Wet Part 3

by Rivera, S. Jackson

  “I’ll wait for you,” Rhees said.

  “No.” Paul left no room for discussion and Rhees saw some unspoken message pass between him and Mitch. Shanni looked at Rhees like she understood as well. “I won’t be long.”

  “No problem,” Mitch said in his Irish brogue. He slipped his arm tightly into the crook of Shanni and Rhees’ elbows, and escorted them out of the restaurant, giving Rhees no chance to object. She turned back and watched Paul stroll over to Ronnie and her friends’ table, saw how Ronnie’s eye lit up, but she didn’t get to see how Paul reacted to the I know you’re married, but I don’t care look she gave him.

  Mitch had dragged her around the corner where she could no longer see anything but a bunch of jungle plants, the rock pathway, and water, the water that had filled her eyes.

  oOo

  Paul didn’t say anything as Rhees unlocked the door to let him into the apartment, an hour and fifteen minutes later, not really that long considering the walking distance between Oceanside and Jungo’s, but based on his past, Rhees knew it was long enough. She reminded herself, it didn’t matter.

  She ignored him but sensed Paul’s confusion as he watched her climb into the twin bed—that was already messy, because she’d already been trying to get to sleep on the twin, instead of their bed. She was making a point. She’d given her conditions about it, if he were to do what she feared he had, with Ronnie.

  She reminded herself again. It didn’t matter. She still loved him, and didn’t want to figure out how to live without him, but he’d have to get very clean before she’d let him touch her again. Shower or no shower, she knew he had no intention of touching her, so she could have slept in their bed. She didn’t want to, even though she knew how much he hated sleeping alone.

  Paul gave up, shaking his head, and without a word, slipped into the bathroom to brush his teeth. He finally climbed into the double bed, and the room fell silent for about an hour.

  She didn’t hear his normal sleep breathing pattern, so she knew he was still awake too.

  “I haven’t changed my mind about keeping promises. It was just business.”

  “Fine.”

  “I’m not going to break my promise. Vows are promises too.”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  He made a frustrated, surrendering groan, but that’s all they said the rest of the night, even though neither of them slept. She had a lot she wanted to say, but she stuck to her plan not to nag him.

  Chapter 19

  The next day, Ronnie’s friends signed up for the dive master course and Rhees wasn’t sure if she was relieved to know Paul really did use the time at Jungo’s to sell them on the idea, or worried that having Ronnie’s friends around meant two more girls would be vying for her husband’s attention.

  Even if Marcelle and Sophie weren’t interested in Paul for themselves, having them around would surely fuel Ronnie’s flagrant flirting. The last thing Rhees thought Ronnie needed was a confidence booster.

  Rhees had started to wonder if Paul was right—if she wasn’t crazy already, she was surely losing her mind, now.

  oOo

  Everyone turned to see the reason for Paul’s creative swear words. By the time every eye turned to him, The Tow’d’s engine parts had exploded against the wall of the The Room That Had No Purpose.

  “Piece of shit!” His response may have had as much to do with his personal life than the actual performance—or nonperformance—of his premier dive boat, and a few people knew. Rumors had started to circulate as people noticed the tension between the newlyweds, but luckily, no one had come to any good conclusions. He wondered if Tracy was really keeping her mouth shut for a change, or if she’d just not heard enough of the conversation through the dense walls at their apartment. Either way, he was grateful.

  “Poor baby. Anything I can do to help?” Ronnie offered, setting her hand on his arm.

  Paul didn’t know where she’d come from, or how she got to him so quickly, but he jerked away from her touch, annoyed that the stupid girl believed he wanted her sympathy. He put on his grumpiest armor to scare her off. She didn’t move away, failing to take the hint.

  The sound of the crash, his swearing, or both, must have been what brought Rhees rushing out of the office with the most beautiful concern on her face.

  My wife. He almost smiled to welcome her empathy before he caught himself. How is it possible to feel this much? He cursed himself for wanting to fall into her arms, tell her how much he loved her, and let her compassionate soul soothe his frazzled nerves. His resolve had taken a direct hit the other night, breathing in her luscious scent, feeling the warmth of her, holding her lovely body in his arms all night.

  He hated the way he’d taken her, it wasn’t supposed to happen that way, but now, his body wouldn’t stop reminding him how perfect she’d felt. Damn, if he didn’t crave her all the more, knowing what it was like.

  The fact that Rhees had forced him to sleep alone last night had been a blessing. He knew she’d done it because he’d hurt her, using friends to keep from having to talk about it again. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold out—keep from just sweeping her up in his arms—forever, and ignore her problems.

  He also suspected that Rhees thought he was interested in Ronnie. Her fears about that were just another one of Keene’s predictions coming to light. Rhees did suffer from irrational insecurities and jealousy.

  He almost laughed. Ronnie was too forward, even for the old him. That girl was too much like Ginger for his tastes. Not only had one Ginger been quite enough, Rhees was the only one he wanted, had wanted, or thought about, for . . . it felt like forever. He felt like he knew her, even before he did.

  “Damn it!” he cursed again, aloud that time.

  He had a hard time feeling betrayed anymore. He hated betrayal, but he’d come to the conclusion it wasn’t Rhees’ fault. She was sick. The more he thought about it, every second of the day, and night too, the more excuses he came up with for her behavior, but none for his own.

  As hard as it was, it didn’t matter how much he didn’t want to, it didn’t matter that it would kill him, he had to fix it. He had to get her the help she needed. The healthy Rhees would finally see him for what he really was, and she’d know what a mistake she’d made to love him. A healthy Rhees would want to love a good man, someone like her. A healthy Rhees would want to get as far away from him as possible.

  He loved her, but he had to hold his ground, for her own good. He needed a shield.

  “Ronnie!” He flashed his most charming smile, knowing Rhees would see. He even threw in a wink. “Do you know anything about engines?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do.” Ronnie laughed, and sashayed closer to him while returning a coy, flirty smile. “I know that when you throw the engine parts that hard against a wall, you’re screwed.”

  Paul genuinely laughed at the truth, and humor of her comment, but then glanced Rhees’ way in time to see the heartache he’d caused by being flirty with, not only another woman, but the one Rhees worried the most about. He looked out over the ocean while the shame ate away at him. Rhees turned and practically ran back to the office. He almost followed her, but he reminded himself that it needed to happen.

  oOo

  Paul stayed away from Rhees as long as he could, but an hour and forty-five minutes later, he’d finally come up with a believable excuse to go to the office and check on her.

  “Where’s Rhees?” It shook him to find she wasn’t there.

  Claire gave him the cold shoulder. Frustrated, he went searching for her. When he didn’t find her, he returned to the office, his imagination and worry were getting the best of him.

  “Where is she?” He didn’t attempt to hide his anger.

  “What do you bloody care?”

  “Where. Is. Sh
e?” he hissed.

  Claire turned and glared at him, but still refused to give him any information.

  “She left without saying a word? She knows better.” He stepped out of the office and looked down the Plank, willing her back. He hated not knowing where she was, wondering if she was all right. He decided he’d look for her, but quickly changed his mind before he made it to the street. He couldn’t afford to let her know how much he cared.

  He made his way back to his, piece of shit, boat and stood staring, too upset to really think through the problem with the damned thing. Randy was supposed to get back to him with the name of a mechanic on the mainland, but so far, he hadn’t heard anything.

  A strange noise on the Plank caught his attention, and he turned to see the cause. Rhees marched across the wooden planks dragging her duffle bag, the wheels clanking as they went. His heart stopped.

  “She’s leaving me,” he panted. He lost his balance and almost fell backward off the deck, his bones felt as though they’d liquefied. He couldn’t breathe. He leaned forward with his hands on his knees, trembling, as he assimilated the fact that his plan had worked—and he waited to collapse—and have to be taken to the hospital for the heart attack he knew he was in the middle of having.

  Rhees made her way to The Room That Had No Purpose, and ducked inside, dragging her bag with her. When she didn’t come back out, Paul finally found the strength to move, and he followed her into the room, apprehension and fear eating away at his insides.

  “You’re leaving!” he accused.

  She turned, a questioning expression on her face, as he stood in the doorway.

  “Your bag! You’re all packed. You’re actually going to leave.” He couldn’t temper his condemning tone, even though this was what he’d hoped for, didn’t really want, but needed, because she needed it. He thought about what she’d said. She believed leaving would be the end of them—but there she was, all ready to go. She didn’t care anymore. His own success knocked the air from his lungs. “You’re going to Texas.”

  He knew he shouldn’t let himself sound like her leaving was going to kill him. He knew he should recalculate, but someone had pushed the pause button on his brain.

  “No!” She stared at him incredulously.

  “But your bag.” He hoped she wouldn’t notice how shaky his voice had become.

  She glanced down at her duffle. “Oh, that. Um.” She fidgeted, actually started wringing her hands as she fumbled for a response. “I’ve moved out of Oceanside.”

  After a beat, she nervously commenced taking clothes from the duffle bag and hanging them on the freestanding closet rod that used to be at her apartment. He looked to his left and noticed boxes stacked on the table, the microwave he’d bought for her was there too—everything they’d kept at her apartment was now in the room at the shop.

  The time it must have taken her to move everything—how had he not noticed? She’d obviously taken advantage of the strained detachment he’d been forcing himself to maintain.

  The nausea subsided, and the room slowed down, no longer spinning completely out of control. Now it felt more like a merry-go-round, still turning, but manageable.

  “You moved out.” Paul’s voice was absolutely toneless, flat.

  “Yes.” She started her explanation to get ahead of the storm she was sure would come. “It’s stupid to keep two apartments. We’re married now, and married couples should have their own place. I know you liked that my apartment was bigger and nicer than yours, but it’s stupid to keep two. We shouldn’t have roommates anymore. We do need privacy, and it’s stupid to be paying rent for both places. Oceanside is too far away which made yours the better choice. Yours is so close to the shop, more convenient. It’s unnecessary and stupid to keep two apartments, and yours is the better choice.”

  “You said that already.”

  “Huh.” She didn’t realize she’d been rambling. She waited for his reaction, wondering how bad it would be. He seemed to be taking the news well. He was quiet, not yelling, anyway. He’d been trembling, she’d seen it in his jaw until he clenched it. He fisted his hands so she couldn’t tell if his hands still shook.

  “I know you’ve said you like having me in the best apartment on the island, and that your place is too small, and you have too much stuff, and that my things won’t fit at your place and still look like the kind of home you think I deserve, so I thought I’d just keep my things in here.” She waved her hand around the room that was usually empty except for the bedding they kept in there for the nights they slept on the deck. “Now, The Room That Had No Purpose; finally has a purpose.”

  “I’ve also said, at least a hundred times, that I don’t want you in my bed.”

  “I know, but we’ve always slept on the deck most nights anyway. We have months before the rainy season starts up aga—”

  “Take it back.”

  “What?”

  “Take it all back. You’re not moving out of Oceanside.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Yes, you can.” He took a step forward, glaring down at her.

  She not only didn’t shrink under his intimidation act, the way sane people always did, she leaned up, closer to his face, daring him.

  “We’ve already found new renters for my room,” she said, glaring right back.

  “You what?” His voice went up. He hadn’t expected that. “What about Tracy and Regina? You can’t just make this kind of decision for them. They should have a say in this, it affects them.”

  “This was their idea,” she snapped. “They helped me move.”

  “Regina?” His voice went up again. He felt blindsided. Regina was his biggest cheerleader. “Regina would never agree to this.”

  Rhees tried not to smirk. She knew he’d counted on Regina’s crush to make her back him up, be on his side.

  “Tracy hates being ‘privy’ to the conflict we’ve been experiencing lately, and Regina—well, Regina hates seeing you ‘fall off your peg’.” Rhees rolled her tongue against the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.

  “What?” His whole face scrunched up in bewilderment.

  “I think she meant, fall off your pedestal, or being taken down a peg, but Tracy didn’t bother to translate, so I can’t really be sure. I took it to mean she’s not ready to stop worshipping you just yet, so a little distance sounds like a better option to her, for now.”

  Rhees watched him. He seemed to be keeping his temper under control. She felt guilty about playing it this way, but she wasn’t about to tell him that she refused to make it easy for him to cheat on her. Keeping his bachelor pad, the fact that he’d slept there—he hadn’t slept there in months before they were married—but now he’d used it as, what she considered, a weapon against her.

  She’d strategically taken away his option to retreat while they’d been having their—she didn’t know what the heck they were having—marital problems didn’t quite describe it. Normal married people didn’t have this problem. She didn’t think sex was supposed to be such a big deal, after you were married.

  He stared blankly at the wall behind her. His jaw set, his cheek twitched, and it looked like he wanted to say something, but he never did. He finally turned to walk out of the room but he stopped in the doorway. Again she thought he was about to say something so she waited. Twenty seconds later, he exhaled and shook his head.

  He swore.

  He stood there another ten seconds like he was too stunned to do anything else. Finally, he walked out without saying another word. It was her turn to exhale and she felt relieved that she hadn’t lost, but she didn’t feel much like a winner either.

  Chapter 20

  That afternoon, Paul walked into the office. “I refuse to call Fred again. Randy knows a mechanic on the mainland. He and I are going to see what he can do.” />
  “Okay. Do I have time to run across the street for a shower before we go?” Rhees jumped up from her computer but the look on his face was a clear indication he still wasn’t over her moving stunt.

  He walked back out as abruptly as he’d come in, and without saying another word.

  “Okay then. Does this mean I don’t have time to shower, or that he doesn’t want me along?”

  Claire shrugged and gave her a sympathetic look.

  “Shoot.” She blinked a few times. “He’s really, really mad.”

  “All right, little bird, sing. I’m tired of sitting by and watching this. What’s going on?”

  Rhees looked up at the ceiling. “Claire! I love you, you know I do, but I can’t talk about this with you.”

  “Then who can you talk to?” Claire sounded hurt. “We’re chums.”

  “I know. It’s not about our friendship.” Rhees looked apologetic and torn. She didn’t want to hurt Claire’s feelings. “My mom taught me that people should never discuss their marital problems with anyone outside the marriage. When she first married my dad, they’d fight, just normal, first year stuff, but she’d run home to her parents and tell them all the horrible things he’d done, getting it off her chest. They only ever heard her side of the story, but then she’d go back to dad, they’d make up, and life would be blissful, until the next fight.

  “It took her a while to realize why her parents hated him. She’d make up, but her parents never had the chance. They never heard her half of the fight, the things she’d done to start it or provoke him. They only heard about the things he did to hurt her feelings or make her mad, but never the things he did to apologize, or to treat her like the special woman he knew their daughter was. She was sure her parents hated him until the day they died.”