Chapter 1

It was a lovely winter summers day in the city of gold; the August cold fronts had started to blow in and pass through but it was beginning to look and feel like spring, minus the icy cold weather .Besides everybody trying to keep warm, there was work to do, the traffic was horrendous as always if it wasn't an accident or a stationary truck it was traffic backed up for a kilometer cause of traffic lights being off. Getting to work or school was a mission for anyone whether they made it on time or late ,by the end of the day the same scenario repeated itself with less buzz around stalls opening and stores closing. Only this time it is a mission getting back home.

Iris hosted a show with Jonathan called the sports show with a difference .

She was a well know writer, presenter on screen and on the airwaves. She knew her market and enjoyed her Job, she has never woken up not loving what she does.

She had a pretty normal life. Like any other woman she has her in securities but she hid them very well ,she recently had a health scare which she kept from her boyfriend; who also had a secret of his own and if it came out it would put an end to what seemed to be a perfect relationship publicly and privately .

The day started normally for iris as like any other day if there was a task to finish she completed it ;if there was a show to shoot she rehearsed and shot it ,if there was a script to write she wrote it ,and if there was a show to present she presented it. 

It was all in a day's work for this independent woman who had a man who complemented her not complete her, cause she was complete and content before she met her significant other.

Iris was a perfect example of a woman who had everything going for her; you could say she was content with the way things were in her life. Though life wasn't easy when she was growing up, she kept positive and worked hard. She understood the value of hard work and accepting that things may not work the way you hoped, but they would but they work out in the end they way they are supposed to.

Falling in love for Iris was simple; she didn't think about it the feeling was either there or not. She wasn't one to just fall in and out of love, she was friendly and accepting ,but kept her heart guarded for fear of getting hurt or rejected. All that changed when she grew up ...

Iris started her show without her co-host Jonathan who happened to be her best friend. Jonathan was  the perfect measure of a best friend any girl could  ask for and Iris was blessed to have a friend like him.

The two were old college buddies who had grown fond of each other and had a pretty solid friendship a kind of friendship most people dream of.

Iris switched on her microphone and began her show. By the time she did  the radio show, she had done a million other things which needed to be done and she was very much disciplined in her execution.

When she got back home thinking that she was going to find the house empty; and all she was going to have was a toasted cheese sandwich and hitting the sack, she found her boyfriend cooking. All she could think of was sleeping she  had a long day at work.

Bryce was an international model and actor, he had brown hair and dreamy hazel green eyes, he had a Spartan built body type, which drove women wild and made other men jealous. He had poster boy looks that could easily sell anything; that is why he was the most in demand actor and model.

This pretty hot boy however had eyes for one woman .Bryce loved Iris with his heart they both had the perfect relationship and got each other but what seemed perfect and immaculate on the surface was about to have a stain which could ruin what was once pure and untouchable.

Iris entered the house and she could smell dinner, an infusion of lamb stew and red wine filled the air with freshly baked bread just out of the oven, the house smelt like a restaurant, that served only homemade meals and when you taste the food you can tell just from the first bite, that the meal took time and was made with love.

Bryce was quiet the cook, problem is he only cooked when he wanted to make up for doing something wrong or when he wanted to be all romantic and charming and treat Iris to dinner on occasions like their anniversary or valentine's day ;but it was neither and that set off an uneasy feeling in Irises heart.

"Bryce? Honey I know your home; question is where are you?" Iris called out

Bryce answered;

" in the dining room! "

Iris ran to the dining room with excitement and wonder 'Bryce? ' she called out .Bryce ran to give her a hug and a kiss, the moment was so sweet and innocent and filled with nostalgia. Kind of like the moment when you have your first kiss and all the butterflies, nervousness and all that jazz is there.

"I missed you welcome home " at that moment Iris got off Bryce and she sensed something was not right .For her it felt like she was coming home to someone totally different never mind that he had changed his hair color to black he was strangely doggy he made little to no eye contact and he was all over the place. This was unlike Bryce, because he was direct and forthcoming.

See normally when you have known someone for a long time like the back of your hand you know everything there is to know about the person; what turns them on or off, how they feel and the looks they give when they don't like something or pretend. What Iris felt was a gut feeling that told her something wasn't right.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming home early what's going on?" Iris inquired.

'If I told you it was not going to be a surprise now was it." 

At that moment his heart was pounding as fast as a runaway train for fear of Iris finding out what he did when they took a break from each other, to sort themselves out .They both had gotten into the mother of all arguments before Bryce went to shoot a movie for five months. The argument was about trust; Bryce had done something that had made Iris question his loyalty towards her and whether or not they were wasting each other's time and should move on.

"No sneaky, very sneaky." Iris realized that Bryce was not being charming he was coming across as apologetic and that in turn sent off alarm bells, she could feel it in her gut that something did not add up. Bryce was home early and she knows that he loves to put in a lot of work when his working on a campaign or playing a character if not change or redo a scene.

Bryce retaliated by saying "that is not the word I was going for'

'Unexpected?' she shrugged her shoulders

'No spontaneous dinner is served' he took out the food and everything was on point, presentation, table setting, and aroma. Iris wasn't really hungry she was actually tired from the hectic day she had at work all she wanted to do was sleep, besides being emotionally tired. The drive back home to Bedford took the last bit of energy she had.

Iris commented on the meal 'wow you have really out done yourself' she took a seat as calm as ever cause she knew she was about to open a can of worms and this time a great meal would not solve a thing.

Bryce sat down across the table from her and looks at her 'Dinner is served enjoy'

"Thanks for dinner but before we eat, honey can you tell me what is going on?"

"With, what and why are you acting suspicious?" Bryce snapped out the blue and lost his cool he always acted angrily to try and cover up what he was feeling .

To him it felt like he was losing grip slipping and he was blaming it on someone who did not deserve it, his one true love Iris.

'I told you nothing why the hell are you pushing yes I'm back earlier than expected and well I am here so do you have a problem with that?'

As shocked as Iris was from his reaction she knew that she was on to something and being the journalist she is she was not going to let it go. She knew that if let it go she would not sleep it would bug her all night

'No sorry I asked why you are being mean to me."

"I'm sorry here you are trying to be supportive and I'm pushing you away "Bryce licked his lips and dropped his knife due to sweaty palms and he was still on edge .Immediately Iris knew that when someone licks their lips when they are being questioned they are about to lie or try cover their tracks and Bryce was doing a poor job at concealing what he had done.

"you're behaving strangely you never cook, I mean if anything I'm thinking you're about to tell me something serious" 

Her phone rang which annoyed Bryce so much so that it was tradition in the house that she switch her phone off when she walks through the door ,if not Bryce would do it .

"Please don't pick up...There is no easy way to say this" Bryce was courageous but however , what he was about to say even put him out of depth and if there is one thing he hated it was being put out of depth

"What is it then? If you do not tell me I'll find out soon and then I will be angry and we don't want that now do we?' She said it in a serious tone so serious that it flicked a switch in Bryce's conscious and he had to tell her the truth there was no other way. She knew her all too well lying to her would be like telling a friend that you are fine when you're not

"I slept with Gina."

Bryce's heart rate returned to normal and he was overcome with some sort of relief miraculously he was not on edge anymore and it felt like a weight being lifted off his perfectly ripped chest which was covered in a white shirt paired up with dark blue jeans .

As hurt as Iris was she had to ask the difficult question, she didn't know what to say she just stood there numb and in a split second it felt like hear whole world was about to fall apart including her heart . She came to the realization that; the man she once knew as the love of her life had betrayed her in the worst possible way

What had led to the first argument they; had was what led to the second one. Could this spell the end to their relationship, or was there more.

"How many times?"

She force the words out she had seen the look in Bryce's eyes, the look that said it all the look that said I have just gone and messed up what we had and It's killing me that I hurt you.

"Five times"

Bryce paused for what seemed to be three seconds his eyes were about swell up but he held back and told himself he should be man enough and be honest cause Iris deserves to know the truth he also had something eating at him which led to his unfaithfulness.

"What wasn't I enough for you? What did I do? I just said we needed a breather and that we should rediscover ourselves not jump into bed with the next person."

Her voice went all husky as she also tried to fight back the tears that were burning at the back of her eyes and she could feel them in her throat.

"I didn't want to cheat on you it just happened I was drunk she was drunk we just had the mother of all fights on the phone and during the five months we were shooting we comforted each other, hell she was going through a similar situation, her significant other was being an impossible man she came to set crying, I cannot watch someone suffer like that and hell she gave me a shoulder to cry on when we were on the verge of ending it all."

Bryce knew that it was a weak explanation , he did not want to be explicit he couldn't bear the thought of telling Iris what really happened at the same time he was having flashbacks about the five nights of passion with Gina.

Iris gains her composure and tries regaining her self control as well as emotional control.

"I know I haven't been the easiest person to come home to but really Bryce how could you fine we didn't talk and we were not broken up we just hit a hiccup, that doesn't mean that we are not couple or it's over...How could you do this to us , to me?

Bryce flipped and discovered a side of himself he never knew, he had something switched on and he retaliated with a vengeance.

"yeah right you were not the easiest person to come home to, you were always moody, if not irritable, and I put up with that. I was there for you okay I get that you work but ,you came home late ,left early, hell it was a miracle if I ever saw you I was hurting ."

Iris's phone goes off again and its work she hangs up as she is no mood to deal with her nosy boss

"why the hell didn't you call me yes fine I get that I'm sometimes moody, it's just me deal with it, you're not Mr. perfect. I was there for you, there during the months we took a break where you couldn't even look at me or even try and understand what I was going through."

Bryce comes to a realization that Iris was keeping something serious from him something that could break them or give their relationship more character.

" You couldn't tell me what was going on and yet you had frequent doctor's visits. I asked you countless of times what was going on you just up and left ,what was I supposed to do , I couldn't take it anymore, and every time I called the hospital I couldn't get through to you why?" 

A lot of assumptions went through his mind and he started thinking a lot of things he got more fired up and infuriated. His face registered anger. His body was burning with furry, he wanted to throttle someone, kick or punch something that's how angry he was.

" I'm sorry Bryce. I did not want to put you through what I was going through ,please try and understand. It happened so fast; if I had told you then you were going to drop the movie role and stay, I couldn't do that to you ."

Fear crept over Iris like an unexpected ice cold breeze on a summers day, besides being confused she was afraid, afraid that she might have pushed Bryce too hard,afraid that she didn't know the man she was looking at ,but even more afraid that she might have sparked something in Bryce that might just set him off on a tirade.

The Phone rang again, Bryce threw it against the wall with extreme force and fury. The phone didn't break but it switched off, he couldn't remember the last time he was so furious and hurt. 'You're scarring me' Iris said with tears in her eyes...cause she knew what she had done '

" I don't know what the hell to think! wait, wait were you pregnant and had an abortion for the sake of your career."

He was about to cry too at the fact that he was angry and he was even shocked that he just lost it .

"what was it then Iris what cause if that's the case you're not the woman I fell in love with."

In disbelief Iris answered Bryce

"No I would never do that to you. I've lost a child before."

She stood up and looked outside the window it was beautiful view of the sunset kissing the city goodnight. There was a haunted house silence in the room so silent that you could hear a pin drop and it would be so loud Iris responded

"how you could even think that"

" Iris tell me ,it kills me that I hurt you and the way I did it was unfair to you we used to speak without words communicate so well .I want to fix us."

© #KCMmuoe