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Chapter 16: A Safe Place To Land
This woman takes on
the world
“COMING!” Aliesa rushed to the door, wisps of hair falling from the elastic rubber band holding her hair together. She attempted to get it tied back. She failed. The doorbell rang again. “I SAID I WAS COMING!” ahe yelled out annoyed abandoning trying to fix her hair. She had been so close to finally falling asleep before the sound of the bell had stripped her from her peaceful reverie. “This better be good,” she said aloud as she stalked over still breathless from hopping out of bed. She was a good five feet within doorknob reach when another interruption deterred her. The sound of the phone ringing quickly haltered her progress to the doorway. Cursing at the timing, Aliesa backed up, searching for the blasted communication piece. For the life of her, she couldn’t remember where she had dropped the cordless before heading into her bedroom. She was beside herself as she scrambled around the room following the shrill ringing. The doorbell went off once more. And Aliesa cursed again. “Do people not understand solitude?” She muttered to herself. She lifted the sofa cushions. The phone gleamed back at her. She cried out triumphantly at the ringing contraption. “Hello,” she answered, cradling the phone between her shoulder and her ear as she made her way towards her first destination: the door. “What took so long?” “You try answering the phone and the door at the same time.” “What?” The doorbell rang. “Hold on a sec Shannon. I’ve got to answer that.” Before waiting for a response on the other side of the line, Aliesa slid the phone into her hand and looked out through the peephole. It was Scott. She unlocked the door. “What took you so long?” Aliesa rolled her eyes. “That seems to be the greeting consensus today!” She waved him in to the house. “Come on in. Let me get off the phone and I’ll be right with you.” She plopped the phone back to her ear. “Shan can I call you back?” “Company?” Aliesa watched Scott as he settled himself onto a couch and fiddled with the magazines on the coffee table. “Yup.” “Call me back when you have the chance. I have some stuff I need to go over with you and Ritchie before you talk to Jeanne about your promotional schedule.” “I don’t understand.” “Just call me later,” Shannon reiterated. And then with the sound of a click, Aliesa was left with nothing but the dial tone. Well that was rude. She bit her fingernail. She did it when she was nervous. It was a bad habit she was trying to break, but it still didn’t stop her from biting it. She numbly stared at the phone in her hands. Promotions? “Shannon?” Scott asked leaning into the sofa cushions watching her dazed motions across the room. Something was off. “Yeah…just checking up on me,” Aliesa answered elusively, making her way over, dropping the phone on the coffee table and sitting herself down next to him. “So what brings you by?” Scott noted her aloofness. She seemed tired. “Ritchie actually. We were supposed to meet up. But he never came by.” Aliesa sucked in a breath. “He’s not here.” “I figured. He wasn’t answering his mobile.” “Oh?” That told him something was not normal. “I was hoping you could tell me where he was.” She shook her head. “I don’t know.” “You don’t know where he is?” Aliesa shook her head again. “Okay….” He pursed his lips. “How about when he’ll be back?” She again shook her head. “He left a couple of hours ago. He hasn’t been back since,” she confessed as she tucked her legs underneath her. No use in lying. It wasn’t going to help her in this matter. She saw the look on his face. There was more to this than just Ritchie not answering his cell phone. “He just left without saying where he was going and when he was coming back.” Aliesa nodded. She was hesitant to give him details. The wheels in Scott’s head began to turn. A feeling of uneasiness settled over him. Aliesa looked a little bit nervous. Almost like…like she was trying to hide something. The memory of the apprehensiveness he felt from her on the ride back from the airport several weeks ago flashed before him. His hand rubbed down his pant leg and rested on his knee. Scott leaned in towards her. He was quiet a moment. Aliesa watched him anxiously. He knew something. “Okay. I want the truth Aliesa. Don’t need to sugarcoat. Is something going on with you guys?” Her eyes widened as the words left his mouth. The taken aback expression on her face could not be hidden. She bit a fingernail. Did he know? Really know? Had they really been that obvious? Was he suspicious? Did he realize the truth? “Well…ummm…you see…we…well…” she started, her eyes avoiding his at all costs, in an attempt to explain. Oh no. She knew. A sense of guilt swept threw him. “Billie?” He breathed out. Her eyes shot up. Billie? What? “Damn,” he uttered as his hand balled into a fist. He should have said something earlier. “It is isn’t it?” Her silence only cementing in his mind that he was correct. Billie? Her brain wracked for enlightenment. Billie? Who was Billie? And then it clicked. “Oh God.” She whispered on realization. BILLIE. THE BILLIE. Ex-girlfriend Billie. Billie...Ritchie's Billie. But what did Billie have to do with anything? Her eyes narrowed. She didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t suspect something amiss with her relationship with Ritchie, but what was this thing with Billie? This was new. This was unexpected. She swallowed and sat back. “I didn’t want to tell you he saw her because I thought it would upset you,” Scott said softly. Aliesa willed her emotions up. All she had to do was think about something sad, think about her frustrations. She felt the tears well up. BINGO. She lifted her hand up and brushed her eyelid, purposely missing the tear sliding down her face. She wanted Scott to notice. He did. “I should have figured you’d realize though,” Scott ran his fingers through his hair. “You’ve got to know that it wasn’t anything bad. It’s not like he planned it. We saw her before and now she’s just in town and he…damn.” He cursed as she gathered a small cushion of the sofa and hugged it to herself. She sniffed. She was going to let him do all the talking. Keep going Scott. “He still gets worked up you know? It’s that whole running into your ex thing. Honestly Al there’s nothing there. He loves you. I’m sure he was…” She’d heard enough. Aliesa placed her hand over Scott’s. “Scott you don’t have to make excuses for him,” she began. She sighed. She needed to have a talk with Ritchie later. Scott was being too roundabout. She didn’t have time to get into that. She couldn’t act believably clueless for much longer. She was bound to say the wrong thing and mess up. For now the number one priority was to appease Scott’s suspicions. She knew he had some reservations about Ritchie and her. This was going to have to explain things to him. Scott looked somewhat relieved. “I just wish that he could…I want to…” She clamped up. She had to play this the right way or it wasn’t going to be believable. “Sometimes…he…we…we say things and we …I…” She chocked up. “No big deal though right? Married couple’s fight all the time.” She said seeking reassurance. “I just…I…Will you tell me if he calls you tonight I just want to make sure he’s okay.” The expression on Scott’s face said it all. She’d pulled it off. ******************************************* She was passed out on the sofa, still clutching the phone in her hand when Ritchie stumbled into the house. The lights were on. He bustled past her, attempting to go up the stairs, fumbling up as he tried to maintain a little balance. He failed. She instantly awoke at the sound of him dropping to the floor swearing loudly. “Where have you been?” He groggily turned his head trying to place her position in his haze. “Out.” “You know its 5:00 in the morning? I called everyone. NOBODY knew where you were. I was worried.” He scoffed at the thought. “You worried? What does it matter to you where I go or what I do,” he slurred out. “You don’t care,” he said waving his hand half-hazardly in front of him. She disregarded the outburst and continued. “Look. The next time you’re not going to be home at a semi-decent hour would you mind informing me where you are? That way we don’t have to deal with more drama? You know so I don’t have to explain why I don’t know where you went or when you’ll be back?” “WHY? You’re NOT my mum.” “NO. I’m not,” she answered coldly. “Whether we choose to accept it or not or to even LIKE it or not. I get the WONDERFUL privilege of being your wife. And for some ungodly known reason I actually WAS worried about you. WAS. The term WAS now being used very loosely. I’m going to bed,” she said passing by his collapsed figure on the floor. He grunted incoherently as he sunk further down as the alcoholic induced state kicked in some more. Aliesa stopped as he groaned again. Why did she have to have a conscience? Her shoulders slumped over as she backed up and made her way over to him. “YOU SO OWE ME. For this and for earlier,” she remarked as she reached down and tried to lift him up. “Get up you jerk. I’m not leaving you on the ground even though I really REALLY want to. You can’t even begin to imagine how tempted I am.” He grinned lazily, draping an arm around her as they both attempted to stand upright. “You love me don’t you? Realllllllly love me.” “So in love it hurts,” she said sarcastically gripping onto him to keep him level. “You know you’re beautiful.” Aliesa sighed. “You are A-L-I! You’re like…” He drooped down. “An angel. My ang—el. Soooooooooooooo beautiful.” She kept him upright as he leaned onto her. “And you always smell like vanilla.” She sighed again. “You’re beautiful.” “So you keep saying. Come on Romeo.” She was able to drag him to his room and strip him to his boxers before he fell again. This time, he pulled her down with him. “Move you arm. I can’t get up,” she huffed pushing against his weight. “I don’t wanna.” “Stop being a big baby and MOVE.” “I’m your baby?” “Oh God! Is this how you were all the times we were both wasted? I mean is this how you are? Because if it is I think I hate myself even more than I already do,” she grumbled as he tightened his hold around her. “You’re cu-te when you’re upset.” She pushed him again, to no avail. He was too heavy for her. “And you’re more of an idiot when you’re drunk. Now move your arm so I can get up.” “No.” She was too tired to for this. She just wanted to fall fast asleep. “Ritchie.” “Stay with me.” “WHAT?” “Stay…” He mumbled crushing her body against his. “With me.” “You’re drunk.” “You’re not.” “EXACTLY. Now move.” “I’m tired…” He snuggled against her. “Then move so I can leave and you can sleep!” He shook his head stubbornly. “Ritchie. Come on.” “Stay.” His breath was warm against her skin. “Ritchie…” “Stay,” he repeated. Aliesa adjusted herself so she could face him. His blue eyes stared back at her. “Ritchie.” “Ali,” he whispered drawing her even closer, if that were possible. “Don’t,” she said her voice trembling as his lips brushed the back of her neck, and he buried his face in her hair. “Stay.” His fingers brushed her cheek, tracing the outline of her face. She knew she was fighting a losing battle. Her mind was
dizzy
with emotion. “Fine…”
“Good,” he murmured contently, securely locking her into his embrace before his eyes fluttered shut. She watched him breathe in and out as he slipped into sleep. “Tomorrow. We’re dealing with this tomorrow.” She said, her fingers lightly brushing away the stray pieces of hair that had fallen against his forehead. Soon, her own eyes slipped shut, welcoming the darkness, as she too fell fast asleep. Chapter
17
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