Strangers At Heart

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Adam laid there wide awake, unable to believed what had happened, what he'd done.

He felt like complete and utter shit... He'd given in to Torrie's advances - he'd fucked his ex-wife.

The tall blond man felt sick. He felt like he had cheated on Amy... As crazy as it seemed due to the fact that she was married to his best friend, that was nonetheless how it felt to him.

He hadn't wanted to do it. At some point before the divorce proceedings, he'd come to realize he'd never loved Torrie - it was Amy he'd loved all along - but over the course of time, he'd also grown to despise his now former wife. And he could not believe he'd just had sex with her... Sure, it had felt physically good during - he *was*, after all, a *man* - but he'd had to close his eyes and picture Amy, and the after-effects were torturous.

Right at that moment, Adam loathed himself. He turned his long body onto his side, in a fetal position as he recalled the satisfied smile on Torrie's face, the way she dressed and blew him a kiss before she left his bedroom and his house altogether.

He knew the redhead would be upset if she found out about this. It was a horrible situation any which way you sliced it.

*

*The Next Day*

Adam came home from working out at the local gym around four. He didn't feel a sense of the usual rush he typically got following a workout; instead, he felt mighty low. He couldn't remember feeling worse, not even when Amy had married Jay. The way he was feeling, he might as well have just stayed in bed all day.

He hadn't heard from Amy, either. He didn't get the impression that she didn't understand just how urgently he'd needed to talk to her. He'd had Trish pass on to her that it was very important, yet the redhead had stated they would talk on Friday. Well, it was only Tuesday now, but at this point, it could now wait as far as he was concerned. After what had happened the previous night, as horrible as it seemed, he was no longer in a rush to see her. It was funny in a way - it was as though putting some time apart before them would make his encounter with Torrie seem less real...

... If only it were that easy.

Adam sighed as he entered his den. He decided the best way to spend the rest of his afternoon was sitting in here with a good book. Perhaps a story about someone else's life, even if it was just fiction, would take his mind off of his own.

The blond man had barely started on the chapter he was up to when the doorbell rang, distracting him. His dogs barked excitedly, and he groaned as he put the book down and rose from his easy chair. If it were Torrie paying him another unannounced visit...

... It wasn't Torrie. In fact, it was the one person he welcomed more than any other but whom he'd considered avoiding for awhile after the prior night. In spite of that initial urge, his heart thudded like crazy in a different sort of way at the sight of her. It was that usual physical reaction one would experience anytime they saw the person they were in love with - but then, when he opened the door and let her in, the guilt crept right back in.

Amy didn't say a word at first, instead turning right toward him the moment he closed the door, her hands going up into his hair as she kissed him long and passionately. She was breathless as he responded in kind, kissing her back. A sort of sense of relief swept through her, as she had wanted to do that, wanted to be with him for the last few days. She'd missed him. And she remembered how he'd been needing to talk to her for the last few days and how she'd put him off - but Jay she hadn't been able to see him.

As she broke the kiss, reluctantly, her eyes slightly glazed and slitted, she gazed deeply at him.

"Adam, I'm sorry about the last couple of days, but-"

He silenced her with two fingertips to her lips and a "shh."

"It's okay, you don't have to explain," he said softly. He kissed the tip of her nose before speaking again. "You're here now."

She nodded, swallowing hard and glancing down for a beat.

"I know you needed to talk to me," she said, "but the truth is, I need to talk to you about something, too."

"Okay." He took her small hand and led her to sit on the couch.

The redhead looked him straight in the eye, her hands still gripping onto his. Although she loved him and knew he loved her just as much, she was nervous. Her stomach felt as though a thousand butterflies were flitting through it.

"Adam, I'm leaving Jay," she blurted. She didn't flinch or anything admitting it.

In stark contrast, the tall blond man's eyes widened in shock.

"What?"

Amy nodded.

"I *have* to do it. I'm in love with *you*."

Adam didn't know what to say. He knew without question that this woman was the love of his life... But she was leaving his best friend for *him*. Could he deal with that? Could *Jay* deal with that? Would their friendship survive? Those and about a million other questions plagued his mind.

"And... There's something else..." the redhead said, her hazel eyes serious. She kept her soft hand in his as the Canadian eyed her with anticipation.

... I'm pregnant."
 
 
 

Part 27

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