Scarlett paced in her bedroom. She was exhausted but sleep would not come.
It was rare these past four years if sleep came when she wanted it to.
Sometimes she would go for two days without sleeping before she finally
collapsed in bed. Then she would have a fitful slumber, tossing and
turning. The dream still came, awakening her from the precious few hours of
sleep she could get. She would wake up drenched in sweat longing for Rhett
to comfort her, for him to take her in his strong arms. He was the only one
who could calm her after the dream; the only one who could assure her that
everything was all right. Even the drink that had helped her sleep before
didn't help much. The nights when she couldn't sleep, which were all too
frequent, Scarlett would walk around her home. She walked aimlessly, almost
like she was in a trance. She didn't know what she was walking to, didn't
know where she was going. Sometimes she would end up in her office,
sometimes she would end up in Cat's room. Once in a while she took a
bareback ride to Tara, glad that no one could see her in the dark. She must
look a sight on those nights, still in her nightgown with her untamed hair
flowing down her back. Scarlett decided to try a drink, hoping it would
dull her nerves and help her sleep. Everybody would be asleep by now there
would be no point in a wrapper. She headed down to the dining room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As soon as Anne had fallen asleep Rhett carefully slid out of the bed. The last thing he wanted was for her to wakeup and wonder where he was going. He couldn't exactly tell her that he was going anywhere as long as he didn't have to be near her. Before she had finally fallen asleep she had kept trying to creep closer to him in bed. Was the woman insane? They were in Scarlett's home and she wanted to make love? Rhett had just turned his back to her, making it known that that was off limits.
"God I need a drink" Rhett thought. He went down to the dining room and poured himself a brandy. Just as he brought it to his lips Scarlett entered the room. For a moment he watched her, she was obviously unaware that she wasn't alone. She looked positively bewitching in her almost sheer nightgown. Rhett cleared his throat, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with her not knowing he was there. Scarlett gasped and jumped at the noise.
"It's just me, don't have a heart attack." He said quickly.
"Oh" Scarlett said as she regained her breath. "I thought everyone was asleep."
"I couldn't sleep, obviously neither could you." Rhett said. He poured Scarlett a drink and handed it to her. "That is what you were coming for isn't it?" he asked.
"You know me too well" Scarlett said as she sipped the brandy, leaning against the doorframe now.
"You still have problems sleeping?" Rhett asked with interest.
"Yes, I do."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Scarlett said bitingly. "It's not your problem."
"I care about you, Scarlett. I care if you have sleep problems." Rhett said.
"Please don't say that," Scarlett said pleadingly. "It hurts less to think that you hate me then to think that- that-" She stopped talking and looked down into the amber liquid.
"Then to think what?" Rhett asked curiously.
"Then to think that you still loved me four years ago and you divorced me anyway." Scarlett whispered. "Because if I think that I'll ask myself 'why'. And I've wasted too much time asking myself that already to start doing it again." She looked up at Rhett. "I know now that I'll never know why." She said. Scarlett finished her drink and set in on the table. "Goodnight, Rhett." She said as she left the room, knowing that it wouldn't be one for her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As soon as Anne had fallen asleep Rhett carefully slid out of the bed. The last thing he wanted was for her to wakeup and wonder where he was going. He couldn't exactly tell her that he was going anywhere as long as he didn't have to be near her. Before she had finally fallen asleep she had kept trying to creep closer to him in bed. Was the woman insane? They were in Scarlett's home and she wanted to make love? Rhett had just turned his back to her, making it known that that was off limits.
"God I need a drink" Rhett thought. He went down to the dining room and poured himself a brandy. Just as he brought it to his lips Scarlett entered the room. For a moment he watched her, she was obviously unaware that she wasn't alone. She looked positively bewitching in her almost sheer nightgown. Rhett cleared his throat, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with her not knowing he was there. Scarlett gasped and jumped at the noise.
"It's just me, don't have a heart attack." He said quickly.
"Oh" Scarlett said as she regained her breath. "I thought everyone was asleep."
"I couldn't sleep, obviously neither could you." Rhett said. He poured Scarlett a drink and handed it to her. "That is what you were coming for isn't it?" he asked.
"You know me too well" Scarlett said as she sipped the brandy, leaning against the doorframe now.
"You still have problems sleeping?" Rhett asked with interest.
"Yes, I do."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Scarlett said bitingly. "It's not your problem."
"I care about you, Scarlett. I care if you have sleep problems." Rhett said.
"Please don't say that," Scarlett said pleadingly. "It hurts less to think that you hate me then to think that- that-" She stopped talking and looked down into the amber liquid.
"Then to think what?" Rhett asked curiously.
"Then to think that you still loved me four years ago and you divorced me anyway." Scarlett whispered. "Because if I think that I'll ask myself 'why'. And I've wasted too much time asking myself that already to start doing it again." She looked up at Rhett. "I know now that I'll never know why." She said. Scarlett finished her drink and set in on the table. "Goodnight, Rhett." She said as she left the room, knowing that it wouldn't be one for her.