No Turning Back 10
Chapter 10
"Horatio, we need to talk…"
A tense silence filled the air as he struggled to piece together coherent thoughts still awestruck at the unusual late night phone call. The sound of her voice provoked the memory of her last words to him and a sort of satisfaction surged through him that at least, this time, her tone wasn't filled with venom. He detected a sort of resignation and he didn't know how to perceive the connotation. He often wondered what he would say to her if he got the chance to speak to her again, and now with the moment presented, he was flabbergasted, unable to form a single word.
"Horatio…are you there?"
The question reverberated through him, bringing him out of his thoughts to answer quickly, "Ah…yeah. I'm here, Calleigh." Finally conscious of his surroundings, he glanced at the clock on his bedside table and frowned at the late hour, the concern now surging past the surprise. Calleigh rarely ,if ever, called him at such a late hour, and suddenly, the unusual move threw up red flags. He became more alert as he stood, his body defying his mind by stretching instead of moving into action. "Is everything alright, Calleigh?"
Sitting at the foot of her bed, Calleigh ran a frustrated hand through her hair, and then rested her elbow on her knee, her eyes closing slowly. She'd tossed and turned most of the night, unable to find comfort in her raging thoughts. The time was now; she had to come clean to him if she had any inkling of moving on with a peace of mind and a sound heart. She missed Horatio deeply; she missed the sound of his strong and at times, soft tone that gave her the assurance she always sought from him. Even now as she settled within her the possibility that they would never be what she wanted them to be, she knew just by the concern laced in his question that he would always be there. If they couldn't be lovers, most assuredly, they would be friends, and at the moment, a friend is what Calleigh needed the most.
Her heart weighed heavily at the thought of a missed opportunity, the tears breaking past her eye lids to race down her cheeks. Wiping at them, she sniffled and then exhaled lightly, answering in a defeated tone, "Yeah, Horatio, I'm okay. I just…I just needed to talk to you."
"Calleigh…"
"No, Horatio, this has to be done. There are some things that you need to know," she interrupted as she pushed her hair away from her face. Getting up slowly, she meandered through her darkened room, her heart pounding in her chest at the notion of finally revealing what she'd been keeping from him. Biting her lip, she wondered briefly if she had the gumption to follow through, but then resigned herself to acting. "I need to do this before I lose my nerve."
Horatio could hear the seriousness in her words and frowned, rising from his bed to move toward the panoramic window, the swaying of the palm trees in the shadows gaining momentum. There was a storm brewing and in more ways than one; Horatio had the feeling that this wasn't spontaneous; she'd thought long and hard about what she wanted to talk about and it had the potential to affect him greatly.
What could it be? he asked himself as he stared into the inky darkness. Many thoughts came to mind, but only one petrified him to the core. Despite her absence from the lab, knowing that she was still in Miami gave him a sort of assurance that there was still hope. The moment she crossed the state line, that hope would be forever lost.
The anticipation ate at him causing anxious energy to build within him, the silence mocking him. It was as if his very life depended on the words that weren't being said and he could feel the tension pulsating through him willing her to say…something.
Despite the desire to pry the information out of her, he calmed himself and instead offered, "Calleigh, you know whatever it is, you can talk to me about it. I would like to think…I'd like to think that we are friends."
A sad smile broke across her lips as her eyes slid close, her heart breaking anew. The pain pulsated through her evenly, acknowledging that he wasn't even willing to fight for them. Her voice slackened even more as she replied, "Yeah…H-Horatio, we are. We'll always be friends."
Relief flooded him, knowing that this was a path he could take to reach her once more. The confirmation of their friendship remaining intact brokered the hope of reconciliation and felt a small smile form on his lips, "Well…Calleigh, friends support each other. Whatever's bothering you, we can sort it out."
You make it seem so easy, Horatio, she thought as her eyes began to well once more. Her attempt to maintain her steadfast determination to tell him faltered and she laughed nervously, her eyes settling on the clock beside her table. Respite came in the form of the late hour and a wave of relief surged within her. At the very least, she could put him off for a few more hours, gaining enough confidence to finally tell him what he needed to know. She would offer him breakfast and would have no choice but to reveal her secret.
"How about we have breakfast, Horatio? I'd feel so much better if I could sit and talk with you face to face." Liar, she scolded herself, you're too much of a coward to tell him. You have him right now, there's nothing stopping you…
"Calleigh?"
"I'm here, Horatio. I just…it's important. We need to see each other."
Horatio didn't like the way this conversation was progression. It felt almost as if she was stating her last will and testament, and the finality as well as the sadness in her voice quelled the burgeoning elation of reconciliation. Even still, an opportunity to reach her was within his grasp and he was going to take it.
"Well," he started, wracking his brain to remember his schedule for the upcoming day. Closing his eyes, he retrieved the information and exhaled, finally answering, "I have a meeting at nine-thirty, I believe we can meet before then, or even after, so long as the call outs remain at a minimum." Unable to help his curiosity, Horatio asked, "Calleigh, are you…are you leaving Miami?"
Momentarily taken back by the question, Calleigh sat up straight, her heart pounding in her chest. At one point, she teetered on the edge of the decision to leave, but quickly dismissed the notion. Miami was her home, she could no more leave this place than abandon her love for her guns. The heat called to her, the various sounds of the eclectic cultures fed her hunger for discovery. Miami was her life blood, leaving would assuredly kill her.
Gaining her bearings, she answered, "No, Horatio. I'm not leaving Miami, but what we have to discuss involves our future." A tense filled silence descended upon them before Calleigh ventured to break it, asking, "Could we meet for an early breakfast? I'd like to see you as soon as possible."
A small smile tickled at the corner of his lips, the threat , for the moment, diminishing. He had the span of a breakfast to plead his case and win her back and it was his intention to do so.
"Sure, breakfast is an excellent idea, Calleigh. Anywhere special you'd like to meet?
Anywhere would do she mused internally with a small smile. Despite the gravity of the situation, she found that she was actually looking forward to seeing him again. "How about Salsilto's?"
"Salsito's it is," Horatio responded easily, the anxiety now filtering away from him. His body seemed to ease into a state of relaxation as he stifled a yawn, "Seven-thirty okay for you?"
"Seven-thirty's perfect, handsome." Realizing that she allowed the beloved term of endearment slip, she waited half a beat before clearing her throat nervously, hoping he didn't catch the slip –up. The silence that continued told her otherwise and her eyes slid closed, her tone full of remorse, "Seven-thirty, Horatio. I promise that I won't keep you long."
Barely able to perceive the words she said to him, he started to answer back only to be met with the sound of her hanging up. Despite the abrupt end to their conversation, Horatio felt as if he were given a new chance at life, and he wasn't going to squander it with potential doubts.
TBC…