What the *** is a kilometer?

~1~

POV Lizzy:

After a long day at work, I collapse onto the couch at home. Today was a successful photo shoot for my clothing line, From Liz With Love. I am so excited to be launching my new collection online in just over a week. It's amazing to think that just a few years ago, I was working with small influencers and now I am collaborating with famous people and reaching larger audiences. Dominic's voice interrupts my thoughts, "Honey, are you home yet?" I respond, "Yes, I just got back from the office and I'm in the living room." I call out to him. He walks in with groceries, and I get up to help him. He gives me a kiss on my cheek. He shrugs when I ask, 'How was your day?' and replies, 'It wasn't very special.' A few months ago, Dominic was in a car accident that left him unable to work. He has been at home recovering since then. Initially, it was nice to have someone to talk to, but now he has isolated himself and changed a lot. I can no longer find the sweet, caring man I fell in love with. Although I try to give it as little attention as possible, it is sometimes difficult to talk to him.

I took photos today for my new collection. It will be available online by the end of next week! I say to him as we sit down to eat. "Good for you." His response is lackluster. He shrugged again. "You know you can always talk to me, honey." He sighs. "I'm just bored, Liz." I am finished with staying at home, but I am unsure of what I want to do next. Due to my accident, I can no longer work as a security guard. Although I have completed all of my hospital visits, my shoulder is still difficult to move. When asked what I would like to do, I am unable to provide an answer, which is the problem. "I want to help you, but it's difficult when you're unsure of what you want," I say gently. Our conversation falls silent, as it often has in recent days. "Perhaps speaking with a psychologist could be beneficial if you're feeling miserable?" He glares at me, "What are you trying to say?" "I just wanted to help by suggesting you talk to someone about how you feel." He slammed his fist on the table, surprising me with his unexpected reaction. "I don't need a psychologist," he said. With a plate that is still almost half full, I walk to the kitchen. Suddenly, I am not so hungry anymore. I throw away my food and grab my laptop from my bag in the hallway, then disappear into my home office.

I have been working silently on my new website all evening for the launch of my collection. Suddenly, there is a knock at the door. 'Honey, why are you sitting in the dark?' he asks. Dominic turns on the light and I squint, knowing that I can concentrate better in the dim light. 'What is it?' I ask, irritation lightly present in my voice. 'I haven't seen you all night, but again I hear that's too much for you right now, I'm going to bed are you coming too?' he says. I nod my head. "I'll finish this first. Don't wait up for me." His posture is still slightly tense, but he still takes the trouble to give me a kiss on my cheek. After he leaves the room, I sigh and rest my head in my hands for a moment. I look back at my screen and notice an email from Williams Racing. Curious, I open the email and quickly read through it. At first, I can't believe what I'm reading. My heart races as I read the email again and realize it's from an official source. I quickly Google Williams Racing and discover that they are a Formula 1 team. They are interested in collaborating with my clothing line. I am in disbelief that something as big as this could happen to me. I promptly respond to their email and send them some pictures of my upcoming collection. I closed my laptop and stretched. It was late, and I was tired. When I walked into the bedroom, Dominic was already asleep. Doubts about getting back into bed with him and pretending nothing happened began to gnaw at me again. I felt trapped in a situation that I could hardly get out of. I didn't want to be a bad girlfriend, but I also didn't want to be the one who always had to say sorry. Finally, I decided to lie down in the guest room to be alone with my thoughts for a while.

POV Dominic:

When I woke up, I noticed that the spot next to me in bed was empty, and I suspected that Lizzy would not be spending the night there. I regretted that I had reacted violently to her, as she only wanted to help me. I got up and put on a pair of sweatpants before walking down the hallway to look for her. 'Lizzy?' I stand by her office and speak softly, but she doesn't respond. I check the guest room, but she's not there either. Her laptop is on the bed, and I see an email from Williams Racing. This is a significant opportunity for her to break through. Although I should be happy for her, I feel worse about it. I close her laptop and head to the bathroom for a quick shower. 

I'm wondering where Lizzy is and why she hasn't contacted me, she usually keeps me informed of her whereabouts, but this time she hasn't left a message, and she's been acting distant lately, while I've been the one sitting at home with all the problems for months. I am experiencing a fit of self-pity. My physique has changed in the past few months since I haven't been to the gym. I don't feel motivated to do anything. Lizzy often works late, so I have to take care of the groceries and the tasks around and in the house. I turn on the shower faucet and look at myself in the mirror. I dislike going outside right now. I have almost no friends left because they are all busy with work or spending time with their girlfriends. In the beginning, after my accident, they would still come over, but that contact has slowly faded away since I declined invitations to go to the cafe or meet up for a night out or gaming. While it is partly my fault that things turned out this way, I didn't see many other options. I stand in the shower, lost in thought. Suddenly, I hear the front door open. I quickly turn off the tap and step out of the shower. I call out. "Lizzy!" "Yes! Where are you?" she responds. "I'm in the bathroom," I reply as I quickly dry off and wrap a towel around my waist. "Where have you been?" I ask in a slightly annoyed tone. "I went for a run and then stopped at some clothing stores to buy an outfit for my upcoming meeting," she explains. I raise an eyebrow at her, pretending I don't know anything. "What kind of a meeting?" I ask her. "I got an email from Williams Racing and they are interested in partnering with my clothing line," she replies excitedly. "Isn't that cool?" "Yeah, it sounds like a great opportunity," I replied. I tried my best to sound credible, but my nerves were getting the best of me. "You can be a little more cheerful," she said. "I'm sorry, I just woke up," I continued. "But I hope it turns out to be something great. When are you going and how long will you be gone?" "I'll be picked up tomorrow and be gone for two days." she answered.

Lizzy is picked up the next day, and as I sit on the couch scrolling through my phone, I realize that we haven't talked about my anger toward her, and I feel the distance between us growing. She hastily says, 'Honey, I'm going. I'll see you in 2 days.' Without so much as a kiss, she slams the front door. The silence of the house and the unpleasant atmosphere that has lingered for a while now, make me feel even worse. I googled Williams Racing, found this year's Formula 1 team and checked out their pictures on Instagram. I wonder who she's designing clothes for, because I can't imagine it's just the team's drivers, which means she has to spend all day with them. I looked at more pictures of those guys and checked out their personal Instagram accounts. I found out that Alex has a girlfriend, so I don't have to worry about him, but Logan seems to be single. He looks like the type of guy Lizzie could fall for, especially since our relationship hasn't gone well for a while and I'm worried that might happen.

Before I go to bed I talk to her for a while and she tells me that she has to work with Alex and Logan, which I don't like, especially since she always goes alone. I want to ask her if I can go with her next time so that I can get out of the house for a while. I put my mobile phone aside and try to sleep. After a few hours of tossing and turning, I finally fall asleep.