Chapter Three



Brandi watched Justin. He was staring out a window, lost in thought. 

"What are you thinking about?' she asked him, moving to stand beside him." 

Serenity," he replied bluntly. "I'm worried about her." 

"So am I," Brandi told him. "I hope she's okay, and doesn't get depressed." 

"Do you have any idea of what's bothering her?" 

"No. I have no clue. I was hoping you did." 

Justin shook his head. "Nope. She hasn't told me. I hope she will soon, though. I want to helpher through anything she needs help through." 

"Maybe this is something she needs to do on her own," Chris said from behind them. "She needs to confront here devils on her own. No one will be able to help her." 

"Chris, you can at least let us hope she'll ask us for help," Brandi told him, turning around. "You don't have to confirm what we know in our hearts." 

Justin sighed. He knew that Chris was right. But he hated to admit it.



Serenity stared out the window of the car, watching the moon and stars. Mike glanced over at her. "What's wrong, baby?" 

Serenity laughed. "Is it that obvious that something's bothering me?' 

"You seem quieter than usual, more withdrawn." 

"I've just got a lot on my mind," Serenity explained. "I need to think." 

"When are you going to give me an answer?" 

"You said I could have all the time I needed." 

"You can. I would just like to know where I stand in your affections." 

Serenity glanced sharply at Mike. "Are you jealous of Justin?" 

"No; I just want to know if I'm up there with him." 

"Justin is my best friend; he knows me better than anyone. Yes, I love him, but I the feelings I have for him are different from the ones I have for you." 

Mike pulled the car to the side of the road. "What do you feel for me, Serenity? I asked you to marry me a week ago and you haven't replied yet. Every time we start to have sex, you pull back. I want to know where I stand. I want to know if you're just a dream and I won't end up with you in my bed every night, or if you're real and I will have you for the rest of my life." 

Serenity sighed, looking down at her hands. Her hair fell in her face. Mike watched her for a few minutes. 

Serenity lifted her head, and pushed her hair out of her face. 

"Mike, all I know right now is that I'll never love you. I never expected you to propose, and it shocked me when you did. I'm not what you think I am. So I can't marry you." 

Mike stared at her. "Well, if you don't love me, who do you love?" 

"I don't know." Serenity looked at Mike. "I'm really sorry, but it would never work out." 

Mike started the car and pulled back onto the street. "That's okay. I don't love you either. I just need a wife for work. I'm in the running for a vice presidency, and a wife would really help to secure it." 

Serenity smiled slightly. "I'm sure you'll get it, even without a wife. Most people have to wait until they're in their 30's or 40's to even be in the running for a vice presidency of a major corporation." 

"Of course I'll get it, I just wanted to make myself look even more attractive to the company." 

Serenity laughed. One thing all of her boyfriends had in common was their confidence. They were all extremely confident, but none of them had inflated egos. Their confidence was well deserved. 

Mike dropped Serenity off at her apartment. He waited until she was safely inside before letting the bitter smile twist his lips. How he wished she'd said yes. She would have made the perfect wife.



Justin called Serenity at ten the next morning, wanting to know if she wanted to go see a movie. They were both huge movie buffs, and tried to go see a movie at least once a week. It was one of the rituals that began when Serenity moved to Florida to go to college. She'd just finished her first year, and would soon be starting her second. 

They met at one at the movie theater. Serenity seemed distant throughout the entire movie, which was a horror. Then, during lunch, she didn't do much talking. She replied to Justin's comments with a distance that Justin had never noticed before, even when they first met. 

"What'd you do last night, after you left?" he inquired. 

"Something that should make you happy. I broke up with Mike. He asked me to marry him, but I couldn't." 

Thank you, God, Justin thought. "Good. He wasn't right for you." 

Serenity laughed. "I still have to tell Brandi, but I'm sure she'll have the same reaction. Why don't any of you every like my boyfriends?" 

"They're not right for you." 

"Then what is right for me?" 

"I..." Justin began. Just then his pager went off and Serenity's cell phone rang. 

"Damn," Justin muttered, looking at the number. "It's Johnny. I gotta go. Sorry, Serenity." 

"That's okay. I gotta go, too. It's an emergency." 

Justin looked at her, worried about the tremor in her voice. "Is everything okay?" 

Serenity shook her head. "My mom's in the hospital. I've got to get back to California." 

Serenity had never mentioned her mother. Justin knew her parents had divorced, and that her father had remarried, but didn't know anything about her mother. He'd assumed she'd died. Now he knew differently. 

"I hope she'd okay," he told her. 

Serenity stared off into space. "I just hope she lives long enough to let me ask her a few questions." 

They parted then, Serenity heading for her car and Justin for his. Before they parted though, Justin made Serenity promise that she would call him when she landed in LAX.
To Chapter 4