Small town, big city heart

– taken by { @k8-obrien }

“Goodnight, Dex,” She said, her voice monotone with exhaustion and defeat. Niomi was no you. Now she felt more confused than ever. Luckily, she doubted she’d remember any of this in the morning. 

Dexter doubted he would be able to go back to sleep now. He waited, lying back down next to her but not wrapping her arms around her again. Maybe Kate was pissed at him, and somehow he thought he would be too. What was she eve thinking about him now? “I’m sorry.” he said, not sure if she could hear him and not really knowing what he was apologizing for.

“You left Niomi.” It was a statement, her mind having conjured up a memory of what Addison had told her a few nights ago. Her wide, grey-green eyes flitted from where her finger traced his jawline up to his.There was no emotion in her voice when she spoke, she wasn’t complaining or accusing. The thoughts that traipsed their way across her mind simply found their way out of her mouth, quiet, monotonous and matter-of-fact. “You’ll leave me, too.”

“That was...” he took a deep breath. “That was definitely something else. Okay? I was young, younger than you. And Niomi, god... she was so hard to deal with.” Dexter knew he was sounding like a jerk trying to make excuses for the shit he did in the past. He sighed again, rubbing his hands on his face and unable to look at Kate. “I’m not trying to say it was okay what I did. I still feel bad about it. I wish I could talk to Niomi and apolo-...” Dex was rambling and he knew it. Instead of keep trying to find the words, he just decided to say the ones he was sure he meant: “Niomi was no you.”

Pat Conroy, The Prince of Tides (via thelovejournals)

“Stay,” She muttered, forgetting that they were in his trailer, just wanting him near her.

He opened his mouth to reply her. He would stay, of course he would stay. But why couldn’t he shake the feeling that he shouldn’t? Dex finally lied down, letting out a sigh and allowing himself to get his body closer to hers. “I’m not going anywhere.” he finally said, his fingers going up and down on her back.

The worry in his voice was obvious, and she felt guilty for stressing him out. “M’sorry,” She said, for the third time this evening, her voice just above a whisper, her eyes on the floor like a chastised child, “I just wanted to be with you.”

Dex looked down, hoping she hadn’t noticed his hesitation. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” He said after all, trying to ignore the sudden weight on his shoulders. Dexter had promised himself he wouldn’t do it again. He couldn’t… The man cleaned his throat, looking up at her. “Do you want to lie down for a bit? You still look dizzy.”

“Fine,” She slurred, a pang of anger in her voice, “I’ll go back to Addison's’” She started looking around for her clothes, since she somehow knew she couldn’t walk back to Addie’s dressed as she was, in nothing but a t-shirt, “Where are my clothes?”

 “I didn’t mean it like that. I was just being worried... you walking around completely drunk...” a sickening thought hit him, Kate walking alone, finding someone with anything but good intentions. He shook his head. She was fine. “I’m glad you’re here, okay? Please stop.”

“I’m my own problem, not yours.”

“So you thought wondering off in the middle of the night, drunk as hell, was a better option? You should’ve called” he insisted, surprised by the concern in his voice. “Or...” Dex sighed, trying to fix it. “I don’t know, Kate, should’ve stayed at Addison’s? Do you have any idea of how... okay, no. I won’t lecture you, that’s bloody stupid.” he closed his eyes for a second and opened them again, reaching his arm to her face. He knew that was too, a dangerous move, but it wasn’t like Kate would remember it the next morning. “I want to look after you. You might not be used to that but goddamn it, let me.”

She shook her head, then immediately regretted the action because her head began to spin. “S’your fault. Used to be able to handle alcohol…before you. Now I only drink beer. S’Vodka I can’t handle now.”

He laughed lightly at her statement, running his thumb across her knee. “Hey, don’t you blame this on me. It’s not my fault if beer is all I can afford.” he joked, shrugging. His face turned into a more serious expression as he looked at her face. “Have you guys been drinking since that last time you texted me? Kate... why didn’t you call me?”

She turned her face in to his neck, closing her eyes and leaning her head on his shoulder, sighing contentedly in a moment of tenderness that she would have forgotten by the morning.

“This is by far the drunkest I’ve ever seen you.” the man chuckled, running his hands up and down her back and kissing her shoulder. “You almost gave me a goddamn heart attack too.”

The water was sobering, and at some point she found herself sliding down the shower wall, sitting with her back against the cool tiles, just enjoying the soothing sensation of the water. When she finally felt a little bit more human, she gestured for Dex to turn off the faucet, reaching for his hand to help her to her feet.

He got up, offering his hands to help her up and reaching for a towel to wrap around her shoulders. “Better?” Dex asked, helping Kate out of the rest of her wet clothes and sitting her down in the toilet seat as he left to get a t-shirt for her. He gestured it to her, smiling lightly. “It’s your t-shirt anyway. C’mon, let me help you. Reach up.”

She tried to stand up, putting a hand on his shoulder to push herself to her feet, but she only got halfway before dizziness took over and she collapsed back onto the floor beside him, her knees cracking on the bathroom floor as she did so. “Ow.” The pain didn’t fully register in her intoxicated state, but it would be there tomorrow.

The man helped Kate getting inside the box, turning on the shower and holding her steady to allow the water run through her body.

And that was why she was crouched over Dex’s toiled at four o’clock in the morning, retching her guts up, mascara mingling with the tears that streaked down her face. 

It was dark, so he could hear her more than see her. She made her way to the bathroom and Dex sat up, now a bit alarmed at the sound of her getting sick. “Kate!” he got out of the bed, turning on the bathroom’s light and finding her kneeled in front of the toilet, looking a mess. “Oh, man.” Dex said, sitting down next to her and getting some of her hair out of her face. “Jesus, Kate. What happened?” it was retorical question, he could imagined what had happened very well.