Agent Vaughn sighed as the phone rang in the middle of his argument with
Alice. It was the same argument they had been having for the past month
since they had gotten back together. Vaughn had tried to not get so
involved in his work. To spend more time alone with Alice. But it was so
hard to prioritize when Alice wasn't even aware of many important facets of
his life. It had started to seem like, the harder he tried, the further he
pushed her away.
He had just finished maintaining his millionth hollow promise to devote more time to "the relationship" when the phone rang again. Alice looked at him with anger and desperation. This wasn't fair to her, Vaughn thought.
"You don't have to get it, Michael." was all she said to him.
Vaughn squeezed his eyes shut as the phone rang for a third time, blaring like a siren in his ear. You don't have to get it, Vaughn, you don't have to get it. . . But what if it was an emergency? What if Sydney was in trouble? Inevitably, that S-word always seemed to come up, always finalizing his decision.
"I need to take this, Alice." he said quietly. She said nothing, just went into the other room.
Vaughn shook his head and picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Joey's Pizza?" whispered a frail voice on the other end. Vaughn was taken aback. Sydney was never frail.
"Sorry, wrong number." he said gently.
He made a move to hang up the phone when the voice cried, "Wait!"
"Yes?"
"Could you have it delivered to the Moonlight Bar on Southeast 25th?"
"Sure thing."
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Vaughn didn't know how he would explain to Alice. Upon walking into their bedroom, he saw it would be futile anyways. All of her clothes were strewn out on the bed, as she packed them into her suitcase in her calm and careful way. If Vaughn hadn't known her better, he would have thought she didn't care; but inside, he knew, she was fighting back tears.
"Alice. . ." he tried, groping for the words to explain to her.
"It's the office, and you have to go." she said evenly as she continued packing methodically. She hadn't looked at him since he walked in the door.
Vaughn looked down, guilty. "Yeah."
"Then I won't be here when you get back."
Alice finally turned around to look at him. One stubborn tear trailed down her cheek.
"Alice, I-"
Alice held two fingers up to his lips, halting another false promise.
"Michael, don't start." she whispered.
Vaughn nodded. He hesitated for a moment, then softly kissed her on her forehead, and walked out the door.
He had just finished maintaining his millionth hollow promise to devote more time to "the relationship" when the phone rang again. Alice looked at him with anger and desperation. This wasn't fair to her, Vaughn thought.
"You don't have to get it, Michael." was all she said to him.
Vaughn squeezed his eyes shut as the phone rang for a third time, blaring like a siren in his ear. You don't have to get it, Vaughn, you don't have to get it. . . But what if it was an emergency? What if Sydney was in trouble? Inevitably, that S-word always seemed to come up, always finalizing his decision.
"I need to take this, Alice." he said quietly. She said nothing, just went into the other room.
Vaughn shook his head and picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Joey's Pizza?" whispered a frail voice on the other end. Vaughn was taken aback. Sydney was never frail.
"Sorry, wrong number." he said gently.
He made a move to hang up the phone when the voice cried, "Wait!"
"Yes?"
"Could you have it delivered to the Moonlight Bar on Southeast 25th?"
"Sure thing."
------------------------------------
Vaughn didn't know how he would explain to Alice. Upon walking into their bedroom, he saw it would be futile anyways. All of her clothes were strewn out on the bed, as she packed them into her suitcase in her calm and careful way. If Vaughn hadn't known her better, he would have thought she didn't care; but inside, he knew, she was fighting back tears.
"Alice. . ." he tried, groping for the words to explain to her.
"It's the office, and you have to go." she said evenly as she continued packing methodically. She hadn't looked at him since he walked in the door.
Vaughn looked down, guilty. "Yeah."
"Then I won't be here when you get back."
Alice finally turned around to look at him. One stubborn tear trailed down her cheek.
"Alice, I-"
Alice held two fingers up to his lips, halting another false promise.
"Michael, don't start." she whispered.
Vaughn nodded. He hesitated for a moment, then softly kissed her on her forehead, and walked out the door.