Edge Of Time

Fifteen

Fifteen

The next morning Marissa found Craig collapsed over the top of his desk. Again. And the man positively reeked of booze. "Where were you last night?"

"Oh, Marissa," he groaned. "What do you want? My head... It feels like it's going to explode."

Marissa propped her hands on her hips, anger bubbling in her veins. I'm married to a drunk! Well, this was the last straw. "Is that all you have to say to me?"

Craig didn't respond, merely slumped back in his chair, letting his head roll back on his shoulders.

Marissa narrowed her gaze. "Goodbye, Craig." She stormed from the room, head held high even as the thin thread holding her together threatened to unravel. She'd vowed never to be wrecked by another man, but... it had happened, and she would die before letting Craig know it. Her breath came in short gasps and her vision swirled through a blur of tears. She stopped in the hall to press her back against the wall, drew in a ragged breath and held it.

She needed her mother. Desperately. She needed the sort of comfort and understanding that only a mother could offer.

"Where are you going?" Craig's voice sounded with more clarity than she would have expected. His heavy footfalls sounded as he strode through the study and into the hall.

"Out." She dashed past him, tripping over the length of her skirt in the process.

Even hung over, Craig had stellar reflexes and he looped an agile arm about her waist without missing a beat. "What do you mean, out?" He set her feet on the floor, but continued holding her close to the heat of his rock hard chest. "We need to talk about this. About everything. You can't just leave."

"Talk about what?" She jerked away from him, swallowing the burning acid welling in her throat. "That you slept with another woman? That I am from a place and time which makes it quite impossible for us to be compatible? It's obvious you'd rather drown your sorrows in bourbon than talk?"

"Whiskey, actually," he said, sullen.

Her anger flared. "Whatever. It's becoming increasingly obvious we have absolutely nothing to talk about because you can't stay sober long enough to make any sense—or to listen to any."

She moved toward the door as he tried to take her arm again. "Marissa I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that and I shouldn't have gone out last night, but after everything that happened yesterday..." His voice trailed off. "And I swear to you again that I haven't slept with any other woman since the day I met you. Especially not Kirsten. I swear it on my mother's grave." Devastation lined his handsome face. "Please, Marissa, don't go."

She shook her head and bit the tears back. "Just leave me alone, Craig. In case you didn't realize I am a woman of the twenty-first century, and women of the twenty-first century do not roll over for lying, cheating, drunkard husbands. Even if they are pregnant." She moved toward the door. "I'm going back to Genie's."