Chapter 25

IT'S LIKE ANY OTHER NORMAL day at the clubhouse, that is until Tanner decides to hold a drinking contest, one that David doesn't refuse.

In a matter of minutes, It's down to a battle between the trio of friends as Luke already lays exhausted on the island.

After the 10th shot, Tanner admits defeat and slumps to the ground, naming David the Victor.

He staggers on his feet, the buttons on his shirt unbuttoned from the neck down to the middle of his pecs. He walks, and sways, briefly stopping and leaning against the counter before swinging into motion again and twirling in victory.

He is drunk, wasted, and perspiring profusely, almost plummeting to the floor but pausing when he sees his red-haired best friend storming towards him with a kind of danger in her eyes that made him hot inside.

She is stunning, beautiful, he is smiling like an idiot, almost drooling out his drink but sudden hit at the back of his head sobers him lightly and jolts him back to life.

He grunts and rubs his head.

"That hurt"

"I think you've had just about enough" she seizes his beer bottle and he pushes out his lip in a pout.

"Just one more..." he slurs, each word and syllable blurring together until it's a single justonemore.

He tries to reach for another bottle but instead, stumps over Tanner who grunts in response.

"Hey, Watch it!" he rolls over and Stacey sighs, running a hand through her hair.

"Bunch of lame idiots" she mutters and shakes her head, turning to David who quickly takes a mouthful of alcohol and throws the bottle across the floor, letting it bounce and rattle alarmingly.

She groans and pulls him out by the ear. "You're coming with me"

Once they step out of the club, David hisses and rubs his red ear.

"Get in, I'll drop you off at the dorm" she demands but he pulls away, benching on the car surface.

"I'm not getting in" he bellows.

"Yes, you are Spencer!" She scowls.

"You're not the boss of me miss dingleberry" he laughs, swaying out of balance and Stacey rolls her eyes, ultimately wondering how she ended up with an idiot as a best friend.

"Get in!"

"Make me" he sticks out his tongue.

"Do not test my kindness, Argent" she threatens, her voice dead and monotonous.

For a moment he stares at her and then shrugs.

"Fine, you're no fun" he broods and slips into the front seat.

As soon as they arrive at his dorm, Stacey helps him up the stairs, groaning at how heavy he is.

"Can you not do that!" She exclaims as his fingers nip her skin.

"They are so smooth..." He mumbles and she exhales heavily.

Heading straight to his bed, she lays him down gently and he sighs, taking in the familiarity of his mattress.

"I'll leave now, you better stay in bed okay and don't be late for class tomorrow or the hangover won't be the only thing you'll have to worry about" she threatens and makes an attempt to walk away but, he grabs her by the wrist and draws her to lay by his side.

"Spencer, w-what are you doing?!" Her voice comes out in a rasp as she exclaims but he doesn't stop.

He leans closer to her face and she can feel his oozing breath fanning her lips.

"Spencer let me go!" She orders but his athletic grip only tightens.

He drops his head on the crook of her neck and inhales deeply, a smug smile split in his lip as he feels her shiver. He leans even close and glides his lips from the hollow of her neck to her ear and then he whispers.

"I want you, Stacey..."

***

DAVID STOOD BY THE FAUCET and washed his face, sighing heavily as he stared at his reflection for a brief moment, his eyes were dull and depressing, no doubt from the little sleep he had gotten last night. For some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about Stacey and it made him restless, it made the unsettling feeling in his gut nut tighter.

After drying his face with a hand towel and rearranging his hair, he walked out of the bathroom to meet Dawn already awake and covered underneath the sheets.

She cocked her head and blinked those wistful blue star eyes at him. "It's Saturday morning where are you going this early ?" She questioned, pushing herself into a sitting position.

David forced himself to smile indifferently. He had agreed to meet Stella today. He wanted to hear what she had to say and know what was so important that she had to return but he couldn't tell Dawn that, at least, not yet.

"I'm sorry baby. I know we agreed to spend weekends together but I have a very important client meeting today"

Her head tilted slightly, perhaps out of concern, perhaps out of curiosity. "Cant you have Josie attend to her"

She frowned.

"It doesn't work that way love"

"You're not gonna sleep with her, are you?" She asked pointedly, folding her arms just below her breast.

"I would never" he defended, appalled by her statement.

"But what if she wants you to?" she retorted and David sighed, walking to sit by her side.

"We've talked about this darling" he took her hand in his "you need to trust me more"

Dawn let out a defeated sigh and shook her head softly. "I'm sorry" she muttered, averting her gaze to the floor. She shouldn't have asked or intruded but she'd never been able to mind her own business.

David touched her face and tilted her chin to look at him "I love you Dawn and I would never hurt you"

"Promise?"

He paused for a second but then smiled and nodded his head. "I promise" and with that, he got up, picked his suitcase, and left, driving to the other side of town where they were scheduled to meet.

An hour later, just after he arrived and took the rocky path into the oak forest, he tightened his fists around his steering wheel and gawked at the messed sunbathed building in front of him.

Their once aesthetical college hangout was now nothing more than an abandoned entity. He sighed and slouched on his spot, rhythmically tapping his feet on the brakes and digging his nails into the wheels as his paranoia grew worse with every passing minute.

He was pensive and needed answers to his questions.

Why was Stella in town?

What was so important that he had to return back here?

Why wasn't Stacey with her?

Was it perhaps, a good thing?

It had been six years but he still, couldn't face her, not after what he did. He just couldn't.

"Damn it!" He cursed, sloping his head to rest on the wheels as his sense of nobility betrayed him.

Dawn...What would she think of him?

He cursed again.

It didn't matter what Stella's motives were, he just wanted her out of the city and out of his life before his wife got a glimpse of what was happening.

Unbuckling his seat belt, he stepped out, wincing at the blazing midday sun that shone relentlessly on his skin.

When Stella heard David pull up, she walked out of the building, chewing her lower lip and furrowing her brows in apprehension as she got close enough to note the scent of his rich perfume.

"I didn't think you'd come, Spencer" she spoke, allowing the moment of quick silence fade between them.

David cleared his throat. "Well, you did say it was important and it's David now, not Spenser" he corrected.

"What changed?"

"Life" he shrugged a shoulder.

"It's been quite some time. David"

"I suppose."

"You look all grown, nothing at all like the Spen -David, I remember"

"You don't look bad your self "

"I try my best"

And again, several minutes of silence ensued between them. Stella gazed into space for what seemed like minutes to gather her thoughts. Then, she finally spoke again.

"Do you remember this?" Stella nodded towards the carved 'S&S' memento still laying fresh on the worn-out wooden bench.

David followed her eyesight and sighed. He couldn't forget even if he wanted to. It was the day they'd both promised to be friends forever, a promise he found no pain in breaking.

"I was never a part of your clique because my parents could only afford college for one of us but Stacey always came home filling me in on all the fun kinds of stuff you did together, we'd talk all night and she'd never get tired" she chuckled lightly.

"She was a pretty raucous talker" he forced a smile.

"Remember what she always called you whenever you stole her cookies?"

"Tomate podrido" they laughed only for a short moment before the silence reeled in.

David exhaled softly, watching the fluffy white clouds drift lazily in the gentle breeze and the dappled sun shone through the trees whilst creating mysterious shadows

"She loved you David" Stella whispered, just enough for him to hear. "Did you ever love her?"

"More than you can imagine" he said, leaning against the wall and feeling the cold stone press into his shoulder.

Stella turned. "Then why did you leave?"

David's breath rushed over his lips and after that came nothing. He pressed his lips back together and shook his head lightly. "I'm sorry Stella but as much as I would love to stay and catch up with you, I have work to get to"

"Why did you leave David?" she persisted.

"Because I had to and Stacey understood the reasons clearly, besides, I heard she moved away too."

Stella closed her eyes for a brief moment and said. "I remember that night. Stacey returned home drenched in the rain with bloodshot eyes and a feverish body. She didn't talk or eat for days and I couldn't understand why but it all made sense when the news about your transfer reached home"

He kicked off the wall and stood straight. "Look, Stella, I didn't mean to leave, but we were bound to separate after college"

"But you said you loved her?"

"Yes I did, I loved her but the situation couldn't be helped"

"Does that makeup for the fact that you ruined her life?"

"Ruined?" He turned, noticing the tests that had started to form in her eyes. He continued "that's a rather strong word to use when all I did was lea—"

"Stacey is dead, David" she cut in and David took a step backward, catatonic, and at a loss for words.

"Dead?" His voice mirrored his surprise.

Stella brought her head down and nodded. "She didn't move away because she wanted to, she left because people scorned her" She turned to him. "You don't know what it's like to live in a world where every eye that passes you leaves a condemning comment. It drove Stacey crazy but still, she kept thriving because she loved you, David. She loved you"

"I don't understand Stella, you're not making any sense" still disconcerted, he raked a hand through his hair and puffed out air.

Stella reached inside her purse and drew out a photo that for a moment, made David feel as if he couldn't breathe. His lungs tightened and his skin prickled, freezing into one cold statue.

"Stella?" He muttered, his voice giving out after a single word "is this -" he choked, staring down at the photo with so much ache in his chest.

Somehow, in that very moment, he seemed to have realized all his failings as a lover, a husband, a father, and a friend.