Tyler's POV

I'm sitting on Carrie's bed, watching as she's stuffing her suitcase with clothes. Another business trip means I won't be able to see her for three days. As proud as I am of her success at work, I am also hating how it's starting to impact our relationship. Lately, she appears more stressed, and tired, and just detached. It seems that the more responsibility she's taking on professionally, the more it chips away at our time together. During her Boston trip we barely spoke, and afterwards she was in a weird mood for days.

"Ugh, this thing won't shut!" she groans, exasperated that her overfilled suitcase won't close.

I hop off the bed, and help her out. "Here you go," I tell her, but she's now focused on searching something on her phone.

"So, have you given any more thought to my proposal?" I ask.

"Hm?" she doesn't look up from the screen.

I walk over to her, and take the phone out of her hands.

"Hey!" she protests, and tries to reach for it. I quickly lift up my hand over my head, and I know that even on her tiptoes she can't get to it. "What the heck!" she yells, frowning up at me. "I was in the middle of--"

"Answer my question," I tell her.

"What question?" she asks, looking aggravated.

"Have you thought more about moving in with me?"

Carrie's frown dissolves, and she stares at me with strange eyes.

"Why do you even want to live together? It's a pretty big step for someone who never wants to get married. I mean, what's the point of building a life with one another if you already know we're not going to end up together?"

"Whoa, what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how you're a walking contradiction, Tyler. You tell me you never want to get married. That means you're never really going to fully commit yourself to one person. At the same time, you want me to move in with you and 'play house', which is basically like being married, but without the legal obligations. So, it's like you want your cake and eat it too...or not buy the cow and get the milk for free...or whatever those sayings are!"

I'm a little taken aback by this sudden rant, so I need to keep my temper in check and choose my words carefully here.

"You're fucking mental, you know that?" I say.....and yes, that's me showing restraint. "I fucking love you, and I want you to live with me because I want to wake up with you in my arms every damn morning...and take care of you...and build and strengthen our relationship. I don't know why you think I have some kind of a hidden agenda here, Carrie, cause I don't! All I want is for us to be together as much as possible. And if you don't feel the same way, which it's pretty fucking clear that you don't...then forget it. I am not going to beg you," I say, feeling frustrated as all hell.

She just stares at me, and folds her arms across her chest.

What in the fuck crawled up her ass, I'll never know. I thought we were on the same page. But it's like we're reading two different fucking books at this point.

"I just don't want to make a mistake," she says finally. "I don't want to wake up one day, after spending years of building a life together, find out that it's over...and you've moved on...and now I'm out of a place to live...and just...alone..."

"Carrie, look at me," I tell her, lifting her chin up so she meets my eyes. "I am not trying to trap you into some weird powerplay arrangement where you don't have a life without me. And I am not planning on abandoning you...ever. It's more than a little disconcerting to hear that you have so many doubts about our relationship. I thought we were solid. I mean...I don't know why you think getting married is at all a guarantee of happiness or stability. There are more and more divorces each year. Gruesome custody battles. Ugly, messy, fights that are far worse because people chose to get married. If you're so hung up on getting married and can't see that what I'm offering you is more real than some ceremony in a courthouse, then maybe I misjudged you."

I try to bring her in for a hug, but she pushes me away.

"You're putting too much pressure on me," she says, and walks to her closet to put on her jacket.

"I'm sorry, okay? I don't mean to do that. But to be honest it also feels like you're trying to distance yourself from me. I am the one who wants a deeper commitment, and you're the one who's bucking at it....meanwhile preaching about marriage, no less. So you tell me, who's a walking contradiction here."

"Tyler, I have a really important business trip ahead of me. I'm already stressed out about landing this client, and you harping on me about all this is not exactly helpful."

I can see that I won't be making any progress if I keep talking, so I just make myself shut the fuck up.

During the ride to the airport we both remain mostly silent. When one of Carrie's favorite songs comes on the radio, I turn it up, only to have her turn off the radio completely.

"Is everything okay?" I ask her. "You seem a bit on edge."

"I'm fine," she answers without looking at me.

Another silent minute passes before I speak again. "I was thinking we should take a vacation together. Maybe some place tropical...relax a little. What do you think? Fiji could be nice."

"I can't plan a vacation now, I have too many commitments at work," Carrie answers, and starts texting someone on her phone.

"Well, you've been working nonstop for months now, babe. I think a little break will do you some good."

"Tyler, I am on a roll at Valent, and if I stop now, I could lose momentum. Martin is starting to trust me with bigger clients, and that means I could get a raise, or a promotion, or both. I don't want to sabotage my career path by requesting time off to restore my mental health."

"Mental health? What the fuck! I am talking about taking a vacation together. You and me. Without you checking your work e-mails, or texting with your co-workers every other minute. Is that so unreasonable?"

"Well, now is not a good time, okay? So just, lay off," she says dismissively, and continues texting on her phone.

I can't hold it in anymore. I swerve the car to the right, and cut off some disgruntled asshole in a Cadillac, then I zoom past a truck, and nearly skim the center divide, as I bring my car to an abrupt halt on the shoulder of the freeway.

When I look over, Carrie looks horrified. "What is wrong with you!? You could've killed us!" she yells, but I ignore her frantic expression.

"What's wrong with me? What in the hell is wrong with you?! You've been acting so distant lately...not just distant. You've been acting straight up bitchy as fuck, and I'm not going to fucking take it anymore. If you think even for a second I am the type of man who lets his girl walk all over him, you got another thing coming. I've been trying to be patient, and understanding, but you're just taking taking advantage at this point."

"What? How am I taking advantage? By asking you to drive me to the airport? By not wanting to go on a vacation with you right this minute? You're the one who's being unreasonable, Tyler," she says, and folds her arms across her chest.

I run my hands through my hair, and down over my face, exhaling a deep sigh. "Look, I don't know what's going on with us, but it's been different lately...and not in a good way," I tell her, and try to decipher her thoughts behind the blank expression.

Carrie casts her eyes down, and plays with the edge of her jacket. "I'm sorry, okay? I don't know what to say. My career is very important to me, and if you can't deal with that...then I don't see how it's going to work. If I am busy and focused on business, I can't be worried about you not being able to handle it, Tyler."

I can't believe these words are actually coming out of her mouth. "I can handle you having a career, Carrie. What I can't handle, is having a girlfriend who doesn't have her priorities straight. You think your job is more important than anything...even more important than your relationship. I've been down this road before, and I know how it turns out. It sounds like you've made your choice."

"What does that mean?" she asks me, frowning. "Asking me to choose between my career and having a boyfriend is unfair. You can't expect me to make this choice."

"It doesn't have to be a choice...if there is a healthy balance. But with you, it seems you're either all in with one or the other....not both."

Carrie remains silent, and picks at her nails. "I'm going to miss my plane if we don't get back on the road," she says finally.

I turn the engine on, and merge back on the freeway.

The car is filled with heavy air of frustration, and it's suffocating me. I roll the windows down, and let the wind rush inside, granting me the much needed oxygen. Carrie looks annoyed that her hair is now being ruffled by the wind, but I don't even care.

When I pull onto the ramp for Airport 'Departures', she instructs me to just drop her off at the curb for Virgin Airlines, instead of parking and walking her to the gate like before. I don't argue with her.

I turn off the engine, and help get her bag out of the trunk. For the first time...ever...there is an uncomfortable silence between us. She's gripping the handle of her suitcase, and avoiding eye contact with me.

"So, text me when you land," I tell her. "Just to let me know you've arrived safely, and all."

"Okay," she says, and starts to walk off. I can't even believe she thought this qualified as a proper 'goodbye'.

I grab her by the elbow, and pull her back to me. "Hey, you're just going to leave like that?"

She shrugs, and then reluctantly wraps her arms around me, and I feel the weakest squeeze from her embrace.

She breaks away from me. "I'll text you," she says, and disappears behind automatic sliding doors.

I get back in the car, and start the engine. On the way home, my mind is racing. How did we end up like this? Am I to blame for coming on too strong? Is she questioning her feelings for me? Why has she become so...cold? I damn near got frostbite from that 'goodbye' back there. This is not at all how I imagined our relationship would evolve.

Instead of heading home, I decide to stop by Slate, and bury my head in work.

When I open the door to my office, I see Shelly sitting on the edge of my desk.