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Post by Sydney Cates on Aug 12, 2009 16:20:29 GMT -5
London had changed in 8 years. Sydney supposed that was to be expected, after all, 8 years was a long time, and the city, as they said, never slept. As she walked the streets, however, she realized that the city wasn't the only one that had changed. Perhaps she had been in the desert too long, because the city, with all its bright lights and tall buildings and people and noise was a bit of a shock to her system. Everything annoyed her, from the people rushing past her, to the cab drivers blaring on their horns.
But Sydney was usually able to adapt quickly to her surroundings, so she was sure it wouldn't be long before she was used to all of this again. Right now, though, she longed for the scorching hot sands and blinding yellow sunlight of Egypt.
She finally found the little Italian restaurant where she was to meet her best friend, Noelle. Her fiance, Max, was going to join them for dessert, in order that the two women could have a little time alone to get reacquainted.
Stepping into the restaurant, Sydney looked every inch the sophisticated, independent woman that she had become in the 8 years she had been gone. She was stylishly dressed in muggle clothes--a crisp white blouse under a perfectly tailored gray jacket. Her skirt, a straight pencil skirt, matched the jacket exactly and stopped a few inches below her knees. All of this was accented with red--a red belt at her waist, a pair of red high heels, and even a matching purse and hat. The entire effect was eye-catching, especially for someone as beautiful as Sydney. Several sets of eyes fell upon her as she stood there in the doorway, scanning the dining room for Noelle.
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Post by Noelle Ryan on Aug 12, 2009 18:11:26 GMT -5
Noelle was thoroughly excited to see Sydney again. She'd managed to keep in touch with her friend while she was gone, and while Noelle didn't have a problem having an entire relationship without ever actually speaking to someone, she missed Sydney. London had been just a little more lonely without her, and she found herself turning to Cale. Her excuse was that she was checking up on him from time to time.
She noticed a particularly good looking man that she had been eyeing looking towards the door, and her eyes followed. It was no surprise that it was Sydney who stole his attention.
Smiling widely and getting to her feet, she called out her friends name, earning a few grumbles from other customers. She didn't care.
When Syd was near, she pulled her friend into a hug. "Merlin, it is so good to see you!"
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Post by Sydney Cates on Aug 13, 2009 18:22:29 GMT -5
Sydney broke into a broad smile when she heard Noelle's voice calling her name. As always, she was utterly oblivious to the stares and disappointed groans of the male patrons. She dashed over to Noelle and hugged her back enthusiastically.
"Noelle!" she cried. "You look fantastic... It's been so long, I'd actually forgotten what you looked like!"
She shook her head and sat down across from Noelle. "You have to tell me everything that's been going on. I feel so out of touch."
Of course she should be asking about Cale, but she would get to that in time. First, she wanted to hear about Noelle.
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Post by Noelle Ryan on Aug 20, 2009 22:18:35 GMT -5
"How could you possibly forget that I look gorgeous?" Noelle said with a bit of a smirk on her lips. She was joking, of course, and pulled Sydney into another close hug before she allowed the woman to sit down across from her.
"There's a lot to tell," she began to explain. "We might want to order a bottle of wine to talk over," she suggested. "Or flirt a little and have someone else buy us a bottle of wine."
She was carefully avoiding bringing up the reason behind Syd's sudden arrival in London. Honestly, no one thought she was coming back, and here she was. Noelle knew there was another man involved, but that was probably the extent of her knowledge on the subject. She also knew how this would kill Cale, but... people changed. It was why she was determined never to settle down.
"Where should I start?"
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Post by Sydney Cates on Aug 23, 2009 21:39:57 GMT -5
Sydney would have been lying if she said that Cale wasn't weighing heavily on her mind. It was like he was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the table, obstructing her view of Noelle. She needed to know that he was doing well, that he was OK. She hoped that maybe he would have found someone to make him happy; Merlin knew he deserved it.
"Why don't you start by telling me all about the trail of broken hearts you've left in your wake?" Sydney replied. "Is there a special man in your life?"
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Post by Noelle Ryan on Sept 30, 2009 12:15:24 GMT -5
Noelle smiled brightly, her eyebrows going up. "No man's special enough to be my one and only." She was half teasing, but the shrug that followed was a little more honest. "I just get so bored with them so easily. So no... there's no special guy."
She almost wanted to ask Syd the same question. You couldn't be away from your spouse for that long and not find someone else who sparked your interest. Unless, of course, you were Cale, who took his vows literally and still somehow believed that Sydney would come back to him. It was really sad... but she wouldn't say this to Sydney.
"But come on. I've been living in London for years. You've been everywhere doing amazing things. Do we really have to talk about me? Although, I did get promoted to Editor in Chief at the Daily Prophet."
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Post by Sydney Cates on Oct 10, 2009 22:08:20 GMT -5
Sydney broke into a brilliant smile at this, and reached across the table to grab her friend's hands. "That's wonderful, Elle!" she said enthusiastically. "I'm sure you're doing a great job, too."
She paused to take a drink from the glass of water in front of her. She definitely had news to tell Noelle, but she didn't just want to spring it on her, either. Maybe once they had a bottle of wine in front of them.
"As for me... well, you know, mostly a lot of digging in the dirt, and attending fancy parties with millionaires and foreign dignitaries... you know, just the usual. Nothing exciting at all." She rolled her eyes for emphasis, then laughed.
But she quickly grew serious. She couldn't avoid the subject of Cale for another minute. "OK, out with it. How is he?" She didn't bother to elaborate on who "he" was.
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Post by Noelle Ryan on Oct 25, 2009 17:37:30 GMT -5
"Are you kidding me?" Noelle said with a laugh. "I'm kicking arse and taking names. I'm really happy there, actually."
She looked over her shoulder for the waiter (a cute young guy with dimples to put the Grand Canyon to shame), having the same thought about a bottle of wine, though she didn't know just what news Sydney was going to drop in her lap. "Oh yeah... sounds like your life has been so boring. I don;t envy you at all."
And then the loaded question was dropped, and Noelle wasn't sure how to answer her. "He's doing fine," she replied slowly. And really, he was. He was doing well for himself, even if he still missed Sydney terribly. "I guess that answers my question though... I wasn't sure if you've been to see him or not yet."
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Post by Sydney Cates on Oct 28, 2009 21:08:53 GMT -5
Sydney shook her head. "No... I haven't gone to see him yet. I know I should, but..." She stopped and bit her lip.
Cale was a sensitive subject for her, really. She did love him.... but the fire had long since died. It had been virtually dead when she took the first assignment in Egypt... and then work became her passion. It had eclipsed everything else, even the feelings she had for Cale. She just kept taking one assignment after another, going on one dig after another, until Cale seemed little more than a speck in her rearview mirror. At first, she would think about him at night, when she went to bed alone. And eventually, she just.... stopped. She stopped missing him. It sounded awful to say, but she sometimes went weeks without thinking about him at all. And then something would remind her of him, and it would hurt all over again.
That is, until she met Adam Lavelle. Something happened, and suddenly, her mind wasn't on the work anymore. She fell for him... But Cale was still there.... Still waiting....
"Is he still.... waiting? Is he seeing someone?" She hoped that the latter would be true... but she had a very bad feeling that she knew the answer.
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Post by Noelle Ryan on Nov 11, 2009 13:42:17 GMT -5
Yeah, you should. Noelle bit her tongue to keep from actually saying this to her friend. Maybe Cale was a bit naive to think that everything would be the same between him and Sydney when she came back... but Noelle had a feeling that he actually knew nothing would be the same. He was just hoping, because that was Cale, an eternal optimist.
"No, he's not seeing anyone," she answered honestly. "And he's still wearing his ring. But he's actually doing all right for himself, you know. He's started volunteering at this kids thing at the Library... kids are so not my thing, but hey, it's good for him. He misses you, but he's surviving, you know?" For some reason, she didn't want Sydney to think that Cale's life ended when she left.... even though it might have.
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Post by Sydney Cates on Nov 13, 2009 16:08:33 GMT -5
Kids were not Sydney’s thing, either, and that had been one of the problems in her marriage to Cale. He wanted them; she didn’t. Her ambitions always got in the way, and kids would have held her back. That was the great thing about Adam, he shared her passions and ambitions and didn’t have time for children. They were more compatible.
But she did love Cale. Of course she did. Eight years had passed and she still missed him sometimes. But she just didn’t think there was a place for him in her life anymore. The thought of it made her ache. She didn’t want to hurt him, and she wished things could be different…
“I’m glad he’s happy,” she said, her voice getting thick. “Oh, Merlin…. Noelle, I have news. And I’m afraid you’re going to hate me when I tell you.”
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Post by Noelle Ryan on Nov 15, 2009 22:20:54 GMT -5
Noelle took a deep breath. "Somehow, I have a feeling I'm not the one you need to be worried about hating you."
Whatever news she had... whatever brought her back to London, Noelle had a feeling it wasn't Cale. And that alone was going to destroy Cale.
She sat up straighter and put one hand on top of the other. "Let's hear it, Syd. I'm always ready for a little gossip."
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Post by Sydney Cates on Nov 18, 2009 23:35:58 GMT -5
Sydney hesitated a moment, wishing she had a glass of wine to sip from to steele herself for what she was about to say. On the one hand, she wanted to believe that she had nothing to feel guilty about; that there was nothing wrong with finding someone that she could love. On the other, she knew that she already had someone that loved her deeply, and who she still had deep feelings for. It was confusing and frustrating. Why did Cale have to be so loyal, anyway?
Taking a deep breath, she let out the words in a rush. "I met someone. He wants to marry me. And I... I'm trying to figure out how I'm supposed to tell Cale."
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Post by Noelle Ryan on Nov 19, 2009 12:33:11 GMT -5
Noelle's widened. "Wait," she said, holding up a finger while she let this process. "Wait," she repeated. "You came back into town just to ask Cale for a divorce?" Leave it to Noelle not to sugar coat anything.
"Syd, sweetie... you know that I will support you whatever you want to do, and I know that I'm not the best person to judge morality... but this isn't the nicest thing you've ever done."
A big part of her was curious, and she was Sydney's best friend. She wanted all the details about this new man, how they met, what he looked like, if he had any brothers... but in the eight years that Sydney had been away, she'd grown closer to Cale, and she had loyalties there as well.
She sighed. "All right. I'm done. Now tell me about him."
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Post by Sydney Cates on Dec 3, 2009 15:38:16 GMT -5
“Well, if you want to put it bluntly…” Sydney said, frowning.
She knew it was cruel, and she didn’t feel good about it at all. That was why she was delaying going to see Cale. But really, there was a little more to it than just that.
“Look, Noelle, I’m not proud of it. I still love him, and it breaks my heart to think of him sitting back here, waiting for me to come back. But I was a terrible wife to him. I didn’t want kids; I didn’t want to sit around London, working some desk job. I was too ambitious, too restless. And the worst thing was that I left him back here, hoping for something that… maybe just wasn’t meant to be. Maybe the best thing is to set him free. Besides… I might feel differently when I see him. I don’t know.”
She hadn’t seen Cale for eight years. For all she knew, that emotion might come rushing back to her at the sight of him. But the fact remained, he no longer really fit into her life. She wasn’t sure she could make that work, no matter how she felt.
“His name is Adam Lavelle. He’s been working with me for the last few years. He’s handsome, and intelligent, and we have so much in common…”
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Post by Noelle Ryan on Dec 3, 2009 16:00:39 GMT -5
Noelle was quiet. if Sydney was trying to make herself feel better about this, and justify what she was doing... well, Noelle wasn't going to help. Love was a powerful thing, she understood that. But Cale still loved Sydney, and that was no less powerful.
"Oh, a lot in common, really? So is he married too?"
She couldn't help it. Cale wasn't the only one she left behind when she left for her work. And yes, Noelle supported her entirely, but this was pretty messed up.
"I'm sorry, Syd, but all of your excuses... they didn't stop you from marrying him, you know. You've never wanted kids- that didn't change when you married him or anything. I just... look, I get it. It's been too long and you found someone and I'm really happy for you, but he's not going to take it well. Just... just ask him for the divorce, okay? Don't let him know that it's so you can marry someone else. And don't let him know that's the reason you came back into town."
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Post by Sydney Cates on Dec 3, 2009 16:40:58 GMT -5
Sydney sighed. “I told you you’d hate me,” she mumbled, lowering her eyes to stare at the tablecloth.
She rubbed her head tiredly. “It’s not like I wanted any of this to happen. You’re right; I never should have married Cale. But I loved him desperately then and I rushed in without thinking. And I can’t change the past. I should have done this years ago, before Adam was even in the picture, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Don’t think I don’t know what this will do to him. I just kept hoping that he’d move on…”
She finally was able to flag down a waiter, and she ordered a bottle of white wine before turning back to Noelle. “I’ve made a mess of things, I know. I never meant to hurt him.”
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Post by Noelle Ryan on Mar 15, 2010 19:37:11 GMT -5
"Bullocks. I don't hate you. You're my best friend, Syd. I'm just... shocked. And you know, I grew pretty close to Cale while you were gone. I kind of expected this because it's been so long... I just feel badly for him."
Noelle took a sip of her wine, her thoughts torn between her two friends. Of course she was happy for Sydney if she found another love of her life, but the eight years she'd been gone, Cale was still around.
She sighed and scratched the back of her neck. "I can talk to him. I mean, I won't tell him that you're back, or what happened or anything at all. I could just get a feel for him, if you wanted. I'm not even sure if that will help."
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Post by Sydney Cates on May 10, 2010 17:31:08 GMT -5
Sydney sighed and shook her head. No... it wouldn't help to involve Noelle any more than she already had. It wasn't fair to Noelle, or to Cale. Eight years was a long time, and like it or not, some things had changed in that time. Cale may have remained loyal all that time, and Noelle was still her best friend... but the two of them were now closer to each other than they were to Sydney. It was her fault; she'd been gone too long.
"No, it's OK," she said softly. "I have to see him myself. I have to talk to him, to try... I don't even know what I'm supposed to say to him. It kills me to think I'm going to hurt him.... it's the last thing I ever wanted to do. For what it's worth, Noelle... I'm glad he had you."
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Post by Noelle Ryan on Jul 8, 2010 17:52:39 GMT -5
Noelle could never think badly of Sydney... but she could disapprove of some of the things she did. She always admired her friend for being outgoing, adventurous, bold. She was the kind of girl that was going to go places and wasn't meant to be tied down. Noelle adored her.
But she was right to assume that Noelle and Cale had grown closer. The editor had taken it upon herself to try and keep Cale in good spirits... but his decision to remain loyal to Sydney was all his own. She had nothing to do with that.
"Well.... come on. I'm your best friend still, right? I won't let you replace me. Anyway, I get to meet the guy, right?"
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