by Tina Martin
“She found a nice little house in Nags Head.”
“That’s good. She’ll be close to us. I know Gabrielle will like that.” Tyson rubbed his face and released a sigh. “So you have no idea where Gabrielle is?”
“No. Not at all, but I was thinking...maybe she does need this time alone, Tyson.”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I can’t let time or distance separate us. I love her too much to ever let her go.”
“I know you love her, and I personally would love to see you two back together. She’s happiest with you. When I see her now, she looks stressed out, lost and tired. I’m worried about her.”
“You won’t have to worry for long.” Tyson stood up and walked over to the bassinet and kissed his son on the cheek. “I’m going to find her. I’m bringing my woman home.”
He hugged Padma on the way out of the door and had only one thing on his mind – getting his woman back.
Chapter 32
Colin had already signed in as a visitor at the psychiatric hospital and was sitting in the main communal area that had couches, a ping pong table, a TV and other entertainment items, when he saw Dilvan walking towards him with one of the nurses next to him. He had on plain clothes, a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
Two months ago when he was checked in, Padma had brought some of his clothes and shoes to the place.
Colin stood when he was closer.
“Hi, father,” Dilvan said, wrapping his arms around his dad.
“Hi, son,” Colin said, folding his arms around him just as tightly.
They sat at the table and Colin looked him over. He looked good. His hair was cut, he was clean-shaven and he looked to be healthy. But his eyes were weary. Was he sleeping well? And they appeared to have circles forming under them.
“How are you, Dilvan?”
“Ah...um...” he shook his head. “I don’t know, Dad. I’m doing the best I can I suppose.”
“You look exhausted.”
“Must be the medicine. Every time I take it, I get drowsy.”
“Do you feel like it’s helping?”
Dilvan propped his elbow up on the table and rested his head against his hand. “I really don’t know.”
“Well, think hard about it because if they need to change your medication, then you need to let somebody know.”
“I don’t need a change of medication. I’m fine.”
Colin sighed, worried about his son. Dilvan had four more months before he would be released, and he wasn’t seeing the changes in him that he expected to see. Dilvan was tired, cranky and drowsy. He wasn’t getting enough rest. “So when do you want to talk about the suicide.”
Dilvan shrugged.
Colin had been trying to get him to open up about it for a few weeks now and he hadn’t obliged.
“I just got tired,” Dilvan finally said.
Colin’s face lit up. That’s the most progress he’d seen in a while. “Tired of what, Dilvan?”
“Of everything.”
“Be more specific, son. What are you tired of?”
“I’m tired of my life...I have no meaning. No purpose.”
“You do know we love you. Your mother, your brothers...”
“Yeah. I know,” he drawled out.
“Then why would you take your own life if you know that?”
“Because none of you have to walk in my shoes. You don’t know what I have to go through...what struggles I face.”
“Does any of this have to do with Gabrielle?”
Dilvan grimaced, flared his nostrils and rubbed his hands across his head. “Please don’t talk about her.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to talk about her, okay. I’m trying to forget her and I can’t do that if, every time I turn around, somebody’s bringing up her name. It’s not like I can ever be with her. She’s married and has a restraining order against me. I’m crazy, remember?”
“You did drug her son. Didn’t you?”
“Yeah. I did.”
“And what else did you do to her?”
“I don’t want to talk about her.”
Colin sighed. “Well, have you thought about what you want to do when you leave here?”
“Yeah. I think about it every day. It’s the only thing that keeps me going in this place.”
“And what’s that?”
“I’m leaving Southern Shores and I’m not looking back.”
Colin didn’t like the sound of that. Dilvan had tried to kill himself one time before. Who’s to say he wouldn’t try it again. “Where will you go?”
“I figure I’ll stay at my vacation home in Belize until I figure that out.”
For some reason, that plan didn’t bother Colin as much. That’s what Dilvan needed – time to himself to relax, sit down and analyze his life and his choices. And Colin would be worried, of course, but it’s not like he couldn’t hire someone to keep a watchful eye on him. “That would give you time to relax, for sure,” he told Dilvan.
“Wow. You agree with me.”
“Of course. I told you, I always have your back. I love you, son.”
“Love you too, Dad.”
“Now listen...get some rest. You need to catch up on some sleep, Dilvan.”
“I’ll try.”
“Is there anything you need before I go?”
“No, but could you tell Heshan and Prasad not to be strangers.”
Colin smiled. “They’re coming to visit you next Tuesday.”
“Okay.” Dilvan stood up and walked down the hallway, back to his room.
Colin watched, feeling melancholy but yet happy to see that Dilvan was getting the help he needed.
Chapter 33
Standing in the shower the next morning, Gabrielle loved the way she felt. The water was crisp and rejuvenating, meandering down her chocolate skin. She had energy after getting a full night of sleep. She forgot how good it felt to sleep through the night. Having a newborn was more stressful than she realized it would be. But today, she was happy, alert and eager to start the day.
She shut off the water and took a towel from the rack, drying the beads of water that covered her body. Stepping out of the bathroom door, she headed to the bedroom where she’d laid out her outfit for the day – a pair of blue jean shorts and a hot pink tank top. She would wear a black, two-piece swimsuit underneath.
“Beautiful.”
Her head swung around quickly at the sound of Tyson’s voice and she instantly pulled the towel around her exposed body, covering herself.
“How...what are you doing here?” she asked, shocked and confused.
Tyson smirked. He was sitting on the edge of the couch, staring her up and down. “An even better question is, why are you covering your body like I haven’t seen you naked before?”
Gabrielle felt a tingle in her middle and her stomach fluttered as if his words had physically touched her. And he was looking handsome with a fresh haircut, a nice, casual outfit and he wore that enticing cologne that was sure to get any woman’s attention.
“What are you doing here, Tyson?” she repeated.
“I wanted to be with you, so I tracked your credit card transactions and it led me right here.”
Gabrielle released a frustrated sigh and continued on to the bedroom where she closed the door and locked it behind her.
She sat on the bed and took a moment to get her heart rate back under control. How could she be so upset with her husband but yet, so glad to see him? Perhaps another reason why she found herself here, seeking clarity...
“Okay, I have to be strong,” she mumbled. It would take strength to resist him. A whole lot of strength.
After she dressed, she came out of the room to find Tyson still on the couch, sitting in the same spot, his fingers interlocked with the same look of determination on his face. He stood up tall when he saw her purse swinging from her shoulder, and when he did, Gabrielle felt her breath quicken. The way he stood in his jeans should
be outlawed. And he wore one of those clingy tank tops that showed off his biceps.
“Huh?” he asked, staring at her.
Gabrielle blinked quickly out of her trance and said, “Did you say something, because if you did, I didn’t hear you.”
“I asked you where you were going?”
“I’m going to get some breakfast,” she said, walking pass him.
“You lead. I’ll follow.”
Why did he have to sound so freakin’ good, too? Gabrielle waited until he was outside with her then she locked up the cabin.
Tyson slid his hands in his pockets and said, “I know you probably don’t want to ride with me, but—”
“It’s in walking distance,” she told him. “I’d much rather do that.” And she did, walking fast, making it obvious that she didn’t want him walking next to her.
“Why are you walking so fast, Gabrielle?”
“Because I’m hungry,” she responded,
Tyson smirked. He was hungry too.
* * *
At the restaurant, she ordered a waffle with a side of fruit and orange juice.
He went with bacon and eggs with a glass of water.
Things between them were tense and awkward as she did everything to avoid him talking to him or making eye contact with him. She stared out of the windows but could feel the heat of his eyes on her. His intense stares wreaked havoc on her senses.
“Gabrielle?”
She met his gaze. “Yes?”
“Why do you look like you’re annoyed?”
“Because I am annoyed. I came here to be alone.”
“No, you came here to figure out whether or not you want to be with me...you thought you were going to use this time to decide if you wanted our marriage to be over.”
Gabrielle peered out of the windows again, just staring at a parking lot of cars.
Tyson continued, “I came here to let you know that you can get that thought out of your head because you and I, we have no ending.”
She looked at him again, into the seriousness of his eyes. She knew he meant every word he said.
“Tyson, you can’t single-handedly tell me what we’re going to do with this marriage.”
“Oh, but you can? You’re the one who moved out to live a hotel, but you’re accusing me of trying to control the marriage?”
She frowned and took a sip of juice.
When the food came, she began on the fruit first, then glanced up at him. His eyes were zeroed in on her. Locked and loaded. It was one of those looks.
“So when did you decide that you didn’t love me anymore?” he asked.
Gabrielle swallowed hard and said in a monotone, “Tyson, please just eat your food.”
“Answer my question.”
She dropped her fork in her plate. “Tyson...”
“Answer my question, Gabrielle,” he said again.
“Okay,” she said, choosing to play his game. “I decided I didn’t love you when you didn’t show up for our son’s birth. There. Happy? I’ve answered your question.”
“Wow,” Tyson said, feeling his heart break. He closed his eyes tight and looked out of the window. How would he ever win her back if she didn’t love him? “So are you saying that you don’t love me anymore, Gabrielle?” he asked throaty, his eyes brimming with tears. “Is that what you’re saying to me?”
“You feel that?” Gabrielle asked, her vision blurred by tears. “Does it feel like your heart is shattering...like the pain in your chest is so heavy that you’d rather die than feel it? Because that’s how I felt when you called me a liar to my face. When you ignored my cries to you. I pleaded with you to listen to me, to believe me and, as my husband, I thought I would get that from you, Tyson, but you walked away from me like I was a stranger. Like I was nothing to you.”
Gabrielle discreetly dabbed her eyes with a napkin and glanced around to make sure she wasn’t causing a scene. Then she went on to say, “Now I’ll give you the honest answer to your question. I never decided that I didn’t love you. Tyson, I love you so much that it consumes me. I live you. Breathe you. I don’t even feel like I deserve you. From day one I’ve felt that way because you’re just too good to be true. You were always so good to me. My question to you is, why do you think I would mess that up? What would make you think that I would cheat on you? That I would give my body to another man when I only want you.” She sniffled and dabbed her eyes. “I only want you.”
She stood up from the table, and with tears in her eyes, she walked out of the restaurant, heading across the sand and back to her cabin.
Chapter 34
After eating lunch alone, Gabrielle headed to the beach, set up in the same spot she was in yesterday and took off her top and shorts, wearing nothing but a bikini. She rubbed sun block all over her body, then took a dip in the ocean. How refreshing. The water felt like it was cleansing her, washing away the old stains of her worries and replacing them with an optimistic attitude, showing her that she had a lot to be grateful for. She had a beautiful, healthy baby boy. She had family and friends who loved her. She had a husband who was absolutely crazy about her.
Speaking of husband...
She hadn’t seen Tyson since breakfast, although she knew he was somewhere around. She could feel his presence lingering. And when she got out of the water, towel dried and laid back on the beach chair, she swore he was somewhere close to her. His aura was that strongly entrenched in her psyche.
* * *
At midnight, she laid in bed wondering where he might be. She was sure he’d gotten a hotel or something. Or had he gone back home to Roanoke Island? The thought had crossed her mind since she didn’t see his jeep.
“Ugh, where are you?” she said out loud. She couldn’t go to sleep until she knew where he was and that he was safe. She even tried to call him a few times only for her calls to go to voicemail.
She stood up, opened the windows so she could hear the waves, thinking the tranquil sound of the ocean would help her sleep. She grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, walked over to the glass doors and peering outside, she saw Tyson sitting on the deck. He was on the top step, leaned up against the railings.
Gabrielle slid the door open and said, “Tyson?”
He looked at her. “Yes?”
“How long have you been out here?”
He shrugged. “Since about nine or ten.”
“Why didn’t you get a hotel?”
“Because I wanted to be close to my wife.”
His words touched her heart, and made a tingle run down her spine. She stepped closer to him and said, “Well, why didn’t you just break in like you did this morning?”
He smirked. “I wanted you to want me here. I don’t want to feel unwanted.”
Gabrielle took him by the hand and said, “Come on. You can sleep on the sofa bed for the night while we work things out, okay?”
“Does that mean you want to work things out?” he asked with hope in his eyes.
“Of course I do, Tyson. I meant what I said. I love you. We just need time to sit down and really talk and it’s too late to do that tonight.”
He nodded, not necessarily in agreement because he wanted to talk to her tonight. However, he understood that it was late. That she needed sleep. That she wouldn’t invite him in the bed with her so quickly after being back on unsteady speaking terms.
“Goodnight,” she told him, walking towards the bedroom.
“Gabrielle,” he said and he couldn’t take his eyes off of her as she walked. She had on the top to one of her favorite pajama sets. It was long enough to fall right below her backside and he knew she had nothing on underneath. She never wore anything underneath. Just her bare body.
All kind of thoughts floated around in his mind when he laid down on the couch. He hadn’t bothered folding out the bed portion of it, because that would only irritate him. He didn’t want to be in such a small space with Gabrielle and not be able to be close to her. He missed her. He came
here for her, to reclaim her. How could he do that if he was in the living room and she was in the bedroom?
Tyson sat up on the couch and walked over to the refrigerator, taking a bottle of water. The tension in the small beach cabin was too much to bear. He thought if he drank some water, it would distract him from knocking on the bedroom door. The water quenched one thirst, but not the other. His desire to make love to Gabrielle intensified with every second ticking by. He needed her. How could he fight the urge?
He knew she needed him too, but she hadn’t wanted things to happen so quickly. She wanted everything to be right between them when they finally made love again. And since he wanted what she wanted, he fought with everything inside of him to avoid knocking on the door.
Gabrielle was so antsy that she stood up from the bed and opened the balcony doors again. The balcony was small, but it provided a most perfect view of the ocean, and while the waters couldn’t be readily seen at this time of night, the sound of it was just as satisfying. She sucked in a deep breath and walked to the bedroom door, just standing there.
Tyson walked to the bedroom door and touched it. He wanted to knock, boy did he want to knock, but what if she was sleeping? He didn’t want to wake her. He’d already disturbed her enough by coming here unannounced, invading her alone time.
Tyson sighed. His willpower was gone. He couldn’t fight it anymore. He needed to be close to her. Now. He tapped lightly on the door and said, “Gabrielle?” in as much of a whisper as he could muster with his deep, husky voice.
Gabrielle closed her eyes. The sound of him saying her name like this tickled her insides, especially since she was already standing at the door, too. “Yes?” she answered back.
He closed his eyes and smiled. “May I come in?”
She opened the door, meeting his gaze and like an anchorless boat being swept off to sea, Gabrielle lost herself in her husband’s eyes. Her gaze lowered to his lips – lips she hadn’t kissed in months. Lips that had the power to make her legs go wobbly underneath her and when he saw her eyes lower to his lips, he knew she wanted the same thing he wanted.