CHAPTER FOUR
Closing the front door, she chucked off her shoes and threw her keys on the foyer stand. She'd had a lot of thinking to do on the drive home. She thought about what had happened over the past few weeks and how her life had been pulled out from beneath her and put back in a way that didn't feel right.
She had shrunk at the words Deacon had said and simmered at those spoken by her Father. Attention to the details was making her squirm. Nothing seemed to be making sense anymore. She wanted to shut the world out, even for a few small hours. It was then that Rayna realised she wanted one thing. She needed to know that she had made the right decision all those years ago. She had to be certain that she hadn't fooled herself into choosing Teddy out of fear or desperation. Rayna just wanted to be close to him.
Despite their estranged affection, the illusion that 'everything was fine' was enough for her. Almost too urgently she sprinted up the stairs to their bedroom where Teddy lay asleep. She crawled into bed and wrapped her hands around his waist.
"Hi." He murmured, turning to face her after waking from her touch.
"Hi." She replied moving closer to him.
"I'm sorry." He resigned as he touched her face.
"Me too."
Moving her hands to get warm they lay silent for a moment.
"I'm sorry for mentioning what I did before I left. I was just angry." Rayna timidly offered.
"Don't worry. The shock value made it bearable."
"Yeah well, bringing sex into casual conversation would do that."
They laughed as he wrapped his hands around her waist, causing her to let an unintentional gasp. Leaning in she kissed him lightly. Taken aback initially by her advance he paused. Fearful that she had read him wrong she began to pull away only to have Teddy pull her back to him, deeply kissing her. It didn't take long till he fully responded, struggling to free himself from the sheets he climbed on top of her. This time he returned to her lips, kissing her with such force that she giggled lowly pushing him off her so she now lay on top of him. He kissed her neck and she let out an involuntary sigh as she pressed herself against him. The countless lonely and strained nights they had spent in recent days had left them with unquenched desire and pent-up hunger to be loved in this way by one other.
"Kiss me." She implored breathlessly.
Teddy responded by instantly flipping her to lie underneath him kissing her passionately.
[ * * * ]
"I can't find it anywhere!" Daphne whinged as she circled the kitchen in search of her homework.
"Don't look at me. I didn't have it last…" Teddy laughed as he made breakfast.
Rayna walked into the kitchen, heading straight for the coffee. Not long after she had, Maddie flew through on her cell phone, only to have Teddy yell after her to slow down.
"Momma, I don't know where it is."
"Well…when did you last see it?" Rayna soothed as she drank her drink.
"If I knew that I'd be able to find it…"
"Maddie, get off that cell phone!" Teddy called. "Breakfast is ready."
Grumbling, Maddie sat down not long after Daphne and they ate together.
"Good morning." Teddy kissed Rayna with a smile.
"Good morning." She giggled, tugging on his front trouser pocket.
"What are you smiling at?" Teddy asked.
"I'd tell you..." she discreetly nodded in the direction of their daughters "... But I don't think it's all that appropriate."
They both laughed. Last night had been nothing special. It had been a frantic, desperate and hungry pursuit. Almost like they had been trying to figure out where they stood with one another. Rayna tried not to dwell on the details, however she couldn't shake the sense that as good as it had felt, something was missing. We both know you settled for him. Those had been Deacon's final words last night. The thought that she had 'settled' when she chose Teddy was something she couldn't afford to entertain so she pushed it away. This aside, when the sun had risen they had woken happy that they were lying side by side.
Catching her eye, Rayna unthinkingly leaned over the counter pulling papers away from Daphne's orange juice disaster.
"Daphne! My skirt!" Maddie raged as she ran to change.
"My homework!" Daphne beamed.
Confused Teddy and Rayna looked at their youngest child. Running around the counter Daphne grabbed the papers out of Rayna's hand.
"Thanks Mommy."
"No problem?" Rayna answered, watching her skip out of the room.
Leaving Rayna to clean up the mess Teddy went in search of his daughters, knowing full well that if he didn't intervene there would be tears.
Teddy's cell phone rang, frustrated because she didn't have a free hand, Rayna called out for someone to answer it. When no one replied she chucked the cloth in the sink, hesitantly picking up the cell phone with sticky hands. Clumsily she held it to her ear.
"Teddy's phone." She said matter-of-factly.
"Hello?" Said the female voice on the other end.
"Tandy?" Rayna straightened.
"Who am I speaking to?" Said the other woman.
"This is his wife. Who am I speaking to?" Rayna demanded.
"Rayna? it's Peggy. Is Teddy around?" Peggy replied.
Anger began to bubble inside of Rayna. This woman had a lot of nerve calling him like this, let alone asking if he was around. The images of the tabloid headings and pictures flashed in her mind. The words intimate, lonely and affair particularly stood out. She suddenly forgot the late night escapades she and Teddy had shared, feeling physically ill.
"He can't come to the phone right now."
"I'm sorry. It's just…Rayna I know I'm the last person you want to talk to, but I need to talk to Teddy, it's important. He's not answering any of my calls."
"Seriously? You have a lot of nerve calling like this."
"I don't want to argu-" Peggy tried.
"Neither do I." Rayna hung up the phone.
Immediately, opening his messages she began to scroll, in search of the one thing she didn't want to see but knew she'd find. Her trembling fingers stopped at the message conversation titled Peggy. Raising her hand to her mouth she began to read.
Peggy: I can't do this. I need to see you.
Teddy: We can't talk about this. I'm busy.
Peggy: Please. I was there when you needed me. I need you now.
Teddy: No really, I can't see you because I'm out with family.
Peggy: It won't take long.
Teddy: I can't.
Teddy: Raincheck? I can be there in 15. Tonight didn't go as planned, Rayna left early so we called it a night.
Peggy: Meet you at our usual place.
Teddy: This is the last time.
Peggy: It's always the last time.
Nauseated, Rayna gripped the bench for support, struggling to breathe properly. The messages had been time stamped from last night. How could Teddy have done this to her? She had trusted him. Throwing the phone on the counter she scanned the kitchen for her keys, remembering she'd left them in the foyer.
At that moment Maddie, Teddy and Daphne scuttled down the stairs talking about a number of things, what exactly she wasn't sure. Teddy looked up and smiled at her and she was nearly sick. The walls felt as though they were falling, it was then that she realised she'd gone down to the ground, landing on her knees. Teddy rushed towards her ushering the girls into the study. She flinched when he touched her, causing her to push him away as she indecisively stood. She grabbed her keys and headed for the front door.
"Rayna?" Teddy asked worried.
Shaking her head, between trying to keep her stomach at ease she opened the door.
"Peggy called." Rayna whispered as she slammed it shut, leaving Teddy alone in the front foyer.
"Daddy?" Daphne asked anxiously, peeking out from behind the study door.
"What's going on?" Maddie begged.
"Where did she go?" Daphne tugged at her uniform looking at Maddie.
"Did you do something?"
"She's going to be ok isn't she?"
"She didn't look ok." Daphne said wide-eyed.
"Mom's not leaving without saying goodbye?" Maddie choked, realising that Rayna left for the tour tomorrow. This sentence caught Daphne's attention, worry washing over her face.
"Dad, she's com-" Maddie started.
"-I don't know!" Teddy shouted, not intending to come across so harsh.
"I don't know…" He tried again softly.
"She is coming home right?" Daphne whispered.
Teddy opened his arms, encouraging the girls to come to him. Once he had assured them everything would be all right, he picked up the home phone and apprehensively dialled Rayna's number.