This is the sequel to Dumb Blondes.  I tried, but just couldn't leave Colin hanging. 
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"I love you…." Colin cried to the empty hall.  His head was buried in his hands.  The door had been closed and he didn't have the willpower to open it again.  He knew he should go in and make things right, but he was afraid of what she might say.

As you know, the reunion had been a flop.  More like disaster really, of immense proportions.  Colin sat, quivering and stunned on the floor for about an hour.  As he did, several people walked by and glared down at him.  Since he still had his head buried in his knees, Colin didn't notice.

Once the tears had subsided, Colin reasoned that he should get out of the hallway.  He wiped his eyes and headed down to the lobby.  Stopping at the front desk and trying to get another room, made him realize his wallet was missing.  Colin tried to put the charge onto the other room, explaining that he'd had a fight and couldn't go back there.  The desk clerk, disgruntled and unsympathetic, had refused.

Colin sulked out of the hotel and wandered in aimless thought around Toronto until the sun came up.  When it did, he found himself back inside the elevator and heading to the hotel room.  He knew exactly what he was going to tell to his wife, exactly how to make things right.  And he wasn't leaving until she heard what he had to say.

He never got the chance.  Debra was already gone.

Colin stood in the doorway dejected and alone.  On the bed were the photographs, exactly where they were before.  His stuff was still scattered around the room and on the desk was his plane ticket. 

He searched fervently for a note of some kind; he even checked the phone for messages.  But alas, there was nothing to be found.  Everything was how he had left it; except for the absence of his wife and her things.  In the bathroom, he found his boxer shorts.  They were the ones Debra was wearing earlier for comfort from her fever. 

"How did this happen!?!" he screamed to the empty room.  "What did I do?" Colin even startled himself with the outburst.  His arms flailed around him.  "I didn't do anything," he shook his head and sat down on the edge of the bed unsure of what to do next.

When the tantrum subsided, he sighed and reached for the phone.  After dialing, it rang several times until someone picked up. 

"Hello," he heard a female voice say. 

"Pat?" he asked.  "I gotta talk to Ryan, please tell me he's there."

There was a brief pause and Colin could hear the other phone being moved. 

"Hey buddy," he heard Ryan say.  Colin was about to speak when Ryan interjected, "Uh…hold on a sec…"

Colin shut his mouth and turned his head to face the wall.  Several seconds later Ryan spoke again, "Sorry, I had to take this outside….Now, what the hell did you do?"  Ryan asked accusatorily. 

Colin was taken aback.  News sure traveled fast. "Nothing," he said. "I swear."

"Well, nothing sure isn't what Pat was talking to Debra about for the past three hours," he explained.  "They just got off the phone, I figured you were trying to call me."

"I don't know what happened," Colin said, the queasy feeling was quickly returning to his stomach.  "It was just a stupid reunion and now…"

Ryan chuckled.  "You're sunk."

"Yes.  Sunk.  Very, very sunk," Colin agreed solemnly.  "I didn't do a damn thing Ry, you have to believe me."

"I know you didn't."  Ryan said calmly, "But wow, whoever that was really did a good job of stirring up problems," he paused.  "I think Pat's mad at me even taking this call.  I tried to stand up for you buddy, I really did."

Colin shook his head.  "Do you know where she's going?" he asked. 

"Home…Vancouver," Ryan replied.  "But I doubt she'll stay there for long."

Colin sighed.  "I don't understand.  Why won't she even listen to me?"

"You broke her heart," Ryan said unwavering.  "How's she to know if this didn't really happen?  And I'm sure that seeing you again would just bring up the fact that it could be true."

Colin's raised an eyebrow.  "When did you become so insightful?"

"Eavesdropping…it's a very useful skill."  Ryan replied, and then he paused.  "Look, joking aside, you'd better make things right again, and fast."

"I know." Colin replied.


"She's going to leave you," Ryan said quietly.  "Pat said that Deb wouldn't stand for being cheated on and…well…"

Colin bit his lip and felt his stomach churn.  "I'd better go then."

"Yeah.  Good luck buddy…call me," he heard Ryan say before hanging up.

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Six hours and one lonely plane ride later, Colin found himself sprinting up his driveway in the rain.  The car that had been left at the airport was parked outside, so he took that as a sign Debra was home.

Sure enough, the front door was unlocked.  Colin pushed it open slowly.  He took a deep breath and went inside. 

"Deb…. are you here?" he asked softly.

There was no reply.

Colin spoke a little louder.  "Sweetheart…please, I need to talk to you."

From the other room, Colin heard a muffled cry shout, "I'm sorry." The statement confused him, but at least she was home.  Colin jumped in excitement and dashed up the stairs and into their bedroom.  His wife was lying face down in a pillow.  "Whatever I did, I'm sorry," she whimpered.

"What?" he asked.  "No, no.  You didn't do anything."

Debra shook her head in the fabric and then sat up.  "I must have.  I drove you away…. to someone else."

"It was lie.  All of it."  Colin said, tearing up.  "All of it."

He sat down at his wife's side and picked up her hand.  When she looked in his eyes, he could see she was hurting.  He had to make it right.

"I love you," he said.  "Please…. believe me when I say nothing happened."

Debra sniffled and nodded her head.  "I want to…but…"

Colin gathered himself emotionally and became very sincere.  "Look at me."

Debra gazed at his knees, so Colin put his hand on her face and lifted her chin.  He looked her in the eyes.

"I love you," he said.  "I would never do anything to hurt you.  I will never cheat on you, and I will never give you a reason to doubt that what we have isn't forever."

Debra closed her eyes as he took a breath to continue, "What happened last night…I can't really explain."  He shook his head.  "All I know, is that that…woman," he said with disgust, "had some kind of score to settle with me, so she set me up."  Colin took his hand off her cheek and let it rest on the bed.  "There's no way for me to prove to you that I'm telling the truth," he surrendered.  "You're just going to have to believe me… I hope to God you can."

Debra nodded solemnly and bit her lip.  She held out her arms and with relief, embraced her.  He held her tight and knew everything would be okay.  She released her hold on him and he leaned back.  She was still teary when he looked at her.  Slowly, Colin moved in to kiss her.

"No," she said softly, backing away.  "I'm sorry." 

Colin smiled meekly, "It's okay," he said.  "I would have left me too."

She shook her head and closed her eyes, then whispered, "That's not what I mean…"

Colin cocked his head to the side and watched her look up at him sorrowfully.

"I'm sorry Colin.  I love you…I trusted you.  But, I don't believe you."

In one brief moment, Colin felt his life leave him.  The sinking feeling inside was like nothing he'd ever felt before.  He was completely alone.  And the one person, who was always there for him, had just vanished.

Debra stood up and sniffled, then slowly walked to the door.  She held it open and hung her head.  "Please…go," she said, eyes closed.

Colin breathed out and stood up.  He was shaky and weak in the knees.  Slowly, he did as she asked, stopping only in the doorway to face her.

"I do love you," he whispered, "whether you believe me or not…I always will."  When she didn't even look up at him, he left the room.

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It always rained in Vancouver.  Most the time, Colin enjoyed its tranquility.  But as he sat on the front step, the rain took a different meaning than before.  Drops, falling to the ground and on his face, were the tears he could no longer cry. 

Colin sat in desperation and several minutes later, heard the door open behind him. 

"I can forgive you…" he heard Debra say.  "If you'll just tell me the truth…about her.  And why."

"I did tell you the truth," Colin whispered, staring straight ahead.  "I could never do something that would hurt you." 

Debra let out an exhausted sigh and wiped a tear from her cheek.  She sat down on the step next to him. 

"You shouldn't be outside…you're sick," he said, starting to get up.  She put a hand on his shoulder and gently pressed him back down.

Debra ignored his caring remark.  "I've always been so afraid of loosing you," she admitted.  "But I never thought it would come to this.  I have to know," she said, looking over at him.  "I can't stay if you've cheated.  I promised myself that the day we got married."

"I know," he said softly.  "…I wouldn't expect you to."

Debra unrolled the tissue in her hand and wiped her eyes, but the tears were replaced with raindrops.

"I've thought about it before," she said blankly.  "Having an affair…that is." 

Colin shuddered at the thought and swallowed.  "You did?"

Debra bit her lip.  "Yes."  She looked at the floor.  "I guess that's why I understood that you did too."  Colin was silent as she met his gaze.  "We've been through some rough times, you know."

Colin nodded.  "Yeah…but I never even considered leaving.  I'm surprised that you…" he trailed off.

"I never acted on it, and it would take a lot for me to leave you…  I'm just saying that the opportunity presented itself," she admitted.

Colin sighed.  "I just don't understand why…are you willing to believe a complete stranger before me?  Have I given you a reason to not trust me?" he asked, staring off into the rain.

"No…you haven't," she replied, "But in those pictures, that complete stranger was… making love to my husband." 

"Hardly," Colin replied dryly.  "I thought she was going to kill me."  He ran his hand over his wet scalp.

"What do you mean?" Debra asked.

"She pinned me against a wall and attacked me," Colin said regretfully.  "I didn't want to hurt her, but when I tried to fight back she punched me…. then she jumped me."

Colin started to unbutton his shirt and pointed to a bruise on his left shoulder.  "Right here," he said motioning to the black and blue area.  Debra gently moved the yellow cloth of his shirt aside and put her palm on his skin.  Colin felt instantly warmer from her touch.  He closed his eyes to relish in the sensation, and then rubbed his throat.  "She had me by the neck for a while too," he added.  "I guess it was to get the pictures she wanted…"

Debra could see marks on his skin.  She raised her hand up and put her fingers lightly around his throat.  The cuts were definitely from fingernails.  It looked like attempted strangulation.

"Dear God," she whispered.  "Anything else?"

Colin lifted his left hand and slid off his wedding band.  "She took this from me…." he said, handing it to his wife.  "That hurt the most.  I put up a fight, but those damn fingernails…"

Debra looked at the ring in her hand.  She flipped it around and noticed a dark, red stain on the inside.  With her nail, she flaked it off.  It fell to the wet ground and dissolved. 

The object's beveled, golden edge rested on her matching band.  She smiled at the sight, and then realized something.  Colin's left wrist was swollen and bruised in several places.  She picked up his hand from where it now lay at his side. 

As she examined it, he remained silent and staring into the rain.  She inspected the area where his ring was usually found.  Having worn it constantly for the past fifteen years had left an un-tanned loop around his finger.

Colin looked down at his hand as it lay in hers.  Debra rubbed at the area around his finger.  Several drops of blood began to form and roll down his knuckle from tiny cuts in his flesh.  His finger throbbed as she felt his skin and he flinched in pain. 

Colin watched silently as his wife slid the gold band back into its familiar place.  It felt good there, he always felt so naked without.  Then, raising his hand to her lips, she and the rain kissed the blood away.

Colin bit his lip and gently pressed her head to his chest.  As they sat in the rain, he stroked her hair and softly kissed her cheek.  She clutched her hands around his arms.

"I'm sorry," she cried into his shirt.  "I can't let you go."

"I won't let you," he whispered back.