Till You Let Go
Chapter 10
JC pounded on the door, and prayed Anna would answer.
But all the lights were out, and when he peered through the window, he
could see that most of Anna's belongings were gone. He sighed out of frusturation
and pounded one more time on the door before getting back in his car and
driving away.
He
kept on driving until he reached Elizabeth and Justin's apartment. If anyone
would know where Anna was, it would be Elizabeth. Afer no one answered
the first few loud knocks, JC started to turn away when he heard her voice.
"Hold
on! I'll be right there."
When
he heard Anna's soft voice echoing through the door, he lost his breath.
And almost his footing. He grabbed a hold of the door handle and looked,
waiting for her to open the door. Once she saw his face, he knew she would
try to run. He had his arms ready to grab her so she couldn't escape.
A few
seconds later, Anna opened up the door in her robe. Elizabeth and Justin
had gone out a few hours earlier, and she had been offered to stay the
night since her new place wouldn't be ready for her till next week. When
she saw JC standing there, his head wet from the rain earlier, and his
tear stained face, Anna got on him and pulled him inside before he had
a chance to argue.
"Why
are you outside? It's pouring outside!" When JC just smiled, Anna helped
me take off his jacket. "What a stupid thing to do!" She took his coat
and hung it up to dry, then came back into the living room. "If you're
looking for Justin, he's not here." Her tone had changed. She was talking
like she didn't even know him; but not that he blamed her. There was hurt
and anger in her voice that made JC step back.
"I'm
not looking for Justin," he said quietly. "I was looking for you."
"If
you want the signed papers..." she said, referring to the divorce papers
she had torn up and throw in the garbage earlier.
"I'm
not here about those," he said. "You can throw those out for all I care.
In fact, I want you to toss them out. Forget I ever sent them to you."
She
looked more stunned than she felt. What was he trying to do to her head?
"Wait...what are you trying to tell me? You don't want me to sign the papers?"
When he nodded, she asked, "then why did you send them in the first place?"
"I
don't know," JC admitted. "Just please, tell me you didn't send them yet.
Please tell me I still have a chance."
She
held her breath. "Have a chance for what?"
"To
win you back."
That
wasn't what she was expecting to hear. She had been expecting him to tell
her that he needed the divorce right away cause he was planning to marry
Amy. She was not only relieved, but a little suspicious. "Why would you
want me when you have that.....that....other girl," she said, trying to
sound nice. To be honest, when she found out about Amy, she wanted to find
this girl and strangle her for taking away her man.
"I
don't want her. I never wanted her. I only want you."
The
deep admiration in his eyes was enough to make her dizzy. "You were with
her when I needed you! You cheated on me, JC! You slept with another woman!"
Actually,
he had never actually slept with Amy. They had just shared a few passionate
kisses. Really passionate kisses. But he had never gotten in bed with Amy.
How could he have when he was still so in love with Anna?
"I
never slept with her," JC said quietly. He looked deep into her eyes and
still saw the love that shone through as they did before this whole mess
started.
"Why
should I believe you?"
JC
took a step towards her and grasped both her hands in his. "Because you
know me. Anna, you know I would never sleep with another woman. Yes, I
did kiss her. Yes, I did go out with her. But I was fooling myself. I was
so scared that I was losing you that I turned to someone else. It was stupid.
Probably the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life. I didn't want to
lose you, baby. I thought I already had."
Anna
sat down on the couch and ran a hand through her hair. "When I got your
note---" She struggled not to cry. "I had just talked to the doctor. He
said I was free of the disease. All I had to do was take a pill once everyday
and I would be fine." She looked up into his eyes. She still saw all the
love he had for her. Maybe everything he was saying was true. "Then I read
the note...I was devestated. I felt like dying. I thought that you loved
me. I never dreamed you would leave me for another woman."
JC
kneeled in front of her and grasped her hands again. "I was a foolish guy
for even thinking that I could ever love anyone as much as I love you."
"You're
just saying that."
"No,
I mean it," he said. "Have I ever lied to you before?" When she shook her
head, he continued. "I'm telling the truth when I say that if I could take
it all back, I would. I would of gone back to your room and been there
to help you through this, other than going to that stupid club and getting
drunk."
Anna
was surprised; JC get drunk? Never. Not in a million years. "You drank
because the doctor's told you that I might not make it?"
He
nodded. "I was so scared. I didn't want to lose you. If I lost you, what
would I have done? I'm lost without you."
She
ran her hand lightly across his cheek, her hand then landing on his knee.
"Are you asking me to forgive you?" She knew the answer already because
it was in his eyes. He wanted to start again...and she was willing to give
it a try because she loved him. And she needed him as much as he needed
her.
"I'm
asking you to take me back and give us another chance. I promise this time
it's going to work," he promised. "This time I won't run away when we run
into a problem. But that's only if you'll be willing to forgive me."
"You
came here even though you knew there was a possibility that I might throw
you out," Anna said. "You took a chance because you wanted to make things
right. I don't think I could have done that. You took a big step by coming
here and telling me the truth. And to be honest, I've been totally lost
without you, too. I was starting to hope that you would come around and
confess that I'm the only one for you." She laughed a little, choking on
the sob at the back of her throat. "And now that it's happening, it all
feels so real. I want to go back to our house and start our lives together.
This time, if you're feeling upset about something, I want you to come
to me and talk to me about it, okay? I'm always here...even if it involves
me, I want you to come to me and talk to me. I love you, and together we
can get through anything."
JC
nodded and pulled her into his arms. When she laid her head on his shoulder,
he whispered, "I love you so much," then kissed her deeply. "So much."
Neither said a word for a while. They just laid there in each other's arms
until Anna took his hand and led him out there so they could go home.
Chapter
11
Index
of "Till You Let Go"
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