The marriage breaks
Disclaimer: All characters are original to the Once Upon a Time Series. The physical characteristics of the characters in the story are the same as those in the series, but the stories and development of the characters are my own.
This is the edited re-release of this story. Hope you like.
Sorry for the issues with the previous chapter and thank you for your understanding.
Part three: Love does not stand a chance.
She was in front of him again. She was beautiful and perfect as always. Her voice was heavenly music for David. His heart was beating so fast that he had to sigh.
"Regina! What's wrong?" He tried to be gentlemanly with that question; he did not mean to bother her.
Then, he observed a change in her expression; she was astonished and had an expression of shame. She entered the elevator in an automatic way, and the elevator began to go down to the basement, without any of them saying a word. Regina lowered her head and looked at the keys with which her hands played. The blond understood that she did not want to talk to him. He hoped it was not for the kiss they had given in his apartment hours earlier.
"Nothing happens". About to reach the basement, Regina spoke these words, looking at that man in the eye.
In the deep brown chocolate eyes, there was a sea of unshed tears, but there was no expression on the woman's face. When the elevator opened in basement one, the doorman was trying to deal with a practically fainted Robin. This man was completely drunk, wasted and he had no control over his body. Robin had totally passed out.
"Mrs. Regina, Mr. David. Thanks for coming to help, Mr. David". The doorman took Robin's arm, and he hung it around his neck. Then Larry walked immediately to David, dragging the unconscious man.
"Of course!" David understood what it was all about. A couple of seconds it took him to react and take Robin by the other arm. That was the shame and sadness on his neighbor's face.
"That's okay, David! I can help Larry to carry him". She approached him quickly, but he spoke with his gaze.
"Please, Regina! I'm your neighbor, your friend and I'm also a gentleman, which is the most important thing". He was serious. He did not like that Regina underestimated him. He had to talk about being his friend. It was necessary to say in front of the doorman, since the gossip in a building usually flies.
"It's okay David". She went to hold the elevator door and after the three men entered it, she pushed the penthouse button.
The time it took to reach the top floor, they only heard the snores and wallops of Robin, whose condition was deplorable. Regina felt devastated. The shame she was experiencing was huge. Robin could barely breathe, and she was worried that her son would find out about his father's condition.
When the elevator doors opened, she helped the gentlemen out of it with her husband. She opened the door to the luxurious apartment, and she told them where to leave that drunkard.
"Leave him there on the couch, please. I'll take care of him now". She barely looked at them in the face. "Thanks for the help. Larry, I ask for your discretion". She tipped the employee. "And David... Thank you!" She looked at him intensely.
"It is not necessary to say Mrs. Regina". The doorman went to the elevator and without waiting for David he left the place.
Regina and David were absorbed looking at each other. She wanted a hug from her neighbor so much, and he wanted to hug her. The sound of Robin's snoring brought them back to reality. The brunette had to shake her head to concentrate again.
"Larry gave me the keys to Robin's car. I guess it's closed, and everything is fine". David confessed. "I hope you can rest. If you need anything, just let me know, please. You know that for me the main thing is that Roland and you are fine". He had to make this very clear.
"I know you care..." She walked away from her husband and approached her neighbor. "Everything will be fine. I will make sure everything is fine... I only have one question". She lowered her tone of voice and she looked at where her husband was and where her son was. "Where were you going when we met in the elevator?"
"I was going to look for Emma's doll, which she had left in the car". He smiled at the question. It was obvious that she was leaving the door open for him to look for her. "But I think she should wait until tomorrow". He approached the woman closely.
At that moment Regina clung to David's protective embrace. She needed that security he gave her. A few seconds were enough for her to feel ashamed of that need and to separate from him.
"I'm so sorry David, it's not my intention to steal your time, Emma must be waiting for you." She smiled sweetly and gestured that she was accompanying him to the door, "Now a long night is waiting for me." She sighed.
"Regina, that's okay". He went to the elevator. "Remember that you can count on me at all times". Now, he stayed a few seconds looking at her. "I'll look for you when you let me". Now he was whispering. "Good evening, Mrs. Thomson!" He entered the elevator and left without waiting for an answer.
Regina wanted to scream. She wanted to run away and not look back. That man was as sweet as sexy, as gentleman as he was bold. She really was attracted to David. However, there on the sofa, there was the love of her life; he was sleeping drunk to the bone. She walked to where he was snoring and watched him for a few minutes. She sighed and started taking off his shoes.
"You know Robin, when we got married, I was sure it would be for life". She started to take off her socks. "I really want it, Robin, I still love you, but you keep pushing me away, hurting me and not just me but our son". She now very carefully removed his tie. "If you don't love me anymore, I can understand it, even though it hurts me. However, I beg you Robin... I beg you to stop hurting your son". She began to cry inconsolably trying not to make noise. "You were supposed to be the love of my life..." She could not stop crying.
Regina went out to the terrace with her hand in her mouth to silence her cry. The pain was so strong that she could not silence her impulses anymore and she sank down onto the floor of that open place. Regina was devastated inside, but it weighed on her soul that her son was going through that same pain.
She had a good time crying on the floor when she could breathe continuously again. Regina managed to get up from the terrace floor and walk towards where a closet was, and still crying she took a blanket and covered Robin. She looked at him again pleading, silently asking him to please love her again, but mostly so that he would not continue hurting his son. She kissed him on the mouth, and she went to her room wanting to sleep.
When she stood at the foot of the stairs, she saw her son Roland standing at the top crying. The boy wiped some tears from his cheek with his pajamas. Regina closed her eyes exhausted and began to climb without saying a word.
"Go to sleep! Dad is fine, he just felt bad". She carried the child in her arms and took it with her to her bedroom. "Today you will accompany me to sleep". She wiped away her tears with handkerchiefs that she had on her bedside table. Then, Regina hugged her son and wrapped both in a huge blanket. Thus, embraced, the two fell asleep.
The next morning, the sound of the blender suddenly woke her up. She was still hugging her son, who was sleeping peacefully in her arms. Slowly and carefully, Regina left her son sleeping in her bed. Roland was still deep asleep. She kissed him on the forehead, stroked his head and wrapped him up.
She went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth, and she washed her face. Then, she looked at herself in the mirror and tried to fix herself a little if that was possible. She put on a robe and went down the stairs.
She watched Robin sitting at the terrace table, taking one of his energy shakes, reading the newspaper. He was dressed as if he was going out in a sporty way. He was surely going to play golf. She reached the terrace's door, and hugging her robe leaned back against the doorframe.
"Good morning!" She said softly and sweetly. "How do you feel?"
"Ah! Good morning". He barely turned to look at her out of the corner of his eye. "Fine, thanks..."
She lowered her head and smiled to herself, shaking her head as if understanding that nothing had changed. These were only her wishes. Desires that everything be different or at least as it was before.
Did love has no chance? Love does not stand a chance, she thought. Even so, they had a life together and they had commitments to take care of. She thought it might be the last chance for her to believe in her marriage. She had to be firm about it.
"Remember that tonight is my parents' anniversary. Please, I ask you not to forget it. You must arrive here no later than six o'clock in the afternoon, so that you can fix yourself". She turned around and she went to the kitchen to prepare a coffee.
"I will not forget it, since I'm going to play golf with your father". He was still taking his shake and reading the newspaper as if nothing was wrong.
"How?" She did not know if she had listened well. She put two teaspoons of sugar in her coffee automatically. She headed back to the terrace door with her cup of coffee in her hands.
"How what? I've played with your father since you and I first met. The old man is an ace playing. In addition, today is a day when he deserves to be away from your mother as much as possible. He has had the patience of a saint resisting Cora. Could you serve me some coffee, please?" He asked her without even turning around.
"Sure!" She turned around, taking a sip of her coffee and she made a gesture with an eyebrow in approval of Robin's comment about her father's Holy patience with her mother.
She served Robin coffee just as he liked it, and she took it to the table. She was about to leave when he took her by the arm.
"The same patience you are having with me". Now he was looking to her, straight in the eyes. "Thank you!" He released her and he began to read the newspaper again.
Regina stood paralyzed for a few seconds looking at him. She did not know what to do or what to say. It had been so long since Robin had looked at her that way, directly into the eyes. Maybe he had listened to her last night. Maybe he was just grateful that she helped him, since the man's condition last night was the worst that he had ever reached. She chose not to say anything, and she went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for her son and herself. He made hot cakes for the boy and an Omelet for her.
"Are you going to want something more for breakfast?" She had to ask. She had to take advantage of that confession of her husband to try to get close to him.
"No, I don't want anything else, thank you!" He said as if nothing had happened. He got up, put on a jacket, and grabbed his golf clubs. "I'm going to have lunch with your dad and his friends, and you already know how they like to eat after golf. Also, I don't have a stomach today". He did not manage to look at her, but he had an embarrassed expression on his face. "See you at six o'clock!" He left the apartment without looking at his wife.
Regina did not want to see things where there were none. She did not want to keep false hopes. She ate her breakfast and when she was almost finished her son came down rubbing his sleepy eyes.
"Good morning mom!" He sat at the kitchen counter next to his mom and he kissed her on the cheek.
"Good day sweetie! Are you hungry?" She fixed Roland's hair and served him breakfast.
"Yes mom! I must eat to go play with Emma... Do you remember?"
"Of course, Emma!" Emma and her attractive father David. Why did those things happen to her? She asked herself.
They finished eating. Roland dressed and prepared a bag with everything he would require playing with Emma. He took the radio and began to communicate with Emma, who was awake and waiting for him.
"Mom, hurry up!" The little one screamed from the lower floor.
"I'm going!" She shouted at him laughing. Her son was excited. After the night before, the least she could do was please him. "I'm almost done!" She was dressed in a sporty way, as if she was going to the gym, but she had put on a little makeup.
"Mom, why are you preparing so much to go to the gym?" The boy watched her with curiosity, while she took her bottle of water and the towel from the closet.
"Because when moms are old, they have to look pretty in some way". She replied somewhat embarrassed. She took the keys and pushed him out of the apartment and then she took the elevator.
"Mom... You are the most beautiful woman in the entire world. You're just a little old, not as old as Grandma Cora". The boy said, totally unconcerned. "Emma is pretty too".
"Oh! Thank you, son". She answered him trying to contain her laughter. Upon hearing Roland's confession about Emma's beauty, she could only smile and respond almost to herself. "They are a beautiful family..."
They arrived at David's apartment, and she took a deep breath trying to give herself courage. Before she could react, her son had rung the bell and the door opened, revealing the blond man and his big smile.
"Good morning, Roland! Good morning, Regina!" The man seemed very relaxed and casually. He was dressed in a sporty way as she was.
"Good morning, Mr. David". The boy smiled and ran into the apartment to meet Emma.
"Good morning, David! You'll have to excuse him, but Roland is so excited to play with Emma" Regina was a little nervous. She did not know why. She had not entered at the apartment and remained at the door.
"That's fine! Emma has not even greeted". He raised his voice a little and then it was heard in the distance "Good morning Mrs. Regina". He gave a wink to her. "And you already have breakfast or want something? Why don't you come inside?" He gestured, inviting her to enter.
"No, no... We already eat and I go to the gym so if it doesn't bother you that I leave you Roland here..." She tried to hide it and she began to slowly walk away from the door.
"No way! I'm going to work out too." A girl of about fifteen appeared at the door. "This is our neighbor Violet; she takes care of children in her free time".
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Regina". Violet gave her hand.
"It's a pleasure Violet". Regina shook the girl's hand. She had run out of tools to avoid her neighbor.
"Don't worry about anything, Mrs. Regina. I'm a professional and your child will be very well taken care of". The girl smiled staring at Regina. "If at any other time you need someone to take care of Roland, you should only look for me in apartment 2B".
"Thanks Violet. We will come back in a little while". He indicated to the young babysitter.
The girl entered the apartment and David smiled. He took his bottle of water, and the towel as did the brunette, and he closed the door of the apartment. Taking the paralyzed Regina from behind, he led her to the elevator, and they went to the gym in the mezzanine of the building.
"Did you plan this?" She told David, as she worked out on the treadmill.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Regina". He dissimulated poorly between laughter. "I always meet you at the gym. Is not that so?".
"That's true!" She had blushed. It was obvious that David was not going to stop until he conquered her. "And is the girl next door in love with you who does you the favor of taking care of the children today?" She looked at him with a malicious smile on her face.
"First, she is a little girl. Large enough to take good care of our children". He was on the stairway doing cardiovascular exercises. They were alone in the gym. It was almost always like that. "Second, she is a nanny. Her parents teach her the value of work, which makes her a good girl". He wiped a little sweat from his face. "Third, she isn't in love with me, she is in love with you and when I told her that you would be in my apartment, she almost goes crazy. Fourth and the most important, I just want a neighbor to fall in love with me, just one!" He now looked at her intensely and seriously.
Regina did not know where to go. She was totally sorry, not only for her childish comment but because she was not sure she wanted to stop David. She started running faster without realizing it.
"I know you want to run away from me, but this is too much". He scoffed at the brunette, watching her realize that she was running.
"Who told you that I want to run away from you?" She stopped suddenly and she looked at him honestly. "That it feels so good to run towards you, it's something different!" She got off the exercise machine.
They both stopped doing what they were doing to walk and meet face to face. They looked at each other intensely and he moved closer to her. He could not wait and hugged her against his chest.
"Forgive me for not making your life easier". He wanted so much to have her and protect her. However, she belonged to another man, and he knew she was suffering. "I'm so sorry Regina!"
"Shh! Don't say anything!" She placed her finger in the man's mouth. "I'm not a girl and I'm not stupid. I know you've always looked at me that you have always liked me. Now you know that I like you too. I really like you, David!" She watched him as he hugged her just inches from kissing. "I'm a married woman. I'm not happily married, but I'm married. We can't start something that later I don't know how to finish… Or that I don't want to end"
"Let me be in your life Regina. Let me make you and your son happy". He had to try because he felt that Regina's way of speaking was a farewell.
"I still love him!" She weighed that truth as much as she weighed what she was beginning to feel for David.
"I don't want to hurt you, Regina. I'm very sorry not to make your life easier but I don't want to lose you". He needed her and he was feeling Regina's words as an excuse not to try.
"I've never been one of that kind of women who cheat, David. I'm not!" She did not want to do something that hurt them both. "I don't want to start something… Because deep down I know that I won't leave him. I will not be the unfaithful, lover of someone without commitments."
"I would never treat you like this". He separated slightly from her to see her directly in the eyes. "I respect you, Regina. I understand that we can't be together... But Regina..." He did not say anything else and just looked at her.
Then, what they had been avoiding or delaying happened. They kissed intensely. They could not stop, just forgetting everything. They began to caress each other; they just could not stop. He carried Regina in his arms, and he led her to the sauna room. There they continued kissing and loving each other without anything else matters.
To be continued...