Finding Peace

Rebecca entered the guest house finally, the long drive that brought her here filled with deep thoughts, an emotional cape cowering around her. She needed escape. The car radio blared out her favorite country classic songs, the window of her old battered Toyota pouring in fresh warm summer air as she pulled into the laneway. Her new digs for a month. Strange surroundings, no one knew her here. A grateful embrace after what she'd been through back home.

The radio song of heartache and love shut off as she pulled her keys out and got her suitcase from the small trunk. As the owner said, the keys were in the mailbox waiting for her, inviting her into the little cabin. She let herself in, placing her bags on the floor, and examined her living accomodations, a large window in the kitchen with purple and white lilac trees colored the lawn they stood on. A small garden area with a gazebo behind that, a bbq on the patio out back, and the lake about 1000 steps with a doc and the canoe tied to it. Haven. This was where she needed to be now.

After having unpacked and stocking the empty fridge with necessities, she began to prepare her dinner, the sun already showing signs of dipping, spraying its rays of orange and dark hues of blues into quiet bliss, only the crickets and frogs could be heard now. Buzz buzz, her phone was going off. She ignored the annoyance of the sound banging into her head as she prepared her supper of bacon and eggs, toast, and herbal tea. Nothing fancy right now. She just wanted food in her. Now, after she'd put the dishes away, when darkness kicked in, did she check her messages.

"Becky, we need to talk. This isn't over - please hear me out." And then....five, maybe six more messages from him. 'Ok, like I really want to talk to you after what you did, try again, jerk.' She threw the phone face down onto the bed, the large oak posts with its carved designs of lines telling her to come and lie down. Rest. But the memories shrouded her mind, reeling around like a hamster on its wheel.

*****

"You said you were on duty that night, why did you lie to me then?" She'd confronted him, Jaxon stared hard down at her, at six foot two he towered above her, she being short and petite. He wanted to comfort her then, but knew, in doing so, would only make her retaliate even more. Given her anger and feelings of humiliation. He did her wrong, he admitted that. He never meant to cheat on her. Dam peer pressure, times like this he hated being a cop, wished he never joined the force.

"I know I lied to you, and I hurt you badly, it was a mistake, and a huge one. I don't want to lose you. We drank too much that night, she was literally in my face." He'd pleaded with her to forgive him. Carla was not hesitant to post what happened the next day either, she feared not what the world thought, he felt sick in his guts then, thinking about when Becky walked in on them, Carla's already naked body, pulling and tugging at his clothes as he lay in a drunken stupor.

"And what the fuck is this?" She'd cried, her face in shocked horror at the scene in front of her now, while the party continued outside the bedroom. She'd bit her lip, gone outside, and puked right there on the lawn, then left. That was that, until, the next day, she saw the posts on Facepage social media.

"And here I am." She said to the ceiling, as her eyes closed in deprived sleep, puffy and red from crying to the moon and back. Never would she ever trust a man again, and a cop to boot, but dang, he was a wonderful officer, he took his job seriously, he cared about things. And that, was what made this whole mess so hard to absorb. The reason she'd decided to break away for awhile, think, clear herself from the toxicity of the Facepage posts that Carla posted. And what she did, to them, to her. The slut, like who did she think she was? Carla knew damm well her and Jaxon had been dating, jealous bitch!!! Rebecca wanted to pull every hair out of her head, and had she not left town, she would have. Fear not the ground I walk on missy, revenge is sweet like honey when you wrong someone like that. But getting out and away was the better alternative. Dating a cop and assaulting some slut like Carla would no doubt have gotten her into more trouble. The guest house was a healthier alternative.

The first two days of her stay, the guest house began to feel better for her. She noticed how adorable the wood walls were, the small fireplace, dancing flames against the mortar making her feel secure. The little kitchen had all she needed, and having her coffee in the mornings on the chair outside was beginning to help her calm now. An empty cottage began to feel like heaven for her now. And then, again, he was calling, texting. She still refused to deal with him. The empty guest house was her best friend, her recluse from stress and what had happened that awful night. She did call her best friend Ronnie.

"Hey girl, I'm at the guest house, loving every minute of it, how's things back home?"

"Good, except for Jaxon, he's a wreck, he came by a few times to talk to me, about you.....he feels awful you know." Her friend said. She loved them both, always thought they were a great couple together. She was the one who introduced them after all.

"I can imagine, he's been belting in the calls and texts here too. I don't know what to think or do, it was horrible to see those two, and ugg, Carla posted it all over Facepage." Rebecca felt tearful again, rubbing her hand on her face. A gesture she had developed after high school when stress bombarded her.

"I know, I can only imagine how that must feel. Honestly, I am so sorry for both of you. But in my opinion, it was her, I don't even think they went all the way, she just made it look that way to get you jealous." Ronnie told her. Honesty was the best in these situations, Becky's emotions were bad enough, she needed a new perspective from another point of view here.

"Well, she did a good job of it all, gotta hand her that much. Do you think I should forgive him?" Becky didnt know anything anymore.

"I can't answer that for you, but maybe hear him out, let him apologize? He's a good guy in my opinion."

"Well, I am going to give it a few more days, I need the oasis of this haven right now. The guest house here is amazing by the way, you should see the lake, it's so pretty and peaceful." Rebecca took in the charm of the cottage, the place somehow hugging her with bliss, saying "This is where you belong, I was empty before you came, now I am filled with a kindred spirit", It seemed to say to her.

****** Ronnie

Rebecca's voice sounded better now too, Ronnie thought, than it did from the few days before. Ronnie was happy her friend had decided to take this vacate, having felt the burden and guilt for bringing her and Jaxon together. But she still believed the two could salvage their relationship, she wanted that to happen. Ohhhhh that Carla!!!! She fumed, if that insecure tramp could keep her business to herself and her hands off someone else's boyfriend none of this would have happened. Fist pounded on the table after she hung up, she would deal with Carla herself. And then go tell Jaxon to see his girl and fix things. She knew Rebecca would be ready for him now, they would find their way home. The guest house had its way of doing that - taking an empty injured heart and making it whole again.

**********