Peter finished hanging up his coat in the hall closet and entered the room wordlessly.
Kacie got up from the couch and met him, looking him over anxiously. "Honey, are you all right? Where were you? I got home from running errands, and you were gone. No note, no phone message, nothing."
He glanced at her briefly before looking away. "I was at my father's." He brushed past her and moved to sort aimlessly through mail laying on the living room table.
"I wish you would have called me to let me know. I was worried about you." She stared at his stiff back, a puzzled frown on her face.
"You know Pop doesn't have a phone. I didn't feel like going up and down three flights of stairs any more often than I had to today." Peter started for the kitchen to get himself a beer, but paused with one foot on the stair, rethinking the idea.
"Well, no matter. You're home now." She attempted to hug him, but he eeled out of her embrace.
Avoiding eye contact with her, he muttered, "I'm pretty tired tonight. I'm going to bed."
"Are you feeling all right, Sweetheart? You look really pale to me." Kacie put her hands on his arms and looked into his face searchingly.
"I told you. I'm tired. I'm going to bed." He pulled away from her touch and walked into the bedroom, closing the door firmly.
A few minutes later, she followed him. When she slipped into bed beside him, he rolled onto his side, turning away from her rather than taking her into his arms. Effectively rebuffed, she, too, turned on her side, staring at the wall, her back to his. {Oh, Peter. What's happening to us? We've drifted so far away from each other already. How can I possibly tell you something that would only make matters worse?}
Kacie awoke in the morning to find Peter already up and out of bed. She could smell his aftershave, and noted that the bathroom mirror was still fogged over from the shower's recent use. Throwing on her robe, she walked into the living room to find him sipping a cup of coffee as he pulled his jacket from the closet.
She stopped short and stared at him. "Where are you going?"
"To work." He set down his coffee cup long enough to shrug into his coat, picking it up again as he started for the front door.
"Work? Honey, you've only been home from the hospital for a week. You're supposed to be taking it easy."
"Captain Simms will have me chained to my desk for at least six weeks, anyway. I don't think I'll overexert myself pushing a pencil or typing on my computer."
"I thought maybe we could look at cars today. If we're both going back to work, we'll need two vehicles again." She slid her hands up the sleeves of her robe, suddenly feeling chilled.
He took a sip of his coffee and shrugged. "Get what you want. It's your car." He looked away from her and stared out the window in the living room.
"I'd really like it if you were there to give me your opinion about things." She attempted to joke with him. "You know that car dealers always bargain differently when a man is along."
"I already told you, I'm going to work. If you want, just use the Stealth for awhile. I'll get a cab."
"Honey, why don't I drive you? It won't take me a minute to get dressed." She started to shiver. It was definitely cold in the apartment, and it wasn't because the thermostat was set too low.
"I can't get in and out of the Stealth very well yet. I'll take a cab." He turned to leave without a glance.
"Hey, wait a minute." She reached out a hand to touch his arm, and felt the tenseness of his muscles. "Don't I get a kiss first?" Her grip tightened unconsciously.
Taking a deep breath, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek and disappeared through the front door.
Kacie started to climb the short flight of stairs to the kitchen, but stopped halfway up. She sat down, hugging her knees to herself and leaning against the wall. She shivered as she felt a cold chill creep into the very marrow of her bones.