Deja Vu: The Healer

Chapter 14: We're Over

I woke in darkness, my mind still replaying the overwhelmingly spectacular dream. I smiled into my pillow as my body clenched inward on its own accord.

Then I realized a lot of angry noise was going on around me.

I turned and opened my eyes to Rick stumbling around the barely lit room and loudly slamming things into his suitcase.

"Honey, come back to bed," I arched my body in a lovely stretch.

"Don't Honey me! Where were you?"

"Huh?" I asked, looking over. My skin still feeling like delectable fire.

He stepped to the bed, staring me in the face. "Where the hell were you?!"

"What do you mean? When?" I sat up.

"All night!" He hollered. "I woke up and you were gone. I waited for two hours Caroline."

"I have no idea what you are talking about," I squirmed.

"Then I wake up and you're finally here." His voice got low and irate. "And you smell like sex Caroline."

I bent back into the pillows embarrassed. Was my dream so strong that I smelled aroused now? Shoot. A blush slipped up my chest.

He then backhanded the hair off my shoulder. "And you have bite marks all over your neck. You were with someone!"

I slapped my hand over my throat and sat gawking for a moment because I really did have bite marks on my neck. How was I supposed to explain those?

"I thought we were waiting until marriage Caroline. What happened to that?"

"We are." I spoke shocked.

He stomped back and started tossing more things into his suitcase. "So I'm leaving. And I think we should take a break so you can get your priorities in order. We can talk in a few days."

Fury started to fill me in a sudden whoosh, everything going clear. "Fine!" I took off my engagement ring and held it out. "Take it."

His face seemed appalled and hesitant. He finally lost his anger.  Rick's voice then was soothing and calm. "Caroline.  Darling. Let's think about this rationally. We just need some time apart. You don't need to give me the ring back. This is just a short separation."

"No!" My fury was not lessened. "I don't want it." I threw the ring at him. "I don't want to be with someone who refuses to trust me and blames me for the thing he's doing!"

He stepped back. "Darling, what ever do you mean? Not me of course."

I stood off the bed. "They have cameras all around here. Did you know that!" I stepped toward him a finger in the air. "They caught you going into a bathroom with that Katrina lady. Tell me you didn't have sex with her Rick!"

He stammered, eyes wide. "Of course not!"

I realized his heartbeat was so loud it could be heard in the tiny room and it was skipping. "Are you lying?  I think you're lying."

His arms tried to come around me. "Caroline."

"Don't touch me!" I stepped back, shoving his hands away.

"Darling. It's only ever been you. Please just think things through. It's too early, you're still hungover. You're not thinking clearly."

"I'm not hungover!" I stepped back against the bed.

He picked up the ring and placed it on the nightstand. "You take a few days to calm down. We'll talk at the end of the week again."

I shoved the ring off, letting it fly across the room. "No. We're over."

He stepped back to his luggage with a sigh and started zipping it up. "You don't mean that Darling. I'm going to catch a different flight, so don't wait for me. And I'm taking the rental car. But keep the ring. I'll talk to you later." He opened the door to the hallway.

"I'm leaving the ring for housekeeping, you jerk!"

His eyes set to a glare. "That's a six-thousand dollar setting Caroline. Don't you dare leave it."

I sat up on my knees, my shoulders squaring, a deadly stance pointed back at him. "Watch me."

His lip curled in anger, then he stomped back in and grabbed the ring from the ground and put it in his pocket. "Don't forget, you work tomorrow at six a.m. sharp. I expect you there and on time."

"Maybe I will. Maybe I won't." I challenged. Even the air seemed intense. I felt like I could even see the minute dust particles floating around him.

"You'll be there Caroline!" And at that he slammed the door behind him.

"I quit." I said to the closed door. Like I couldn't find another job.

But as my vision blurred and my breathing slowed, I realized I'd need him to give me a reference if I were to work anywhere else. 

Now I know why you should never date someone you work with. It turns into a mess if you ever break up.

Is that what happened?

Did we just break up?

My breathing labored and my brain wanted me to cry. I just lost my fiancé. I should be wanting to bawl.

I sat still for a minute, waiting for the Hollywood-esque sobbing and overwhelming pain to come.

But it didn't.

There was no heartbreak.  It was almost....relief?

All I could do is think of piercing blue.

A slight smile flicked to my lips and I fell back onto my pillow.

I stretched from my fingers to my toes, then curling in as heat pressed into every muscle. Oh that dream!

It was so good that Rick could smell it on me.

I wanted to be embarrassed, but I only giggled.

Now what do I do?

Go home to Seattle? Stay with my ....husband?  I giggled again.

But then I knew what to do.

It was still dark outside. I was going back to dreamland.

I was going back to William's steamy arms.