Without A Trace

Sixty-Four.

Upstairs I sit on my stool in front of my vanity mirror and start to gather my things into a neat pile before hearing the door open. I peel my gaze into the reflection of the mirror and see Thomas make his way into the room before closing the door behind him.

"Is there something I can help you with?" I ask before putting my belongings in a bag on the floor next to it.

He walks over and rests his hands on my shoulders and massages them softly, "We need to talk Cora," he says gently before taking a seat in the chair behind me.

"Theres nothing to talk about," I say harshly before turning around and meeting his eyes. "You think just because I came here to have a business meeting with you and to get some more of my things that means I'm coming home? You are a real funny man Thomas," I say before leaning over and picking the bag up off the floor and walking over to my dresser.

"I didn't bed her," He says while lighting a cigarette and walking over to me with it.

I drop the bag on the floor and turn around angrily to face him, "Thats not the fucking point. The fucking point is you left without confiding in me and went to the fucking burlesque bar owned by a woman you fucking cheated on me with. THAT, fucker, is the point," I say while snatching the cigarette out of his hand.

He sighs and leans against the wall, "I know it was wrong. And I'm sorry...truly," he says looking at me with genuine eyes.

"You're always sorry. I've been through more shit with you than anyone in this fucking world could imagine and for what?" I ask as my face grows hot with anger and tears fill my eyes, "The one place where I can go and get back to some sort of normalcy to be ripped away from me? For a fucking deal?" I say blinking the tears away from my eyes. "You didn't even come and ask me. All of our memories and my safe space is fucking gone because once again you put this fucking empire of yours before me. Well guess what, I'm returning the fucking favor," I say biting through my teeth.

He sits there and nods his head softly letting me speak. He lights himself a cigarette and watches me start to pace the bedroom.

"I've loved you since you were a young man. I've loved you through the war. I've loved you when you came home a hardened man, and I've loved you through all of this," I say as tears keep flowing and motion to everything around us. I wipe my tears away with my arm before taking a drag off my cigarette, "Loving you was like going to war, and I never came back the same every time I've loved you through something," I say before sniffling my sadness back and clearing my throat.

I glance at the floor and notice 2 black shadows underneath the crack of the doorway, knowing Anna and Ivy are listening in. I cant help but laugh every so slightly to myself because of those two. I look back over to my husband, "You have two seconds to fucking say something before I am permanently only a business partner," I say as I bring the cigarette to my lips, my eyes pink and bloodshot.

"I'm an awful husband," he admits to himself before walking over and sitting on the bed in front of me. "I don't treat you fairly, and I don't appreciate you enough," he says as he clenches his jaw. "But the thought of losing you makes me want to put a bullet between my eyes," he says as a tear falls from his face. In my 10+ years of loving this man I've only seen him tear up one other time, and it hasn't been since he came back from the war.

"I was wrong and selfish for letting go the place that makes you happiest, and I regret it every day. But I did it to ensure your safety. Because if I lose you at that gala tomorrow night, I will end my life. I've already written out my will to immediately put Michael and Lewis in charge if something happens to me," He says as he clears his throat and wiping his eyes with his hands. My chest stings with his words and I wipe my eye as I walk and sit next to him.