Page 25 of Dark Secret

I’d work more on the contract tomorrow and have it ready for the following day. Then, I’d give it to her. She’d either sign it or she wouldn’t. I wasn’t sure what I’d do if she refused to sign it or tried to avoid it. I didn’t want to end what we had, but I needed that solid wall between us again.

I already had a feeling it was too late to build a wall around my heart. I’d wanted that piece of paper in place so that neither of us would fall in love, so that we would know where we stood with each other. I had to get that back in place or else we’d both fall. If it wasn’t already too late.

As couples gave us compliments when we left the dance floor, and I saw her beaming face, I had a feeling it was far too late. The horse was already out of the barn, as my dad would have said. Both of them.

Emily

Dylan was still asleep when I got up the next morning, and I let him sleep. I’d noticed last night he’d started to look tired well before his normal bedtime. I knew he had a lot on his plate right now, though I didn’t dare ask for details. He’d gone to sleep almost as soon as we got home, and now, he was still asleep.

I hoped he wasn't coming down with something. I went into the kitchen to find something for breakfast and found some orange juice, a couple of frozen waffles for myself, and fried up some sausage while the coffee did its thing. I glanced through the paper that always appeared at the front door every morning.

Nothing new there, the same old misery, doom, and gloom. I rifled through it until I found the comics and the daily word cross and sat to eat and fill in the puzzle.

By the time I finished, Dylan was stirring around in the bedroom. I heard him cry out in pain and ran into the bedroom to check on him. “What’s wrong, Dylan?”

“It’s just my back. I guess last night’s dancing aggravated it. Can you get me an ice pack? There’s some in freezer.” He had been trying to get out of bed, I could see that, so I pushed his legs back up onto the mattress and went to fetch the ice pack. I soon had it wrapped in a towel and pushed it behind him.

I put some extra pillows behind him and looked down at him with concern. “Do you need a doctor?”

His back had really been giving him trouble lately, and it was starting to worry me.

“No.” He shook his head and spoke again. “There isn’t a lot they can do it for it. It’ll ease off in a little while. Don’t worry. Is that coffee done by any chance?”

“Just a second. Do you want something to eat?” I paused at the doorway.

“Not just now, no. Just some coffee would be good.” His smile was tight but grateful.

My poor man, in there hurting. “Do you have any pain pills, Dylan?”

“Yes, in the bathroom. I’ll get them in a few minutes. As soon as this eases a little.”

I poured coffee in to a mug, added some of the hazelnut liquid creamer he liked, and took it to the bedroom. Once he’d taken the cup, I went into the bathroom and looked in the medicine cabinet. I found the pills he needed and brought him one.

“Should you take this on an empty stomach?” I asked as I held the pill out.

He just shook his head and swallowed the pill down with a drink of his coffee. I couldn’t do that, take pills with hot drinks, but he didn’t seem to choke at all.

“No, probably not, but I need it. This isn’t easing off.”

“I’m going to make you a hot pack to put on there. Maybe that would be better.” I went in and wrapped a dish towel into a pad, soaked it with water, put it in a plastic zipper bag, then heated it up in the microwave. I wrapped that in another towel and took it in to him. “Maybe we should alternate.”

He looked miserable, and my heart broke for him. He didn’t deserve this, not when things were going good. He’d seemed so happy lately, much less broody and stony than he used to be. He didn’t say much about what was going on with the resort, but I knew it must be good. He never came home angry or resigned, like he’d used to.

His phone rang just as I took the ice pack to the freezer, and I carried it in to him. I knew he’d want to answer it, whoever it was.

“Hey, John. I can’t make that meeting today. Tomorrow maybe? Yeah? Good, thank you. I really appreciate it.”

I wandered off, determined not to listen. I didn’t want any ammunition to be aimed at me when, and if, he finally found out who I was. I’d managed to distract him for the last couple of days, and he’d managed to keep the word ‘contract’ out of his mouth with great care. He hadn’t said it, and there was only three days left.

I thought about the words of one of my favorite songs. If I could go back to the night I’d met him, I’d tell him my real name. I wouldn’t admit who my family was because it was a common enough name, but I would tell him my real name. I’d started to hate ‘Stephanie’. Even if Stephanie was me. That wasn’t my name. My name was Emily, and the secret had started to burn like a destructive fire within me.

I had to get past this contract thing, then, somehow, I had to tell him who I was. Right after, if I was to salvage any of this. Until then, I’d keep my real identity a secret. If we made it past the point of no return, then I’d tell him.

Guilt ate at me, and I poured my attention into making some lunch for him. He’d fallen asleep after the phone call. Around eleven he woke up and tried to get up to go to the bathroom. I had to help him get out of bed, but once he was on his feet, he seemed okay, even if he was bent over a little.

I knew he wouldn’t want further help, so I didn’t argue with him. He came back to bed, and I kissed him as he settled onto the pile of pillows.

“Thank you, babe,” he whispered with a smile. “I’m sorry I’m so useless today.”