I've Loved You Before

Chapter 28 - Darling It's Over

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I don't know where to go from here

But I'm tired of trying to make it right

Things just haven't been the same between us

I was waiting for the smoke to clear

Hoping we would see the light

But all I feel is the space between us

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The house was silent as Marlena pushed through the front door carrying her luggage. She'd taken an earlier flight from Boston to surprise Roman on their wedding anniversary in a last ditch effort to reconnect with him. She closed the door against another gust of wind, and then brushed the rain from her coat. Another storm was pushing its way through the area, and her flight had almost been cancelled. The landing had been rough, but she made it in one piece. She shrugged out of her coat, and glanced around with a smile. The lights were dimmed, and the table was set for a romantic dinner with taper candles and fine China.

Marlena smiled, as tears welled in her eyes. Her hand covered her mouth as she was overcome with emotion, "How did he know I would be here?" Then she remembered her conversation with Bo before she left and she realized he must have said something to Roman. He must have mentioned her coming home early. So it wasn't a surprise for Roman, it had become a surprise for her. She should have known Bo would tell him. When she'd mentioned coming home early as a surprise his eyes had changed for a moment.

She could hear the shower upstairs, and headed in that direction. She could surprise him in the shower at least, and maybe, just maybe, they could find a way to reconnect. Just before she turned to ascend the stairs she noticed a jacket on the back of the couch. It was a police issue, uniform jacket. Roman didn't wear those anymore. Not since he'd made detective. Running her fingers over the dark blue fabric, she flipped it over, and saw the name McCall. A sense of unease settled deep in her belly. Why was Taylor McCall's jacket there? She would need that. It was bitterly cold outside, and combined with the rain it was nearly hypothermic. Ascending the stairs slowly, she approached her bedroom with caution. A growing sense of dread and understanding started to coalesce. Something didn't feel right, and that was confirmed when she entered her bedroom to find the bed in disarray, and the floor scattered with clothing. Not just Roman's clothing but women's clothing. A police uniform to be precise. Nausea rolled through her, and she closed her eyes as she stood frozen in the middle of the room. The scent of perfume and sex surrounded her, and she knew.

For the second time since she'd arrived home, her hand covered her mouth to silence her emotion. Underneath her palm she sobbed. It all made sense. Roman's late nights at work. Her inability to reach him during emergencies. His refusal to call back, and his defensiveness. All those times he had accused her of inappropriateness with John when the whole it had been his own guilt eating away at him. While she had been working to save their marriage, Roman had given up months ago.

Marlena thought about Bo's reaction to her early return, and suddenly she saw it in a completely different light. He knew. He knew that Roman was having an affair, and he hadn't said anything. She stood there helplessly, listening to the water run in the shower, and she played over everything in the last few months. Roman's unexpected time off from work. Did Abe know? Roman taking time off was so out of character, but if it was forced because of an investigation... She closed her eyes, feeling lightheaded. How could she be so dumb? So naive? She'd been fighting her growing feelings for John over the past month, and the guilt had nearly killed her. Roman had never been invested in their marriage since he'd returned from Mexico. He'd proven that over and over again, and still she'd pushed forward telling herself he was adjusting from his time with Stefano. What a fool she'd been! What a damned fool!