Broken Wings

Part Forty Six - fear of the unknown

Chapter Forty Six

Day three was approaching in her post Aaron countdown. Julia hated that she was counting, but he had seemed to open a door that she could no longer close. It meant that she was beyond hurt at his silence but she wasn't going to crumble...or beg. She climbed up to his bed, and regardless to what he might think, let both dogs climb onto the bed with her. It was both comfier, and three time the size of her bed in the room below. But it wasn't either of those facts that dragged her to his sanctuary, but the sense of belonging, the warmth, the smell...the essence of Aaron was what she craved. She didn't have his arms around her, but it was as close as she could get. It calmed her.

She'd been asleep for a while, deeply asleep before something woke her. She was disorientated as she glanced at the clock, which showed it was just before two am. Then her brain focussed and she realised her phone was ringing.

Reaching to the bedside table, she almost gasped as she saw Aaron's name on the screen. After all this time.

She took a deep breath, shook her head for a moment, trying to clear her foggy brain...then the call rang off. She'd taken too long.

Groaning, she redialled and was rewarded with his voice, a warm breath after just one ring.

"Julia. Sorry...I woke you."

She gave a soft chuckle, unable to be angry with this man for along, "yes. But it's OK."

It was his turn to laugh softly, "I'm sure you want to punch me."

She did, but not for the hour of the call. When she didn't answer, he groaned, "will you accept the word sorry?"

Would she? Julia sighed, he'd broken her with silence, but he was calling, apologising. Old Julia would snap, shout, stamp her feet, but new Julia, calmer, living breathing Julia, she knew that life wasn't clockwork, and that he deserved a chance to explain.

"Not for the time of the call..." she offered, knowing that with it, she opened her heart to him, let him inflict more pain and damage.

He moaned, an almost sorrowful sound, "I have been stuck in the biggest shower of shit that I've ever known, someone...well, we've got a hacker, a theft, one person....more. We don't know. I have been up to my eyes in it all and I haven't had a chance to call..." He gave a snort at that, "you must call bullshit on that, it takes two seconds to text message, but honestly...I was hoping if I threw everything at this that I'd be home by tonight, and able to show you how much I've missed you."

That made her mouth dry, he was so honest and open with her, at least she presumed he was. Her trustometer wasn't the most reliable of things. Her lack of response was due to her sleep affected consciousness waking up, taking it all in, but it seemed to make him panic.

"Jules, you still there?"

"I am, and I'm sorry it's a shitfest for you."

He sighed, "all I want is to be back there with you, because this distance is killing our progress, hey?"

That felt like a bucket of cold water thrown on her libido. He was comparing her to a work project. Wasn't the greatest moment.

But he was continuing, "I was hoping to spend all this week kissing you, touching you...and now I can't even call. I'm such a prick. Sorry." There was some rustling from his end, then he sighed again, "please say something..anything."

"It takes less than a minute to text, Aaron." She bit back her tears, "I'm not demanding, I don't feel that you should HAVE to contact me, but I thought you would want to."