Ric learned a valuable lesson from Dr. Peter Martin

If you don’t love her, someone else will

And why wouldn’t they?

She was beautiful, a brilliant attorney, a great mother... she was funny and when she laughed, it was a perfect laugh…

Why wouldn’t just anyone fall in love with her?

Why wouldn’t Dr. Peter Martin grab his chance to sweep her off her feet? Give her everything she wanted out a relationship, out of love?

How could Ric blame him?

And she seemed happy. Better than her usual ok. She seemed really happy to be with Dr. Peter Martin

Ric asked Viola how she was and Viola answered honestly that some days where better than others…

He wanted another honest answer when he asked had he made her cry?

Viola said yes she had but, then tried to cover by saying she just needed to take one day at a time

He was truly heartbroken over her and the way he had hurt her, deeply unforgivably hurt her

So he was trying desperately to give her space and to not smother her or beg her, maybe even let her figure out on her own she couldn’t live without him

But she didn’t come crawling back

Instead she held Peter’s hand in public places

And seemed happy when she was with him

And it wasn’t forced or for show. Ric saw this with his own eyes

(His own eyes trying desperately not to stare when he saw her at a distance with him)

And his attempts to talk to her were at a loss

He took the girls two to three days a week

With no fight, no disagreement about how much Ric should see the girls or what his involvement should be. Chloe deserved to have him in her life at every moment possible and Kristina was already bounced in and out of her biological father’s life she didn’t deserve to miss out on her step-father too, the man she adored…

Alexis tried not to be there when he picked the girls up

So his attempts to talk to her were at a loss

She couldn’t

Despite her protests of wanting to get over or be done with, it wasn’t that simple

She would work late or have to run and errand or even go out with Peter. It was her own way of healing or at least dealing with life without him

She knew she couldn’t keep it up. She knew that she would have to eventually look him in the eyes, see the man she loved so much…and then let go

Until then she kept her promise of scheduled visits, kept herself busy with Kristina and Chloe and the new house and buried herself in her work when the girls were gone or tried desperately to get on with her life with Peter

Today would be no different. When he came to pick up the girls Alexis was as usual absent

He would gather their toys and Chloe in his arms and guide Kristina to the car and Viola told them goodbye and reminded then they would see mommy tomorrow…

Ric wouldn’t again have a chance to say he was sorry, much less hello

He would take one last look at Viola as he told Kristina to wave goodbye and one last glace at the house he didn’t live in, in the rearview mirror

+++++++++++

Peter

What a perfect man

Maybe everything she had wished for…

Wished for years ago

Peter was in pursuit of her heart

And Alexis was falling in love with him

Peter made her forget

The way he touched her, kissed her made her believe how beautiful and smart and good she was… he was easy to fall in love with

And though in the back her mind the thought of Ric lingered she needed Peter in her life

She wanted Peter in her life

“The girls are staying the night with Ric” she said with a grin on her face as he poured her a glass of wine

“So this might mean I have the night with you?” Peter asked devilishly

“It might mean that” she said this time her grin turning into laughter

Peter leaned in kissing her now wine sealed lips

“Have I told you lately how incredible you are?”

“Incredible huh?” she said playfully

“Incredibly beautiful, incredibly sexy…” he said kissing her once again

She returned the kiss

She had never known what it felt like to be a high school girl kissing her boyfriend on the couch in her parent’s living room but she felt that way when she kissed Peter. It felt new and exciting and maybe even just a tad bit wrong

Peter’s pager interrupted them

Peter clenched his jaw as Alexis laughed in amusement at his disappointment

“So this is what it’s like dating a doctor” Alexis joked

“One second” he promised as he reached for the phone

Alexis leaned in seductively kissing at the lobe of his ear as he tried to concentrate on his phone call

“Um yes… that’s fine. Give Mr. Hollings only half the dose prescribed… yes… no problem…”

Peter hung up the phone

“Mr. Hollings ok?” She asked as she continued to kiss him

 “Not as ok as I am” he said grinning as he moved in closer to Alexis running his hands down her legs

++++++++++++++++++

He sat there for what seemed like forever

Kristina hadn’t make it through her bedtime story before she was sound asleep

Ric just held her in his arms

He thought he was destined to never have this life

To never hold his children in his arms

To never have a sole trust him and love him so unwaveringly…

She and Chloe were a constant reminder of everything that was right with the world

They were also a constant reminder of how he had broke his family apart

Of how he was given it all… one woman gave it all to him and he broke his family apart

He held Kristina in his arms against his chest

Watching her breathe, watching her eyelashes flutter with what he hoped where good dreams

He heard Chloe began to fuss and he quickly went to retrieve her from her crib in his  bedroom leaving Kristina to sleep peacefully with one last soothing kiss

“Hey there baby girl. It’s all right… its all right daddy’s here” he said lifting her from the crib

Tears streamed down her face but she quickly composed herself at the clutch of her daddies t-shirt

“I know you miss your mommy… I miss her too my sweet girl” Ric said as he continued to console her

+++++++++++++++++++

She was going to make love to Peter

He had been thoughtful and charming and nothing but patient in waiting to make love to her

And she made the first move

She pulled off his t-shirt running her hands down his bare chest

It felt like forever since she had been with someone who truly made her feel like she was wanted

She kissed him again this time more passionately

“Are you sure?”

Alexis only shook her head yes

Her shirt quickly gone

Tongue twisting kisses, hands touching where they had never touched before

Peter stood from the couch tugging at Alexis’s hand, to follow

She did without hesitation

Her body hit his sheets

Soft, cool

More clothes fell to the floor…

Black silk hitting the floor…

Bare, revealing skin

++++++++++++++++++++

Ric hand managed to get Chloe back to sleep

He tried to fall asleep himself but once again the thought of her wouldn’t go away

He thought of how she should be lying next to him

The way her lightly perfumed scent would linger in the air

The way her skin would press against his

And how he should be making love to her at that very moment

The way she kissed, how her lips tasted

The way she touched him… her fingers touching every sensitive parts of his skin

It made him shiver’

She was running through his head

The thought of her haunting him

He loved her, he loved her

“I love her” seeped through his lips and in to the air

++++++++++++++++++

He kissed her down her body

Alexis reeling in the feel of his kisses

Her mind racing

She was making love to Peter, she wanted to make love to Peter but Ric raced through her mind

She caught herself feeling Ric touch her not Peter

The way he touched her familiar no longer different, new

Why was she doing this?

Why was her mind… her heart doing this?

Why was she in bed with Peter thinking of Ric?

A kiss to the inside of her thigh made her shake from her thoughts as her throat choked on her own breath…

She couldn’t breath

Peter was kissing the inside of her thighs, she was suppose to be reeling in his mouth on her skin and instead she couldn’t breathe

Why couldn’t she breathe?

++++++++++++++

Ric shot up

It was too quiet

He stumbled over to Chloe’s crib

She was fine, sleeping and content

He sat back down on the side of the bed running the palms of his hands down his face

He couldn’t sleep without her anymore

He couldn’t think without her anymore

He suddenly felt like he couldn’t breathe without her anymore

What was happening?

Why all of a sudden was this realization so harsh? He knew all of this…

Why now couldn’t he breathe?

++++++++++++

“Peter” she said finally catching her breath

Hmm?

“Peter”

He looked up at her…

He looked up to see the blank but horrified look on her face

“I… Peter I can’t… Peter I can’t do this”

She sat up covering herself with her arms

He had done it to her again

Ric Lansing had done it to her again

Her heart vs. her body

And Ric Lansing… her heart, won

“I’m sorry”

“Alexis” Peter said with a lump in his throat

“I’m sorry” she said again as she searched for any sign of her clothes

“Alexis it’s ok”

“No it’s not… I have to go ok”

She stopped to look at Peter’s stunned face

“I’m so sorry” was all she could say

He watched her gather her clothes and desperately try and put anything on

She left him in bed…alone

End Ch. 12