Page 10 of Second Chances (Passion and Perseverance #2)

“Yeah. Well, his personal world, not his business one. As far as I know, his businesses excelled during that time, but he was either consumed with that or consumed with her. ”

“I see. What happened when it ended?” Beth asked.

“I remember he didn’t show up to work one day, and somehow they ended up calling me trying to find out where he was.

So, I went over to his apartment and rang the bell obnoxiously until he answered.

” Here she paused. “I don’t know if I should be telling you all this but I guess I can’t stop now.

He opened the door and I could see clearly that he was completely wasted, with an almost empty bottle of scotch in his hands.

I remember his hands were dirty too, smudges of black all over them, it was weird.

Anyway, I asked him what was going on, that people were worried about him.

He gave me this ugly expression, told me to ‘leave him the fuck alone,’ and slammed the door in my face.

I yelled at him through the door that I would be back tomorrow to talk to him like a normal person.

After that, I told his office he was sick and wouldn’t be in for the day and prayed that tomorrow would go over better.

The next day when I got there, he didn’t answer the door.

I freaked out thinking something had happened and called his office, and they told me that he was in the office bright and early that morning and was feeling much better.

I went right over there to talk to him and there was no trace of the anger or hurt that I had seen the previous day; he was a completely new person.

When I asked him about it, he said that he wasn’t feeling well but he’s fine now, in that tone that says that this is where the conversation is going to end; I know you know that one. ”

Beth laughed because she was quite familiar with that tone.

“That was it. He wouldn’t talk to anyone about it, not even Charles.

So, I don’t know what happened between them or even how Darcy was able to cope with it.

If it hadn’t been for those few seconds where I saw for myself the effect their break-up had on him, I almost would never have known that they had broken up.

After that, though, we started seeing him more.

He apologized for being absent but offered no explanation.

He was back to socializing with us, back to being present, but he was never quite the same,” Anne finished, her tone sadder than before .

“I see,” Beth began. “I can’t imagine seeing him like that or watching him go through all of that alone. Thank you for telling me.”

“Of course! I hope it gave you some answers. I know I don’t know that many details, but I know that it definitely changed him, scarred him.”

“It helped, thank you. I won’t keep you any longer though. Thanks again, Anne,” Beth replied, gratefully.

“Sure!” Anne said, “And Beth, if he has told you more, hell, anything about her, I hope you know how big a step that is for him. Like, I said, none of us know anything about her or what happened.”

“I know,” Beth said softly, guilt starting to creep in for wanting to know more.

“He’s different since he met you. I finally start to see some emotion back in his eyes, even if it’s sometimes frustration.” She laughed a little. “They've been empty for a long time; he’s been empty for a long time.”

“Thanks, Anne,” Beth replied, her throat thick with emotion.

“Ok, I’ll talk to you later.”

“Bye.”

Beth ended the call, sitting frozen for a moment, transfixed on Anne’s last words.

It felt good to hear an outsider’s perspective because all she knew was what she experienced with him personally.

She became so focused on the changes that she experienced with him, or sometimes the lack thereof, that knowing someone else close to Darcy saw the difference that their relationship was having on him, gave her hope .

She knew that he was a very closed book, barely sharing his choices with anyone even when those choices directly affected that person, and to hear that in such a short time of being together, he had told her more about his past trauma than even his closest friends had her heart clenching.

Especially hearing that she knew more than Charles, shocked her.

Maybe it was because she hadn’t given him much of a choice - either talk to her or end their relationship, but she had to hope that that wasn’t the only reason that he was opening up; she didn’t feel like it was, in spite of his in-the-moment reluctance.

He’d kept this bottled up for six years, she would probably be more concerned if he didn’t have reservations about finally sharing it with her.

She missed him. UGH.

Looking at her computer, she realized it was nine-thirty already. Good thing I made it in early this morning.

Finally pulling up her mail, her heart skipped at the message waiting at the top of her inbox - Mr. Intolerable.

Beth,

Sorry I wasn’t there when you woke up this morning - I was looking forward to thoroughly rousing you since you thoroughly arouse me.

Unfortunately, I had to leave to deal with some management issues in Chicago that required an in-person appearance.

I’ll be back on Friday. Please, make yourself at home in the apartment.

I hope you enjoyed all of your breakfast.

I’ll call you later.

D

Disappointment washed over her, overshadowing the anticipation his first sentence had caused.

She felt like they had made so much progress last night, compared to how things were before, and knowing that that was going to be put on hold for a few days took her mood in a completely opposite direction.

Chicago. Management. She would bet money that he was going out there to deal with George.

Shaking her head, she hoped everything was ok.

Opening up a response, she quickly typed :

Mr. Intolerable,

You’ve earned your name back for leaving so soon. Have a safe trip. I’m looking forward to waking up next to you in a few days.

Yours,

Beth

It seemed like she had barely hit send when her computer dinged with his response back.

I’m looking forward to waking up inside of you.

Your Mr. Intolerable

Heat suffused through her body, her mind racing into the fantasy of his suggestion.

She wanted to respond and chide him that if he weren’t going away…

but the thought that his trip was because of her sister and George (mostly George) had her holding back; she wouldn’t make him feel guilty over a situation that he was in because of and for her.

Sighing, she closed the message and moved on with her workday, not nearly in as big a rush for the day to end now that she didn’t have Darcy to go home to.