Chapter 3

She could hear a lock being worked from the other side and the door swung open to reveal a shirtless Sean standing in front of her.1

“Who is…” he looked up as the door finished it’s swing and his eyes widened.2

“Hey. Long time no see.” Her soft voice echoed loudly behind her. His long lashes batted a few times while he stared helplessly at her. His mouth opened and closed several times as he attempted to catch his breath. Several soft sighs escaped his lips in his search for words.3

“Ye.. Yeah. It has.” Stepping back he pulled the door further open allowing her to step inside. “Come in.”4

---“Sean!” Screeching his name, she skipped and ran down the hallway toward his unmoving form. Hearing her voice he spun on his heels and his eyes lit up. His arms opened wide as he waited for her weight to collide with him. He felt her body press against his as she jumped and landed with her legs wrapped securely around his waist. His arms closed tightly around her and their lips caught hold of each other. Several light flickers of their tongues and they pulled apart, gazing into each others eyes after months of separation. 5

“Long time no see.” She spoke in a winded whisper as she nuzzled his cheek. Carefully setting back down to the ground he kissed her cheek.6

“Yeah.” His face was buried in her neck and his whisper only audible to her. ---7

“How have you been?” She spoke slowly, trying to feel out his reaction to seeing her for the first time in a year. Her hands buried deep in the pockets of her jeans, she rocked back and forth on her heels. 8

“Fine.” He pushed the door shut behind her and waved his hand over his apartment to show her what he’d been up to. The studio apartment was small but nicely decorated with shades of rich red and dark brown. A beige leather couch, that probably folded out into his bed, adorned the nearest wall. Above it majestically hung a large painting of a mother bear and three cubs. On the opposite wall in front of a large window stood a big screen television on a redwood stand. A redwood coffee table held several coasters as well as a few deep red candles and a dried red rose that Cassie recognized as one of her own. The small kitchen was on the corner on her left and a door immediately on her right probably led to a bathroom. Though small the neat apartment showed class and style. Sean watched her studying his home for a moment before speaking again. “You?”9

“Just been.” Startled out of her observations she shook her head and met his eyes, a soft smile playing in them. A coy shrug to emphasize how little had actually come to pass. The shock melted from his face, and was instantly replaced by stone cold anger. In over a year and a half he had wondered how she’d been with the lover so vividly described in passage after passage of her writing. The cold sweat that had awoken him night after night was nothing to her.10

“I read the book.” His tone took on a more sarcastic tone now, filled with a rage that slowly bubbled up to his face, crumpling his features. Her mind raced remembering the piece of work she had published a year earlier upon arriving in England. The story was a simple one of only slightly fictionalized make-ups and break-ups between herself and a man she had grown to love after her break with Sean. A sickening romance that she had sold her soul to finish with an ending that had never had a chance of being.11

“I was inspired.” Her own sarcasm rang clear and strong.12

“Yeah?” The question begged no answer, instead accusing her. 13

“What?” A hurt tone entered her voice as the tears she had been fearing would come, finally showed in her eyes. His eyes still hard and angry focused on her for a moment before a single droplet rushed down her cheek. Turning her face away from him and wiping quickly to hide the mark and fix her light make-up, she inhaled quickly to calm herself. Sean’s eyes softened lightly as he watched her falling apart before him.14

---“Cassie, are you ok?” A worried expression creased Sean’s brow as he stepped toward her shaking form. Sitting in a corner, folded into as small a space as she could, Cassie sobbed. He sat beside her wrapping one arm around her and felt her body tense up against him. A soft kiss to the top of her head seemed to melt her and she relaxed slowly falling into his lap. “It’ll be ok, baby.”15

Her head bobbed lightly, her cheek rubbing make-up and salty liquid against his blue shirt. Another light kiss to the top of her as Sean sighed and let his head fall back against the stone wall. Everything tore inside of him, tearing him apart to see her cry. He could never watch a tear roll down her cheek and not feel his stomach clench. 16

Her soft sob wrenched him from the inside out, sending a light shudder through his entire body. He felt sick enough to throw up, but he couldn’t get up and leave her. Instead his arms tightened around her a bit, and he continued to rub her hair and back lightly. “It’ll be alright baby.” ---17

“Oh god, Cassie. No don’t cry. Just…” He stepped toward her, taking her small form in his arms. He wrapped himself around her, her arms folded in front of her, her long slender fingers on his chest. “Just…” He started speaking again, his voice catching in his throat. A deep breath later he was silent again.18

“It doesn’t matter anyway. Didn’t work out.” She sobbed softly breathing in the scent of his skin. The familiar smell took her back, weakening her knees and breaking her heart all over again.19

“It seemed so great toward the end there?” 20

“Yeah. Ended about a week before I finished writing. The end is contrived anyway.” A soft chuckle emerged from her soft lips, and he pulled away, keeping his arms around her waist. He caught her eyes for the first time. One hand moved from her back to her cheeks to wipe away the streams that had found their way there. His hand rubbed lightly on her chin as he watched her face slowly brighten. 21

Almost as suddenly as he had come to hold her, his hand fell away from her face and to his side, his other one disengaging from her petite form. The look on his face crumpled lightly and a more confused, embarrassed gaze appeared in his eyes. He looked away from her and stood silently studying the carpet in the hallway. She stood watching him with concern, unable and unwilling to speak. The soft hum of the fridge was the only sound to break the silence. 22

“Thank you.” He looked up to catch her eyes as he spoke up first. The surprised look on her face brought a smile to his face, but elicited no further explanation.23

“For what?”24

“For keeping your promise.” Her face froze for a moment before breaking into a soft, gentle smile reminiscent of those he had loved to watch as she slept. Gazing a moment too long, he once again displayed his discomfort vividly in his eyes. Looking toward the couch he gestured for her to proceed. Obediently she took her jacket off revealing a black tank top and sat on the couch, folding one leg under herself. Sitting beside her he gazed at the TV quietly. 25

After a few moments of silence he rose to his feet, and as she made the move to join him placed his hands on her shoulders, pushing her back into the soft leather. She grinned up at him and nodded lightly. The bob made her blonde hair brush her shoulders. He stepped away with a kind chuckle and a shake of the head.26

“What?” Her voice was childlike and innocent for the first time in a long time and Cassie noticed herself reverting back to an old self she had missed.27

“Do you want ice?” Ignoring her question and laughing a bit more heartily now, he began pouring juice into two glasses, knowing she wouldn’t take the ice he was offering.28

“No thank you.” It was an unnecessary response, but as they had thousands of times before, they went through the ritual.29

---“Ice?” His voice rang from the kitchen to her perch on the living room couch. 30

“No thank you.” She grinned, knowing he was already carrying the glasses into the room, without waiting for the answer he knew was coming. “Why do you ask if you already know? One day I’ll have to throw you a curveball, you know.” His laugh brought a giggle out of her, until she caught herself enough to fake a pout for him.31

“You’re so cute. You know that?” He chucked with a light shake of the head as he set her glass on the coffee table in front of her. “Besides, by next time you’ll forget that little threat anyway, and we’ll be right back to you not wanting any ice.” An exaggeration of her pout elicited another chuckle from him as he leaned in and pulled her body into his. She melted into his hug without question as her hand reached for her glass of juice.---32

He handed her a glass half-full of a red liquid, that without tasting Cassie knew to be Apple Cranberry juice. Stepping past her he placed his glass on a coaster and took a seat on the couch again. His eyes were steadily set on the television where an old episode of “Law and Order” silently played out. Her own eyes were set on his face, studying and remembering it as she sipped the cool juice. 33

“Been engaged then?” His sudden question broke the silence that had been making her ready to fidget. A look of utter shock crossed her features before she relaxed and remembered their last discussion on the subject.34

“As a matter of fact.” For a moment all this elicited was a casual nod, as if nothing else could surprise him that night. A sudden pause and turn of the head showed Cassie the questioning look in his eyes. “Well not engaged, per sé. He proposed.” Sean didn’t stop looking at her, simply nodded again, waiting for her to say more, though it was clearly unnecessary. “I couldn’t say yes.” With this he nodded once more before turning back to the flashing screen. 35

“You really stuck to that promise pretty close, huh?” His voice was tired and confused, his chocolate brown eyes strained against the contacts she knew were starting to bother him. Her own eyes though fixed on him were elsewhere. Drawn to some world where this conversation was going more smoothly. 36

“Yeah. I did.” Tearing herself away she looked at the TV also watching a mourning family and a compassionate female officer having their exchange. “Aren’t I always good on my word?” 37

“Guess so.” Continuing to watch the events transpire before them, they sat transfixed by the television in a semi-comfortable silence. 38

After almost twenty minutes an overplayed song began to from Cassie’s pocket causing her to jump as she felt the vibrations up her leg. Sean looked over and cocked his head with the obvious question. Cursing as she dug her phone out, Cassie felt a dread she didn’t normally associate with unexpected phone calls. Expecting Nigel’s call, Cassie glared at the caller ID. Her eyes finally focused on the number of the person that had so rudely interrupted the peaceful moment. 39

“What the hell?” A sigh of exasperation and shock fell from Cassie’s lips as she slowly rose from the couch.