We lie in the dark I know you're awakeThe only sounds are the sounds this old house makesBut, Oh, how I long, I long to hear your voiceDesperate to talk, yearning to touchBurning inside 'cause I want you so muchSo I say I need you and leave you no choice

Reese turned to lie on his back with a sigh. What had just happened? He just could not figure out how their love making that used to burn like an inferno now fizzled down to nothing. Julia used to be so giving so passionate and now it seemed that she had become listless. The eyes that used to seduce now stared on blankly as he thrust in and out of her body. Her voice that used to cry out in ecstasy had been turned into unenthusiastic groans of his name followed by oh's and ah's instead of her usual declarations of love. He knew she was faking and he felt a pang of guilt as he shot his release deep inside of her womanhood.

A creaking of the bathroom door rose him out of his somber thoughts and he turned his head towards her as she made her way to her side of the bed. She slipped silently beneath the duvet and curled on her side. He slipped from the bed and went into the en suite to clean himself up. He looked at himself in the mirror, critically, trying to see something in himself, anything that had caused his lover to lose interest in him so suddenly. Sure, he was a little up in age and not as in shape as he once had been but he knew Julia and she was anything but superficial. Still in all something had died between them and he was not sure what it was.

For a few weeks now, Julia had been acting unusually distant. He had taken her out once or twice and both times he had walked her to the door only receiving a quick peck on the lips and a polite goodnight. Usually she would invite him inside and they would share a nightcap. Their dinner conversation had also dwindled down to small talk about work and the weather. A few times this week he had phoned her for one of their late night talks and had been disappointed when she did not answer sometimes not returning his calls for days.

Tonight he had gotten her tickets to see an opera knowing how deeply she loved the arts. Afterwards they had gone to an Italian restaurant and he had gotten them a bottle of their finest red wine hoping he could seduce her. He had held her hand as he had walked her up to her doorstep and catching her off guard placed a kiss on her lips. Apparently the wine had worked because a good ten minutes later they were upstairs in bed together. It had been so long and Reese's control had been tenuous at best. He felt relief kick in and thought that maybe this was just a rough patch they were going through. Until he noticed how robotic her movements beneath him were. He tried to stop himself but he exploded guilt and pain creeping into his body as he came back to reality.

He stepped away from the mirror and returned to the darkened room. He noticed that she still lie on her side perfectly still. He slid into the bed laying flat on his back waiting to see if she would turn and cuddle against him but minutes passed and she did not move. He turned onto his side and spooned her from the back, letting his arm drape around her waist. He felt relief when she didn't pull away or flinch. Maybe she just needed a little tenderness.

"Julia, honey. You were wonderful. You are everything I need…I love you." he declared in a hushed voice as his fingers stroked her hipbone. He waited to see if she would respond. He knew she was awake for her breathing was too uneven for her to be asleep. Just when he had given up all pretense of her replying to him in anyway, she spoke softly into the dark room.

"I know, I love you too."

You lie you don't want to hurt meSo you lie, buy a little time, and I go alongWhat else can I do, maybe it's wrongBut you know how much I love youSo you lie 'til you can find a way to say goodbyeYou lie