Now, it was all over. Their tropical dream was atan end and they were back to reality.
"I know," she groaned as they turnedthe corner down the long hall to stop at the alcove where her door was located."I'm just trying to prepare myself to see how Victor left myapartment," she admitted. It was a thought that occurred to her on the carride over. "I doubt he would trash it on his way out so that leaves mewith two thoughts. He is either still there waiting to ambush me, something heloves to do," she added, as she fished out her keys from her purse,"or he has left me another note filled with subversive blame like he didat the resort."
"Well, don’t worry about that, Sunshine,because those keys." He pointed at her keys while his mouth twisted in awry smile. "Are not going to work."
Producing his own set of gleaming silver keysfrom his pocket he jingled them before turning towards the door and insertingone into the lock. With a simple turn, the door opened.
Walking into the darkened apartment, Cade lookedback at her confused face. "Before I got on the plane that day, yourbrother and I stopped by your apartment to make sure Victor hadn’t gotten backand changed the locks. I left Carlos here, who was later joined by Luis, Pedro,and Valerie who waited for Victor to show up."
The familiar cool air of her apartment settledover her and she felt her shoulders relax a little despite the alarmingrevelation. "Oh my God, you didn't," she said, barely stifling alaugh at the thought.
"Indeed," he confirmed happily as sheclosed the door and he turned on the living room light. "And, as perCarlos's text, he said they were all as polite as they could be, which Ibelieve since Valerie was there. He said they simply watched Victor pack hisstuff and even helped him carry some of it back down to his car."
Standing next to her suitcase, Maritzia scannedthe room and stopped at the door. The blue wool peacoat that Victor never putin the coat closet was missing from the hook. "So…he's gone. No ambush, nonote, just my apartment again."
A pair of warm hands rested on her shoulders andMaritzia closed her eyes as Cade pushed his thumbs into her tight muscles,rolling them gently upward. In silence, they stood there just like that as hisfingers worked their heat into her tense shoulders, forcing her to relax.
"He's gone," Cade finally spoke in avoice so deep she felt its vibrations more than she heard it.
Nodding, she exhaled the last of her tension andopened her eyes. Surveying the empty apartment around her, she smiled. He wasreally gone. And for the first time since she woke up to that note in thebungalow, she felt absolutely guiltless about the idea.
Turning in Cade's arms, she flashed him a hugesmile that she truly felt deep in her heart. Searching her face, Cade returnedthe smile and pulled her by the shoulders until he had her wrapped in his arms."Fuck, I love seeing that smile. It gives all the meaning to my nicknamefor you."
Blinking, she thought of the name Sunshine andsmiled. She never really knew why he started calling her that. Smiling evenbigger into his chest, Maritzia gathered her overwhelming happiness and steppedback.
Avoiding his piercing gaze, she looked down ather watch. "Well, it's still early. If you want, I can order some-"
A loud clap of thunder shook the air. Going tothe window, Cade parted the gauzy blue fabric with one finger and looked out.
"It's starting to come down pretty hard outthere," he observed.
"Would it be terrible if I still orderedsome food?" she asked as she walked over to the side table and pulled outthe stack of magazines that Victor missed.
Of course he would not take these stupid things,she thought as she flipped through the motorcycle magazines. She had beenhinting for months for him to cancel the stupid subscription since he neverread any of them. But no, every time, he claimed he was reading them andhoarded them underneath her side table.
"No, not at all," Cade answered as hewent to the other side table and pulled out another stack of the infernalmagazines. "I'm sure whoever is delivering still needs the money one wayor another."
"True," she called back from thehallway closet. Finding an empty box, she brought it back to the living roomand set the magazines inside of it before grabbing her phone. "Chinese,Thai, barbeque…what do you want?"
Cade was at her TV stand pulling out some of thedrawers. Without the need to confirm which was which, he began picking out hugesections of DVDs and transferring them to the box. "I guess Thai. Get mesomething spicy."
Smiling, she began placing the order as shewalked into her bedroom. After a few minutes, Cade found her in the bedroomangrily ripping off the sheets. With the comforter in a pile at the base of thebed, she was silently cursing at the sheet snaps that held the linen in place.
Finally, she got the plastic snap to unhook andripped the fitted sheet off the bed. "You know," she began. "Inever wanted this ugly bed. I never wanted a lot of this shit," shegrowled as she balled the sheets into the comforter on the floor. "Butwhen Victor moved in, he wanted a morehomeybedroom. He actuallylaughed and said that the way I had it was too cold and girly."
Thunder rumbled outside as rain pelted againstthe glass of her bedroom windows.
"Fucking hell, I hate him," Cade cursedas he watched her drag the dirty linen behind her towards the living room."I cannot see what you even liked in him."
"Just like I can't see what you liked inBethany," she countered, shutting the linen closet door with a forcefulsnap and looked at him.
She could see him tense at the fire for a fightburning in her gaze and he held up both hands and gave her an apologetic smile."Touché."
Stomping past him with the stack of fresh linen,she flapped out the fitted sheet across the expanse of the bed. Catching theother end from where he stood on the other side of the bed, Cade pulled thesheet taut and tucked it under one end before replicating the movement on theother end.
Standing straight, he gestured to the bed."Then why don’t we sell it or, hell, just donate it? As long as it’s gone.Then you can start over and design the room just how you want it."
With the new comforter spread out on the bed shepaused and looked around the room. Her eyes lingered on the matchingnightstands and the stupid wingback chair in the corner. "You'reright," she breathed, her mind racing as the thought took root in hermind. "I want every memory of him stripped from my mind and my place. I'llhave everything changed, all the way to the carpet. And I'll just sleep in theguest room. It still has my old bed and old furniture crammed in there,"she reasoned.
