Author's Note: I thought I'd treat everyone to another update. I think so far I'm most proud of this chapter so far, except maybe the end. I would say enjoy, but I don't think that's quite appropriate...

Disclaimer: Not mine…so not mine. Sad day.

He remembered watching her fall apart—seeing the love in Kate's eyes fade into a dull nothingness he couldn't quite describe. It broke his heart to see her fall into what seemed like a black hole of anger and depression. The distance grew between them until it felt like miles. He tried to comfort her—tried to show her that he still loved her despite all she had to be going through—but she only pushed him further away.

She had thrown herself into her job, much to his dismay. They'd argued over it until he consulted a difficult case and realized it was the only thing she could do that made her still feel alive. Even though it broke his heart to know he couldn't give that to her, he'd shut up about it. At least she could do something to make the pain go away, unlike him. He found himself unable to write—unable to communicate anything but his own misery onto paper. He knew that perhaps one day they would both get over it, but it would take time. He waited, and he hoped.

When her job nearly killed her, everything changed. They argued more, but this time it was about everything. It was about Kate choosing to put herself in danger. It was about Rick taking every opportunity to be away. It was about not making love for more than six months. It was about feeling unloved and unlovable. They always walked away feeling worse.

So Rick did the one thing he did best. He wrote about it. There was no crime. There wasn't even a plot. There were only words, only thoughts. His nights spent sleeping in the study increased, and the time he and he wife spent together became nearly nonexistent. Eventually, the thoughts became words that did form a story, and he wrote it. In a matter of only months, Cold Heat was published—just in time for the London Book Fair.

Of course, he elected to go when he was given the chance to read an excerpt—anything to get away from the real Nikki Heat he had to face every time he ventured out of his study. She barely reacted when he told her of his decision, and although he made the half-hearted offer for her to come along, he knew she would say no. So, he left her there in New York in hopes that his week out of the country would help him gather the courage to renew everything with the woman he loved once he returned.

He was quite surprised to return home only to find that she had a bag packed and an irate temper. He tried to tell her the truth—that he had never heard of this woman of which she spoke—but it only fell on deaf ears. His heart broke as she insisted that he had broken her trust—that he had betrayed her—and when she confirmed that she still loved him despite all of their troubles, he wanted to tell her he did, too. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and kiss her senseless. He wanted to prove it to her. He wanted to show her, but before he could do any of that, she was gone, slamming the door in his face despite his cries to stop her from leaving.

He hadn't felt lost very many times in his life, but this was one moment where he could honestly say that he did—completely and utterly lost. He picked up the bag he had dropped when she had confronted him as well as the letters she had thrown down before she'd left and moved to the couch. After placing the bag on the cushions and the letters on the coffee table, he removed his coat and sat down, reaching for the bag and opening it. On the very top of his things sat a box he'd intended to give her that night as a promise of what was to come. He picked it up and twirled it in his hands.

Rick wanted to chase after her, but he knew it would only end in her pushing him even further away than she already had. He'd learned that the hard way. So, still at a loss what to do, he picked up one of the letters and began to read.

So what did you think? Loved it? Hated it? Let me know with a review and the next chapter (which I'm sure most of you will love) will come sooner!