Page 29 of A Bed of Broken Promises

Their coming together was fast and furious, filled with desperate passion borne of the knowledge that they may never see each other again after this night.

Afterwards, limbs entangled on the cold floor, his hands gently stroking her hair, she let out a sigh of satisfaction. No matter that it would soon end. For now, she was the happiest she had ever been.

“How about a bath picnic?” He asked contentedly. “You get it running, I’ll bring food and champagne.”

She lifted her head so that she could stare into his eyes. “That sounds like heaven.”

No, this was heaven, a disobedient voice contradicted inside his brain. What he had with Katie was damned near perfect, so why the hell was he running? “Because it makes sense,” he said forcefully, once he could hear the water going upstairs. Nothing good could come of this. Maybe, if it hadn’t all been based on a lie… but the truth would make her hate him, and it was better to leave it as was, with this feeling between them. He wasn’t sure he wanted to think of Katie hating him.

Refusing to interrogate himself further on just why that might be, he carried a tray of chocolates, sandwiches and their refreshed champagne flutes carefully upstairs. He kicked the bathroom door open with his toe and smiled when he saw her. She had hopped into the bath already, and was surrounded by bubbles and the fragrance of lavender. Her head was reclined on the porcelain rim of the tub, her eyes closed, her expression one of total serenity. He felt a kick in his gut, but he was becoming so accustomed to the guilt in his system that he ignored it now.

Sensing his presence, she angled her head towards the door, but kept her eyes closed. “You took your time.”

“Room service takes a while to assemble,” he responded with a smile, placing the tray on the tiled back of the bath. He pressed a button on his phone, and the sound of John Lee Hooker filled the bathroom. “Ah!” she grinned, blinking up at him. “Bluesy tunes, a bath, you, and food. I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

He eased himself into the opposite end of the bath, taking her feet into his lap and rubbing the soles with his thumb. “It’s mutual,” he responded simply. Because it was.

They lay without speaking for a couple of minutes, with only the mellow sounds of the blues to break the silence.

“Do you ever see your ex-wife?” She asked out of nowhere, and as soon as she said the words, she wasn’t even sure why she’d asked.

Marcus thought about lying, but the last thing he needed was more dishonesty. “I saw her about a month ago.” He pushed past the stone weight in his chest. “My best friend died and she came to the funeral.” He couldn’t quite meet her eyes. “Veronica and I met through Bryan – my friend. I guess she felt she had as much right to be there as I did.”

Katie frowned. “I’m sorry about your friend. Do you mind if I ask what happened to him?”

“I…” he swallowed convulsively. “I…. don’t talk about it.”

“Ever?”

“It’s still fresh.”

She compressed her lips, trying not to be hurt. Trying not to be offended. “Talking might help….”

“I doubt it,” he said, in a tone that brooked no opposition.

“David, you don’t need to carry the weight of the world your shoulders. People die. It’s tragic. But it’s not your fault.”

He stared at her, and for a moment, his look was full of such despair that she thought he was going to cry. But it was quickly chased away by a quiet, yet strong, rage. “What do you know?”

She bit down on her lip. “I know about loss. I know about death.”

“Not about this, okay?”

“Oh, so you’re the only person to have experienced tragedy? Christ. You don’t own a monopoly on sadness.”

“I didn’t say I do,” he muttered, trying to keep a grip on his temper and failing miserably.

“But losing your friend is so much worse than my losing my aunt. Or my own father?”

He slammed his palm against the edge of the bath. “Damn it, Katie. Bryan was murdered, okay? He was killed, and it was my fault. I should have saved him. I was the only one who could.”

The silence following his impassioned statement was anything but comfortable.

“Why do you think you could save him?”

He expelled a furious breath. “Because I was there.”

“You saw him… murdered?”

---