"Dammit" Neela said aloud to herself as she got Ray's voicemail for the umpteenth time. After she heard the beep she decided to leave a message this time.

"Ray, it's me... I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say. I don't know what got into me. I never meant to hurt you. I feel like such an idiot. Ray please call me back, err actually come home. Please..." she hung up and fell into her couch as she sighed deeply.

What the hell have I done? I've gone and mucked the whole thing up now. How could I have said those things?

Neela sat in the same position for hours waiting for Ray to come back. The afternoon turned into the evening and her sadness multiplied as she was soon

sitting in the darkness of her own apartment as dark shadows cast over her. She maintained her position on the couch, now in the dark. She glanced at

the clock on her DVD player, 6pm. She had also texted Ray a few times through the day. Still no reply. She heard a soft knock at the door. She got up,

opened the door and walked back to the couch and plopped herself down again without even looking to see who it was. She knew he had finally decided

to return probably only because he had nowhere else to go.

"Why are you sitting in the dark?" Ray asked as he flicked on a few lights about her apartment and came in and shut the front door behind him.

Is he slurring?

"Where have you been Ray? I tried to call you all day, you didn't even respond to my texts either" Neela said tiredly.

"Ohhh, umm I walked for a bit, stopped by the hospital for a visit... went to Ike's, man I miss that place" Ray said rounding the couch to face Neela.

He fell onto the opposite end of the couch and rested he head back against it, staring straight ahead at the same wall Neela was looking at so intently.

"Are you drunk?" Neela asked quietly slowly turning her body to face him.

"So I had a few drinks Neela... I'm not drunk" Ray shot back defensively.

"A few? I can smell the liquor on you from over here." Neela sprang up off the couch.

"I would think you of all people would know by now that alcohol is not the answer... it's simply a temporary distraction AND it makes you do stupid things" Neela said curtly to Ray as she stood up and turned to head for the bedroom.

"I ordered a pizza, it's in the oven... I was trying to get a hold of you to apologize, what I said before you left was completely unnecessary and ridiculous." she said over her shoulder as she walked away.

"Neela... wait." Ray stood up and turned to face her. She was already standing in the doorway of her bedroom.

"No. I'm not doing this now. Not when you've been drinking. Not like this" Neela gave him a look of sadness that cut to his soul before she disappeared into the bedroom closing the door behind her.

"Neela, come on!" Ray pleaded as he ran his hands through his hair.

Shit.

He made his way over to the bedroom and gently knocked on the door. He didn't wait for a response before he opened it. Neela was sitting on her bed

against the bedpost with her knees tucked up towards her chest. Her eyes were welled with tears and she did not look up at Ray as he entered the room.

"Neela, please don't cry." Ray walked over to the bed and sat at her feet. He reached out to stroke her face,

"Don't touch me" Neela shot back coldly.

"Dammit Neela, tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it, whatever you want... what will make this right again?" Ray questioned.

"You shouldn't have to ask me that. You should know. And you showing up half drunk isn't helping any either" Neela spoke softly but the underlying tone of anger in her voice was easy to pick up on.

"I think you need to sleep off a bit of your bender" Neela said motioning to the other side of the bed as she got up and picked up a book and headed back out of the room.

"Lucien gave me an extra day off, so we'll have plenty of time to talk tomorrow... I'll be reading in the living room if you need me" she said without turning around as she continued to walk out of the room.

"Neela, stop. This is so stupid. I love you" Ray got up from the bed and followed her. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and spun her around to face him.

"Ray, enough. Stop it." Neela pushed him away, again. "Go lie down" she motioned to the bed as she stormed out of the room and slammed the bedroom door on her way out.

Ray collapsed onto the bed in frustration. Yes, he had had a few beers. Perhaps a few too many. But there was no reason for her to treat him like this.

On the other side of the bedroom door, Neela choked back her tears as she braced herself while holding onto the door handle.