Dead Time Series by Jason Wilcox Page B

me?”
    “I’ll give
them a call as soon as I get off the phone with you.”
    “Great,
let them know they can go whenever it works best for them. We won’t worry about
traveling together,” Caden said as he walked out of the kitchen.
    “I’ll let
them know. Oh, and Caden, please think about what I said earlier.”
    “Not now,
Sally,” Caden said, as he plopped on the couch. Mags
sat on the floor by his feet. He flipped the phone shut and let out a deep
sigh, letting his phone drop on the arm of the couch. His phone slipped off the
edge and headed for the hardwood floor. Caden moved to catch it, but missed,
and in the process, hit the end table knocking a picture off. The glass
shattered as the frame landed.  
    When he
noticed which picture it was, Caden sat frozen in place with his teeth clenched.
Slowly he stood to survey the mess. The picture was face down, and broken glass
was scattered around the frame. He carefully picked up the broken glass and
threw them away.  
    With
picture in hand, Caden sat back down. It was a picture of Bridget and him
sitting on a log with the ocean crashing behind them. She was beautiful with
her long, dark brown hair and dark eyes. The picture was taken years ago, back
at Bridget’s mother’s house. They went there often. It was their favorite place
to walk and be together. He could almost smell the peaceful scent of the ocean
and hear the rhythmic sound of the waves lapping on the beach. If only they
could take the time to go there now, it might cool things down between them, as
it always seemed to in the past.
    Caden
focused on the jagged pieces of glass that encircled the picture. He picked at
a piece; the glass made a horrible grinding noise as it pushed against the
other broken shards. Mags let out a whine that broke his concentration.  
    “I don’t
know what to think, Girl,” Caden said as he patted her head. She stared at him
with a quizzical look, her head tilted sideways. “Maybe this picture says it
all. Maybe Bridget and I are broken.”
    Mags
walked to the back door and let out another whine. Caden sighed, not wanting to
get up, but he did as she wanted and let her out. Turning around, he noticed a
picture of Bridget and him on the fridge. She had put it up last year and had
drawn a heart around his face. She told Caden he was the love of her life and
planned to be with him forever. I’m amazed that Bridget stuck by me these
last eight years. She deserves better than this.  
    There
were so many times that he had caused problems or fights, but Bridget never
gave up on him. She stuck with him even during hard times. A sickness ran
through his stomach as he realized how much he took her for
granted—keeping secrets from her about his work, leaving for long
stretches of time and not communicating much during the duration. The only
thing she asked of him was for an agreement to marry her.  
    “I want
to marry you. I just can’t…” Caden spoke to the picture and put his hand on it.
Even mentioning the word marriage made his hands cold and clammy. Fear was
preventing him from getting married. He thought about all the people he had
killed or captured during his military years and his years of working at the
SDS. None of them had even slightly scared him, yet he was afraid to commit to
the person he loved the most and trusted with his life.
    Caden
balled his hand into a fist and threw a punch into the fridge door, knocking
off pictures and magnets. What’s wrong with me? It’s my stupid father’s
fault. I can’t allow myself to become like him. I couldn’t live with myself if
I ever raised a hand to Bridget.
    Flashes
of his mom quivering in corners waiting for her husband to pound on her made
Caden physically ill. His mom never seemed to see the destruction. “He’s a good
man” was all she ever said.
    Caden
touched the picture with his finger and followed the heart design. He had
shared his past with Bridget about his abusive father. She held him close