Courage Under Duress (SYTYCW)

Chapter 10

It had taken a few nights of crawling into Thomas' bed before I was finally able to self-sooth myself enough to fall asleep in my own bed.  By then, I was missing his warmth but I needed to learn to deal on my own.

By the time I felt truly comfortable and I had slept my first night without complaint or disruption, it was Friday.

I woke up with sluggishness to my step, a heavy feeling in my heart and lots of worry with regards to what the day would hold.

I had managed to relax some throughout the week since Dominic had been away.  Now that he was returning, I dreaded his reaction to discovering I had left him, with divorce papers to boot.  I was unsettled and the last thing I wanted to do was get out of bed and face the next twenty-four hours.

Feelings of claustrophobia from a week ago had come creeping back and Thomas hadn't allowed me to wallow, urging me to join him for breakfast.  I tried to eat but my appetite was non-existent.  He had tried to make me laugh but all I managed was a forced smile at the best of times.

By lunchtime, Thomas hadn't left my side.  I was quiet but I felt better.  When he asked me if I wanted to head out to the creek for a picnic lunch, I found that my appetite had returned.

"There's something I need to tell you but in the state you were in this morning, I couldn't do it," he said as we sat on a blanket watching the crystalline water cascade against the creek bed.  "I got a call from Dom this morning."  He noticed the stiffening in my body and quickly grabbed my hands.  "He got back yesterday morning."

"But he shouldn't have been back until mid-day today."  I could feel my breathing becoming labored.  "Do you think he knows?" I asked what must have been the dumbest question in the book.

He nodded.  "He knows.   You haven't picked up his calls and the house was left a mess, remember?"

"I have to get out of here."  I started to get up.

He pulled me down and kept me in place with his hands on my shoulders.  "He doesn't know where you went.  I told him that I hadn't heard from you since the night we all had dinner together."

"But it doesn't mean he believes you."

"Why would he have a reason to doubt me, E?  He thinks I'm his best friend."

I nodded.  "What if he comes here looking for me, though?"

"He won't find anything."  He seemed so confident.  "Erica, I know how his mind works.  I know what he'll do.  I've trained with him, remember?  I know better than anyone else out there of what he's capable of."  He had a point but I wasn't going to admit it openly to him.  Not yet anyway.

"Did he say anything about the divorce papers?"

"No."

Maybe they hadn't served him yet.

***

I cowered in the barn for the rest of the day and Thomas didn't argue.  I couldn't bring myself to set foot in the house.  Not when I didn't know if Dominic would show up unannounced or not.

I was grooming Denver who had become my favourite of all the horses when I heard Thomas' voice which sounded louder somehow.  After a week, I was already familiar with the help around the ranch.  The second voice that followed sent ice through my veins.

I ran up to the loft where I had made myself a nice secluded spot to get away when I needed to find solace and think.  It was my safe-zone.  Thomas was the only one that knew about it.

"She left me, T!" Dominic yelled.  "I can't believe that she'd do that again."

"What do you mean again?"