Against All Odds (JAN Fan Fic Challenge)

It was just about 8:30am when Bette pulled into her driveway. She turned off the engine and pulled the keys out of the ignition. The neighborhood was quiet; Bette sat in the driver’s seat in silence lost in her thoughts.

“How could this have happened?” she asked herself. “A nightmare…it has to be a nightmare…this cant be really happening…”

But reality set in more faster and faster; this was no nightmare. Bette Porter’s once ideal life had crumbled right before her, and there was nothing she could do to reverse the things she had done; but she would try as hard as she could to try and pick up the pieces.

But how? Where would she begin?

She thought back to earlier that morning; the first step she had took to getting her life back. She had ended the affair once and for all.

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“Bette…?…Hellooo?” Candace said softly. She laid on top of Bette, stroking her curls.

Bette smiled, “Hi…” There was little emotion in her voice.

“Hey…where did you go?”

Bette’s eyes wandered off as Candace waited for a response. “What’s going on?” she asked.

Bette sighed as Candace continued to play with her hair. She gently stopped her by taking her hand away. “I’m sorry…but I can’t do this…”

“Can’t do what?”

“This…being here…with you…”

Bette eased her way from under Candace and sat up in the bed. “I have to go.” She got up and started picking up her clothes.

“Bette you can’t do this.” Candace sat up in the bed. “Please…don’t go.”

Bette ignored Candace’s pleas and proceeded getting dressed; her back was turned to Candace.

“I don’t want this to end….and I don’t think you want it to either.”

Bette quickly turned around; “Don’t tell me what I want, you have no idea.”

“Bette…why are you doing this?…I care for you a lot…and I find it hard to believe that you don’t feel the same for me. You can stay here, with me.”

“I love Tina…I’m not in love with you.”

“Then why did you do this? If you really loved her then why would you have come to me?”

The more Candace talked, the angrier Bette had gotten. “I’m done talking about this.”

Bette grabbed her bag and walked towards the door. She looked over at Candace; her eyes were glassy. “I’m sorry…I really am.”

“Fine Bette…but when you find yourself alone don’t expect to come back here…face it…you blew it; and now you have nothing.”

Bette wanted to say something back, she wanted to yell, or scream; but she didn’t. She just walked out the door. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Candace was right. At that moment she had nothing…

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Bette picked up her purse that was sitting in the passenger’s seat and opened the car door and stepped out. She slowly walked up the stairs to the house, and unlocked the front door. When she walked in, everything was still in its place, yet something was different. There was a sadness in the house; it was missing something very important.

She tossed her keys on the kitchen table and removed her jacket. On a normal day she would be getting ready for work, and Tina would be making their breakfast in the kitchen.

She walked into the kitchen and looked in the fridge. She closed it; she had no appetite.

She debated calling out from work, but there was too much to be done. Plus she could use a distraction. So she went into the bathroom and turned the facets on in the shower, and undressed. Tossing her clothes in the corner of the room she stopped and caught a glance at herself in the mirror. She couldn’t bear to look at herself without being totally disgusted.

She stepped into the shower and closed her eyes. Her thoughts were racing; and her heart ached.

She couldn’t hold back the tears anymore and let them fall freely, as the mixed with the water hitting her face.