The next week went by slowly.
After he broke up with me, all I did was sleep. The next morning, I ate a bowl of cereal and slept some more. I didn't go to work because I knew Rhett would be there and the last thing I needed to see was his beautiful smile.
He didn't try calling me. Nor did Stevie. Everyone knew by now that Rhett had broke up with me and I was grieving.
Rhett did the show by himself for the week. A member of the crew joining in each day. They all looked so happy on screen and it made me sick.
Watching your friends be happy when you feel like dying is the worst feeling out there. Then there was Rhett, who you couldn't read at all. He acted like good ole' Rhett. Happy, content, and dumb. So fucking dumb it made me want to hurl. He was still beautiful and the man I wanted to hold at night. No matter what.
He tried calling four days later, but I didn't answer. I couldn't. He didn't leave a voicemail and he didn't try again. He knew it was pointless.
He tried for the next two days and I still refused to let him in.
He had done this to me and I was angry at him. I didn't want him to see or even hear what he had done to me.
But the next day, he showed up at my door and he wasn't going to leave until we talked.
He knocked so loudly, I couldn't even pretend I was sleeping. He was relentless. I got out of bed, not caring that I was in my boxers and a dirty t-shirt. My hair was a mess as I hadn't showered in a couple of days. I looked horrible, smelled it too. I applied a little deodorant before trudging to the door and unlocking it with the only strength I had left in me.
The look on Rhett's face when he saw me wasn't exactly one I was ready for. He looked horrified and sad. He didn't know he could do so much damage to a person.
"Link," he whispered, looking me up and down.
I suddenly felt ashamed. Embarrassed that I had let myself get like this. But I didn't say anything.
"Link, are you okay?" he asked finally. I just looked at him. I couldn't speak.
He shook his head, "Link, it's been a week. You gotta come back to work. Everyone misses you. I miss you. The fans are asking about you and they are so worried. You gotta get back on your feet."
Then I couldn't take it. Rhett never let me get it out that night, so now was my chance and I was going to take it.
"Fuck you, Rhett. Don't tell me what I gotta do. I'll do what I want. And you did this to me, you know? You left me with nothing but the knowledge that I screwed everything up. It hurt Rhett, it fucking hurt. So don't come around here telling me that I gotta come back. I'll come back when I'm ready. When I can actually look at you without getting sick."
Rhett's eyes were watery, but I didn't care. He hurt me. He has to know.
"Link, I did what was best for both you and I. You know that. You were just too much and I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't want things to progress and then break things off later on. That would have been harder for the both of us. I was trying to think about you when I made that decision, Link."
I puffed, "You were thinking about me? When you broke my heart? Well, thank you for that. I've been appreciating this last week of nothing but sleep and torture."
He shook his head, "That's what you've been doing?"
"Yes Rhett. It's hard to do much of anything else."
"Link, I'm sorry. I didn't think this would break you..."
"It shattered me, Rhett."
He stopped, wiping the tears from his eyes, "I'm sorry. Come back when you're ready. I just needed you to know you're missed...By all of us..." He stepped back, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"You won't want me when I'm there."
Rhett looked me deep in the eyes, forcing me to stay with him, "You couldn't be more wrong, Neal."
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YES, ANOTHER CHAPTER. SO EXCITED. TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK DOWN BELOW. I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW!!!!
THANKS FOR READING AND THANKS FOR BEING YOUR MYTHICAL BEST!
- ROBIN