Chuck woke up the next morning feeling miserable. Last night's events were coming back to him full force and for the first time, he was dreading seeing Sarah. He got up out of bed and dragged his feet along as he made his way into his bathroom, looking at his reflection.
He looked like a mess. Yesterday night's events still whirled around in his head as he contemplated the unbelievable. Had Sarah really walked in on Carina and him in a compromising position? Or was it just a nightmare? Chuck silently wished all of it had been a dream, even despite the fact that he knew it had happened. What made it worse was the fact that they had a debriefing scheduled today since it was his day off.
He splashed some cold water onto his face and freshened up, dragging it out, dreading having to stand next to Sarah in what was sure to be an uncomfortable situation. His back was pressed against the door as a quiet knock came.
"Hey, Chuck? Sarah is here." Ellie's voice came clearly through the hardwood door. Chuck closed his eyes, taking in a sharp breath, bracing himself for what ever was to come. He could hear the shuffling of feet before a soft knock resounded. He got up off the ground and gripped the doorknob tightly, exhaling before opening the door to reveal a very tired looking Sarah.
It was obvious to Chuck that she had not slept all last night and she did not seem to make an effort to hide it as her face was unmade. Her eyes were bloodshot as they bored into him with their many unspoken questions. Her eyes seemingly pleading him to tell her that it had all been a dream, that somehow she had imagined what had happened or what she thought had happened.
He opened his mouth, trying to find the words, something that would show her that it had not been his idea. That he had done nothing. But he was rendered speechless with her look, her look of betrayal as her eyes suddenly became cold. The once soft green irises were now a hard emerald, cold leaving Chuck feeling guilty. He shrunk as she continued to glare, their silent conversation speaking volumes. Finally, Chuck gathered enough courage to speak.
"Nothing happened." He whispered softly, his words lost in the breeze that was blowing from the window. He looked down, playing with his fingers as she continued to stare.
"Did you compromise yourself?" She asked, her voice harsh and cold. It was as if his words meant nothing to her. She just stared at him, feeling the ultimate sense of betrayal. He lifted his head, his soft brown eyes met her cold green ones. His unspoken apology seemed lost as she continued pushing him away. Finally, he looked back down, defeated.
"No." He whispered, his voice shaky. He felt so tired, tired of feeling so guilty, tired of being rejected, and he was especially tired of this constant limbo he found himself in with her. He was just so tired. He was tired of playing these games. It seemed to him that every time he tried to escape this web of lies that was their relationship, she'd do something to pull him back. He didn't know if he had any more energy to play these games anymore.
He could feel her figure walking out the door and the faint closing of the hardwood door, leaving him alone with his thoughts.