said, despite his declaration of love, that come the morning Lucie would still wake to find her bed empty and him gone.
But despite her efforts her eyelids slid closed and she soon drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
***
The harsh scream of her alarm clock jolted Lucie awake. In a panic she sat up in her bed, her heart beating madly in her chest. She felt sick and disoriented. She waited several seconds for her senses to calm down and as they did so her eyes adjusted to the dim light of the bedroom and the events of the previous night came flooding back to her. Lucie tentatively glanced at the far side of the bed. Her whole body tensed in disappointment when she saw that it was empty. Only crumpled sheets remained as a sign that Dalton had ever been there at all.
“No,” Lucie choked out the word, refusing to believe that Dalton would have crept out from her bed a second time. Not when he’d promised to remain by her side, not when he’d said that he loved her.
Her movements were heavy with despair as Lucie climbed out of bed and wrapped a terrycloth robe around herself. She didn’t want to cry but the tears were building up behind her tired eyes. She couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t wake her to say goodbye. Or leave a note.
Lucie quickly turned on the main light in the bedroom. Perhaps there was a note. The harsh glow stung her eyes as she scanned the small space. There was no note. No discarded clothes upon the floor. Dalton was gone.
“Bastard,” Lucie seethed to herself as she pushed open her bedroom door. It was then that she smelled the pleasant aroma of bacon permeating her apartment. Her heart fluttered excitedly in her chest. There were lights on in the living area, it wasn’t shrouded in darkness as she’d expected it to be.
Lucie walked out and turned to look into the kitchen area. Dalton was standing at the stove turning over strips of bacon which sizzled in a frying pan. Lucie was speechless.
“Morning.” Dalton glanced up from cooking when he saw her and smiled. Lucie almost melted on the spot upon seeing that smile. He was so perfect, so handsome and so very much there in her apartment. He hadn’t left like a thief in the night, he was still there.
“You look surprised to see me,” Dalton quipped.
“I am a little,” Lucie admitted as she came and stood behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He smelled good. She inhaled his scent of cologne and sweat, pressing herself tightly against him.
“I told you I’d be here,” Dalton tenderly stroked her arms as she held him.
“Well, I’m glad you meant it.”
He turned around so that they were facing one another.
“I meant everything I said,” he clarified as he stooped down to softly kiss her lips.
“I love you too,” Lucie purred with a smile.
“Good,” Dalton’s arms were reaching up her waist, drawing her closer to him. He kissed her and Lucie gave into the heat of the embrace. They tumbled together down to the floor,the bacon now forgotten. They were only reminded of it when the fire alarm started shrieking, the apartment filled with smoke and the meat in the pan blackened and became unusable.
Laughing, Lucie stood up and began hastily opening windows, letting in the moist air which had lingered after the storm. Dalton was also laughing as he hurriedly pulled on his clothes.
Four Months Later
“Is this the last of them?” Steve groaned as he dropped down the cardboard box in the center of Dalton’s apartment.
“I think so,” Dalton glanced at the box and then at Lucie who was busy unpacking a different box.
“Babe, any more boxes down there?”
“No,” Lucie shook her head of golden hair. “That’s the last of them.”
“Thank God,” Steve sighed as he stretched. “You’ve worked us harder than we ever do at the gym!”
“Sorry,” Lucie smiled.
“I appreciate the help, old man,”
But despite her efforts her eyelids slid closed and she soon drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
***
The harsh scream of her alarm clock jolted Lucie awake. In a panic she sat up in her bed, her heart beating madly in her chest. She felt sick and disoriented. She waited several seconds for her senses to calm down and as they did so her eyes adjusted to the dim light of the bedroom and the events of the previous night came flooding back to her. Lucie tentatively glanced at the far side of the bed. Her whole body tensed in disappointment when she saw that it was empty. Only crumpled sheets remained as a sign that Dalton had ever been there at all.
“No,” Lucie choked out the word, refusing to believe that Dalton would have crept out from her bed a second time. Not when he’d promised to remain by her side, not when he’d said that he loved her.
Her movements were heavy with despair as Lucie climbed out of bed and wrapped a terrycloth robe around herself. She didn’t want to cry but the tears were building up behind her tired eyes. She couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t wake her to say goodbye. Or leave a note.
Lucie quickly turned on the main light in the bedroom. Perhaps there was a note. The harsh glow stung her eyes as she scanned the small space. There was no note. No discarded clothes upon the floor. Dalton was gone.
“Bastard,” Lucie seethed to herself as she pushed open her bedroom door. It was then that she smelled the pleasant aroma of bacon permeating her apartment. Her heart fluttered excitedly in her chest. There were lights on in the living area, it wasn’t shrouded in darkness as she’d expected it to be.
Lucie walked out and turned to look into the kitchen area. Dalton was standing at the stove turning over strips of bacon which sizzled in a frying pan. Lucie was speechless.
“Morning.” Dalton glanced up from cooking when he saw her and smiled. Lucie almost melted on the spot upon seeing that smile. He was so perfect, so handsome and so very much there in her apartment. He hadn’t left like a thief in the night, he was still there.
“You look surprised to see me,” Dalton quipped.
“I am a little,” Lucie admitted as she came and stood behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He smelled good. She inhaled his scent of cologne and sweat, pressing herself tightly against him.
“I told you I’d be here,” Dalton tenderly stroked her arms as she held him.
“Well, I’m glad you meant it.”
He turned around so that they were facing one another.
“I meant everything I said,” he clarified as he stooped down to softly kiss her lips.
“I love you too,” Lucie purred with a smile.
“Good,” Dalton’s arms were reaching up her waist, drawing her closer to him. He kissed her and Lucie gave into the heat of the embrace. They tumbled together down to the floor,the bacon now forgotten. They were only reminded of it when the fire alarm started shrieking, the apartment filled with smoke and the meat in the pan blackened and became unusable.
Laughing, Lucie stood up and began hastily opening windows, letting in the moist air which had lingered after the storm. Dalton was also laughing as he hurriedly pulled on his clothes.
Four Months Later
“Is this the last of them?” Steve groaned as he dropped down the cardboard box in the center of Dalton’s apartment.
“I think so,” Dalton glanced at the box and then at Lucie who was busy unpacking a different box.
“Babe, any more boxes down there?”
“No,” Lucie shook her head of golden hair. “That’s the last of them.”
“Thank God,” Steve sighed as he stretched. “You’ve worked us harder than we ever do at the gym!”
“Sorry,” Lucie smiled.
“I appreciate the help, old man,”
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