Prompt:

tempt
friend
sigh

The Woman He Loves

Friday May 16th, 2008

8:30 am

Rex Balsam woke up in a cold sweat. In less than ten hours he would be a married man. He looked over at his sleeping fiancee and, without stopping to think to hard about what he was doing, slid off the bed and headed for a shower.

He left the apartment twenty minutes later, while Adrianna still slept peacefully in bed. He used to love watching her sleep but today all he felt as he looked at her was panic. And the sound of a loud clicking clock. 9 hours and ten minutes till he would be married. The very thought choked the breath out of him. He could feel the walls closing in.

Calm down! This is what you want, he told himself. She's the woman you love, remember? Do not be an idiot! Do not blow this.

Rex knew it wasn't good that he was questioning his feelings at this late stage in the game but he put it off to normal cold feet pre-wedding jitters. He headed for Buchanan Industries to drop off a file. Sure he could have had it messengered over but he needed to get out of the apartment and work off some of his manic energy. If Adriana knew he was here, she'd probably think it was because he wanted to see his ex Gigi Morasco. But Rex wouldn't cop to that being what brought him to these offices over and over. It was just a nice bonus.

He didn't have many friends these days. Just Marcie and Michael. And sometimes it felt like Marcie had to like him, like she inherited him after Jenn died. They would be bonded for life because of went they shared by both loving Jenn and Tommy, plus they lived in this small town where their lives criss crossed everyday, but Marcie could never be who Gigi was to Rex. Marcie hadn't known him back when he was a kid. She hadn't loved him with all her heart and soul. She hadn't ever tempted him, like Gigi did then and now.

Rex stopped dead in his tracks, in the hallway of B and E, and shook his head back and forth. Gigi tempts me? Where did that crazy thought come from? She's my buddy...my hot as hell in a skirt buddy. And that's all!

He was about to head into Gigi's office when he heard Natalie say, through the half open door, "I know that look."

"What look? Do I have something on my face?"

"Don't try it. I mention the wedding today and you look like you're about to burst into tears."

"That's crazy. I have allegries. Shane does too. The Texas ragweed used to wreck havoc on us every Spring, you best believe."

"Mmm-hmm. Sure you do. Are you in love with my brother?"

Rex's mouth dropped open. He inched closer to the door, knowing he should make his presence known and break up his sister's interrogation, but he couldn't help wanting to hear the answer to Natalie's question. His heart sped up more and more each second, till he felt dizzy. He motioned with his hand, urging Gigi to hurry up, even though she couldn't see him.

Natalie went on "It's a simple question. Are you or are you not still in love with my brother?"

"In love?" Gigi laughed, but Rex could have sworn it was full of false bravado. "After a decade? Yeah, I'm still carrying a torch for my HIGH school boyfriend. How pathetic do you think I am?"

"I didn't hear you say no. Say No, I don't love Rex."

"I don't, okay?! Rex is a really good guy," her voice broke a little "...a really great guy...and he's been great to Shane and me both since we moved to town and I do appreciate that. But love? Come on."

"Oh..." Natalie said. It was more of a sigh than a word and it said You do love him. And you're gonna have to watch him marry someone else. I'm sorry. "Here."

Rex edged closer to the door and watched as Natalie passed Gigi a tissue. Gigi wiped away wide tears that streamed down her face, the same one she was still trying to make look as if it felt nothing at all.

A long silence passed. Rex looked down, as tears came to his own eyes.

In a soft but firm voice, Natalie said "Tell him."

Why didn't you tell me, Gigi? Rex asked her silently.

"Why would you want me to do that to your brother on his wedding day?"

"Better you do it today then tomorrow. These things have a way of coming out. You think you can live forever with your secret but its harder than you think. Especially when the man you feel so much for is a part of your everyday life. If you love Rex, you better step up and let him know that before he says I do to someone else."

"Be the crazy ex- girlfriend who makes a play for the groom? I don't think so. He asked me to go there and support him. To be happy for him. And I am. I'm just not happy for myself right now...or for Shane...cause we really needed Rex...we really loved him...all the time he's spent making Shane feel comfortable in Llanview and important, making me feel smart enough for this job and capable enough to be a kick ass single mom...we really could have loved having him as our own. But he's not. He's hers. And though I don't really care what Little Miss Sunshine Fashion Exec feels or if her big day gets ruined, I do care about Rex. I want him to have what he wants- even if that isn't me anymore."

As much as Rex had wanted to rush out of his apartment earlier is just as much as he longed to rush into Gigi's office in that moment. But what would he say? His mind was a jumble of thoughts. He desperately needed to catch his breath. Who sucked all the air out of the world all of the sudden? he wondered.

Taking a step forward and then one back, he turned and headed for the elevator but tripped over a plant. Crash.

Jumping to his feet, he ran for the stairs. Behind him he heard Natalie call out his name.