Caitie and Jamie returned from the hospital.
"I'm exhausted!" Caitie exclaimed.
"You should definitely get some rest," Jamie replied, concern evident in his voice. "I'm actually tired too," he added realizing he had stayed up the entire night.
"You can crash on the couch if you want," Caitie offered as she headed towards her bedroom. "I'm going to change."
The light on the answering machine was blinking. "You have a message," Jamie announced.
Caitie stopped in front of the answering machine that rested on top of a small wooden table in the hallway. She pushed a small black button. Val's voice immediately filled the quiet apartment.
"Caitie? Are you there? Well, it's Val. Tyler and I are going to be back tomorrow morning. Brooke wants me to let you know she misses you like crazy!"
A distant voice was also heard on the answering machine. "Tell Caitie I said hi!" Tyler instructed.
"Oh, and Tyler says 'Hi'. I'll be back soon and call me on my cell phone if you need me! Bye!"
Caitie smiled. Val, after all these years, was still very chipper and caring. She missed having her around although she has been gone for only one weekend.
Jamie positioned himself on the couch. Caitie opened the hallway closet and took out an extra pillow and blanket.
"Here. Get comfy."
Jamie smiled. "Sleep tight!" he called out after her as she entered her bedroom.
The two slept the day away and awoke when the moon shone brightly.
Caitie sat in the living room working on her novel. The light from her laptop screen emitted a dull glow that lit up the room. She had to write a few more chapters to send to her editor later that week. The soft clicking sound of the laptop keys awoke Jamie.
"Hey. You're up already?" he asked still groggy.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" She quickly saved her work and closed her laptop.
"No, it's probably time for me to get up anyway. What time is it?"
Caitie looked at the decorative clock that hung on the far living room wall. "It's a quarter to eight."
"We slept for a long time." He sat up on the leather couch. "I have a meeting at eight tomorrow," Jamie stated realizing work followed the next day. He still hated having such a formal schedule. Sometimes he wished he could just travel or spend his days writing songs on his guitar. Alas, he found something he excelled at, and he knew he was lucky to do so at such a young age.
"You should head home."
Jamie hesitated. "But, I don't want to . . ."
"Don't worry about me! Val and Tyler will be back in the morning. I'm going to finish up a few more chapters of my novel and head to bed. I'll see you tomorrow. Really, it's fine!" Caitie assured.
Jamie reluctantly agreed. He knew she was right. He had a lot of work to prepare for work the next day. "All right, call me if you need me. Okay?" he asked as he walked towards the front door.
"I will." Caitie smiled. Jamie pulled her close for a warm hug. "I'm here for you."
"I know." Caitie gingerly kissed Jamie on the cheek. "Thanks."
Jamie refused to let her go. He kissed the top of her head and released her. He walked down the stairs and got on his motorcycle.
Caitie returned to the living room and proceeded to type furiously. Every time something occurred in her life, she found inspiration to write. It was her way of channeling her emotions into something of use.
*
Alec took a bottle of vodka and drank the clear liquid. He sat on the floor of his living room. Faint traces of white powder filled in the engraved pattern on his marble coffee table. Alec's apartment was filled with many empty bottles scattered around the floor. He recalled the conversation he had with Caitie earlier that morning.
"That guy. How can she replace me with him? Or was I a replacement for him?" he asked rhetorically for no one was around to hear him rant.
Alec slowly stood up. He reached for the blue sweater that sat on top of his chair. Alec pulled the soft blue sweater over his wife beater. He took the car keys from his kitchen counter and walked out of his apartment.
*
After a few hours of writing, a feeling of hunger washed over Caitie. She walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. She didn't have time to go grocery shopping and realized there was a lack of food within her apartment. She glanced at the digital clock that was attached to the oven. It read 11:37.
Caitie retrieved her coat from the living room and walked out the door. Her destination was set for a diner that was open 24 hours a few blocks down. She often went there to grab coffee in the morning, or in the middle of the night, when she was experiencing writer's block.
After a short walk, Caitie entered the familiar diner. She walked up to the counter and ordered her regular meal to go. After a few minutes, she successfully acquired a warm meal. She proceeded to walk back to her apartment with a brown paper bag in her right hand.
*
Alec sat outside Caitie's apartment. He called her from his cell phone, only to receive an answering machine. He thought to himself, 'she's probably out with him.' The very thought sent a pang of anger through his body.
While muttering into the phone, he heard someone approaching.
"Alec. What are you doing here?" Caitie asked annoyed.
Alec shut his cell phone and gripped it in his hand. His once clear blue eyes were clouded with anger and jealousy. With one look at him, she realized he was inebriated.
"You're coming with me," he stated, his words somewhat slurred together.
"No. I'm not. You're leaving and there's nothing you can do about it. Leave me alone." Her tone was firm.
Alec rose from the cold cement steps. "Nothing?" he asked in a threatening voice.
Caitie saw the look in his eyes and started to run. Her dinner was tossed aside as she jetted down the isolated streets. Cold night air filled up her lungs. She grew tired and saw the familiar diner approaching. The diner was coming closer and closer in her field of view.
Alec chased Caitie, and even in his drunken state, he was able to minimize the distance between them. He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her close.
"Let me go!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs. She punched and kicked furiously, without much success. Alec towered over Caitie. There was only so much damage a petite person such as herself can do. Alec grabbed Caitie and pulled her into an alleyway near the diner.
A/N: Let's see. I want to thank MM for beta-reading, and also thank those who have been reviewing.
"I'm exhausted!" Caitie exclaimed.
"You should definitely get some rest," Jamie replied, concern evident in his voice. "I'm actually tired too," he added realizing he had stayed up the entire night.
"You can crash on the couch if you want," Caitie offered as she headed towards her bedroom. "I'm going to change."
The light on the answering machine was blinking. "You have a message," Jamie announced.
Caitie stopped in front of the answering machine that rested on top of a small wooden table in the hallway. She pushed a small black button. Val's voice immediately filled the quiet apartment.
"Caitie? Are you there? Well, it's Val. Tyler and I are going to be back tomorrow morning. Brooke wants me to let you know she misses you like crazy!"
A distant voice was also heard on the answering machine. "Tell Caitie I said hi!" Tyler instructed.
"Oh, and Tyler says 'Hi'. I'll be back soon and call me on my cell phone if you need me! Bye!"
Caitie smiled. Val, after all these years, was still very chipper and caring. She missed having her around although she has been gone for only one weekend.
Jamie positioned himself on the couch. Caitie opened the hallway closet and took out an extra pillow and blanket.
"Here. Get comfy."
Jamie smiled. "Sleep tight!" he called out after her as she entered her bedroom.
The two slept the day away and awoke when the moon shone brightly.
Caitie sat in the living room working on her novel. The light from her laptop screen emitted a dull glow that lit up the room. She had to write a few more chapters to send to her editor later that week. The soft clicking sound of the laptop keys awoke Jamie.
"Hey. You're up already?" he asked still groggy.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" She quickly saved her work and closed her laptop.
"No, it's probably time for me to get up anyway. What time is it?"
Caitie looked at the decorative clock that hung on the far living room wall. "It's a quarter to eight."
"We slept for a long time." He sat up on the leather couch. "I have a meeting at eight tomorrow," Jamie stated realizing work followed the next day. He still hated having such a formal schedule. Sometimes he wished he could just travel or spend his days writing songs on his guitar. Alas, he found something he excelled at, and he knew he was lucky to do so at such a young age.
"You should head home."
Jamie hesitated. "But, I don't want to . . ."
"Don't worry about me! Val and Tyler will be back in the morning. I'm going to finish up a few more chapters of my novel and head to bed. I'll see you tomorrow. Really, it's fine!" Caitie assured.
Jamie reluctantly agreed. He knew she was right. He had a lot of work to prepare for work the next day. "All right, call me if you need me. Okay?" he asked as he walked towards the front door.
"I will." Caitie smiled. Jamie pulled her close for a warm hug. "I'm here for you."
"I know." Caitie gingerly kissed Jamie on the cheek. "Thanks."
Jamie refused to let her go. He kissed the top of her head and released her. He walked down the stairs and got on his motorcycle.
Caitie returned to the living room and proceeded to type furiously. Every time something occurred in her life, she found inspiration to write. It was her way of channeling her emotions into something of use.
*
Alec took a bottle of vodka and drank the clear liquid. He sat on the floor of his living room. Faint traces of white powder filled in the engraved pattern on his marble coffee table. Alec's apartment was filled with many empty bottles scattered around the floor. He recalled the conversation he had with Caitie earlier that morning.
"That guy. How can she replace me with him? Or was I a replacement for him?" he asked rhetorically for no one was around to hear him rant.
Alec slowly stood up. He reached for the blue sweater that sat on top of his chair. Alec pulled the soft blue sweater over his wife beater. He took the car keys from his kitchen counter and walked out of his apartment.
*
After a few hours of writing, a feeling of hunger washed over Caitie. She walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. She didn't have time to go grocery shopping and realized there was a lack of food within her apartment. She glanced at the digital clock that was attached to the oven. It read 11:37.
Caitie retrieved her coat from the living room and walked out the door. Her destination was set for a diner that was open 24 hours a few blocks down. She often went there to grab coffee in the morning, or in the middle of the night, when she was experiencing writer's block.
After a short walk, Caitie entered the familiar diner. She walked up to the counter and ordered her regular meal to go. After a few minutes, she successfully acquired a warm meal. She proceeded to walk back to her apartment with a brown paper bag in her right hand.
*
Alec sat outside Caitie's apartment. He called her from his cell phone, only to receive an answering machine. He thought to himself, 'she's probably out with him.' The very thought sent a pang of anger through his body.
While muttering into the phone, he heard someone approaching.
"Alec. What are you doing here?" Caitie asked annoyed.
Alec shut his cell phone and gripped it in his hand. His once clear blue eyes were clouded with anger and jealousy. With one look at him, she realized he was inebriated.
"You're coming with me," he stated, his words somewhat slurred together.
"No. I'm not. You're leaving and there's nothing you can do about it. Leave me alone." Her tone was firm.
Alec rose from the cold cement steps. "Nothing?" he asked in a threatening voice.
Caitie saw the look in his eyes and started to run. Her dinner was tossed aside as she jetted down the isolated streets. Cold night air filled up her lungs. She grew tired and saw the familiar diner approaching. The diner was coming closer and closer in her field of view.
Alec chased Caitie, and even in his drunken state, he was able to minimize the distance between them. He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her close.
"Let me go!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs. She punched and kicked furiously, without much success. Alec towered over Caitie. There was only so much damage a petite person such as herself can do. Alec grabbed Caitie and pulled her into an alleyway near the diner.
A/N: Let's see. I want to thank MM for beta-reading, and also thank those who have been reviewing.