Stella was beautiful. Everybody knew it; even he was not niave enough to let that go unnoticed. It was the way she held herself, her big green eyes and her smile. But he would never admit to himself that he was attracted to her. There trust was not something to be lost. Peyton had a right to be suspicious, jealous of the time they spent together because Stella was a threat to their relationship. She made him comfortable in a way that Peyton hadn’t. Yes, sometimes they fought, but it was fighting with her that brought out his true emotions and had forced him to let his heart out of his chest every once in a while. Stella and Mac fitted together like two pieces of evidence and this is what had destroyed mac and peytons relationship.
When the passion of there relationship had died down all was left were the burnt ambers of there once firery flame. Spontaneity had become routine and problems started to arise. Peyton would spend the very little spare time they had together picking arguments about the littlest things and Mac would spend his nights in the lab when he couldn’t face going home to her.
It was on one of these nights when Mac sat at his desk, filling in overdue paperwork, working into the night. The lamp in his room shone like a beacon into the rest of the darkened lab and caught the eye of a detective about to leave. Stella had made her way to the source, thinking that one of the cleaning crew had left the light on but instead saw Mac with a furrowed brow and sleepy eyes.
‘I though you’d gone home’
Mac looked up; his eyes briefly warmed and then went back to their drowsy state.
‘home is a very fluid concept at the moment’
she frowned, innocently puzzled.
Whats wrong mac.
I forgot that it was this hard being around someone so often, getting into petty fights. She knew who he was reffering to.
It shouldn’t be hard, if you love them. She smiled at him and he returned.
15 years it’s been stella, 15 years and were still partners. How do we do it?
Stella shrugged
Peyton doesn’t know you like I do, that’s the difference. She said stroking his cheek.
That was before the trip to London, the attempt to salvage there relationship. Peyton had known that they hadn’t been the same.
‘Come with me to london’ she had insisted, mac needed to give this relationship one more try. So he did. But taking Mac out of his comfort zone hadn’t helped.
‘Why do you want to go back so early.’ Peyton had asked.
‘crime isn’t just something you can switch on and off’ he had barked.
His aggressive tone had aroused suspicion for peyton and she felt the cold stab of jealousy.
‘It’s her isn’t it’
Mac didn’t understand.
‘ I mean I knew you two were close but I thought you could last a few days without her.’ said Peyton in her strong English acent which made her sound harsh and cold against his warm southern grumble.
Suddenly mac realised what this was all about. Why so many arguments had evolved out of him staying late- it wasn’t that he was working it was because he was spending time with stella.
Peyton, don’t do this. Mac had said, gruffly.
‘I know you love me very much,’ she said ‘but I cant compete with someone that you spend so much of your time with, someone who knows you better than I do’
She paused, this was the root o the problem and how ever much she tugged it was anchored in his heart.
‘It hurts too much to know that you spend more time with another woman.’
‘claire, its my job’ he tried to reason. He had done it again, the name of his late wife rang in the air and echoed around their hotel room. The name had slipped out so easily, simply because hed been here before with his wife; same conversation, same line, same problem.
Peyton, peyton. He repeated, fixing the name in his mind
She did nothing but smile the sadest smile.
‘Isn’t it enough that I have to compete with your ex wife.’
It was at this point that he could see the full extent of the problem. Peytons eyes glistened with the prospect of tears. She loved mac taylor and yet she knew she would have to face the possibility of losing him, she would never find another like him.
‘but I love you.’
I know that’ she smiled through her tears ‘but you love her too’
Mac opened his mouth to deny this projection but she silenced him by placing her fingers on his lips
‘Stay with me in London’, she asked him, ‘live with me in London’.
For her it was the only way she could live with mac taylor. The jealousy had taken her energy and him leaving new york would be the only way to salvage there relationship.
‘you know I cant do that peyton, I cant leave new york’ he told her softly.
She put on a brave smile as a tear escaped down her cheek and fell to the ground.
‘ and I cannot stay there’ she concluded.
She kissed him on the cheek as a signa of goodbye,leaving a red lipstick mark
And with that,it was over.
The flight back to new york had been painful. The seat was left empty next to him and the reality set in. He had spent so long fighting for his marriage when this same issue had arose 10 years ago. ‘ Shes just a frieng he had screamed over and over.’
To hear this accusation again worried him. Once was misfortunate but twice was a problem. Would any women allow stella is his life? Peyton shouldn’t have made him choose between her and stella. No matter how much he loved her she would never win.
more to come please r and r
xxxxxx
When the passion of there relationship had died down all was left were the burnt ambers of there once firery flame. Spontaneity had become routine and problems started to arise. Peyton would spend the very little spare time they had together picking arguments about the littlest things and Mac would spend his nights in the lab when he couldn’t face going home to her.
It was on one of these nights when Mac sat at his desk, filling in overdue paperwork, working into the night. The lamp in his room shone like a beacon into the rest of the darkened lab and caught the eye of a detective about to leave. Stella had made her way to the source, thinking that one of the cleaning crew had left the light on but instead saw Mac with a furrowed brow and sleepy eyes.
‘I though you’d gone home’
Mac looked up; his eyes briefly warmed and then went back to their drowsy state.
‘home is a very fluid concept at the moment’
she frowned, innocently puzzled.
Whats wrong mac.
I forgot that it was this hard being around someone so often, getting into petty fights. She knew who he was reffering to.
It shouldn’t be hard, if you love them. She smiled at him and he returned.
15 years it’s been stella, 15 years and were still partners. How do we do it?
Stella shrugged
Peyton doesn’t know you like I do, that’s the difference. She said stroking his cheek.
That was before the trip to London, the attempt to salvage there relationship. Peyton had known that they hadn’t been the same.
‘Come with me to london’ she had insisted, mac needed to give this relationship one more try. So he did. But taking Mac out of his comfort zone hadn’t helped.
‘Why do you want to go back so early.’ Peyton had asked.
‘crime isn’t just something you can switch on and off’ he had barked.
His aggressive tone had aroused suspicion for peyton and she felt the cold stab of jealousy.
‘It’s her isn’t it’
Mac didn’t understand.
‘ I mean I knew you two were close but I thought you could last a few days without her.’ said Peyton in her strong English acent which made her sound harsh and cold against his warm southern grumble.
Suddenly mac realised what this was all about. Why so many arguments had evolved out of him staying late- it wasn’t that he was working it was because he was spending time with stella.
Peyton, don’t do this. Mac had said, gruffly.
‘I know you love me very much,’ she said ‘but I cant compete with someone that you spend so much of your time with, someone who knows you better than I do’
She paused, this was the root o the problem and how ever much she tugged it was anchored in his heart.
‘It hurts too much to know that you spend more time with another woman.’
‘claire, its my job’ he tried to reason. He had done it again, the name of his late wife rang in the air and echoed around their hotel room. The name had slipped out so easily, simply because hed been here before with his wife; same conversation, same line, same problem.
Peyton, peyton. He repeated, fixing the name in his mind
She did nothing but smile the sadest smile.
‘Isn’t it enough that I have to compete with your ex wife.’
It was at this point that he could see the full extent of the problem. Peytons eyes glistened with the prospect of tears. She loved mac taylor and yet she knew she would have to face the possibility of losing him, she would never find another like him.
‘but I love you.’
I know that’ she smiled through her tears ‘but you love her too’
Mac opened his mouth to deny this projection but she silenced him by placing her fingers on his lips
‘Stay with me in London’, she asked him, ‘live with me in London’.
For her it was the only way she could live with mac taylor. The jealousy had taken her energy and him leaving new york would be the only way to salvage there relationship.
‘you know I cant do that peyton, I cant leave new york’ he told her softly.
She put on a brave smile as a tear escaped down her cheek and fell to the ground.
‘ and I cannot stay there’ she concluded.
She kissed him on the cheek as a signa of goodbye,leaving a red lipstick mark
And with that,it was over.
The flight back to new york had been painful. The seat was left empty next to him and the reality set in. He had spent so long fighting for his marriage when this same issue had arose 10 years ago. ‘ Shes just a frieng he had screamed over and over.’
To hear this accusation again worried him. Once was misfortunate but twice was a problem. Would any women allow stella is his life? Peyton shouldn’t have made him choose between her and stella. No matter how much he loved her she would never win.
more to come please r and r
xxxxxx