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Chapter 10

That night, Jewel came down the stairs with a luggage bag in her hand and an envelope in another. She went into the living room and placed the envelope on the coffee table. She looked around the house one last time and then went out of the front door. I�m doing the right thing, she told herself as she locked the door.

�Home sweet home!� Ben said, as he entered the house. It was the night after and they just came back from their gig, and another limousine dropped them off.
�It was a lovely party,� Mark commented, putting down his bag. They all went to the living room to relax before going to bed.
�I�ll just get a can of soda,� Paul said and then he went to the kitchen.
Christian sat on the couch and noticed something on the coffee table.
�What�s this?� he said, picking up the envelope. He opened it and started reading the letter inside. �Oh no!�
�What is it, Christian?� Mark asked. He and Ben sat beside him. They read the letter that Christian was holding.
�Oh, boy�� Mark said.
�Paul!� Ben called out. �Get in here! Quick!�
Paul ran out from the kitchen. �Hey, can you keep it down? You might wake Jewel up.�
�Trust me, Paul. She won�t,� he said.
Then Christian handed him the piece of paper. �Here, read this.�
Paul took the letter from him and started reading.

Dearest Paul, Hi! How was your performance? I hope you enjoyed yourselves. Anyway, I'll get to the point of writing this letter. I'm going away for a while; I'm not sure when I will come back. I need to do a lot of thinking about us and I couldn't do it in the house. I won't be able to think properly when everything around me reminds me so much of you. I'm not sure where I'll be when you read this, but please don't worry about me. I'll be fine.
Take care.

Jewel

 He stared at the piece of paper after he read it. Then he looked at his three friends.
�She�s gone,� he said. �I can�t believe she left.� He sat on an armchair and looked like he�s just been hypnotized. He just stared at the table in front of him. He felt like his whole world is collapsing right in front of him and he couldn�t do anything to stop it.
Nobody spoke up; they don�t know what to say. Then Christian found the courage to ask him, �So, what happens now, Paul?�
Paul looked at him. �I don�t know,� he shook his head. �But it looks like I might have lost her forever.� It was then that the tears he had been keeping inside all these times fell from his eyes.

It has been a terrible sleepless night for Paul. Every time he closes his eyes, he could see her face. He stayed up all night thinking about her and everything they have done together; when they first met in that house, when they went to the park, that day in the pool, when they danced in the club. His thoughts turned to that night in the park when they kissed. He had a taste of heaven and he will never ever forget that. Then he thought of everything that he liked in her; her sensitivity and her concern, her sense of humor, her thoughtfulness, the way she�d tell him every dream she has, and even when she calls him �Paulie�. She�s so easy to talk to and she makes you feel like you want to tell her everything that�s on your mind. She�d make a great shrink, he thought, smiling. Then his smile faded. We could�ve been so good together, and I just pushed you further away. And the tears started flowing again.

The next day, he called up Andi in her office.
�Hi, Andi! It�s Paul,� he said into the receiver, as he paced back and forth in the living room.
�Hi!�
�Look, I�m sorry if I disturbed you or anything. I just need to ask you something.�
�It�s about Jewel, isn�t it?� she said.
�Yes, it is. Did she talk to you when she left?�
�She did. She said that she�s in a hotel, but she refused to tell me which one.�
He sat on the couch. �So, you don�t know where she is.�
�No, I don�t,� she answered. �But she told me to tell you not to worry about her.�
�Yeah, that�s what she said in her letter.�
�Paul, I know it�s hard, but I really think you should just give her some time. She has always guarded her heart and she feels scared about letting somebody in. Let her do what she needs to do.�
�I know,� he said. �It�s just that I hate what I have done to her. I made her so confused and frightened!�
�Don�t blame yourself. It�s not your fault that you fell in love with her.�
�Yeah, but I could have just kept it inside. I wish I didn�t have to let her know,� he said wistfully
�And what good would that do you?� she countered.
�I don�t care what it does to me. She doesn�t deserve to be in this way,� he shook his head sadly. �Well, I won�t take anymore of your time, Andi.�
�No problem. Just hang in there, Paul.�
�Thanks. Bye.�
�Bye.�
Then they both hang up. Paul laid back on the couch and closed his eyes. Why did it have to be this way? Please come back to me, Jewel�

A week has passed and they still haven�t heard anything from Jewel. Paul kept on telling himself that she might never come back. Mark, Christian, and Ben tried to cheer him up, but his face would always look solemn. He would go with them to the recording studio to do some work on their new album, but he refused to go with them to the mall. He�d just stay at home.
One night, he went to bed right after dinner. He laid on his bed, and he started to doze off. And then, he had a dream. In it he saw himself giving a pink rose to Jewel and then he held her in his arms. Then he woke up all of a sudden. He tried to get back to sleep, but he couldn�t. Damn! I wish I could just continue dreaming, he thought. I think I�ll have a glass of water.
So he stood up, not bothering to put on his shirt, and went down to the kitchen barefoot. He saw the guys eating ice cream.
�Hey,� Mark said. �Can�t sleep?�
�I actually had,� he said, getting a glass from the cupboard. He opened the refrigerator and poured some water in his glass. �I just had a dream.�
�About Jewel, huh?� Christian said.
�Yeah.�
�Sometimes dreams come true, you know,� Ben said as he stood up to put his empty bowl in the sink. He glanced outside the kitchen window and saw a dark figure sitting by the edge of the pool. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he�s not seeing things, and then he looked out again.
�It�s Jewel!� he turned around and told the guys. They all faced him.
�Jewel?� Paul asked.
�Yeah, you know, a cute girl, about 5�4, dark brown hair, brown eyes� the girl you�re in love with. Hel-lo?� Ben said.
�He knows what she looks like, you jerk! What are you talking about?� Mark asked.
�She�s right outside, by the pool.�
The three boys all stood up and peered through the kitchen window.
�It is her,� Christian said.
Please don�t let this be a dream! Paul silently prayed. Please don�t let me be dreaming now!
Ben looked at him. �What are you waiting for, Paul? Go out there and talk to her.�
�Don�t worry about us. We�ll give you privacy,� Mark said and winked at him.
�Yeah. We�ll just go up to our rooms,� Christian said.
�Alright,� he said. He unlocked the kitchen door and went out. He took a deep breath and approached her. He could see her luggage bag beside her. She was wearing a yellow blouse and a pair of denim shorts. Her feet were dipped in the pool and her sandals were beside her luggage bag.
�Hi, Jewel,� he said.
She looked up at him. �Hello, Paul,� Then she looked him up and down. �Nice outfit,� she grinned.
How he missed their good-natured criticisms! He smiled and sat beside her, and dipped his feet in the water.
�So, how are you?�
�I�m okay,� Then she sighed. �Look, Paul. I-�
He took her face in his hands and kissed her in the lips. �I�m sorry. I just have to do that,� he said. �I�ve missed you so much!�
�I missed you, too. I�m sorry for what I have put you through this past week.�
�And I�m sorry for what I�ve put you through all these time. I really didn�t mean to make you confused,� he sighed. �Whatever you decide is okay with me. I�ll accept your decision, as long as we can still be friends and be back to the way we were. I won�t give any more hints about my feelings for you, if that�s what you want. I don�t want to lose you again like that.� Then he bowed his head.
�Paul?�
�What?� he turned to face her.
Jewel kissed him passionately in the lips. He instantly responded and wrapped her in his arms. When their lips parted, she smiled at him.
�Does this mean�?� he asked.
�Yes,� her smile widened. �I�ve had enough time to think about my feelings for you. It would be a shame to let something so special like this go to waste, so I decided to take a chance on us. I�m not scared anymore, Paul.�
He pulled her back into his arms. �Oh, Jewel, you don�t know how happy you�ve just made me!� Then he tilted his head and kissed her again with all the longing in his heart.
When they came up for air, Jewel looked at him and said, �That much, huh?�
�Oh, it�s much more than that,� he said, holding her close.
They went silent, just enjoying the feel of each other in their arms. Then Paul spoke up.
�Jewel?�
�Hmm?�
�Would you sleep with me tonight?�
She pulled herself away from him and looked at him with eyes wide open. She didn�t know what to say.
�I was only kidding!� he suddenly laughed. �You should�ve seen the look on your face!�
�Paul Marazzi, that was not funny!� she exclaimed.
�Oh yes, it is!� he continued to laugh.
�Oh, yeah! Well, laugh this off,� she said and pushed him towards the pool.
�Hey!� He created a huge splash and when he came up in the water, it was her turn to laugh.
�Now, that�s funny!�
He swam towards her. �Yeah, well, I�m not the only one who should be wet in this picture.� And with that, he placed his hands on her waist and pulled her into the water with him. Jewel shrieked.
�Look at what you did to my clothes!� she exclaimed.
�Yeah? Well, look at what you did to my�� he looked down on his chest and realized that he didn�t wear any shirt on. ��To my hair!�
They laughed and continued playing around in the water like two seal lions. Then they dried themselves off with the towels on the chaise lounges. Paul grabbed Jewel�s luggage bag, and Jewel took her sandals, and they went inside the house, their arms around each other. They were met by the three guys who were chatting in the kitchen.
�Well, if it isn�t the newly-wet couple!� Ben said, and they all laughed.
�Why are you guys still up?� Paul asked. �I thought you were going to bed.�
�Yeah, but I suddenly couldn�t sleep, so I went out of my room and I saw these two coming out of theirs, too,� Christian said.
�So, we decided to come downstairs,� Ben continued.
�In other words, we wanted to see how this story will end,� Mark concluded. �And by the looks of things, I think it would have a happy ending.� He smiled at the both of them.
�I�m glad you two worked things out,� Christian said.
�Yeah, me too,� Jewel said.
Ben walked over to them and hugged them both at the same time.
�Oh, I�m so happy for you two!� he said, pretending to sob. Then he pulled back from them. �Erm, I do have one question, Jewel. What were you doing in the pool?�
Jewel laughed. �Well, I arrived here half an hour earlier and I was still a bit nervous to come in. So I passed through the side of the house and sat by the pool to think for a little while.�
�Oh, okay,� Ben nodded.
�Alright, Ben, that�s enough interviewing for today. I think we better let these lovebirds dry off,� Mark said. �Come on, you guys.� Then he went out of the kitchen, followed by Ben and Christian.
Paul and Jewel went to the living room, after locking the kitchen door and turning off the lights.
�I think we�d better get out of these clothes,� she told him.
�Okay,� he said and they went up the stairs.
They entered her room and Paul put down her luggage bag on the floor.
�Meet me downstairs after you�re finished,� he said, and kissed her cheek.
�Okay.�
When he left her room to go to his own bedroom, she changed into a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Then she ran a comb through her hair. When she went down, she saw that Paul had lit the fireplace and he was sitting in front of it. He turned when she approached him.
�This looks cozy,� she said.
�It sure is,� he remarked, inviting her to sit beside him.
She snuggled up to him and he put a thick blanket, which he brought from his room, around them. Neither of them spoke one word. They just stared into the fireplace.
�You know,� Paul finally said. �I think I disagree with what Mark said earlier.�
�What, that this story is going to have a happy ending?�
�Yeah.�
Jewel looked at him, her forehead creased. �How come?�
�This is not the ending,� he said. �It�s only our beginning.� Then he smiled at her and she smiled back.
�I love you, my precious Jewel,� he said, looking deep into her eyes.
�I love you, too, Mr. Marazzi,� she said. �Always have, always will.�
Then they kissed each other passionately, as the flames danced and crackled in the fireplace. Their hearts swelled with love and affection for each other. The confusion and the fear were vanquished; love has conquered them both. And now, Paul and Jewel carries with them the friendship that they built in the past and the love that they share in the present as they look forward to their future together.

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