The Dark Places

I didn’t mean to put you through all this!” he said in alarm. “I was only half-serious!”
Surin shook her head. “It’s OK, we’re partners. I trust you, and you need to know why I am how I am with that woman, plus I am getting the full story of you and Jolene after this,” she said with a sad smile on her face.
“I could hear them before I saw them.” She smiled.
Parker looked down at his hands, sharing her embarrassment and betrayal.
“They were going at it, quite vigorously I have to add, but as soon as he saw me, he just freaked right out. Then the crying began. He cried, he yelled, he begged. I said nothing, not one word. I honestly couldn’t speak, and the whole time she just sat there, staring at me with her mouth wide open in shock. I knew her from the station, I had even helped her out a few times with statements, and she froze when she saw me, but none of that mattered. I eventually grew tired of Gray’s crying, and then I grew angry. I knew he wouldn’t leave if I asked, so I did the only thing I knew how. I pulled out my weapon and marched them both out of the house, semi-naked, at gunpoint.” Surin sat back in her chair, glad to finally have told someone the details of her pitiful tale.
Parker laughed loudly. He tried very hard to conceal it, but he couldn’t. “Naked at gunpoint?” he repeated.
“Well, yeah,” Surin replied, seeing the humour in it and started laughing herself.
After they had both pulled themselves together, Parker wiped some stray tears off his face with a napkin. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make it sound like a joke.”
“No, don’t apologise,” she said with a giggle. “Looking back, it is kind of funny,” she sighed. “I’m glad it happened in a way. I couldn’t be with someone who questions who I am all the time and then asks me to change. You know what I mean, right?”
She looked at him, and for a moment, neither of them said a word. The air around them felt thick with unspoken tension, and she saw Parker’s eyes soften as he looked at her.
“Two chilli bean nachos!” The waitress interrupted, placing the bowls on the table.
“With extra guacamole, of course,” she finished and walked away carrying their empties.
The moment was broken, and Parker eyed the plates overflowing with corn chips and lashings of sour cream.
“God, this looks amazing!” he said.
“You will never be the same,” Surin answered with a grin, and with that, she took a huge corn chip and scooped up some chilli beans, topped it with guacamole to an impossible height and spooned it into her mouth.
“Now it’s your turn, Rhodes. Jolene. Spill the details,” she said, chewing noisily.
Parker was momentarily lost in the absolute pleasure of his food and groaned inwardly. “This is the best thing I think I’ve ever eaten,” he said, looking up at Surin appreciatively.
“I know,” she said with a cheesy grin. “That won’t get you out of it but, I have just shared one of the worst moments of my life with you, I expect something equally juicy in return.”
“One of the worst moments?” Parker replied. “There is something worse than catching your fiancé in bed with a gorgeous journalist?”
Surin looked away uncomfortably, and Parker immediately felt that he had crossed an invisible line.
“OK, that’s fair,” he corrected, steering the conversation back to him. He watched the colour return to Surin’s face, sighed and sat back in his chair.
“Jolene. Well, I’m sorry, Elliott, it’s not exciting, and there is no intrigue. I fell out of love, and she didn’t. It was sad, and I hurt her.”
“So, you left?” Surin enquired unbelievably.
“Well, yeah, eventually I did. Jolene didn’t cope with the breakup very well. She started calling me at all hours of the night, showing up at my apartment, sending me text after text.” He looked down at his hands. “I felt bad, so I tried to make it work with her, but it was horrible.” He looked embarrassed. “I think I ended up hurting her worse by trying to fix what I had broken.”
“How long did it last once you took her back?” Surin asked.
“Two weeks. And it was the most dreadful two weeks of my life to date. Nothing to do with her at all, I don’t mean it like that. I just didn’t love her, I knew I was making it worse by leading her on, but I didn’t know what else to do.” He looked at her over the bowls of food. “She knew, the whole time she knew I didn’t love her and yet she stayed. It must have been torture for her, can you imagine? I mean, I could hardly touch her without feeling guilty, knowing that it would mean nothing to me and everything to her. So, I packed up my things, put in for a transfer and waited. Thankfully, it only took two weeks to get this position. I told her work had relocated me, a non-negotiable offer and that there was no way we could sustain a long-distance relationship.”
Surin sat quietly, listening.
“And you know what, she was OK with that. It was like the thought of me not loving her was tearing her apart, but when it was work that finally ended it, it was OK, and she was able to move on because it wasn’t her fault.” He placed his napkin on the table.
“Do you talk to her still?” Surin asked.
“I did at first. She would ring a few times a week, but now she is seeing another teacher from her school, so it’s extremely awkward.” He smiled. “I’m happy for her, honestly. I’m glad she has found someone, and I hope I will too in