Deconstructing Bridges

Chapter Two

The door to the briefing room burst open and a red-faced Matthew emerged, desperate for air. Or perhaps he was simply desperate for a drink.

He slammed the door behind him, obscuring the view of his shocked colleagues who had been in the same meeting and he stood close to his desk, his palms pressed together, the tips of his fingers touching the crown of his forehead.

His breathing was ragged, and any outsider could see he was simply seconds away from an epic explosion.

"Matthew?"

The surly man whipped his head up at the sound of his name, and Hayley McKinney practically cringed at the look in his eyes. It was on the cusp of being murderous.

It had been two weeks since the team had discovered the Bridges connection to the Marshall case they had been slaving over. Two weeks since Rosalind Hallam Bridges a.k.a. the lying conniving witch had been uncovered and had disappeared.

Two weeks since Detective Matthew Bridges had become undoubtedly unbearable to be around.

Hayley almost turned around and went back to her desk where she had been seated. A junior officer, she had been working in the precinct for almost a year, and from the start she'd found it difficult to be in Matthew's presence without blushing. The knowledge that he'd had a wife whom he appeared to love had kept her firmly at bay, but it hadn't stopped her wistful daydreams. Ever since hearing that the beloved wife was actually an imposter who had broken his heart, she had felt a mixture of anger and, she was ashamed to admit, mild relief. It was a female thing that she could not explain. The woman had seemed perfect in every way. One of those long and limber figures to die for, long and luxurious thick ebony hair, eyes which were practically black. Not only that, she had actually appeared nice. Nice. It was almost laughable to think of that now, but she had seemed like one of those angels who were perfect in every way. She worked as an enrolled nurse, for goodness sake. She got to know everybody in the surrounding suburbs when they dropped by the clinic for a flu shot or stitches. She volunteered at a local animal shelter. She had a smile that twinkled throughout her whole face.

Not only that, she had been affectionate towards her partner without appearing sickening. Just the right amount of PDA. She made an effort to get along with everybody in Matthew's life. She had been on friendly terms with everyone. No one could have possibly seen this betrayal coming, and it was somewhat comforting to know the perfect woman was, in fact, far from it.

Which made it all the worse for Matthew. God, what was he going through now?

She swallowed several times before daring to open her mouth again.

"I just wanted to know if you were alright."

His face did not shift except for a mild raising of one eyebrow. She cursed herself. What a stupid question. Of course he wasn't alright.

"I'm sorry about Rose. I really am."

Something akin to a snort escaped from him.

"McKinney, just leave me alone. Please."

Two spots of pink adorned her cheeks, and she took a step back.

Before she could completely retreat, his face softened and he stood.

Was it possible to age in two weeks? His face was lined with exhaustion, his eyes almost lifeless, and she wanted nothing more than to hunt the fake Rose down and throttle her for having done this to him.

"I didn't mean to snap."

"It's alright."

She smiled sadly.