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April 2002
"I can't believe you!" Torrie cried, tears streaming down her face as she stared at him. She couldn't remember a time in her entire life when she'd felt lower than she did right at that very moment.
"Torrie, I-" Adam cut off his own words, raking a hand through his mass of long blond hair. He turned to fully face her and tried to go toward her. She was his wife, after all, and she was hurting. It was unfair of him to put her through this.
"I don't hear you denying it," she moaned, tragedy brimming in her teary blue eyes. She felt heartbroken, yet furious at the same time in spite of her voice, which had softened in volume. She glanced around through her tears, searching for something to throw at him. Her favorite knickknack, a crystal unicorn embedded with tiny gems, sat on the nearby dresser. No, that was too beautiful and precious to waste on him.
"I love you, Torrie," he insisted. "You have to believe that." Adam closed the distance between them and pulled the platinum blonde close.
She seemed to soften against him ever so briefly, sniffling as she put her arms around him. She closed her eyes, and for a moment, everything felt as though it was going to be all right. But then, just as quickly, she pulled back almost violently.
"No! No! You can't just tell me you love me and make it all better, Adam!" She glared up at him with those tear-filled eyes and stepped back a few paces. She was angry enough to actually strike him, which was her reason for the distance.
The tall blond man blinked, eyeing her helplessly. He didn't know what else to do but spread his hands out to her. He shook his head as he spoke again.
"I... I don't know what else to say. What can I do to make this better?" It seemed they'd been fighting about the same things for the past several weeks, and frankly, it was upsetting him. He really did love Torrie, but it was getting to the point that Adam was beginning to wonder if he'd made a mistake... He'd married her awfully quickly after all.
Torrie cocked her head to stare at him, heartbroken. If she hadn't felt so horrible, she probably would have laughed at his question. Why, oh why were men always so clueless when it came to women's desires and feelings?
"If you don't know the answer to your own question, then it's really not worth it, is it?"
"Please, Tor," he said, his expression becoming one that resembled anguish. "I don't want to argue anymore. What do you want? Tell me." He stared at her helplessly, his gaze staying on her and noting the distinct change in her facial expression.
Then, the blonde grew serious and looked into his eyes, her gaze not wavering as she spoke.
"Well," she began, sniffling a tiny bit as the wheels of her mind were in motion, "there is something you can do for me. And if you do it, all will be forgiven."
Adam shook his head as he gestured with a shrug.
"What is it? I'll do anything," he said.
Torrie eyed him seriously. Would he really do as she was about to propose? If he did, then she would have absolutely no qualms and no questions about his love and loyalty toward her. And if he did her this one little favor, all of their problems would end.
"All right," she said evenly, still looking him directly in the eye. "There's one thing I would like you to do more than anything else."
"What is it?"
She remained silent for a beat as she stared into his sharply handsome face. Then, "I want you to stop seeing Amy."
The blond man frowned and regarded his wife strangely.
"I'm not 'seeing' Amy," he stated.
She eyed him dejectedly, slowly shaking her head. She'd had a feeling he would respond in precisely that way. If he was going to be unreasonable about it, there was no way this was going to work out.
"No," Torrie said softly, "I mean I want you to stop seeing her at all - as a friend."
Adam flinched at her words, and the gesture was not lost on the blonde woman. He knew it as well. He felt momentarily speechless as he simply stared at her. Disbelief coursed through him as he replayed in his mind what she had just requested - or, more aptly, demanded - of him.
Finally, he shook his head and rediscovered his voice. He ran a hand through his long golden hair in nervousness.
"I'm sorry, I can't do that."
Torrie's blue eyes widened, and her jaw dropped, mouth open as though in vast shock. Though in reality, she wasn't really all that surprised. Ever since that day at the hospital a couple weeks back, nothing really surprised her anymore.
"Amy is my friend," the Canadian went on. "And she's going through a rough time now, what with her neck surgery and all. I... I just can't abandon her." He shook his head, keeping his green orbs locked with Torrie's. "I can't."
The platinum blonde stared at him in silence for a moment. Her eyes were now completely dry, all of the fight having gone out of her. She felt defeated, and that was anything but a good feeling. The battle was over. Finally, she spoke again.
"Wellm then... If that's how you truly feel, that's how you feel." She moved around the bed and fiddled with
a throw pillow for a beat, then stopped and looked back up at him, directly meeting his eyes. "I want a divorce."