Episode 510: You Belong with Me

"Adria," he repeated, crossing the short distance to the kitchen, and pulling a cold soda from the refrigerator. He gulped it down in record time. The walk from his car to their building had been unbearably stifling. He was dying of thirst, dying to toss the can in the recycling bin, and seek her out.

Fortunately their apartment was small, it wouldn’t take long to find her, though at the moment he possessed all the patience of a puppy at dinnertime.

"I have a surprise for you," he tried again, louder this time, smiling as he grabbed a soda for her, remembering the last time he’d surprised her. The night she’d made him the happiest man alive, and he’d made her his wife.

He shook his head, grinning like an idiot. It was still hard to believe they’d gotten here after the way they’d started. Spying her at that bar on New Year’s Eve, he knew he’d never seen anyone more breathtaking. But hadn’t expected more than a one-night stand when he’d taken her home with him. That night though, the way he felt with her, and then the morning, well, that had changed everything for him. The entire course of his life.

She’d given him her virginity. Only it hadn’t been as sacred as all that. She’d used him to drown her sorrows over another man. That was what her first time had been. He’d become determined to change that for her. For him. Though at the time he’d doubted she’d ever want to see him again, be reminded of that mistake.

Somehow, he’d gotten through to her. Meant to be, he happily supposed, heading down the hall. Finding the bathroom empty, he moved to the bedroom. The door was closed. It was her night off from the play, but she probably had her headphones on, listening to her character’s favorite music while she ran through lines she couldn’t possibly know better. Despite what the bad word of mouth claimed.

Undoubtedly her parents machinations. Lovely people. All the more reason to get her away from this city for a few days, let the understudy take over. A mini honeymoon was just the thing to pick up her spirits until he found a way to combat her parents influence and fill those theater seats as they should be.

He walked into the bedroom. His smile vanished. Their closet sat open, most of her clothes gone. Ryley couldn’t feel anything except the hard thump of his heart in his throat as he trudged to the bed and collected the note on his pillow. I’m sorry, it read, I shouldn’t have married you.

Episode 511: Please Don't Go Girl