The Beautiful Mistake Pt. 12

"Well, welcome back," I say loudly, hoping Marissa can hear it over the shower. "Where's your mom?"

"She and Jazlyn are down by the pool. I just brought up her bag for her."

I hadn't noticed until now that they're holding Jen's travel bag.

"Oh, yeah! I'll- take that."

I grab the bag from them. They may not have noticed the sound of the shower running, but they certainly hear it turn off.

"Uh... who's in the shower?"

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!

"Oh, well- I was at the bar by the pool a little while ago and I accidentally spilled a drink on a lady who was there. It was a pina colada, so lots of sugar, real sticky. So I let her come up here to rinse off."

The bathroom door opens and I'm relieved to see Marissa has put her bikini on. She smiles with confidence.

"Thanks for letting me use your shower," she says. "Really appreciate it."

She turns to Felix.

"Hi there!" she says. "You must be his kid."

"Yeah..."

"You got a great dad. His spilling on me was a total accident. If it was anyone's fault, it was mine. He was such a gentleman about the whole thing. Anyway," she goes over to the dresser to grab her phone and tripod case, "I best be off. Thank you again."

"Happy to help," I answer. "It was Melissa, right?"

"Marissa."

"Oh, right. Nice meeting you."

"You too. Bye!"

Marissa moves past Felix and I and out the door.

"Nice girl," I say to Felix.

"She, uh, wasn't wearing much."

"Well, we mustn't judge. Whatever people are comfortable wearing, right?"

I know the expression on Felix's face. It's the expression they make when they're thinking deeply, trying to figure out a problem or phrase something difficult to say.

"Did you have a good time at the marine park?" I ask in an attempt to distract them. "How were the dolphins?"

"They were fun. Why couldn't she use her own shower?"

"Oh. She's not actually staying here, apparently. She has a friend who works here who lets her use the pool and hang at the bar... yeah."

"Ok..."

Their eye's flicker to the bed. The bedding is a mess.

"You should go join your mom at the pool," I tell them. "I'll uh... I'll join you guys down there later."

"Sure."

It's 2 a.m. I'm lying awake in the dark, staring at the ceiling and listening to the sound of Jen breathing next to me as she sleeps. If Felix mentioned anything to her, she's kept it to herself. But I doubt Felix did. Jen wanted one more chance at having hotel sex tonight, but I turned her down. I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

What is wrong with me? What have I become? To be with Chloe was something I had always fantasized of but never thought it would happen. When it finally did... it felt like something special, something meant to be. It was beautiful. I never thought it would lead me down this path, I never meant it to. Teaching a loving young woman the art of love is one thing. I could convince myself it was noble, even. But then there was Jazlyn. And Abbey Grace. Then Danae. Now this woman, Marissa, who I just met, who I know nothing about...

The look in Felix's eyes today was painful to witness. And they only have suspicions. If they actually knew what I had done today, what I've been doing for the past year... If Jen knew...

But they won't. This ends now. I can't take it anymore. No one else will find out about any of this.

My phone lights up.

I pick it up. It's a message from Chloe.

It reads, "what the FUCK did you just do?!"