much as he told
himself he should stay, he knew that he should leave. She needed time to heal,
and being in a relationship that she wasn’t ready to accept would only hurt
them.
He
quickly pulled his clothes on and looked for a piece of paper and a pen. Rich
scribbled a note, hoping that she would forgive him, and she would see that he
wasn’t abandoning her. He was giving her time to heal. Alone.
* * *
*
Alone.
That’s
how Catalella woke up when the afternoon rays broke in through her curtains.
Her hands reached out for Rich, expecting to find him there beside her, but her
hand came up empty. His side of the bed was cool, giving her the impression
that he’d been gone for a long time. She pulled the sheets around her and
peeked into her bathroom. It was empty and so were the kitchen and the living
room. His clothes were also gone, every single sign of
him disappeared.
Catalella
leaned against the wall and let her body slide to the ground. She pulled her
knees to her chest as she rocked herself back and forth. She was alone once
again, and what had possessed her the previous night wouldn't change anything.
Her head rose just in time to see a piece of paper fly across the room, pushed
by the slight wind coming from her open window. She dove for the piece of paper
and held onto it for dear life.
She
wiped the tears from her eyes and begun to read.
My little orchid,
I love watching you sleep. I
could wake up next to you every single day of my life, knowing the first thing
I would see is your face. But you have too much pain inside you. I can’t help
you with that, only you can do that. Don’t give up on yourself.
Survive.
Survive!
How was she supposed to do that? It wasn’t like he had left a survival guide by
her bedside table. Rich was gone and he hadn’t even left his number, just a
stupid note that asked her to survive.
Catalella
swiped the tears from her cheeks and she hardened her heart. She wasn’t going
to let him get to her. It was a one night stand and nothing else. But, if she
ever needed him, she knew where to find him. Plus he knew where she lived. But
there was this gnawing pain in her heart that told her he wasn’t coming back.
She had scared him off, given him too much information too soon. Just as she
made her resolve the phone rang. Hoping against all hope she dove for it, her landing
not as graceful as a gazelle, and hit her head against the bed post.
“Hello! Hello .” She wished she could hide the
desperation in her voice, but she couldn’t.
“Catalella,
is something wrong?”
Catalella
fell back on the bed when she heard her sister’s voice. “Nothing is wrong,
Lisette. What’s up?”
“What’s
up is that it’s almost one o’clock and you aren’t here yet.” Her sister’s
reprimanding voice pierced through the phone. Catalella held it a few inches
away from her ear. “You are supposed to be bringing Mama’s flowers and making
the tortilla’s. Por favor, Catalella, you promised to stop
using work as an excuse for coming late. The weekends are for your family,
remember.”
“ Si hermanita lo siento. I’m sorry,
Lisette. I’m on my way.” Catalella hung up before Lisette said anything else.
Catalella
shoved some clothes in a bag. She had already ordered the flowers and they would
be delivered to her apartment. She took a quick shower and donned a simple pair
of shorts and T-shirt. She stood in front of the mirror and groaned—a bruise had
started to form on her cheek and she didn’t have time to cover it up, so
instead she put on her sunglasses. She put a head band on her head to hold back
her wild hair. There was no time to tame it.
She
thanked God that her father had left his SUV behind. She hadn’t taken her BMW
to be serviced yet and the last thing she wanted were more delays. She met the
florist at the door. He had brought the bouquet of daisies for her mother and
roses for Lisette too.
She
drove to the Hamptons, pushing the car as
himself he should stay, he knew that he should leave. She needed time to heal,
and being in a relationship that she wasn’t ready to accept would only hurt
them.
He
quickly pulled his clothes on and looked for a piece of paper and a pen. Rich
scribbled a note, hoping that she would forgive him, and she would see that he
wasn’t abandoning her. He was giving her time to heal. Alone.
* * *
*
Alone.
That’s
how Catalella woke up when the afternoon rays broke in through her curtains.
Her hands reached out for Rich, expecting to find him there beside her, but her
hand came up empty. His side of the bed was cool, giving her the impression
that he’d been gone for a long time. She pulled the sheets around her and
peeked into her bathroom. It was empty and so were the kitchen and the living
room. His clothes were also gone, every single sign of
him disappeared.
Catalella
leaned against the wall and let her body slide to the ground. She pulled her
knees to her chest as she rocked herself back and forth. She was alone once
again, and what had possessed her the previous night wouldn't change anything.
Her head rose just in time to see a piece of paper fly across the room, pushed
by the slight wind coming from her open window. She dove for the piece of paper
and held onto it for dear life.
She
wiped the tears from her eyes and begun to read.
My little orchid,
I love watching you sleep. I
could wake up next to you every single day of my life, knowing the first thing
I would see is your face. But you have too much pain inside you. I can’t help
you with that, only you can do that. Don’t give up on yourself.
Survive.
Survive!
How was she supposed to do that? It wasn’t like he had left a survival guide by
her bedside table. Rich was gone and he hadn’t even left his number, just a
stupid note that asked her to survive.
Catalella
swiped the tears from her cheeks and she hardened her heart. She wasn’t going
to let him get to her. It was a one night stand and nothing else. But, if she
ever needed him, she knew where to find him. Plus he knew where she lived. But
there was this gnawing pain in her heart that told her he wasn’t coming back.
She had scared him off, given him too much information too soon. Just as she
made her resolve the phone rang. Hoping against all hope she dove for it, her landing
not as graceful as a gazelle, and hit her head against the bed post.
“Hello! Hello .” She wished she could hide the
desperation in her voice, but she couldn’t.
“Catalella,
is something wrong?”
Catalella
fell back on the bed when she heard her sister’s voice. “Nothing is wrong,
Lisette. What’s up?”
“What’s
up is that it’s almost one o’clock and you aren’t here yet.” Her sister’s
reprimanding voice pierced through the phone. Catalella held it a few inches
away from her ear. “You are supposed to be bringing Mama’s flowers and making
the tortilla’s. Por favor, Catalella, you promised to stop
using work as an excuse for coming late. The weekends are for your family,
remember.”
“ Si hermanita lo siento. I’m sorry,
Lisette. I’m on my way.” Catalella hung up before Lisette said anything else.
Catalella
shoved some clothes in a bag. She had already ordered the flowers and they would
be delivered to her apartment. She took a quick shower and donned a simple pair
of shorts and T-shirt. She stood in front of the mirror and groaned—a bruise had
started to form on her cheek and she didn’t have time to cover it up, so
instead she put on her sunglasses. She put a head band on her head to hold back
her wild hair. There was no time to tame it.
She
thanked God that her father had left his SUV behind. She hadn’t taken her BMW
to be serviced yet and the last thing she wanted were more delays. She met the
florist at the door. He had brought the bouquet of daisies for her mother and
roses for Lisette too.
She
drove to the Hamptons, pushing the car as
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