Doing it For the Kids

17 - The End

Once Violet had hung up from the children, promising to see them the next day, she searched the room, under the bed, amongst the cushions on the sofa. It was nowhere to be found. Then she realized that Hendrick's coat, his wallet, most of his things were gone too. He'd gone, and taken the diamond with him.

Was it anger or hurt that caused so much pain? Violet wasn't sure, but she knew that whilst she wanted to run away, bury her head under a beach full of sand, hide from confronting Hendrick, or hearing that he didn't love her in the way she loved him, she couldn't. She had to know. The indulgence of pleasing yourself doesn't mix with being the guardian of two small children. If she ran, she could only run to them, and if this was a fight, a blow out of huge proportions, she wanted to save them for witnessing it.

So she paced the room, questions mounting in her mind as she envisaged him at the door, skulking a return when he presumed she'd gone. She hadn't eaten since a sandwich in the airport at lunchtime, and despite the energies of an afternoon between the sheets with Hendrick, her appetite was quashed by anxiety and pain.

Still Violet picked up the phone and dialed 5 for room service. From the menu she requested champagne, two bottles, and a platter of delicate nibbles. The bill was astronomical, but as she charged it to his room, she remembered she'd spent over ten Euros on a coffee earlier on!

If Hendrick was so obsessed with money, she figured she'd hit him where it hurt - in the wallet. She knew that he'd justified his actions towards her....sort of, but she still wanted to lash out and make him angry in any way she could.

She'd drunk the best part of one bottle and hunger pangs had led to her attacking the platter of canapés with fervor, but still he didn't show. Now she felt more than tipsy and hardly at her best to take him on. So she lay her head down, resting on the sofa, hoping that a little rest would make things easier, help her sober up a bit.

She was fast asleep when Hendrick finally opened the door.

It was almost nine o'clock, four hours after he'd left her, far longer than he'd intended. He should've called, but he hadn't, he didn't trust himself. Opening the door, he first spotted the large silver domed platter, something from room service, and the ice bucket with a bottle of champagne, glad that she'd had the thought to eat in his absence, he suddenly worried that she'd been waiting for him to arrive to share it. Then looking across he saw her fast asleep on the sofa in the dark.

Damn, he should've phoned he thought as he saw the empty champagne bottle tipped on the floor, she'd had to drink it alone, but he'd been so overwhelmed wanted to act there and then. Looking around his heart started to pound. Her bag was packed and placed near the door, her coat and shoes next to it. She was all set to go!

Suddenly things didn't look so rosy. Why was she leaving?

With a groan he made his way over to her and lifted her up, carrying her into the bedroom. Sliding her jeans off, he left the t-shirt on, and pulled the duvet over her. Settling on the sofa to think and wait. All his excitement and anticipation quashed in an instant.

It was the second time that Violet had woken alone, dazed and disoriented in this room. As she looked around, she remembered the last few waking hours in more clarity. The bastard! She must've fallen asleep she realized angrily. As she sat up she realized that her jeans were missing, even more reason to be angry. The alarm clock said half ten, the last she remembered had been half past seven. And the champagne!

Shaking her head, she climbed out of bed, opening the door to the lounge. Then she froze. There slumped on the sofa eyes staring at a tumbler full of whisky was Hendrick. From this angle she could see the dark ring under his eye, the dark unshaven jaw, and that haunted look. Her heart bled for a moment, it must've been hard reliving all his horror stories earlier, but any sympathy for him evaporated as she remembered how he'd taken her to bed straight after, uncaring of using and hurting her.