Times are Hard

A slamming door echoed through the silent city house, shaking the thin eggshell walls with the effort. A girl stood by the sink, up to her elbows in bubbly water, shaking her head slightly as the noise reached her ears. A man stormed through, his brown eyes falling on the woman’s back, and he slowed to a stop. They softened a bit as they watched her, but the hard edge to them remained.

“I’m back,” he said quietly, scuffing his sneaker against the hardwood floor. The girl turned, wiping her hands against her worn out jeans. She raised an eyebrow, a glass china plate still in her hands. Crystalline water dripping from the old rusty faucet was the only noise as her eyes searched his face.

“I heard. The door nearly fell off of the hinges,” she replied dryly, watching him carefully with robins egg eyes. He watched her sheepishly, running a hand over his short chestnut hair. He gazed past her annoyed face and out the small window, watching the foggy yellow streetlight on the sidewalk instead.

“I’m sorry about that,” he grumbled, not meeting her eyes. Her free hand went to her denim-clad hip, as she watched him carefully.

“Are you really, Cadyn?” she asked, her voice rising an octave. He looked up, annoyance flashing through his pale face.

“Of course I am, Abby. What is with you?” His voice got louder, but he couldn’t even realize it. He rested his hands on his head, pacing back and forth in the tiny kitchen. The worn oak beneath him squeaked and gave with each step, filling the silence.

“What’s with me? Where were you today anyway?” she snapped, cerulean eyes watching him expectantly. He shoved his hands in his back pockets, daring the material to fall farther down his hips. He cocked his head as her nostrils flared, his blood boiling beneath his skin.

“I was doing just what you told me to. Looking for a job,” he said shortly, rolling his eyes. She pinched the bridge of her nose, inhaling deeply before looking back up with a plastered on smile.

“Any luck?” she tried to sound cheerful, but the effect was lost as he turned his back on her. She raked a finger through her messy curls, listening to her own anxious heartbeat.

“I dunno.” He shrugged, unrolling the cuffs of his interview shirt.

“You could at least act like you cared,” she whispered accusingly, a defeated note in her voice. He spun back around, his chocolate eyes widening slightly, the tension on his face increasing.

“I do care,” he said defensively. Abby snorted, a bitter, ironic laugh gushing from her chapped lips.

“Then why do I work two jobs to pay for this house? Why have I spent the past week waiting up for you to come home? Or the past three years waiting for you to step up?” As the accusations flew through the air, his jaw went slack with shock. He knew he had never been perfect, but hearing the words made him want to crawl into a hole. So he did the only thing he could do, fight back.

“I think you’re overreacting Abigail,” he retorted, his eyes hard. She let out an amazed laugh, shaking her head in disbelief.

“Overreacting? You want overreacting, fine.” The ornate plate she held crashed to the ground, shattering into a million white ceramic pieces on the sand colored tile. She sidestepped them, storming to the familiar mahogany door, swinging it open to reveal the dark night. Cadyn cursed at himself before running after her, nearly tripping over his own feet. He knew he’d pushed it; Abigail’s calm, collected exterior had crumbled right before him, just like the china on the floor.

“Hey, Abigail, just look at me,” Cadyn begged as he jogged behind her retreating figure, his warm espresso eyes pleading. She came to a halt and stood with her back to him, her arms crossed over her erratically breathing chest. She slowly turned her head in compliance, russet ringlets flying through the air. Instead of focusing on him, she watched the stars blinking in the city sky, above the skyscrapers and noise.

“What’s going on, Cadyn? What happened to us?” Her usually smooth voice was shaking, and her plump bottom lip quivered as her ocean colored eyes squeezed shut. He could feel his heart tugging in his chest, calling him words he hated. He hated seeing her like this.

“Just stay, Abby. Stay with me,” he pleaded, his hand gripping her wrist loosely. His eyes were frenzied as thoughts of her leaving ran through his head. He couldn’t imagine a day without waking up to her peaceful breathing beside him. Eventually, she allowed herself to fall into his chest, her body heaving with silent sobs.

“How did we end up here? This is all just a catastrophic mess,” she mumbled against the rough material of his olive dress shirt. He rubbed her back, his cheek resting against her silky curls.

“I really don’t have a clue. It’s just another test for us, though. I’m sorry Abby. I’m doing my best. But I swear, I’ll do better if that’s what it takes to keep you.”

“We need help, Cay,” she whispered, looking up at him with her glistening eyes. Black streaks of mascara ran down her porcelain cheekbones. Cadyn nodded, reaching to swipe away the tears with his thumbs.

“I think this, right here, is a start.” They locked eyes, and for the first time in a long time, there was something other then anger between them. He leaned down and closed the gap between them as their lips fused as one. His arms snaked around her waist, holding on tight, the sparks flying between them for the first time in ages beneath the twinkling stars.