Tropicana Redefined

Chapter 16

The intuition she relied upon all the time, which never failed her in the past, now told her his explosive anger hid a deep seated, painful fear. The stark fear emanating from their shared past.

She had brought that fear up again by going quiet, then taking off without letting him know where she was.

He thought she was leaving him again!

'Oh God..'

She thanked God and all the saints for that pause. That pause that got her thinking clearly, in time.

Now she had to make him understand.

She had to make him understand she needed this time away from the house, not from him..

"Hold on." She said in a quiet subdued voice. He paused at this unusual behavior from her.

She could hear his harsh breathing down the line, even though he was silent. That sound made it imperative to clear this misunderstanding up.

She could tell he hadn't expected that level of quietness from her.

It was not in her nature to be quiet when she was mad. He knew her that much. The expectancy from the other side made her insides quaver, but she was determined to make him understand.

He took a deep breath.

His breathing changed, although still harsh, there was no more of that breathlessness that made her feel he was going to take his last breath.

"Hold on for what?"

"Please understand I just need tonight alone."

The harsh breathing stopped for one second.

Then it came out in a whoosh.

"I am coming back home tomorrow. Okay?" Cana continued.

His breathing changed to it's normal rhythm.

She relaxed as well.

She heard the heartfelt relief in his voice when he answered.

"Just to clarify, what time can we expect you tomorrow?"

He tried to joke, but remnants of the tension she had felt before from him was still in his voice as he waited for confirmation.

"Babe," She heard his indrawn breath as he heard the endearment. "I will call you when I'm on my way back."

"But.."

He went to object but she overrode him.

"It will be in the afternoon. I want to do a bit of shopping here first."

She felt he had relaxed. The tension she had felt coming through the phone from him dissipated. It was strange how in tune they were to each other now. She guessed that was what happened to lovers when they loved each other deeply, eternally.

"You know I love you, right?" She asked next.

"Yes I do know that. Though sometimes you leave me doubting that with your shenanigans."

There was a smile in his voice.

"And I love you back very desperately, Cana. I hope you understand that."

His deep voice in her ear soothed her as nothing else could.

"Yes I do know that. 'My shenanigans' as you call them stem from my insecurities which makes me do rash thing." She countered.