Chapter Two – Up in Smoke.
Sienna stood, staring, not understanding why she could not move her feet and get out of the horror show playing before her eyes.
“Sienna, s**t…” Kev started to say, when he opened his eyes and found her watching, her mouth open, tears in her eyes.
Sienna held up her hand, shaking her head, trying to find the words she wanted to say. A mixture of emotions washed over her; anger, rage, disappointment, betrayal.
“Get out.” She softly said.
“Sienna, it just happened.” Cara defended herself, knowing her friend was about to explode when her voice went soft.
“Get out.” Sienna repeated, her tears drying, as the anger began to swirl in her irises, a warning of the storm that was brewing in her mind.
“Sienna, calm down…I am still marrying you!” Kev shouted, panic in his voice.
Sienna let out a manic laugh as she shook her head.
“No, you are f*****g not! Now get out, before I throw you out. This is my house, the tenancy is in my name, and neither of you are welcome. I am going to give you, to the count of three.” Sienna said, her voice starting to rise slightly.
“Sienna, you cannot throw away our friendship over a simple mistake!” Cara pleaded, getting off the bed, and picking up her clothes that were strewn on the bedroom floor.
“One…” Sienna said, her eyes boring holes into her former best friend.
“Sienna, don’t be stupid, it meant nothing. You have been so stressed, not putting out, it was bound to happen.” Kev shouted.
“Two…” Sienna said, completely ignoring Kev. She could have guessed it would have been her fault.
“Sienna, come on, let's talk about this like adults.” Cara pleaded.
“Three.” Sienna said, then grabbed hold of Cara by the back of her neck, pushing her head down, then marched her half naked down the stairs, opening the door, and shoving her into the small front garden.
Turning on her heel, Sienna marched back upstairs, storming into the bedroom, heading straight to the wardrobe, grabbing handfuls of Kev’s clothes. Clothes she had bought, as he had no money, and threw them out of the window, before turning on him.
“GET OUT!” She shouted, the rage starting to take hold.
“Sienna, s**t man, no need to be acting like a mad woman.” Kev said, shaking his head.
Turning to the side of the room, she picked up the one thing Kev loved more than anything, his guitar.
“No…. No Sienna…” He shouted.
“GET OUT OR I SMASH THE FUCKER OVER YOUR f*****g HEAD YOU DISCUSTING, LAZY, LOWLIFE, PIG.” She shouted at the top of her voice.
Kev finally jumped out of the bed, as Sienna stormed down the stairs, guitar in hand.
“FYI, YOU ARE A s**t MUSICIAN, AND QUITE FRANKLY, s**t IN BED. NOW TAKE YOUR FIVE INCH c**k AND LAZY GOOD FOR NOTHING LARDY ARSE, AND GET OUT OF MY f*****g HOUSE.” Sienna screamed, opening the door, and throwing the guitar as hard and as far as she could, as Kev ran out to save it, stark naked.
Sienna slammed the door behind him, immediately putting the chain on the door, then ran to the kitchen and locked the back door, before returning and grabbing her keys from her bag, and finally locking the front door.
Sliding down the door, she sat stunned, staring at the floor. A thousand questions ran through her mind, as she thought of how much of an i***t she had been. Ten years of her life were gone, leaving nothing but regret in their wake. He had lived off her for years, never contributing a single penny. He was scum, and she knew when she got over the shock, she would be relieved she no longer felt obliged to marry his sorry ass. She let out a humourless chuckle, as she thought about Cara. How she had been dead set against Sienna marrying Kev. Now she knew why. She did not buy the ‘mistake’ excuse. This was planned, premeditated. She knew in her gut; this was not the first time those two had cheated on her. Memories began to emerge in her mind, when Kev had disappeared for hours, when he was supposed to have just gone to the shop, she had tried to call Cara, her best friend, and confide in how she was concerned about his constant long disappearances, but could never get hold of her when he was missing. She had been an i***t, but no more, the worm had turned, and she would take no s**t off anyone ever again.
Picking herself up off the floor, Sienna walked around the house, grabbing anything of Kev’s that was lying about, picking it up, and making a pile, as he scrambled in the front garden to get some clothes on as the neighbours all stepped out of their front doors, watching, some laughing, others shaking their heads in dismay.
Storming into the kitchen, Sienna opened a drawer and grabbed a roll of big black bin liners, throwing everything she had gathered into them, before heading back upstairs and throwing them out of the bedroom window. Turning, she stared at the bed, the evidence of their betrayal lay on the now stained sheets.
“f**k, these were brand new, I only put them on yesterday.” Sienna cursed, but pulled them off the bed, along with the duvet and pillows, and soon they followed the black bags out of the window.
As she searched for more stuff, she noticed her old yearbook from when she left school. Falling to the floor, she opened it. Turning to the page that had the photographs, she stared at the picture before her, seeing Carla and her, laughing together, Kev with his arm wrapped around her shoulders. A fresh wave of tears began to fall, as she sat staring at the past, mourning the loss of the two people she thought would be with her forever.
“Enough!” Sienna shouted to herself, determined not to give in to the utter despair that was taking hold of her mind.
Grabbing the book, she marched back downstairs into the kitchen, throwing the book into the stainless-steel sink, then grabbing a lighter she set it on fire, watching her past burn before her.
As the smoke alarm rang out, piercing her ear drums, the smoke filling the kitchen and hallway, Sienna quickly came to her senses. Turning on the cold tap to douse the flames. Happy the flames had been put out, she grabbed the burnt black pages that remained of her past life, and once more headed up her stairs, leaving a trail of soot behind her, and threw the burnt book out of the window watching the charred pages float away, as it fluttered to the ground.
Her phone began to ring in her bag downstairs, but she left it to go to voice mail, in no mood to listen to Kev or Cara’s lame excuses. However, it rang again, then again.
Sienna stormed downstairs, grabbing her mobile, to block both their numbers, only to find it was not either of them who had rung, but her mother.
It was then she saw the multiple social media notifications, and she closed her eyes, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt, pictures had been taken, and posts had been made.
The phone rang again in her hand, and she took a breath, before hitting the green button and answering the call.
“Sienna, are you okay?” Her mother asked, her voice dripping with concern.
“Yes….No….Mam.” Sienna answered as loud sobs broke free.
“Your dad and I are on our way.” Her mother informed her, as Sienna sobbed, unable to speak.
Martha Lloyd took hold of her husband’s arm, as he moved to get out of the car. Kev was still sitting on the front step. Surrounded by his clothes and bin bags. The little b***h they had treated like another daughter was nowhere to be seen.
“Eric, keep calm, we are here for Sienna. Remember, we cannot tell her what to do, or feel, so we must keep our feelings about that lazy piece of s**t to ourselves. Sienna is all that is important right now.” Martha warned her husband.
Grabbing the handle of the door, Eric climbed out of the car, storming towards the piece of s**t who had the nerve to cheat on his daughter.
“It’s not what you think.” Kev protested, seeing the hulking 6-foot 224 pound Eric heading his way, his red face and clenched fist a clear indication of what was about to happen.
Eric ignored his comment and simply picked him up by his t-shirt that was on inside out and back to front, dragging him to his feet, then brought his shoulder back and let his fist fly into his face.
The satisfaction of seeing the lazy good for nothing heap of crap fall to the floor, was worth the scowl Martha was throwing his way.
“Get off my daughter’s lawn, and away from her home. Before I completely lose my temper.” Eric shouted.
Kev was not a fighter, and he knew Eric had quite a reputation in his younger days, so he quickly grabbed his things, and scrambled away from the house.
Martha knocked on her daughter’s front door.
“Sienna, it is us. He has gone.” She said through the black wooden door.
She listened as the door unlocked, and opened. Sienna stood, her sapphire eyes bloodshot from her tears, as Martha gathered her daughter, who looked so vulnerable, into her warm loving embrace.
“Come on pet, let's get you a nice cup of tea.” Martha soothed, as she stepped inside her daughter’s home.
Eric stood, watching, feeling helpless as his wife led their heartbroken daughter to the living room and sat her down.
“Eric, don’t hover, put the kettle on.” Martha instructed.
As he stepped into the kitchen that smelt of stale smoke, he noticed the chard, black in the sink, and quickly opened the windows, before filling the kettle. He loved his daughter more than life itself, but he was not a touchy-feely man, and he was out of his depth in this situation. He decided to let his wife do the talking, and whilst they were doing that, he would scrub out the burnt sink, to keep himself busy. Making the tea, he took two cups into the living room, before heading back to the kitchen, finding a wire scrubber for pans, and set to work on cleaning the sink, expelling some of his anger and frustration, getting it back to normal.
“I had cold feet anyway.” Sienna said, as she took a sip of the hot sweet tea.
Martha didn’t speak, just nodded her head. For all she was worried about her daughter, and hated seeing her hurt, she was glad that Sienna would probably cancel the wedding now. It was almost like an answered prayer.
“I am such a fool.” Sienna said, another wave of emotion threatening to consume her.
“What do you want to do about it, Sienna?” Martha softly asked.
“What time is it?” Sienna asked.
“3 pm.” Martha answered.
“I guess I am spending the afternoon cancelling a wedding. Want to help?” Sienna said, with a renewed determination.
“Are you sure that is what you want?” Martha asked.
“Yes, I will get my money back on some things, but not others. However, my first call is to the travel agent, I want his name removed from the holiday.” Sienna said.
“Just his name?” Martha asked.
Sienna nodded.
“Yes, the p*****t was made from my account, I have lost a fortune on this wedding as well as keeping his sorry ass for years. After this, I need that three-week holiday. I am going on my own.”