Page 4 of The Madman's Nightmare
“Are you sure you want to go out?” I asked, and he glanced over his shoulder. “We could always stay in.”
His smile seemed forced as he responded, “I’ll be out in a minute and we can go.”
My smile dropped as he walked down the hallway and into the master bedroom. I heard the shower turn on and I shook my head as I walked into the kitchen. Pulling open the drawer, I removed the wooden box I’d had since college and went to the sliding glass door leading to the balcony. I stepped out into the coolish evening air and pulled the door closed behind me.
Sitting at the small table on the large balcony, I took a joint from the wooden box and used the lighter inside to ignite the tip. Inhaling deeply, I returned the lighter to the box and closed it as I blew the smoke into the air. The weed did little to stop the unhealthy thoughts from running through my head.
Were we in danger?
Did he meet someone else?
Was he tired of me already?
Over the last five years, I tried my best to keep my inner voice from speaking too loudly in my ear, but it still managed to get through from time to time. It liked to whisper how someone like him was better than someone like me. How I was the daughter of a pimp and a whore, and he was the son of a feared and wealthy man who, thankfully, was dead now.
Inhaling again, I thumped the ashes off the balcony, watching them float into the breeze. Looking over the edge, I watched the people walking and biking around Pierce Lake as the sun began to set behind the trees on the far side of the lake. Laughter floated into the air from the small playground that I often took DJ and Conner to. I felt a smile on my face as I thought of my sweet boys laughing and playing under the big shade trees.
The door behind me opened, and my smile fell as Devlin stepped out and closed the door behind him. “I was looking for you inside.”
I inhaled off the joint and said, “I decided to wait out here.”
I couldn’t look at him out of fear I’d start crying and when he stepped up next to me, I cut my eyes to him before he said anything. He asked, “Are you ready to go?”
“Sure,” I responded and stepped away from the banister to drop the joint into the ashtray.
He seemed like he wanted to say something, but he silently followed me into the apartment and secured the door behind us. The ride down to the lobby was quiet, and I was starting to think the worst about tonight when the door opened and Devlin took my hand into his. His touch calmed me as we walked into the small lobby of our building.
Devlin looked at the two armed guards who patrolled the lobby and front walkway as he asked, “Has everything arrived?”
One of the guards walked to a door off to the side of the small lobby and returned with a wicker basket. Handing it to Devlin, he replied, “Everything is as you requested.”
“Thanks,” Devlin said to the man before he smiled at me. “Are you ready?”
Realizing I probably overreacted to everything, I smiled and nodded, “Where are we going?”
He pushed open the doors leading to the sidewalk and we stepped into the cool night air before he answered. “I thought we could have a little picnic in the park.”
His smile was brilliant, and his blue eyes twinkled as I looked up at him. Picnics were one of my favorite things. You got to sit on a soft blanket, enjoying delicious bites of food as you connected with the other person. No waiters, no interruptions. He and I did it often when we first got together, but since our lives had changed so much over the last five years, I couldn’t remember the last time we had one.
We walked hand in hand down the sidewalk and across the parking lot at the front of Pierce Lake. Families were starting to gather their children as people began to leave the park. There was still at least an hour of daylight, but I guessed they wanted to get home before it got too late.
Moving down the sidewalk, Devlin seemed lighter, happier than he had in weeks, and it gave me hope that whatever had been keeping him preoccupied was over. As he guided us down the path and away from the people still enjoying the park and the lapping waterfront of the lake, I felt a weight start to lift from my shoulders.
When we got to where he wanted to be, he released his grip on my hand and placed the wicker basket onto the ground. He squatted in front of me as he began to pull out a blanket and various containers with food in them. When he was satisfiedwith the way everything was placed, he stood and offered me his hand.
I took it and we kicked off our shoes and stepped onto the blanket. I sat down, crossing my legs under me as Devlin sat across from me. He poured each of us a glass of wine and he handed one to me before he raised his in a toast.
“To us and all the love we share,” he stated, and we clinked glasses.
Taking a sip of the dry red wine, I watched as he began to open the containers. There was meat, cheese, fruit, crackers, and something made out of chocolate. I didn’t know where to begin so he reached down and picked up some meat and cheese before handing them to me.
“Hmm,” I moaned as I popped the food into my mouth, tasting the strong cheese and smoky meat.
We took turns feeding each other, and the longer we sat there, the more relaxed I became. When we had eaten enough, he placed the lids onto the containers and topped off my wine glass as the cool air swirled off the lake.
“I’m sorry if I’ve been distant lately,” he remarked as we watched the sky turn from blue to shades of orange and pink. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”
I sat up straighter and took my gaze off the sky as I turned my attention to him. “Is everything okay?”
