starting to get cabin fever locked up in this hotel room. I needed to get out but I didn’t have anywhere else to go. I had to have things finalized and legalized before I’d feel comfortable stepping out into the fresh air again, and not under the cloak of nightfall.
I was about to occupy myself with a personal manicure when there was a knock at my door. A knock said a lot. The knocking of the hotel staff was between four and six quick knocks that were followed up with an identifying call through the door. Erin had only been by once and she knocked with vigor, longer, harder knocks. These ones, they were different. They were hesitant, but audible.
I looked at the clock. It was too late for Erin and I hadn’t called down for anything. This was probably the visitor I’d been expecting; the one I knew all along would be coming. The one I’d been dreading.
I slid off the end of the bed, waiting for a reaction to the unanswered knock. I took a few steps closer to the door, my still damp hair sticking to my cheek. The visitor knocked again. “Who is it?” I asked as I approached the door.
“Livy?” Callem’s voice spoke from the other side of the door.
My chest seized. It was him. I slowly peaked through the peephole at him. He didn’t look aggressive, if that was an emotion translatable through the owl-eye peephole. I could see a pair of feet on the other side of the hallway, but nothing more of the figure, though I didn’t have to see all of him to know it was Red.
“Liv, will you let me in?” Callem spoke again when I didn’t answer. “Please, honey. I’ve been worried sick about you.”
“Go away,” I spat quickly. “I don’t want to see you. Just go away.”
“Don’t be like this. We need to talk. Can’t you at least open the door? Huh? Do we have to do this through the door?”
“Please go away and take Red with you,” I said, standing my ground.
I watched Callem shift his weight on the other side of the door before looking back at Red for a moment. “Look, Liv, there’s a lot you and I need to talk about. I want you back home. If you’d just listen to what I have to say--”
I cut him off. “I have a lawyer,” I paused. “I’m filing for divorce, Cal.” I waited, letting my words sink in. I didn’t know what kind of reaction I’d get out of him. “You and I can talk when your lawyer has the papers. Until then, I have nothing to say to you and I don’t want to hear anything you have to say to me.”
“Liv,” Callem said quietly. “Don’t do this. Don’t get the lawyers involved. You and I can work this out. Please, just think about what you’re doing before anything becomes official.” I didn’t answer. Callem propped his hands up on the frame of the door and hung his head. “Olivia, please just open the door. Please, baby.”
“Go away, Cal, or I will call security,” I barked through the door. “I am not opening this door and I am not having this conversation. Go.” The barrier between the two of us gave me a false front of courage.
Through the peephole, I watched Callem fight with himself, pacing lightly. He kept coming back to the door as if he wanted to say something else; as if there were words that escaped him each time he opened his mouth. He rubbed his head impatiently. I could even hear him sigh heavily. “Just think about this long and hard before you do it, Liv. Are you doing what’s best? Are you doing the right thing? I still love you more than you…” his voice faded as he hung his head again. “I love you.”
With that, he walked away, disappearing out of sight.
I stepped back from the door and my hands were shaking. He hadn’t gotten violent or pushy. He hadn’t raised his voice. He hadn’t threatened me. He was just as Erin had described him; a desperate man, worried about the woman he loved and I hated him for that.
I was about to occupy myself with a personal manicure when there was a knock at my door. A knock said a lot. The knocking of the hotel staff was between four and six quick knocks that were followed up with an identifying call through the door. Erin had only been by once and she knocked with vigor, longer, harder knocks. These ones, they were different. They were hesitant, but audible.
I looked at the clock. It was too late for Erin and I hadn’t called down for anything. This was probably the visitor I’d been expecting; the one I knew all along would be coming. The one I’d been dreading.
I slid off the end of the bed, waiting for a reaction to the unanswered knock. I took a few steps closer to the door, my still damp hair sticking to my cheek. The visitor knocked again. “Who is it?” I asked as I approached the door.
“Livy?” Callem’s voice spoke from the other side of the door.
My chest seized. It was him. I slowly peaked through the peephole at him. He didn’t look aggressive, if that was an emotion translatable through the owl-eye peephole. I could see a pair of feet on the other side of the hallway, but nothing more of the figure, though I didn’t have to see all of him to know it was Red.
“Liv, will you let me in?” Callem spoke again when I didn’t answer. “Please, honey. I’ve been worried sick about you.”
“Go away,” I spat quickly. “I don’t want to see you. Just go away.”
“Don’t be like this. We need to talk. Can’t you at least open the door? Huh? Do we have to do this through the door?”
“Please go away and take Red with you,” I said, standing my ground.
I watched Callem shift his weight on the other side of the door before looking back at Red for a moment. “Look, Liv, there’s a lot you and I need to talk about. I want you back home. If you’d just listen to what I have to say--”
I cut him off. “I have a lawyer,” I paused. “I’m filing for divorce, Cal.” I waited, letting my words sink in. I didn’t know what kind of reaction I’d get out of him. “You and I can talk when your lawyer has the papers. Until then, I have nothing to say to you and I don’t want to hear anything you have to say to me.”
“Liv,” Callem said quietly. “Don’t do this. Don’t get the lawyers involved. You and I can work this out. Please, just think about what you’re doing before anything becomes official.” I didn’t answer. Callem propped his hands up on the frame of the door and hung his head. “Olivia, please just open the door. Please, baby.”
“Go away, Cal, or I will call security,” I barked through the door. “I am not opening this door and I am not having this conversation. Go.” The barrier between the two of us gave me a false front of courage.
Through the peephole, I watched Callem fight with himself, pacing lightly. He kept coming back to the door as if he wanted to say something else; as if there were words that escaped him each time he opened his mouth. He rubbed his head impatiently. I could even hear him sigh heavily. “Just think about this long and hard before you do it, Liv. Are you doing what’s best? Are you doing the right thing? I still love you more than you…” his voice faded as he hung his head again. “I love you.”
With that, he walked away, disappearing out of sight.
I stepped back from the door and my hands were shaking. He hadn’t gotten violent or pushy. He hadn’t raised his voice. He hadn’t threatened me. He was just as Erin had described him; a desperate man, worried about the woman he loved and I hated him for that.
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