Unanticipated Plans

Chapter 5

When Tom woke up the next morning he remembered what had transpired and smiled. He felt around the bed for her but found that he was alone. He lifted his head off the pillow looking down at his naked body. He expected to see her sitting by the now cold food or on the couch but she was nowhere. He got up to look in the bathroom but she wasn't there either. Over by the food was a folded piece of paper with his name on it.

It was a note from Brittany, it read:

Tom,

I was up most of the night watching you sleep and I've come to the conclusion that I've done you wrong. I've lead us down a path I can't have. I want you to know that I don't regret last night but I can't do this. You are a great man and I'm stupid for running but I have to. Please don't take this personally. I loved the time we have spent together but I'm not good for you and this is the only way I can tell you. I'm being a coward and probably running from the best person I have ever met. Please understand that this has nothing to do with you. This is my own cross to bear. Forgive me.

I'm sorry,

Brittany

His heart sank as his body folded into the chair by the table. He didn't understand and read the letter over and over again. He stood abruptly, threw on some clothes, ran out of his room, down the one flight of stairs to her room. When he approached he found that the maid was cleaning the room. He stepped in and saw nothing of hers remaining.

"When did she leave?" he begged.

"I don't know" she answered nervously.

Tom looked at the clock on the nightstand. It was seven-thirty. He ran down to the lobby and skidded to a stop at the front desk.

"Can you tell me when the woman from Room 414 left?"

The older lady looked as if she wouldn't tell him. "Please" he begged.

"She checked out around six this morning."

"Thank you" he replied sadly. He was thankful that his cell phone was still in the pocket of the jeans he threw on. He pulled it out and called her. The call went straight to voicemail. He slowly walked towards the elevator with his head bowed down, feeling defeated. Why? Was the question he kept asking himself. In the short amount of time they had spent together he had fallen for her. His heart ached at the thought that he would never see her again. As he waited on the elevator he thought about where she would run to. He fought at the tears that threatened to spill over. He lifted his head as the elevator doors opened and it hit him, "Niagara Falls" he said aloud.

Instead of waiting on the elevator he ran back up to his room. He packed in record time and left the room. He tried calling her again on his way back down to the lobby but she didn't answer. Hearing her voice again made his stomach knot.

He composed himself in time to leave a message, "Brittany, it's Tom. Please don't do this. Please come back to me." He swallowed the lump in his throat, "I'm sorry if I did anything wrong but I want you to know that whatever it is you are running from I will face with you. I'm not scared of what this could be. Please call me back."

He hung up the phone as he got to the lobby to check out. He threw his bag into the backseat of his car, got back on the highway leaving the hotel and Boston behind him. He called her again and again. He sent her text messages and voicemails pleading with her to meet him somewhere. Not once did she pick up or return his messages.

Brittany drove down the highway with tears in her eyes. She knew why she was running. She didn't want to hurt him any more than she already had. She wasn't good for him. She was damaged. Her previous relationship of eight years proved that. He beat her then loved her. He controlled her then pushed her away. He blamed her then forgave her. She didn't know what she was or how to be because of him. When she finally got out of the nightmare she vowed to never fall in love again.