mad_muses - April 2.2.1 - I Hold Her
And now I'm glad I didn't know//The way it all would end, the way it all would go//Our lives are better left to chance//I could have missed the pain//But I'd have had to miss the dance ~Garth Brooks
Randall had just tucked Frankie in on the couch and had been laying in bed for about fifteen minutes when there was a knock at the door. He got up and went to answer it, glancing at the couch on his way. Frankie was still out. Randall looked out the peephole and relaxed when he saw Heather on the other side. He opened the door.
"Hey," he said softly, letting her in.
She stepped in and stopped just inside the door, keeping her eyes to the floor. "Hi," she replied quietly. "Sorry...I know it's late."
"No. It's fine. Everything okay?"
"I just...can't sleep. Wanted to see Frankie."
"He's asleep."
"I know...I just...I need to see him." She glanced up at Randall and he noticed the slight fear in her eyes.
"Of course," he nodded. He stepped aside and watched her walk over to the couch. She pulled the blankets up over her son and kissed his head, hovering over him for a bit. After awhile, Randall went to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, before guiding her to his room where they could talk without waking the kid. He set her on the bed and sat beside her. "What's going on?"
Heather rubbed her hands over her knees nervously and shrugged. She looked over at Randall. "Talked to him."
"To who? Peter?"
She nodded and bit her lip. "Yeah. He's...he's pretty upset."
"He'll get over it. He can't touch you here." Randall sighed and reached out to push her hair behind her ear. She looked over at him, tears rising in her eyes.
"It wasn't supposed to go like this," she said. "It...he was supposed to be a good man."
"I'm sorry." He brushed her cheek.
"I wanted a good life for Frankie. It's all I ever wanted."
Randall turned from her a bit and ran his fingers through his hair. He watched his feet and shook his head slowly. "Kinda what I planned on giving you," he murmured.
"I wanted it," she nodded, looking over at him.
"And...we hit a rough patch and you gave up."
"Randy," she sighed. Her hand reached for his cheek, but fell to her lap instead. "We wouldn't have been happy. Forcing it to work."
"Guess not."
"And...and you're happy now, right?"
He met her eyes, nodding slowly. "Very."
"So...there you go. It worked out for you." She looked down to her hands and tears fell into them. Randall sighed deeply and moved his arm around her, pulling her close. He kissed the top of her head.
"It wasn't easy," he whispered. "You two were my life." Her arm slipped around his waist as she relaxed against him. "I don't wish we hadn't split up...but I wish you'd never moved away. I could have taken care of you two if you'd been here."
She started to shake against him as she cried. "Take care of me now."
"I'm here." He wrapped his arms around her tighter. "You're safe."
"Just...hold me tonight?" Her request came out timid.
His eyes closed and his lips rested to the top of her head. "I don't think that'd be appropriate," he said slowly. "My girlfriend might not like it so much."
"Please," she begged. "I...I haven't been sleeping and...I just-I need to sleep."
He let out another deep sigh, then pulled from her slowly. "Okay."
She wiped her face and leaned down to kick her shoes off, then leaned over against his pillow. He turned off the lights and lay down beside her, wrapping a light arm around her. He felt her exhale slowly and curl against him. He rubbed her back gently, waiting for her to drift off.
"I don't think anyone will treat me as good as you," she murmured against him.
"If they don't...they don't deserve you," he replied.
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Randall had just tucked Frankie in on the couch and had been laying in bed for about fifteen minutes when there was a knock at the door. He got up and went to answer it, glancing at the couch on his way. Frankie was still out. Randall looked out the peephole and relaxed when he saw Heather on the other side. He opened the door.
"Hey," he said softly, letting her in.
She stepped in and stopped just inside the door, keeping her eyes to the floor. "Hi," she replied quietly. "Sorry...I know it's late."
"No. It's fine. Everything okay?"
"I just...can't sleep. Wanted to see Frankie."
"He's asleep."
"I know...I just...I need to see him." She glanced up at Randall and he noticed the slight fear in her eyes.
"Of course," he nodded. He stepped aside and watched her walk over to the couch. She pulled the blankets up over her son and kissed his head, hovering over him for a bit. After awhile, Randall went to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, before guiding her to his room where they could talk without waking the kid. He set her on the bed and sat beside her. "What's going on?"
Heather rubbed her hands over her knees nervously and shrugged. She looked over at Randall. "Talked to him."
"To who? Peter?"
She nodded and bit her lip. "Yeah. He's...he's pretty upset."
"He'll get over it. He can't touch you here." Randall sighed and reached out to push her hair behind her ear. She looked over at him, tears rising in her eyes.
"It wasn't supposed to go like this," she said. "It...he was supposed to be a good man."
"I'm sorry." He brushed her cheek.
"I wanted a good life for Frankie. It's all I ever wanted."
Randall turned from her a bit and ran his fingers through his hair. He watched his feet and shook his head slowly. "Kinda what I planned on giving you," he murmured.
"I wanted it," she nodded, looking over at him.
"And...we hit a rough patch and you gave up."
"Randy," she sighed. Her hand reached for his cheek, but fell to her lap instead. "We wouldn't have been happy. Forcing it to work."
"Guess not."
"And...and you're happy now, right?"
He met her eyes, nodding slowly. "Very."
"So...there you go. It worked out for you." She looked down to her hands and tears fell into them. Randall sighed deeply and moved his arm around her, pulling her close. He kissed the top of her head.
"It wasn't easy," he whispered. "You two were my life." Her arm slipped around his waist as she relaxed against him. "I don't wish we hadn't split up...but I wish you'd never moved away. I could have taken care of you two if you'd been here."
She started to shake against him as she cried. "Take care of me now."
"I'm here." He wrapped his arms around her tighter. "You're safe."
"Just...hold me tonight?" Her request came out timid.
His eyes closed and his lips rested to the top of her head. "I don't think that'd be appropriate," he said slowly. "My girlfriend might not like it so much."
"Please," she begged. "I...I haven't been sleeping and...I just-I need to sleep."
He let out another deep sigh, then pulled from her slowly. "Okay."
She wiped her face and leaned down to kick her shoes off, then leaned over against his pillow. He turned off the lights and lay down beside her, wrapping a light arm around her. He felt her exhale slowly and curl against him. He rubbed her back gently, waiting for her to drift off.
"I don't think anyone will treat me as good as you," she murmured against him.
"If they don't...they don't deserve you," he replied.
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