“Destined to be Alone?”

Colin hung up his cell phone and clutched it to his forehead. He’d decided to call Ami, see if she wanted to stop by, maybe share some dinner, possibly spend the night. As soon as she’d answered the phone, though, he could tell by the tone of her voice that things weren’t exactly on track with the two of them. Ah well, he thought to himself, setting the phone aside, another relationship down the tubes.

“Well, aren’t we the pathetic pair,” Raine sighed as she flopped down on the couch next to Colin.

“How’s that then?” Colin asked, grinning at his little sister.

“Us... sitting here... all alone on a Friday night,” she told him, sulking, “Seems the two of us always will be unlucky in love.” She sighed, her arms crossed in front of her.

“Speak for yourself,” Colin chuckled, “Sure, I’ve had a run of bad luck lately...”

“Colin, please! Your last girlfriend caused you to break your leg... the one before that ran off with some weirdo, and what about the one that helped land you in jail?”

“She’s dead and I’d prefer you don’t mention her again, if you don’t mind,” Colin replied.

“Be that as it may, you and I sure know how to pick ‘em,” Raine said, “Face it, Colin, it’s in our genes - we’re doomed in the love department.

“So what’s with you and Adam, anyway?” Colin asked, taking the focus off of himself.

“I don’t know,” Raine whined, “Oh Colin, he and I were getting on so well until a few nights ago. I just don’t know what’s going on with him. He’s hiding something from me, I just know it. He keeps his emotions all bottled up inside him, won’t let me in. You did talk to him, didn’t you? I saw you go into his room this morning, figured you were going to talk to him about coming home drunk again last night.”

“Pretty certain it wasn’t the booze he was on,” Colin told her.

“Drugs then? Oh no! Did he confess?”

“Not outright, but he didn’t deny it, either.”

“It’s just not like him, really, it’s not,” Raine nearly sobbed, “I’m so worried something is going on with him and I don’t know what to do about it. You think maybe he’s unhappy with me? Maybe he regrets marrying me so quickly?”

“Nah, don’t think that’s it, really. I do however think something is troubling him enough that he’s trying to numb the effects of it all. At first I thought maybe it was because of that shootout, seeing the dead body and all. Now, however, I think it may be something else, something more. Give it time, luv, I’m sure the two of you can work through whatever the problem is. He’s a good bloke, just needs a bit of direction I think.”

Raine bit her lip, nodded. “I will, it’s just... hard. We didn’t exactly have the best role models growing up, you know.”

“You can say that again,” Colin chuckled.

“Speaking of parents...” Raine said, cocking an eyebrow at him, “what’s this I hear ‘round town that the baby your ex is carrying may in fact be yours?”

Colin cleared his throat, looked down at his hands. “Um... yeah... well, the timing of it all seems right, just sorta... fits, you know? She denies it of course, says it’s her husband’s child. I just don’t buy it, of course. Nothing I can do at the moment, though.”

“Do you... um... still love her?”

“That’s... um... complicated,” Colin replied, “I did... a lot... at one point.”

“Real love, true love, can’t be destroyed, I think,” Raine told him, dreamily.

“True love,” Colin repeated, “Yeah, well, true love died for me in a fiery crash a long time ago. Now I’ll just settle for a nice sheila that doesn’t try and kill me, ya know?” He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

She smiled, nodded, thinking quietly to herself for a moment, then said, “I think it’s true love Adam and I have, ya know? I do, I really love him and he loves me – I can tell.” She stood up, threw the throw pillow she’d been clutching at Colin, teasingly, “Thanks for talking with me, Colin... I’m going to go down to the garage and surprise Adam with dinner, then maybe later he and I can have a talk about what’s been troubling him.”

“Glad to help out,” Colin told her.

Raine smiled brightly, and quickly bounced out of the house to go meet Adam.

Colin sighed, lay back on the couch, thinking about his girlfriends past and wondering if he destined to remain alone forever.