couples_therapy | 54.4. Unrequited
54.4. Unrequited (from Week 51)
[Follows THIS and part of Tim's 'Not Hungover' plot]
Tim was silent as he waited for Lyla to sit down in the seat beside him. Ironically, it was the one Sam had not long ago vacated to go look at a couple of places to rent with Jason. His face remained impassive when she smiled at him and tried to take his hand, but he just moved it out of her reach before she could. He was feeling like crap and wasn’t in a good mood because of it, but this had to be done sooner rather than later. She had to know.
“Do you need anything?” Lyla asked in the same passive voice she always attempted when she desperately needed her own way. She faltered when he pulled his hand away, but didn’t comment, instead folding her hands in her lap and leaning forward. “I can get you anything you need.”
“Lyla,” Tim said quietly. “Ya’ gotta stop this shit. Alright? I get ya’ probably ain’t too happy ‘bout Sam because ya’ probably think I shoulda had some sorta grievin’ time over ya’ or whatever. But shit happens. An’ I dunno why ya’ got sucha bug up ya’ ass ‘bout Six and Mac, but I ain’t gonna let ya’ just get around here badmouthin’ them ‘cause we ain’t doin’ what ya’ think we should. It ain’t gonna happen, Lyla. Ya’ had ya’ chance. Ya’ wanted the Vanderbilt life which I ain’t ever gonna be part of. I don’t have any feelin’s for ya’ anymore beyond somethin’ nice that’s now gone. Someone else is takin’ care of what I need, alright? Ya’ve only come back ‘cause ya’ know I’m with Sam and ya’ can’t handle the fact someone else is with me.”
When the tears were switched on, Tim didn’t react this time. He probably would have in the past. She had gotten him to agree to do many a thing that way. “That’s not true. I love you. I never stopped. It was your choice to end this and then you moved on to her before I’d barely even stepped out of your bed. Were you sleeping with her when we were together? Is that it?” she demanded accusingly.
Tim sighed, closing his eyes with a shake of his head. “I wasn’t damn well sleepin’ with her. I ain’t the one that sleeps ‘round when I’m in a relationship, Lyla,” he threw back at her.
A look of disgust swept over Lyla’s face and she looked like she wanted to slap him, but maybe God Almighty stopped her hitting someone on their sick bed. Who knows? Tim knew he certainly didn’t care. “So, this is it then. It’s really over,” she said stiffly, her posture matching her words. “You really did want her when you were with me. It’s Jason all over again. I should’ve known you would never change.”
“Ya’ can keep Six outta this, Lyla. He ain’t done anythin’ t’deserve ya’ badmouthin’ him repeatedly.” Tim looked at her with an unreadable expression on his face. “Yeah, ya’ shoulda known that. Maybe if ya’ had, ya’ woulda stopped tryin’ so hard t’change every goddamn thing ‘bout me.”
“And maybe if you had listened you wouldn’t be lying here like some sort of loser drunk!” Lyla snapped back, getting irritated that he wasn’t listening to her. “Dad was right. He always said you would end up like this.”
Tim just looked at her as if a stranger was sitting beside him. In a sense, she was. This wasn't the person he had fallen for and vested so much time in pursuing. Everyone really had changed. “Well, that ain’t ya’ problem no more, Lyla,” was all he said. “Have a good time at Vanderbilt.”
Lyla glared at him, clearly wanting to say more but answering him with just a shake of her head. “You deserve each other,” she growled and stood up, grabbing her bag to storm out of his hospital room.
Tim just dropped his head back against his pillow with a slight smirk. “Yeah, we do…”
Jason is itwontstopme and Mac is comeswithcuffs, both referenced here with permission. Not linked to, or binding on, any Lyla muses in existence.
Partner | Sam Jameson [supermarketsam]
Word Count | 668
[Follows THIS and part of Tim's 'Not Hungover' plot]
Tim was silent as he waited for Lyla to sit down in the seat beside him. Ironically, it was the one Sam had not long ago vacated to go look at a couple of places to rent with Jason. His face remained impassive when she smiled at him and tried to take his hand, but he just moved it out of her reach before she could. He was feeling like crap and wasn’t in a good mood because of it, but this had to be done sooner rather than later. She had to know.
“Do you need anything?” Lyla asked in the same passive voice she always attempted when she desperately needed her own way. She faltered when he pulled his hand away, but didn’t comment, instead folding her hands in her lap and leaning forward. “I can get you anything you need.”
“Lyla,” Tim said quietly. “Ya’ gotta stop this shit. Alright? I get ya’ probably ain’t too happy ‘bout Sam because ya’ probably think I shoulda had some sorta grievin’ time over ya’ or whatever. But shit happens. An’ I dunno why ya’ got sucha bug up ya’ ass ‘bout Six and Mac, but I ain’t gonna let ya’ just get around here badmouthin’ them ‘cause we ain’t doin’ what ya’ think we should. It ain’t gonna happen, Lyla. Ya’ had ya’ chance. Ya’ wanted the Vanderbilt life which I ain’t ever gonna be part of. I don’t have any feelin’s for ya’ anymore beyond somethin’ nice that’s now gone. Someone else is takin’ care of what I need, alright? Ya’ve only come back ‘cause ya’ know I’m with Sam and ya’ can’t handle the fact someone else is with me.”
When the tears were switched on, Tim didn’t react this time. He probably would have in the past. She had gotten him to agree to do many a thing that way. “That’s not true. I love you. I never stopped. It was your choice to end this and then you moved on to her before I’d barely even stepped out of your bed. Were you sleeping with her when we were together? Is that it?” she demanded accusingly.
Tim sighed, closing his eyes with a shake of his head. “I wasn’t damn well sleepin’ with her. I ain’t the one that sleeps ‘round when I’m in a relationship, Lyla,” he threw back at her.
A look of disgust swept over Lyla’s face and she looked like she wanted to slap him, but maybe God Almighty stopped her hitting someone on their sick bed. Who knows? Tim knew he certainly didn’t care. “So, this is it then. It’s really over,” she said stiffly, her posture matching her words. “You really did want her when you were with me. It’s Jason all over again. I should’ve known you would never change.”
“Ya’ can keep Six outta this, Lyla. He ain’t done anythin’ t’deserve ya’ badmouthin’ him repeatedly.” Tim looked at her with an unreadable expression on his face. “Yeah, ya’ shoulda known that. Maybe if ya’ had, ya’ woulda stopped tryin’ so hard t’change every goddamn thing ‘bout me.”
“And maybe if you had listened you wouldn’t be lying here like some sort of loser drunk!” Lyla snapped back, getting irritated that he wasn’t listening to her. “Dad was right. He always said you would end up like this.”
Tim just looked at her as if a stranger was sitting beside him. In a sense, she was. This wasn't the person he had fallen for and vested so much time in pursuing. Everyone really had changed. “Well, that ain’t ya’ problem no more, Lyla,” was all he said. “Have a good time at Vanderbilt.”
Lyla glared at him, clearly wanting to say more but answering him with just a shake of her head. “You deserve each other,” she growled and stood up, grabbing her bag to storm out of his hospital room.
Tim just dropped his head back against his pillow with a slight smirk. “Yeah, we do…”
Jason is itwontstopme and Mac is comeswithcuffs, both referenced here with permission. Not linked to, or binding on, any Lyla muses in existence.
Partner | Sam Jameson [supermarketsam]
Word Count | 668