Counting Stars

   I am engaged to marry Katie, but still there I found myself sitting on the pier with Emily, drinking wine, and laughing about the silliest things.  It was a warm summer night.  The sky was filled with the most brilliant stars I have ever seen in my life before or since.  Emily and I have been the best of friends ever since I could remember having met clear back in kindergarten.  We rode the same school bus and lived in the same neighborhood all our lives.  We grew up right here on this lake, swimming, waterskiing, and having the time of our lives.    Deep down, maybe if I am truly honest I will admit that I have always had a little crush on her but that is as far as it ever went.  She has always been my best friend.

      Still as I watched her laugh at something funny I had said I became completely mesmerized with the way her eyes sparkled, the way her brilliant smile shined brighter than the stars, and the way her laugh carried across the water.   Her perfume on the summer air was intoxicating.  We toasted my upcoming nuptials.   Before I knew how it had happened we were holding hands.  All of I sudden I took her in my arms and kissed her. I simply could not stop myself.   She seemed so surprised but then her arms wrapped around me and her kisses matched mine. We kissed some more, hardly coming up for air.   We embraced our arms and legs intertwining.   There were no words, only the electric passion pulsating between us.  One minute we were counting stars and the next locked in a passionate embrace oblivious to anything else.

     Our clothes melted off as the passion drove us on.  I had never experienced sex like this before!  From the look in her eyes, she never had either.  It was so exciting, and forbidden.  We were simply lost.  In the aftermath we laid in each other’s arms basking in the exquisite afterglow of the pure unbridled ecstasy that overtook us. I became aware that tears were slowly making their way down her face.  I kissed each away until she violently pushed me away.

       “Why NOW?”  She screamed in an anguished sob.  “Katie is my best friend you asshole!”  Reality hit me right between the eyes as I realized in horror what I had done, what we had done.

    “Emily, Oh God…I am so sorry.” Her look of anger, hurt, and outrage stopped me short.   I became angry.  “Hey wait a minute.  It is not like I raped you. You wanted me as badly as I wanted you!  We had some fun and well now, it is over.”  I wanted more than anything to blame her for this, but it was my fault.  I started it.  She simply didn’t refuse and we were both carried away.  My anger quickly dissipated.

    Ashamed we both hurriedly put our clothes back on.  I felt sick.  She looked so broken sitting on the pier staring out at the lake with her arms tightly wrapped around her trembling form.  At this point, the stars didn’t appear as bright.  Hesitating, I stood and glanced at her again.

  
   “Just go!” she screamed.  I hurried away.  No one could ever know what happened here.  It would simply ruin everything and break Katie’s heart.  She didn’t deserve that and we both knew it.  I looked back at Emily one last time.  She was sitting on the pier alone, her back to me now.  Katie could never know.  If she ever found out…well, it would be the end of everything. I wiped a tear from my eye sad that our friendship would never be the same again.

This is my response to the Speakeasy weekly prompt, which is to write a piece in 750 words or less (mine is 621) using (1) “No one could ever know what happened here.” anywhere in the piece AND (2) some reference to the video prompt- One Republic’s song “Counting Stars.”

The challenge is open to anyone who wants to participate.  If you’re curious, click the badge below to view complete guidelines.  Thanks for reading!