“I got busy.” He loosened his tie and slipped off his suit coat, draping it over the top of the sofa before taking a seat.
“Busy?” His cavalier attitude only incensed her more. “Doing what? You weren’t at work. I called.”
“No, I wasn’t at work.” For the first time his cool facade slipped and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
“So, where were you?” Christy knew she sounded like a nagging wife, but she was past caring. “I was worried.”
“I know you must have been, and I am sorry,” he said. “Fact is, tonight was Lauren’s birthday. Some friends threw her a party and I stopped by. I lost track of the time.”
Lauren again.
Christy pressed her lips together and took several deep breaths.
“Next time call,” she said finally. She took a moment to straighten the pile of paper in front of her, using the time to regain her composure. “When someone expects you for dinner and goes to the trouble to prepare a meal, calling to say you’ve been delayed is just common courtesy.”
“You made dinner?”
“I told you I’d have dinner waiting for you.” No need to mention she’d wasted half the afternoon on that thankless task.
“But you shouldn’t have. I mean, I don’t expect it.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. “I’ve been taking care of myself for years. I can make my own meals, wash my own clothes, pick up after myself.”
“I was just trying to be nice.” Christy choked out the words. Up to now she’d done a good job of keeping her composure, but the tears were on their way. Christy snapped her laptop shut, picked up her papers and brushed past him.
“Christy, please, don’t go away like this.” David reached for her, but she pulled from his grasp and kept walking.
The door slammed shut and David leaned his head back against the sofa cushion. He’d never meant to hurt her or to make her angry. But he had the sinking feeling that he’d done both.
Didn’t she understand that there was no point in changing their lives to accommodate each other? He didn’t want to get too close with their future so up in the air. He’d begun to realize that the closer they got, the harder it would be to say goodbye.
They were already viewed as a couple. A few people at Lauren’s birthday party had even asked him when he and Christy were going to start a family. He’d laughed and told them to let him get used to being married first.
Though he wanted to be a father someday, he couldn’t help but be grateful that they had both been responsible enough to make sure that wouldn’t be happening any time soon. David had watched Christy take a birth control pill each morning they’d been in Las Vegas, so he knew they were safe. And while she was in Chicago, he’d even stopped at a drugstore to pick up some extra protection.
He listened as Christy climbed the stairs and shut their bedroom door. Picking up the remote, David flipped on the television, but turned it off at the first canned laugh. Inexplicably restless, he got up and headed to the kitchen.
Though there had been chips and other snacks at the party, there had been no real food. At this point even cold macaroni and cheese sounded good. David opened the refrigerator door and scanned the shelves. His gaze stopped on a mound of meat covered neatly with plastic wrap, then slid sideways to a large round platter.
Pineapple upside-down cake.
His heart clenched. It had been his favorite for as long as he could remember. In fact, on their last Valentine’s Day together, Christy had made it for him. She’d dyed the pineapple red and arranged them to form a big heart. He’d never been able to eat the dessert since without thinking of her. His heart clenched.
David shut the door and leaned against the counter. He’d always prided himself on being a good guy who treated people fairly and with respect. Tonight he’d acted like a heartless jerk. The question was why?
Because you’re scared of getting too close.
He railed against the thought even though he knew deep in his heart that it was the truth. And he knew what he had to do about it.
David headed for the stairs.
Christy stared into the darkness and willed herself to go to sleep. But bitter tears stung the backs of her eyes and her heart felt like a leaden weight in her chest. It seemed every time she tried to take a step forward, a door slammed in her face. She desperately needed someone to talk to, but her parents didn’t even know she was married and the last time she’d talked to her sister the three-year-old had chicken pox and the baby was teething. An unappreciated meal paled in comparison.
But Christy knew it wasn’t the wasted food that bothered her, it was David’s attitude. He acted as if he didn’t even like her. Right now she wasn’t even sure she liked him.
A tear slipped down her cheek. And then another.
Christy squeezed her eyes shut.
Dear God. I don’t know what to do. I want this marriage to work. But just when I think we’re connecting, David pulls back. If he could just be my friend, at least that would be a start….
“Christy.”
Her eyes popped open at the unexpected voice. She hurriedly wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. “What do you want?”
He crouched by the side of the bed and his face was solemn in the darkness. “I came to say I’m sorry.”
Christy shifted her gaze and tried to swallow past the tightness gripping her throat.
“I behaved like a real jerk,” he said softly, his breath warm against her face. “You were right. I should have called.”
“What’s going on, David?” Christy said in a low tone. “Sometimes you act like you like me and other times it’s as if you don’t care if I’m here or not.”
“That’s not it at all.” David took a deep breath and raked his fingers through his hair. “I like you a lot, Christy, I really do, but you and I are so different. I worry that we’ll only hurt each other more if we get too close.”
A viselike tightness gripped Christy’s chest.
“What I’m trying to say is I’d like it if we could be friends, but not get too attached.” He gave an embarrassed laugh. “It sounds kind of crazy when you say it out loud.”
Christy stared, confused. Considering they were married, it did sound kind of crazy. “You want us to live together for the sake of appearances, and just bide our time until the year is up?”
“I was hoping we could be friends, too,” he said.
Christy was tempted to say no, to say she couldn’t live like that, but she hesitated. She remembered her prayer. “I guess we could give it a try.”
“Good.” Satisfaction filled David’s voice. “You won’t be sorry.”
“There’s something I need to make clear,” Christy said, propping herself up on one elbow. “You may want us to be just friends, but we are married, so no other women.”
Surprise flickered across his face. “That goes without saying.”
“I just wanted to be sure that we were on the same page,” Christy said.
“Understood. No other men for you. No other women for me,” he said. David held out his hand. “Friends?”