Chapter 21: Good Times, Bad Times

Darren fumed as Stephanie closed the door behind her. She's not happy with me! Good God, when did she turn into a selfish bitch? Darren's fists clenched and unclenched as he paced the hotel room.

Angry thoughts coursed through Darren as he wore a path into the carpet. He untied the tie and tossed it onto the bed. He frowned as he watched it land next to the fake hundred dollar bill. He walked to the window and stared out at the night sky.

How did we get here? I thought we were reconnecting. I thought I was more in tune with her. Then Cassie came back to town and Christy and Bob are divorcing. And then there was the limousine fantasy two weeks ago. What an unmitigated disaster!

She didn't even apologize. Heck she barely acknowledged that the evening happened. Every time he'd tried to talk to her about it, she frowned and changed the subject. Something was going on here that Darren wasn't happy with. One thing he was sure of, though, he was spending the night here alone. This would be the first time since they were married that he wouldn't be sleeping with his wife. Well, as long as you don't count the nights when one or the other of us was away. It sucked!

Darren lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. His thoughts kept going back to that Saturday night. What would have happened if he hadn't gone inside? What if Cassie hadn't stepped up and pushed the trio out of the club? What was going on? Why was Cassie the sober one? She'd always been the party girl of the trio. He knew it was mostly bluster, insecurity over her supposedly inadequate chest, but suddenly she was the one with common sense and Stephanie was the party girl, except for tonight and pretty much every night since that Saturday.

Thinking back, Darren couldn't remember a night in the past two weeks when they spent more than a few minutes awake together. She'd even sat away from him in church, purposely putting the kids between them. Even Katie noticed that. She was worried. How do five-year-olds pick up on stuff like that?

Darren fell into a fitful sleep. His mind kept replaying the highlights of his times with Stephanie. From the first time they met at the frat party to their wedding night to the night Robbie was born, each memory held a special place in his heart. He could still see the expression of boundless love on her face as she stared down at Robbie suckling at her swollen chest for the first time.

It was the same expression that was on her face when she took his hand at the altar. She was so full of love. How did he manage to fall out of grace? What could he do? He knew that tomorrow he would be apologizing. It was wrong. This was not his fault, but he would apologize anyway. White roses would be required, a dozen at least. His thoughts continued to swirl, waking him every so often.