This Vicious Cycle Chapter 26
So, here's the deal I've set myself into. I was planning to wait for one more day before I post this chapter but I asked
salmon_scrubs for another chapter on Last Chances and foolishly promised I will update TVC if she did. Well, she updated so I guess so will I. :)
Really, you guys should thank her.
Anyway, here it is. And as usual disclaimer in the previous chapters and special thanks to Suz for the beta.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Derek was jiggling his legs in anticipation. He checked the time again. 8:30 pm. Addison was running late. He reached over for his phone but thought better of it. Derek didn’t want to pressure her.
‘She’ll be here soon” he repeated to himself.
~ x ~ x ~ x ~
Nathan leaned his face closer to Addison’s. He inched his lips closer to hers until they were inches apart. Nathan then waited for Addison to bridge the gap.
It took a split second for Addison to make a move. She leaned her face closer and looked at Nathan’s lips. Addison brought her lips forward but deliberately missed Nathan’s. She instead placed her lips near his ear.
“Goodbye, Nathan” she whispered, then quickly kissed his cheek, stood up and gathered her things. Addison threw one final look at Nathan Ross before exiting Joe’s.
Upon arriving outside, she walked over to the corner of the building. Addison let her body lean against the wall and then unexpectedly doubled over. The reality of what would have happened if she didn’t walk away from Nathan, hit her like a ton of bricks.
~ x ~ x ~ x ~
Miranda Bailey needed coffee. She needed a big cup and a few minutes alone before her 2nd shift started at 10pm. Bailey had about 30 minutes before rounds. She would take advantage of the momentary peace and quiet and walked quickly to the unoccupied conference room.
She opened the door and was surprised to find Addison Shepherd, staring off into space, in the darkened room.
“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be home by now?” Bailey demanded as she turned on the lights. The attending surgeon glanced towards the resident after adjusting her eyes to the sudden brightness.
“Yeah” Addison said softly and vaguely when Bailey’s question registered in her mind.
The Nazi noticed her friend’s sad disposition and even spied tear streaks on her face. “Hey, you alright, girl?”
“I’m fine” the other woman quickly said, unconvincingly.
“Right. You’re fine that’s why you’re sitting in the dark, looking all sad and weepy. You really look fine to me” Bailey said sarcastically.
Addison looked at her, eyes welling and then quickly averted her eyes. The younger doctor softened.
“What’s wrong, Addison?” she asked again softly, without the usual Bailey bravado.
Addison finally broke down. “I’ve just been thinking… about my life, about Derek… my marriage.”
“And?”
“And…” she trailed off. “I almost did something stupid, Miranda,”
“Stupid? What are you talking about?”
Addison just gave her a look.
“Oh, no. Tell me you didn’t, Addison. Tell me you didn’t do anything with Nathan.”
“I almost kissed him… but I stopped. I left him.”
Bailey let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good. You didn’t fall into temptation” she said, placing a comforting hand on Addison’s.
“I’m just tired” Addison said.
“Tired? Tired of what?” Bailey asked. Her friend was being incoherent.
Before Addison could answer, her mobile phone, which was on the table along with her pager, rang. When she didn’t make a move to answer after the fifth ring, Bailey motioned to it.
“Aren’t you going to answer that?”
“It’s Derek. He has been calling for the past 30 minutes. We were supposed to meet for dinner” she said matter of fact but still did not answer the phone.
The ringing stopped after a few seconds and the two women sat there in silence.
After 3 minutes, the phone started ringing again. Addison reached for it and held it for a few seconds, staring at the display, before pushing the end button. She rose up, placed her pager and phone in her bag and flashed Bailey a smile.
“Good night, Miranda. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She left Bailey staring after her.
~ x ~ x ~ x ~
Derek dialed Addison’s number again and waited. And as with his previous calls, all he got was her voicemail. This time, he opted to leave another message, his third in the last hour.
“Addison…Addie, please. Please call me when you get this. I just need to know you’re okay. The dinner doesn’t matter. I just need to know that you’re safe and well. Please.”
Derek ended his message and placed his phone back on the table. He hunched over and buried his face in his hands.
‘Where was she?’
He stood up and went to search for his keys. Derek made up his mind and decided to look for her himself. He was putting his wallet and phone in his pockets when the door to the apartment opened and Addison stepped in.
Derek stared at her and placed the items in his hands back at their original position on the mantle. Addison stared back. She broke eye contact then turned to close the door and placed her bag and coat down.
She walked over to her husband, stood a few feet in front of him and looked at his blue eyes.
Silence stretched between them for a moment before Addison took a deep breath and spoke.
“I’m tired, Derek.”
_______________________________________________
salmon_scrubs for another chapter on Last Chances and foolishly promised I will update TVC if she did. Well, she updated so I guess so will I. :)
Really, you guys should thank her.
Anyway, here it is. And as usual disclaimer in the previous chapters and special thanks to Suz for the beta.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Derek was jiggling his legs in anticipation. He checked the time again. 8:30 pm. Addison was running late. He reached over for his phone but thought better of it. Derek didn’t want to pressure her.
‘She’ll be here soon” he repeated to himself.
~ x ~ x ~ x ~
Nathan leaned his face closer to Addison’s. He inched his lips closer to hers until they were inches apart. Nathan then waited for Addison to bridge the gap.
It took a split second for Addison to make a move. She leaned her face closer and looked at Nathan’s lips. Addison brought her lips forward but deliberately missed Nathan’s. She instead placed her lips near his ear.
“Goodbye, Nathan” she whispered, then quickly kissed his cheek, stood up and gathered her things. Addison threw one final look at Nathan Ross before exiting Joe’s.
Upon arriving outside, she walked over to the corner of the building. Addison let her body lean against the wall and then unexpectedly doubled over. The reality of what would have happened if she didn’t walk away from Nathan, hit her like a ton of bricks.
~ x ~ x ~ x ~
Miranda Bailey needed coffee. She needed a big cup and a few minutes alone before her 2nd shift started at 10pm. Bailey had about 30 minutes before rounds. She would take advantage of the momentary peace and quiet and walked quickly to the unoccupied conference room.
She opened the door and was surprised to find Addison Shepherd, staring off into space, in the darkened room.
“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be home by now?” Bailey demanded as she turned on the lights. The attending surgeon glanced towards the resident after adjusting her eyes to the sudden brightness.
“Yeah” Addison said softly and vaguely when Bailey’s question registered in her mind.
The Nazi noticed her friend’s sad disposition and even spied tear streaks on her face. “Hey, you alright, girl?”
“I’m fine” the other woman quickly said, unconvincingly.
“Right. You’re fine that’s why you’re sitting in the dark, looking all sad and weepy. You really look fine to me” Bailey said sarcastically.
Addison looked at her, eyes welling and then quickly averted her eyes. The younger doctor softened.
“What’s wrong, Addison?” she asked again softly, without the usual Bailey bravado.
Addison finally broke down. “I’ve just been thinking… about my life, about Derek… my marriage.”
“And?”
“And…” she trailed off. “I almost did something stupid, Miranda,”
“Stupid? What are you talking about?”
Addison just gave her a look.
“Oh, no. Tell me you didn’t, Addison. Tell me you didn’t do anything with Nathan.”
“I almost kissed him… but I stopped. I left him.”
Bailey let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good. You didn’t fall into temptation” she said, placing a comforting hand on Addison’s.
“I’m just tired” Addison said.
“Tired? Tired of what?” Bailey asked. Her friend was being incoherent.
Before Addison could answer, her mobile phone, which was on the table along with her pager, rang. When she didn’t make a move to answer after the fifth ring, Bailey motioned to it.
“Aren’t you going to answer that?”
“It’s Derek. He has been calling for the past 30 minutes. We were supposed to meet for dinner” she said matter of fact but still did not answer the phone.
The ringing stopped after a few seconds and the two women sat there in silence.
After 3 minutes, the phone started ringing again. Addison reached for it and held it for a few seconds, staring at the display, before pushing the end button. She rose up, placed her pager and phone in her bag and flashed Bailey a smile.
“Good night, Miranda. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She left Bailey staring after her.
~ x ~ x ~ x ~
Derek dialed Addison’s number again and waited. And as with his previous calls, all he got was her voicemail. This time, he opted to leave another message, his third in the last hour.
“Addison…Addie, please. Please call me when you get this. I just need to know you’re okay. The dinner doesn’t matter. I just need to know that you’re safe and well. Please.”
Derek ended his message and placed his phone back on the table. He hunched over and buried his face in his hands.
‘Where was she?’
He stood up and went to search for his keys. Derek made up his mind and decided to look for her himself. He was putting his wallet and phone in his pockets when the door to the apartment opened and Addison stepped in.
Derek stared at her and placed the items in his hands back at their original position on the mantle. Addison stared back. She broke eye contact then turned to close the door and placed her bag and coat down.
She walked over to her husband, stood a few feet in front of him and looked at his blue eyes.
Silence stretched between them for a moment before Addison took a deep breath and spoke.
“I’m tired, Derek.”
_______________________________________________