The last thing I ever wanted to write...

I knew things hadn't been going well for a few weeks. Barry was distant and it seemed liked he had too much on his mind. For the millionth time I wished I was a telepath, like him. I asked him what was going on and each time it seemed as though he distracted me. I admit, each of Barry's kisses and every touch just wipes away all thought. Lately his kisses had become more urgent, even rough, and while I'd never been one to shy away from raucous sex, it worried me. He was gone so many late nights between the hotel and "secret" meetings with Stan, that I was not allowed to know anything about. How frustrating. But what right did I have to complain? It wasn't as though we were married, and being the telepath for a vampire king was an honor. I couldn't expect to always be included.

But the secrecy had me worried....

He came home late that night. As usual, I had dinner ready in the kitchen and for the life of me, I can't remember what it was now. When I heard the door, I'd rushed to meet him. His face was pale, and his eyes were red. He looked exhausted, yet his eyes were blazing with a look I'd never seen before. "Barry...what's wrong?" Ignoring my words, he took a step towards me, wrapping his arms around me tightly, too tightly. My chest ached and it hurt to breathe, I had to push on him to break the hug. "Barry, you're hurting me!" Finally, he released me and I sucked in air. Still he hadn't said anything. "You're scaring me, B. What's going on?" He took my hand and led me into the living room and sat down, pulling me to sit next to him. I remembering thinking: This is bad. This is really, really bad. A knot had grown in my middle, feeling like an anchor sinking me down. He held my hand and I stared at it. When he spoke, his voice was rough, sounding unfamiliar and coarse.

"Stan is sending me away, Sug'. He needs me to go overseas, I can't tell ya where. But ya can't come with Evelyn." At first I was angry, and I snapped back "What do you mean I can't come? That's ridiculous. I go where you go." His eyes never left mine while he talked "No, ya can't. I have orders from Stan to go alone. It's too dangerous for you to come with and ya need to move in with the Nest. I already put Taylor into hiding."
I yanked my hand away, and stood up, feeling hysterical as I yelled back at him. "You sent our daughter away? Where? Without telling me? How long are you going to be gone, Barry!"

Here he looked away and my eyes filled with tears at his words. "Permanently". I stood in shock, staring at him while my vision got cloudy, my mind reeling with his words. They rang over and over in my head and I sat where I stood on the ground, looking up at him. "You're leaving me? Forever? Barry... you're breaking up with me?" Without meeting my gaze, he nodded. "Sug... this is that last thing I want to do but I have no choice. I'm not going to make you wait around for possibly years for me." He stood, and pulled his arms around me, holding me while I sobbed, telling me that he loved me, and that it was for the best. I barely heard him through my racking sobs, and before I knew it he was packing up a suitcase and walking out the door, leaving me alone in his house that I had known as my home...