Back to You (Sequel to Take Me Away From Here)

Chapter 4

Tim POV: 

I step off the plane, feeling the cold Nashville air chill my lungs. Sara stands in front of our black Suburban, holding Colton in her arms. She forces a smile, giving me a loose hug, before following me inside the car. She drives without making a sound, the atmosphere heavy between us, even after multiple therapy sessions. 

"The guest room is all set up..." She says, taking a deep breath. I nod slowly, focusing my eyes out the window. I told her that I wanted a divorce during our first session. Schull asked her what she thought about it, and she agreed. She just thinks that we should wait until I'm re-acquainted with life outside of rehab. I guess getting divorced right after getting out of rehab isn't exactly a good publicity move either. She pulls into our driveway, getting Colton out of his carseat while I grab my luggage. I drag it to the door, watching her unlock it. 

The house seems exactly the same on the inside. There's a couple more baby toys spread around, but all-in-all, pretty much the same as it was when I left. 

I take my bags up to the guest room, setting them down by the dresser, before taking a deep breath. I feel exhausted... This is the first unplanned moment I've had in months, and all I want to do is sleep. I walk over to the bed, slamming down. I curl up under the comforter, feeling a migraine come on. I shut my eyes, trying to fall asleep before the headache sets in. 

I feel her arms wrapped tightly around my stomach, as her eyes stare at the window. She nests her head against my chest, breathing so gently that she's inaudible. I run my fingers through her blonde hair, wondering what's going through her mind. She seems to be haunted about something. 

"Tim..." She lets out, her voice rasping gently. I glance down at her, as she blinks slowly. "Dad kept telling me that you're going to hurt me. I just..." She stops speaking, turning her head up to look into my eyes. "I want to hear you say that you'll never hurt me." She lets out, captivating me for a moment. 

"Faith, I'll never hurt you." I say firmly, seeing her eyes shift slowly. She nods ever so slightly, before giving me a kiss. 

"Don't you dare lie to me." She whispers, seeming tense. I kiss her, feeling a little put off by even the notion of me hurting her. It seems impossible. She curls closer, before her breathing grows uneasy. She slips out of bed, walking over to the window and grabbing something off of the sill. She jams it into her arm, hitting her knees. I rush to her side, seeing her eyes resting on the syringe that is hanging out of her arm. Her eyes slowly start to roll back, making my chest shatter. 

"Faith..." I let out, catching her before she hits the ground. I give her a shake, while holding her limp body in my hands. "Baby, wake up..." I cry, feeling my heart pound. I hold her tightly against me, my mind in a state of complete shock.

"Tim..." Sara says, giving me a slight shake. I wake up in a cold sweat, feeling my heart racing a mile a minute. I try desperately for air, but struggle to catch any. I feel like I have a heavy weight on my chest, sinking deeper by the second. "Honey, calm down... it was just a dream..." She releases quietly. I nod, gradually catching my breath. She sits down on the edge of the bed, resting her hand on my arm. "You want to talk about it?" She asks gently. I shake my head, clearing my throat as my shaking starts to die down. "Alright." She concludes, standing up and starting toward the door. 

I get up and walk downstairs, seeing that it's eleven at night. I grab a glass out of the cupboard, filling it with water. When I raise the glass to my lips, I notice the dark scars running down my arms. I place the glass down on the counter, feeling the dream start to haunt my thoughts. I should check on her... Maybe the dream was a sign... a sign that something is wrong... 

I grab my keys and rush out to the Suburban, peeling out of the driveway. I speed down the backroads to her house, pulling in to her place. The gas lanterns outside are lit, flickering warm orange light across the front porch. Two rocking chairs rest on the concrete porch, gently rocking in the breeze, while all the lights inside are off.

 I get out of the car, hearing the gravel grind under my shoes. I walk onto the porch and place my finger over the doorbell. I hesitate, as I hear sound coming from an open window. I can hear her laughing... cackling, in fact. The sound makes me smile, until I hear mumbling under the sound of her howling. 

"Oh really?" She says, before laughing again. 

"You better believe it." A man replies, making my stomach sink. Her laughing fills the air, before it gradually starts to die down. "God, I love you." He says, forcing me to shut my eyes. 

"I love you too." She confesses, pulling the air from my lungs. I cover my mouth, trying to hold in anything that might subconsciously force it's way out. I rush back toward the car, getting in and pulling away before I can fully inhale the situation. 

I drive for a good half-hour, before pulling over and allowing myself a moment to breathe. She's moved on... I don't know why that's surprising... I mean, she moved on before, with Michael. 

If I were the old-me, I would truck down to the bar and get black-out drunk. Now, I'm not quite sure what I'll do. I open the glovebox, find a folded up piece of paper with an old grocery list on it. I flip it over, finding a pen and scribbling down the lyrics that are pouring out of my head. 

On your side of the bed, there's a picture of our wedding day... A clock that don't work and the bible that your daddy gave. It's on the window side, where the moon creeps in at night... Staring at the ceiling, lying here all alone... I said a prayer for you, then I said one of my own... But you don't reach for me, when you lie down quietly...

Tell me how, how'd you get so far away? All we have left, are the memories of the love we made... Are you sleeping with your own regret... On your side of the bed...

I lean back in my seat, looking at the roof of the car. You're going to be okay... I repeat this over and over again, until I finally believe it might be true...