Shaking my head, I realize that I fell asleep at Maria's beside. Embarrassed, I brush my hair out of my eyes, and see Danny standing in the door.
Gulp.
I brace myself waiting for Danny's speech.
This is going to be a lot of fun, I think to myself
I start to fiddle with my wedding band as Danny stands stoically in the doorway, just staring at me. His gaze is burning holes in my skin, but I refuse to make a move to the door. He was going to have drag me out kicking and screaming.
Still nothing. I should say something but I can't. I was not going to let Danny boss me around. Plus, I was enjoying this, knowing that I was driving him crazy.
Aleast nothing has changed. I still have it, I think happily to myself. I would much rather have Danny flustered and annoyed than a cold stranger.
To my surprise and shock, Danny walks over to his Grandmother's bed, and places a soft kiss on her temple. In a soft voice, he murmurs a prayer in Spanish.
Tears start to form in my eyes. This was the Danny that I knew
Not the cold and detached Danny.
Quietly, I get out of my chair, and sneak out the door, to give Danny some privacy. I peer in the glass window and watch Danny talking to his grandmother. Then suddenly, I feel like I am invading Danny's privacy, trespassing on a private, intimitate moment.
Turning away from the window, I begin to walk away. I am stopped dead in my tracks when Danny calls my name. Slowly, I turn around to face my husband. "Danny."
In two quick strides, Danny is standing in front of me, with his arms crossed against his chest. His eyes are boring into my face. "Is that all you have to say, Michelle?" he says coldly
I try to turn around from him, but his hands clamp down on my arm. "What do you want me to say, Danny? I am here because you came to my house and told me that I had to come with you to the hospital." I say, angry at his contast interrogations.
Danny lets out a snort. "I don't think that I need to remind you about the situation, Michelle. I want to know why you were in my grandmother's room?"
I whirl around, so I am now face to face with Danny. "For the last time, Danny, I am not a child, and I understand the situation. You have made it perfectly clear. I didn't think that it was wrong to visit our Grandmother. I care about her, Danny. And plus, I was getting bored for sitting around." I say hesitantly, afraid of his reaction.
"Like you care about me?" Danny says sarcastically
"Danny, please. I am really sorry about your grandmother. I know that this situation is my fault, but please Danny. " I say softly
"Michelle, just don't. I wish that I could believe you about my grandmother, but I can't. There is a part of me that does not believe a word that you say." He says sadly
Crushed, I nodded my head, and start to walk away. Before I reach the elevators, I turn around to see Danny in the middle of the hall, a defeat look on his face. "I hope that your grandmother gets better. And I, I..never mind, it is not important."
As I turn back to the elevators, the doors open, and I am shocked at the sight in front of me.
Carmen.
Oh, what I am going to do now?
"Carmen." I say nervously. Stepping aside, I let Carmen get off the elevator, and wait for her to start on us. When I turn around, I come face to face with Carmen, who is flashing a fake smile.
Her fake sincerity makes me sick.
"Michelle, I am so glad that you came. I know that Danny wanted you to be here." She says, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Oh, please. Glancing over at Danny, I give Carmen a genuine smile. "I know how much Danny loves his grandmother, and I wanted to be with him."
I should hate Danny for forcing me to be here but I don't. I just wanted to put off the inevitable.
I notice a look surprise on Danny's face when I flash a smile in his direction. As I hold his gaze, I notice gentleness in his eyes, which I had not seen since the night at Millenium.
As Danny stares at me, my whole body just melts. I feel like putty under his gaze. Pure mush.
For a brief second, a dazzling smile spreads across Danny's face. I feel like I am walking on air.
Not to break the mood, Danny walks over to my side, and wraps his arms around my waist. Pulling me close, my head finds a place on his warm chest.
Closing my eyes, I relish the feel of Danny's arms around me, and the smell of his cologne. This is not fake. This is not just for Carmen's sake. It was something that we both wanted. I knew Danny loved me but also knew, that he had to be the one to come back to me.
"Mama, I just talked to the doctor, and he said that Grandmother is going well. He wanted to talk to you about the test results though. Michelle was going to get some lunch, and I think that I will go with her. "
Saying goodbye to Carmen, I let Danny pull me into the elevator. Giving Carmen a smile, I enjoy the look in her eyes. Our display of marital felicity must be making her sick.
Within a couple of seconds of the door closing, Danny's arms drop from my waist and pulls away.
Well, it was nice while it lasted, I think to myself. As more people get into the elevator, Danny keeps moving over, so that he is in the other side of the elevator. So much for being the happily married couple. I try to catch his eye but he refuses to look at me.
When the elevator reaches the ground level, I don't even wait for Danny to say anything. He made his point loud and clear, and now, I am making mine.
I was my own person outside of this hospital. Danny Santos had already made enough of a mess of my life. I needed to get some semblance of a normal life back. I need some normalcy.
I wanted to be me again. Michelle Bauer.
But Danny Santos made me a different woman. He awakened a part of me that I never knew that existed. A part which went against everything that I believed in. Danny Santos represented everything that scared me. I was not even supposed to like him.
I kept telling myself that I hated him. I hated everything that he represented. He forced me to adopt a new life and a new identity. I was forced to become another person entirely. A person who had to push away all her beliefs and values to live with her own husband.
It was not supposed to be that way. I had always pictured my wedding day, and my groom.
Danny was not the man I had envisioned.
It had been so nice in my mind. We would met and date, and fall in love.
Our life would be like a fairy tale. And we would live happily ever after. Everything would be perfect.
Not the mess of a marriage that Danny and I had. Ever since I had met Danny, I had been on the defensive and fight him every step of the way.
Our marriage had become a battlefield. A war of two different worlds. I was too busy being angry with him than I was too blind to see the good side of him.
Then little by little, Danny had begun to crack me. There were moments when Danny had let down his guard, and showed a kinder, gentler side to him. He seemed so boyish, young and hopeful. In those moments, I saw a side to Danny that I actually liked.
I had not been lying when I told him that. I just wish that I had been nicer to him. I was just too stubborn to be anything than a spoiled brat.
Looking back, I always focus on the few good memories we shared. Still, it is hard to find the good memories admits all the bad. There has been some good. I tend to look at good than the bad. Those are the memories will be the ones that I will always remember.
Never the bad. Always the good.
Maybe, it will give me some peace of mind.
Pulling into the parking lot of Company, I take a deep breath, decided that a nice big lunch would help clear my mind. It would focus on something other than Danny and my failed marriage. I need some peace of mind.
How the hell was I kidding?
I needed Danny.
I wanted Danny.
I want my husband back.
I wanted the life that I had been resisting. I was willing to go back in the lion's den for Danny.
Danny.
My savior.
My nightmare.
Glancing up from my table, there is my dark prince standing right in front of me.
But this time, I am ready for battle.
Danny is not going to know what hit him.
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