I've had the beginnings of this plot in my head for a long time. I'm not entirely sure where this is going, but I hope you enjoy what I have so far. Feedback would be great! :)
The characters belong to the incomparable Ms. Austen, and the story's title and summary are from Josh Turner's "Another Try".
-Absit Invidia

Prologue

Beth had already heard the entire easy listening CD being played in the lobby of the theater and was on the second go round, humming along with a chorus, when Will finally walked in. She stood up, smoothing her new skirt, worried that he was so late, thinking that something must have happened to hold him up so long. "Will, over here," she motioned him to the small seating area.

He walked over, visibly agitated. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"What happened?" she asked, worry in her voice.

"I got caught up at work" was all he said, shrugging, as he turned toward the entrance to the theatre.

"It's too late to see the play, Will. They're in the second act. There are only three."

He turned back toward her, shoulders slumped. "Oh. I guess we'll just have to come back another night then."

"We can't come back another night. This is closing night, Will. The last performance, remember?" she struggled to keep her voice even. She was trying not to let her frustration get the best of her because she knew that he was under a lot of pressure at work, but she had wanted to see the play for a while.

He tiredly rubbed his hands over his face. "LizzyBeth, I'm sure Anne has still got the confirmation on the tickets. She can return them and get tickets to another play you want to see," he said, obviously trying to placate her, to keep from starting an argument in such a public place.

Her head shot up from where she had been looking at her feet, thinking about what a waste the pedicure had been. "What do you mean 'Anne has the confirmation on the tickets'? Why would she have it?"

He was leading them to the entrance, pulling his keys out of his pocket when he absently answered, "From when she made the reservations this morning."

She stood stock-still in the middle of the lobby, forcing him to stop with her. "Why would Anne make the reservations for our anniversary? And why only this morning?" she said in a deceptively calm voice.

Will wasn't looking at her, but at his keys, which he was uncharacteristically fidgeting with, when he said, "I… Because… I forgot to."

She backed away a couple steps, incredulous. He rushed to cover up his blunder, "I mean, I was busy in meetings all day, and I had just finished the last one and was taking a nap in my office to recharge a little, and she called me and told me that I was supposed to be here, and then I rushed, and—"

"So you didn't make any plans for us at all? You didn't even remember our anniversary?" Her voice was beginning to rise and tremble a bit. "And here I was, thinking something had gone horribly wrong at work, or that you'd been in a wreck or something to be this late and not call, and you were napping in your office?"

Will looked around anxiously, uncomfortable with the attention they were drawing from the people who'd drifted into the lobby for intermission. "Beth, please, lower your voice. You're making a scene," he said sternly, while reaching for her arm, hoping to get them out of there in case someone recognized them.

Something snapped inside of Beth. I am done with his bullshit. Once he got her through the doors, she stood her ground, refusing to be pulled any further. "No, Will. We are going to talk about this now."

He was hunched slightly in exhaustion, but still towered over her. "What do you want me to say, Beth?" he sighed, looking down at her.

"You aren't even going to apologize?" She scanned his face, seeing the dark marks beneath his eyes and the droop of his mouth.

"Okay. Fine. I'm sorry."

"For what, Will? Why are you sorry?"

He blew out a forceful breath, and then shoved a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry I forgot about tonight. Look, can we just go home now? God, it's been a long day, and I'm tired."

She felt an ache in her chest at how not-sorry he actually sounded. "That's not good enough, Will. If this were the first time something like this had happened, or even the eighth, maybe I'd let it go that easily. But not this time."

"What are you saying?" he asked, looking at the determined set of her shoulders.

"I'm saying that I'm tired of being treated like I don't matter to you anymore—"She stopped, and a horrorstruck expression crossed her face as she looked up at him in the dimness of the streetlights. "I do matter to you, don't I?"

"Of course you do," he scoffed, "don't be ridiculous. But my work has to be a priority right now. These are huge projects that we are working on, and some things are more important than…"

"Than what, Will? What were you going to say? Some things are more important than that girl you happen to share an address with and used to fuck occasionally?"

He looked deflated by her blunt words. "That's not what I was going to say."

She turned slowly and took a couple of steps away, then stopped and said over her shoulder, "No, Will. But we both know that's what you meant."

When she had already made it to the end of the block and hailed a cab, he finally had the presence of mind to say, "Come back, LizzyBeth."

Only the darkness heard him.