| The End - Part II |
~~*~~ Vanessa walked into her apartment late that evening. After she�d hung up with Mark, she�d had a long meeting with her editor. The advance publicity was about to begin for her book. Her publisher wanted her to do a book tour when it came out and they spent the afternoon selecting cities. Her dream was finally coming true. All the late night talks about what they would be when they �grew up . . . �Dammit.� She sighed. �How does he do that.� She mumbled as the memory of Jacob, Mark and her sitting around her bed talking floated into her mind. She remembered Mark had always talked about wrestling. Jacob was going to conquer the stock market and make millions. Vanessa had been the last to reveal her dreams; she kept it so close to her heart. Mark had always encouraged her; he was the only one she�d let see her work. He�d been objective and constructive. Vanessa snapped out of her daydream at the sound of the doorbell. Groaning as she looked at the clock; knowing it could only be one person. She stood there, toying the idea of not answering the door. As she stood considering, she began to hear voices. Vanessa closed her eyes in frustration as she heard Mark talking to her neighbor. Vanessa opened the door and had to bite back the smile as she saw Mark carrying groceries up the stairs for her elderly neighbor, chatting away. �Oh there you are dear.� Mrs. Cortez announced. �Your boyfriend was looking for you.� Vanessa shot Mark a dirty look as she replied gently. �He�s not my boyfriend, Mrs. Cortez.� �We�re still working on that part.� Mark mentioned quietly, setting Mrs. Cortez�s groceries down in the open doorway. He crossed the short distance to Vanessa�s door and leaned down to kiss her. She quickly turned her head and it landed more on her hair. �What are you doing here?� she hissed. �Came to see my girlfriend.� Mark answered. She narrowed her eyes and opened the door, �Get inside.� she ordered. Her neighbor was forever trying to fix her up with one of her grandsons or any �nice young man� she happened to see. �Well, if you insist.� Mark answered, grinning. �Good night Mrs. Cortez.� Vanessa offered. �He�s a nice one dear. Don�t let him get away.� Her neighbor advised. �Good night, Mrs. Cortez.� Nessa said again. Vanessa did her best not to slam the door. �What are you doing here?� she demanded. �You stopped taking my phone calls.� He answered. As he spoke Mark walked toward her. He put his hands on her waist to hold her still. Vanessa tried pushing his hands away but Mark only tightened his grip. �Would you stop.� She asked. �I used to find reasons to hold you.� He mentioned. �Did you know that?� he asked. �I�ve missed it over the years.� He ran his hand up her bare arm. �You�re still so soft.� He mentioned huskily. Vanessa�s head began to spin from the combined sensation of his touch and voice. When she didn�t resist, Mark slid his arms around her waist and held her against him. �We�ve wasted so much time.� Mark began. �Do you want to know how many times I�ve dreamed about this? Dreamt about holding you?� He began smoothing her hair and Vanessa unconsciously laid her head on his chest. �Does this mean you�ve stopped being stubborn?� he asked. Vanessa jerked back from him, snapping back to reality. �You�re being arrogant.� She mentioned, walking out of his reach. �Mrs. Cortez thinks I�m nice.� He countered. Vanessa laughed, "Mrs. Cortez is senile. I�ve had more blind dates to appease her than I care to remember or care to count.� Vanessa saw his eyes smolder at the word �date�. �What? You thought I sat around twiddling my thumbs. It was okay for you to get married but I was supposed to be celibate.� She snapped. Vanessa watched as Mark clenched and unclench his fists. �I guess in the back of my head - I had hoped.� Mark began calmly. Nessa could tell he was controlling his temper. �But any man would have to be out of his mind . . . .� Mark stopped when he realized what he was about to say. Nessa raised her eyebrow at him. �You didn�t seem to have that problem.� �I meant so much to you.� She spat. �You walked away. You never even looked back! What the hell was I supposed to think? Right then. That night . . .I knew how little I meant to you.� She declared, struggling to hold on to her tears. �That�s not true!� Mark yelled. �No?� she challenged. �You stand there telling me you�ve thought about me everyday. That you love me.� she snapped. �Yes.� He assured. �When you and Jennifer broke up, what stopped you from calling me? You missed me so damn much. You loved me SO much you turned around and got married!� she shouted. Mark saw the anger in her eyes, mixed with the sadness. �I didn�t know what to say to you.� Mark began. �That night I had a choice. I choose wrong.� He admitted. �Jennifer and I were a mistake. I . . .I just wasn�t ready. I wasn�t sure about you and me.� He stammered. �I used to pretend she was you. And I knew she had a big mouth. I knew she would talk. I kind of wanted to make you jealous.� He confessed. Vanessa laughed and rolled her eyes, �That much you had right. Jennifer couldn�t keep her mouth shut.� She commented. �Insisted I know every detail. Or tried to anyway. After a while she and I stopped hanging out.� Mark shuffled his feet, looking slightly guilty. �She figured it out. She said she always knew I was in love with you. She told me she was still in love with her boyfriend. We used each other. She thought she was helping. Letting you know what you were missing.� �Arrogant much?� she commented. �I wasn�t missing anything.� She protested. �After that night, I was hurt because we, no excuse me YOU decided, we couldn�t even be friends anymore. Yeah, it hurt.� She admitted, her voice choked with tears. �I didn�t understand how you could turn away from all that we had been. You and Jacob were everything to me. When Jacob and Serena started dating, you were all I had and then you were gone.� Vanessa had been standing in the center of the room, her arms crossed. She wiped the tears running down her cheek away viciously. Angry with herself for revealing her pains to him. �Baby. I never meant for that to happen.� Mark assured her quietly, walking toward her he reached out to hold her. Vanessa stepped away from him, pushing his hands away from her. �I had to learn to live without both of you.� She announced, shaking her head, shaking away the last of the pain. �I learned fast. Then I didn�t look back.� She raised her head meeting his eyes squarely. �Not that it was a big problem. No one would discuss you in front of me. On the rare occasion you would grace us with your prescience. We were polite strangers." she snipped coolly. �And that was only for the sake of Jacob and Linda.� �They barely told me you were getting married. Imaging my surprise. Jacob was still touting about how you were in love with me and that I should call you.� She informed him, rolling her eyes. �Jacob didn�t know how wrong he was.� �My marriage was a mistake. I was missing you. But I couldn�t . . .I didn�t know how to work my way back to you.� He informed her. �Yeah. You tried so damn hard, you were married for five years.� She answered. �I couldn�t have you! I was looking for a substitute.� He shouted, walking toward her again. Vanessa taking another step back, not letting him touch her. �No.� she said firmly. �We could have been something. But we missed our chance. You can�t capture the past.� �I don�t want the past.� Mark countered. �We messed up back then.� �Speak for yourself.� Vanessa interrupted. �I didn�t tell you how I felt then. I�m not making that mistake again. I love you. I�m not letting you get away from me again.� he announced. �Oh. And I just have no say so in the matter?� she asked. �You haven�t said anything!� he reminded her. �You don�t take my phone calls. You�ll barely speak to me.� he accused walking ward her again. �You keep turning this back to me. You want to blame me, that�s FINE. I�ll take it. I fucked up. But I want to deal with NOW.� �Do you love me?� Mark asked. �This is pointless, okay.� Vanessa countered. �Just go. It�s late.� �No. We�re going to finish this tonight. I need to know how you feel.� Mark insisted. �I don�t want to do this, okay.� Vanessa snapped. �Just leave.� She insisted. �You can�t say it.� Mark concluded. �You can�t tell me you don�t love me.� �Oh please.� Vanessa snapped, rolling her eyes. �Then say it!� Mark insisted catching her by surprise he took one step, catching her arms before she could move. He held her close to him, �Say you don�t love me.� he asked. �Let go of me.� she insisted, trying to wiggle out of his grasp. �Just tell me you don�t love me.� Mark asked again. They stared at each other, Vanessa never uttering a word. �Just tell me you don�t love me, and I�ll walk away. My mistake.� Mark offered. �Why can�t you just tell me?� Mark whispered. �Because I can�t!� she shouted. |