Writer's Block (Complete)

Chapter 18

  Alex insisted that I remain in the truck when we got to the cabin. He went inside checked the entire house and out back before coming to get me and my stuff. I pulled the food containers out of the bag, while Alex carried my suitcases into the bedroom. 

When he returns I'm waiting for him. "Sorry but the foods cold," I lower my head. I had hoped to have an uneventful evening with Alex, time to just talk to him, maybe reconnect in some way. I see his feet stepping closer before I even hear a sound. His hand touches my chin before he gently lifts it.

"It's not your fault," He says before pulling his chair out and dropping into it. "As hungry as I am I probably wont even be able to taste it, I'll just swallow it whole." The sound of the laughter in his voice eases some of the tension. I follow his lead taking my seat, laying one of the napkins that the diner put in the bag over my lap before picking up my cold hamburger.

Alex reaches across the table for the bottle of wine. "Do you have a cork screw?" He asks as he peals the metallic seal off the top.

I raise my elbows to the table and lower my face into my hands, "I forgot to grab a cork screw," my voice sounding muffled as I laugh at myself through my hands.

Alex looks up at me and laughs, "I have a swiss army knife in the truck." He shakes his head, still laughing at me as he walks out of the house.

It doesn't take long for him to return with a red swiss army knife, a cork screw poking out of the side. He grabs the bottle again and removes the cork before pouring a little wine in each of our red solo cups. It's the only thing I have right now, so it will have to do. He sits back down, and we eat in silence both too hungry to carry on a conversation.

When we are finished eating Alex stands and clears the table, tossing our take out contains in the bag they came in and setting it on the counter. He pours each of us more wine and sits back down.

"What did you see back at the house," he finally asks. I knew he would eventually and was rather shocked that he hadn't yet.

"I came down stairs and saw a man standing in the door way. I thought it was you. I said something along the lines of you could help me or grab one of those bottles of wine. I got even more agitated when you didn't move so I grabbed one myself and when I looked up he was gone, and I was pissed, thinking you were ignoring me."

"So, you thought the guy was me?"

"Yeah, I couldn't see him it was too dark. The porch light was on behind him washing out his features." I felt the need to defend myself.

"Alright, so he was built like me my height, weight everything?"

"Alex, I thought he was you, I watched him for a whole two minutes, at most, while I walked across the living room to the island."

"Close your eyes."

"What, why?"

Alex gives me an agitated smirk, his eyebrow raised, and his lips pressed into a hard line, "Humor me." I do as I'm told. "Try to remember what you saw," His voice softer this time, coercing me to conjure the dark figure inside my head.

It is much easier to remember details when your eyes are closed, there's nothing around to distract you from your memories. "I see him, I think he's you. His build is exactly like yours from his short hair, broad shoulders strong arms that he held down at his sides to his lean middle and muscular legs, right down to the boots on his feet... The boots......" My eyes fly open, I stand, stumbling backwards trying to get away from Alex.

Alex holds his hands up palms facing me, "Trina, I would never hurt you. I don't know who you saw but you know that I would never hurt you."

"I.... I ... I don't know, I say stepping as far away from him as I can, until my back hits the counter, stopping my retreat.