Stolen Hearts

Chapter Twenty Four.

Maggie was cleaning her apartment, she'd fell behind in her cleaning and it was driving her crazy. She was in the process of mopping when her phone rang, she glanced at the caller ID and saw it was Artemis.

"Hello?"

"Maggie....can you come over?" Artemis asked, for the first time in her life she sounded unsure, worried even.

"Yeah, sure, is everything okay?"

"I just need to talk to someone."

"Okay, I'll be there."

Maggie hung up, grabbing her purse and pulling on her coat. She stepped into her shoes, it wasn't like Artemis to call her for advice if she was doing it now, something must be wrong.

He drove to Jake's house and sat outside for a few long minutes, her chest aching to the point she half worried she was taking a heart attack. She took a deep breath and climbed from her car and walked up the sidewalk, Jake's work truck was gone but his Impala was sitting in the driveway.

She knocked on the door and waited on the porch for Artemis to answer, when she did it was immediately obvious she was drunk.

"Mags....."She leaned heavily on the doorway, a wine glass dangling from one hand.

"Artemis, what's going on?" Maggie stepped inside.

"I....I just....I can't," She sagged against the wall, heavily.

Maggie shrugged off her coat and closed the door behind her, one arm around Artemis she lead her into the kitchen helping her settle in a chair at a table.

"I'll get you some water," Maggie said.

She grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water, handing it to her sister. Artemis took a long drink then lay her head on the table with a choked sob.

"He left me," She said.

"Who? Carlos?" Maggie eased into the chair across from her.

"No stupid, Jake."

She lifted her head, wiping at her tears and taking another drink of her water.

"When?"

"Today."

"Did.....did he say why?" Maggie asked gently.

"Yes, he said he's in love with someone else. He said she's all he thinks about and he can't play house with me anymore."

Maggie fell silent as Artemis stood, stumbling over to the counter she pulled down another bottle of wine and a new glass. Filling it she took a long drink.

"You see.......I was with Carlos for a few months before I realized....I didn't love him, I lusted but I didn't love. So one night I dropped the kids off with Jake and I said that Carlos and I were fighting, he offered me a drink when the kids went to bed......we got a little tipsy and we made love.....right here in this kitchen."

Maggie winced but didn't say anything, Artemis took a long drink, finishing her drink. She poured herself another.

"So....I thought that was it...you know? And the next morning I was so happy when Jake sobered up he said it was a mistake.......he said he couldn't get back with me because he wasn't in love with me anymore......so, I went back to Carlos."

"And then Carlos left you," Maggie said softly.

"No....I left Carlos....I thought if I told Jake that I was single he'd see to reason but......He said he'd met someone and that he loved her."

"Artemis...maybe you shouldn't be drinking....the baby."

Artemis scoffed and took a long drink before stumbling back to her chair, she shook her head as she spoke.

"There's no baby."

"Wait....you lied?"

"Of course I did, I wanted Jake and I knew there was only one way to get him but apparently I was wrong." She shrugged.

"Did you tell him? Is that why he left?" Maggie asked.

"No, that's the rich part. I didn't even get to come clean, he just said this morning that he can't do this and he's in love. I don't know who the bitch is but....she must be something special."

"So, why did you call me?" Maggie asked, unsure.

"Will you pick up the kids from school and take them with you for awhile? I don't want them to see me like this."

"Of course, Artemis....did you really think you could get away with this? When there wasn't a real baby?"

"I thought by the time he realized I lied....he'd love me again."

Maggie felt bad, Artemis wasn't always the best sister, wife or mother but she was a human being. She deserved someone to love her for who she was and she knew that Artemis in her own way, loved Jake very much.

"You have to tell him the truth," Maggie said gently.

"What's the point? He's going to leave me anyway."

"Because, he thinks he's going to have another child."

Artemis waved away Maggie's comment, leaning forward to rest her head on the table with a grown. Maggie sighed, it was no use talking sense into her now.

"Come on, let's get you to bed."

Maggie stood, moving around the table she pulled Artemis to her unsteady feet. She carefully led her down the hallway and then eased her into the king size bed, tucking her under the blankets. Artemis was barely awake by the time her head hit the pillow.

"Just...go get my kids," Artemis said.

"Okay."

She backed away from the bed with a heavy sigh, Artemis was always the strong one that never let things get to her and seeing her so completely destroyed was hard. Knowing that Maggie was the reason for it was even worse.