Protect Me Not

Chapter 8

Victor had been pacing his apartment anticipating a telephone call that seemed to be taking forever to come in. He nearly dropped his cell phone when it started to ring. The call from his old school mate he had been waiting for all day finally happened. He needed to make sure Camden came through for him.

"Hello?" Victor answered.

"Hi honey," Mary replied. "As promised, I'm calling to let you know that I've arrived."

"I'm happy you called and equally happy your arrival is safe," he continued. "I'm not even going to ask you about your flight but I presume it was nothing short of a mild heart attack," Victor joked.

"Ha, ha, ha! You're very funny Victor. Surprisingly enough, I managed to keep it together quite nicely. You don't need to worry about me. I've told you before and I'll tell you again that I am completely capable to taking care of myself," Mary stated.

"I know you are but you don't have to try and prove it to me you know," he said.

"I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone. In fact, I'm taking complete charge of my life starting now," Mary proposed.

"What do you mean by that?" Victor asked with concern.

"I know you're not going to like this but I asked you for some space so I can clear my head and I knew you wouldn't have given it to me. I know it's in your nature to be protective of me but sometime I feel that your constant hovering only hinders my ability," Mary tried to explain.

"I, um, hovering?" Victor stuttered.

"Listen! I want to come back to New York a new woman. I want to do things on my terms and by do things I mean seek treatment and deal with my emotions on my terms only. I know you try to help in your own kind ways by taking control but really that's not helping at all. It just pushes me further into a reclusive state. Don't you get it? Richard was a huge control freak and didn't allow me to be myself. Although your actions are of a true loving nature, the act behind them is still in a controlling kind of manner," Mary clarified with tears in her eyes.

"Mary..." Victor whispered.

"No! Don't Mary me with your sweet tender voice that has the ability to suck me back into the protective world of the great and powerful Victor," Mary demanded. "I have to do this! I need to repair the Mary I once was and I have to do this solo," she declared.

"Okay Hans," Victor said trying to lighten the conversation a bit.

"Okay, and see? This is exactly why I am doing this. You are not taking me serious," Mary proclaimed.

"I am, I am," Victor pleaded but he couldn't help show some sort of excitement for her. Mary was actually seeking help for her troubles and Victor couldn't be happier. "You know I like to joke around. My foolish and cute boyish ways used to make you laugh."

"Listen! I'm not sure when it was that you stopped taking me serious but you better listen up because I am nothing short of being serious at this very moment," Mary told him turning her tears into slow and sharp words.

"You have my full attention," Victor smugly said.

"Good!" Mary snapped.

The moment of silence was nearly deafening as Victor waited for the next sentence to come through the telephone. He waited with anticipation; sure that Mary was going to tell him she was seeking treatment. His e-mail messenger chimed indicating that he had received an important e-mail message, throwing his concentration away from her.

"I'm turning off this cell phone so you cannot reach me. I want total and complete space to be on my own and get through the next few weeks uninterrupted and without outside influence as to what I should and shouldn't be doing," Mary informed him.