His Runaway Wife [UNEDITED]

9. "Rebecca doesn't deserve you."

I wasn't happy.

Those words have been hunting me ever since Rebecca said them. She wasn't happy. As her husband, I had vowed to make her happy and I had failed. I was never there for her. On the day that she left, I had worked for twelve hours straight and I didn't realize she was gone until the next morning when I woke up to an empty bed.

"She was gone for three years." Karen continued. "Without calling you or even giving you an explanation and now she comes back like nothing?"

"She is my wife." I said in a low voice.

"Only on a piece of paper. She hasn't been your wife for the past three years, Damian."

I took a deep breath as I ran a hand through my hair. "Karen, I am not an idiot. I know what I'm doing."

I didn't need to be reminded that Rebecca had left for three years, I had that present in my head. It sort of still felt unreal that she was here. The thing was that, yes, I was angry at her for leaving without saying anything to me. I still didn't know what she had been doing for the past three years. But when I looked at her, when I talked to her, none of that mattered. What mattered was that she was here. With me.

I glanced at my phone and contemplated calling her. It felt like she was going to disappear any second. I reached for the phone. Yeah, I'm calling her.

I stood up. "I have an appointment."

Karen stood up with me and stepped in front of me, placing her hand on my arm. "Damian." She said looking at me with her black eyes.

I looked down at her and found myself comparing her to Rebecca. They looked nothing alike. Karen's eyes were darker and her hair was curly with highlights all over it. Karen was pretty but Rebecca was beautiful. I knew my opinion was biased since Rebecca was my wife but Rebecca's beauty seemed natural and unique.

"Rebecca doesn't deserve you." Karen said.

"I'm going to ask you to stay out of it, Karen." I said trying not to sound as annoyed as I was. I never should have told her anything. "And to please keep your hands to yourself." I said grabbing her hand and pulling it away.

I walked past her dialing Rebecca on my way out. I went into the examine room across the hall. I could hear children laughing and yelling in the waiting room with the TV playing in the background.

"Hello?"

I smiled at the sound of her voice, the anger seemed to diminish. "Rebecca."

"Damian. Hey."

"How are you?"

I had missed talking to her. Did I used to call her at random times during the day before she left?

"Good. I'm-going through my clothes." She paused. "I didn't think you'd keep them."

My mother was the one who had gone into my closet and packed all of Rebecca's clothes into suitcases a few months after she left. When she attempted to throw them away, I took them and hid them in my closet. I guess it was as if I was holding on to her somehow by doing that. It drove my mother crazy.

"I wasn't looking through your things." Rebecca said quickly when I didn't say anything. "Well, maybe I was a little." She laughed nervously.

I chuckled. "Well, they're yours so it doesn't matter." I paused. "Listen-I wanted to take you out tonight."

"Tonight? Where?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe out to dinner? Catch a movie or something?"

Catch a movie or something? I sounded like a college boy all over again. God what was wrong with me.

"Like a date?'

"Well-yes a date."

I was asking my wife out on a date. Why was that so strange? I tried to remember the last time Rebecca and I were on a date and I couldn't remember. We did used to go out before she left, right?

"Oh, okay."

"Okay." I repeated. "I'll pick you up at around six."

"Okay, I'll be ready by then."

"Alright." I smiled. "Bye, Rebecca."

"Bye, Damian."

I hung up with a stupid grin on my face.

I had a date with my wife.

____________________________________

When I got home in the evening, I found Alexa in the living room. She was cuddled up with a blanket and watching TV. I think it was one of the Harry Potter movies. She paused it when she saw me come in through the front door.

"Hey."

"Hi." She said with a shy smile that resembled Rebecca's. "Sorry. I got tired of being in the bed so I moved here."

"This is your house, Alexa. You can do as you'd like."

She nodded with a smile. "Thank you. If you can just let Rebecca know, please."

I chuckled then I looked down the hallway. I could see the light of my room on.

"She's still getting ready." Alexa said. "Rebecca! Damian is here!"

"Coming!" Rebecca called from the room.

I sat on the couch. "So what are you watching?"

"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." She paused and looked at me. "Do you like Harry Potter?"

I shrugged. "I've never watched the movies. I don't really have time."

She looked disappointed. "Well, if you want to be my brother-in-law you need to watch all of the Harry Potter movies."

I chuckled. "I'll get to it then."

She smiled. "I'm just kidding. But no, really." She said as she pressed play.

"I don't think I ever thanked you." I said after a moment. "For calling me, telling me where Rebecca was." I said when she looked at me confused.

"Oh. You're welcome." She glanced down the hall and bit her lip. "My sister gave up a lot to come and take care of me...and you were one of the them." She looked at me. "I just want her to, you know, have a life of her own. I want her to be happy."

Before I could ask her more about what she meant, Rebecca appeared from the hallway. She was wearing a black pencil dress that went down just above her knees with high heels. The dress hugged her perfect curves and her legs looked absolutely radiant. I knew the dress was in the suitcases that were in the closet. She must have taken them out and washed them. Good. I wanted her to feel right at home because this was her home.

"Sorry. I'm ready." She said.

I cleared my throat as I stood up. "Rebecca, you look absolutely radiant."

She smiled as she looked down sheepishly. "Thanks, I tried."

She was wearing red lipstick. I loved her in red lipstick.

"Alright, let's go." I said opening the door.

"We'll be back soon." Rebecca told Alexa who rolled her eyes at her. "I'm eighteen, Becca, I'll be fine."

"Right." Rebecca said then walked out the door.

It was dark outside as we walked to my car. I thought about how back in the days, a date would always end in a kiss. I hoped I had the same luck tonight.