HER DARK HAIR CURLING ONTO HER SHOULDERS.

SOFT BROWN EYES SO INNOCENT THE PURITY OF HER SOUL POURING OUT FOR SHE KNEW NOTHING. INNOCENCE, CARLINE LOOKED AT HER AND SMIRKED FOR HIDDEN IN HER HEART WERE THINGS THAT NO-ONE COULD OF KNOW.

FOR IS THAT NOT WHAT ALL OF US DO WE HIDE THINGS IN OUR HEARTS.

THEU WERE BOTH SO DIFFERENT BUT THEY HAD KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR MANY YEARS. CAROLINE WAS SEEMINGLY HAPPILY MARRIED BUY JAY WASN' T SHE HAD TRAVELLED THE WORLD. WORKING WITH A MAJOR AIRLINE HER BEAUTIFULFRIEND HAD MET MANY MEN BUT NEVER MARRIED.

IT WAS THE ONE THING SHE SECRETLY DESIRED AND HER FRIEND CAROLINE KNEW IT. THE SOFT SPOT INHER LIFE. THEY SPENT WEEKENDS TOGETHER WHEN CAROLINES HUSBAND WAS AWAY ON BUSINESS BASICALLY ENJOYING MANY YEARS TOGETHER. WHAT WAS THERE LEFT TO KNOW ABOUT EACH OTHER.

CAROLINE TOOK THE CLOTTED CREAM OUT OF THE FRIDGE AND THEY HAD TEIR USUAL PERCULATED COFFEE IT SMELT WARM LIKE TOFEE AND WAFTED ARROUND THE ROOM.

THE HOUSE WAS WARM AND COSY AND THEY CUDDLED INTO THE BLANKETS ON THE COUCH WATCHING AN OLD FASHIONED MOVIE. SOMETHING THEY BOTH LOVED TO DO.

, SOMETHING OLD SOMETHING BLUE SOMETHING BORROWED AND SOMETHING BLUE AN OLD FASHIONED MOVIE BLACK AND WHITE. YOU KNOW THE TYPE THAT WOMEN LOVE TO WATCH.

JUST COMFORTING.

ITS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE BOTH ALMOST IN THEOR FIFTIES PASSING THROUGH THEIR TWENTIES, THIRTIES AND FORTIES TOGETHER.

NOW STILL FRIENDS PASSING TIME AND PASSING LIFE TOGETHER.

THEIR BODIES HAD CHANGED BUT THEIR HEARSTS AND MINDS HAD NOT FOR THEY BOTH FELT LIKE THE TWENTYSOMETHINGS THEY ONCE WERE.

SOMETIMES THEY WOULD SIT AND GIIGLE AT THE PAST AND THE OF FRIENDS THAT HAD PAST THEM BY OR THEY HAD PASSED BY!

IN THEIR BOX FULL OF MEMORIES THEY HAD MANY THINGS STORED UP GOPD, BAD AND INDIFFERENT. I SUPPOSE WE ALL DO.

SO THEY GIGGLED AND TALKED LIKE WOMEN DO NOT GRACED WITH BELIEVING THEY HAD AGED BUT THAT THEY WETE STILL THE YOUNG GIRLS WITH HOPES AND DREAMS.

CAROLINE HAD INTRODUCED JAY TO HER NEW GUY. SAM, HER NEXT DOOR NEIGBOUR, HE'D BEEN THROUGH A MESSY DIVORCE BEEN MARRIED TWENTY YEARS AND SHE UP AND LEFT HIM WITH TWO GROWN TEENAGERS. CAROLINE HAD WARNED JAY THAT HE WAS A VERY" MARRIED MAN", BURT JAY WAS QUITE INNOCENT IN WAYS AND SHE DIDNT QUITE KNOW WHAT SHE MEANT. SO PASSED THE CONVERSATION OVER.

CAROLINE PROBED A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO HER NEW LOVE INTEREST EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE GOING WELL. JAY SEEMED HAPPY AND CAROLINE WOULD PASS BYT SAMS HOME ON THE WAY TO HER BUS STOP AND OFTEN CHAT TO HIM. HE SEEMD HAPPY IN THE REALATIONSHIP.

"YOU FANCY A GLASS OF WINE" CAOLINE SUGGESTED, THEY WERE COSY IN THE COOP. "OF COURSE JAY SAID, LOVELY AND THEY BOTH LAUGHED".

SO SAID CAROLINE "WAHT IS SAM LIKE?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S NICE, HE HAS BEEN STRUGGLING WITH THE DIVORCE, WE WENT TO THE PARK AND HE JUST LAID HIS HEAD CLOSE TO MY NECK AND NUZZLED IN, HE SAID HE FELT SAFE. IT FELT SO NICE, I REALLY LIKE THIS MAN". THERES JUST ONE PROBLEM HE IS SO PUSHY YOU KNOW PUSHY".

"DO YOU MEAN SEXUALLY," "YES". SAD JAY AND I DON;T WANT THIS I DON'T REALLY KNOW HIM, HES' JUST GOJNG THROUGH DIVPURCE AND I DON'T WANT TO GET HURT".JAY SAID.

"I WISH MY MAN WAS LIKE THAT, CAN'T REMEMBER THE LAST IME WE HAD ANY INTIMACY IVE TRIED EVERYTHING BUT HE JUST DOESNT SEEM INTERSETED ANYMORE". CARLINE SAID.

'WOW, THATS SURPRISING YOUR A GORGEOUS WOMEN YOU NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH ANYONE ELSE".

"I KNOW, BUT IT SORT OF STOPPED AFTER HE SAID A FEW THINGS PUBLICALLY TO FERIEDS OF HIS ABOUT US IWAS SOCROSS AND THINGS JUST WERE'NT THE SAME AFTER THAT!

"IM SORRY CAROLINE THAT MUS T BE SO HARD FOR YOU, NO CHILDREN AND MARRIED FOR SUCH A LONG TIME I THOUGHT EVERYTHING WAS OKAY BETWEEN YOU BOTH". JAY LOOKED DOWN SHE FELT EMBARRASED FOR HER FRIEND. A HUSBAND WHO DOES'NT WANT HIS WIFE YET THEY WERE LIVING TOGETHER FOR YEARS.

"WHAT CAN I DO IVE TRIED EVERYTHING, WORN THE LINGERIE, WALKED INFRONT OF HIM HAKF NAKED AND HE SAYS HE LIKES IT BUT THATS IT NOTHING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, I'M CELEBATE AND MARRIED". "HE JUST FREEZES WHEN I GO NEAR HIM".

:YOUR LUCKY SAM FEELS THAT WAY ABOUT YOU", "YES MAYBE'SAID JAY.

THE CONVERSATION STOPPED AND THEY WRENT BACK TO THE MOVIE.

"YOUR PERFUME CAROLINE IT'S THE ONE YOU ALWAYS WEAR?" "YES DIOR". "I LOVE PERFUME".

SHE FLICKED HER BLONDE HAIR BACK AS SHE SPOKE AND SHE LOOKED SO AVANTE GARDE. LIKE A 1930S WAR BRIDE.

'IM GOING TO SCOTLAND TO DO SOME TRAINIG WORK" SAID JAY.

'WHAT ABOUT SAM IS HE TRAVELLING UPTO SEE YOU FROM LONDON" "I DONT REALLY KNOW SEEMS A BIT OF A WASTE OF A JOURNEY ILL BE WORKING TWELVE HOUR DAYS" SAID JAY O"OH OKAY".

" SO, WAHT ARE YOUR PLANS, I MEAN FOR SCOTLAND" SAID CAROLINE.

"GOING FOR THREE DAYS THE MOJEUS GOOD AND IM FREELANCING".

"GREAT, HAVE A GREAT TIME."I GUESS YOU NEED TO GET TO BED* "EARLY START". CAROLINE SLIPPED THE BOTTLE OF WINE INTO HER HABD AND PICKED UP THE NOW STALE GLASSES EDGED WITH WINE. "NITE , NITE"

THE COURSE WAS BUSY, JAY HAD PREPARED WELL EDINBURGH wWAS ALOVELY DESTINATION. NICE PEOPLE AND SHE WAS GOING TO GET A NICE BIT OF MONEY FOR THE COURSE. SHE WAS HAPPY FOER THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME AND LIFE SEEMED AT THAT MOMENT TO BE GOOD, SHE WAS MISSING SAM HE HAD WANTED TO COME BUT SHE THOUGHT IT WOULD JUST BE TOO MUCH WITH WORK ADN HER SCHEDULE SO SHE SAID SHE WOULD MEET HIM AFTER THE COURSE.

SHE WAS HAPPY ON HER OWN TOO ABLE TO AMUSE HERSELF AFTER ALL SHE HAD BEEN ALONE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

BEING WITH SOMEONE AGAIN WAS A BIT STRANGE AGAIN.

HER ROOM WAS FIE A LOCAL HOSTEL SHE WAS HAPPY IT KEPT THE COATS LOW.

SAM CALLED HE SEEMED FINE THEY TALKED, SHE WAS HAPPY TOHEAR FROM HIM AND HE SAID HE WOULD CALL TOMORROW. HE ALWAYS DID.

SHE LOOKED FORWARD TO HIS CALL. OIT WAS 7PM HE SAID HE WOULD CALL, BUT SHE HADNT HEARED FORM HIM, SHE CALLED CAROLINE .

"SAM HASNT CALLED, HAVE YOU SEEN HIM, IT'S NOT LIKE HIM, DO YOU THIN I SHOULD CALL HIM","HES PROBAVLY WORKING HE'S ALWAYS WORKING AT THE HOUSE" GIVE IT ANOTHER DAY AND THEN CALL HIM".

THE WALK TO WORK WAS FINE AND SHE THOUGHT HE MUST BE CAUGHT UP WITH SOMETHING. IOY WAS 7PM SHECALLED HIM HE SEEMD OK BUT SOMETHING JUST DID NOT FEEL RIGHT, SHE COULDN'T EXPLAIN IT. SOMETHING.

BEFORE GPOING BACK TOIRELND SHE HD PLANNED TO MEET SAM AND CAROLINE FOR DINNER. THE RESTAURANBT WAS BOOKED THE USAL INDIAN OTY WAS NICE AND CLOSE TO THE STATION. EASY TO GET HOME. CAROLINE WAS WAITING.

"SOMETHING DOESNT FEEL RIGHT"JAY SAID, "I DOMT KNOW I JUST SENSE SOMETHING IS WRONG. THERES SOMETHING WRONG WITH SAM". "WHAT DO YOU MEAN"CAROLINE SAID.

"I DONT KNOW I JUST FELT THERE WAS A DISTANCE , I DONT KNOW. " JAY SAID.

"WHY DON'T YOU STAY OVERNIGHT "CAROINE SUGGESTED.

"OK'

JAY WOKE EARLY, SHE MADE A CUP OF TEA.

CAROLINE WAS STILL IN BED HER HUSBAND AWAY AGAIN.

SJE STIRRD THE TEA SLOWLY WONDERING, SENSING AND FEELING. SHE JUST FELT THAT SOMETHING WAS OFF.

SHE GOT DRESSED,WONDERING WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

SHE WENTTO PICK UP HER BAG AND KNOCKED OVER CAROLIES PHONE. IT BLEEPED OH NO THOUGHT JAY IT MUST BE BROKEN.

SHE PICKED IT UP AND SHE PRESSED IT AS IT LANDEX ON PHOTOS, SHE OPENED IT AND THERE SHE SAW SAMS PHOTO, IN THE BACKGROUND WAS AHPPY BIRTHDAY, CAROLINE WAS KISSING SAM AND ON THE CAKE WAS THE DATE, THE DAY HE WAS MEANT TO CALL HER.

SHE STOPPED, NO WAY , IT COUKDNT BE SHEKEPT LOOKING AT THE PHOTO IT WAS IN FROMY OF HER. HER FRIEND AND SAM,

SHE LEFT THE HOUSE AND DIDNT SAU A WORD.

CAROLINE CALLED HER SHE DIDNT PICK UP, SHE CALLED AGAIN.JAY AGREED TO MEET HER.

"THE PHOTO CAROLINE THE PHOTO ON THE PHONE THE DAY SAM WAS MEANT TO MEET ME HE WAS WITH YOU:?

"HE DOESNT LOVE YOU, HE DOESNT LOVE YOU"!

SHE WAS SO CALLOUS IT SEEMED AS THOUGH SHE WAS ENJOYING HER PAIN. JAYS EYES FILLED WIH TEARS THE SOFT BROWN EYSE FILLED WITH WATER AND SHE COULDNT HOLD BACK.

CAROLINE STARRED AT HER "HE DOESNT LOVE YOU"!

JAY COULDNT SPEAK THE PAIN WAS TOO GREAT THIS WAS HER FRIED. AND THE WORDS WERE SPOKEN COLD AND CALOOUSLY "HE DOESNT LOVE YOU."

TH ATMOSPHERE CHANGED, THERE WAS SILENCE, THERTE WAS BETRAYAL AND A NUMBNESS IN. THE SILENCE OF A FRIEND AND A LOVER .JAY WAS LOST HER EMOTIONS NUMB AND SHE SAT IN THE SILENCE OF A FREIND SHE ONCE KNEW NOW HER ENEMY HER BETRAYER. HER PHONE CALL AND THE SILENCE AND ALL SHE HAD WAS HER TEARS.