Nick and Jessica’s eyes locked as he held her gaze. She could almost feel him reading her every thought as she gazed into the recesses of his eyes. Nick walked over to Jessica slowly, his gaze never wavering. The intensity of his gaze seemed only to get stronger as he approached.

Nick sat down gently next to Jessica, running his hand carefully over her face, tracing each of her features delicately with the pads of his thumbs. Silently, he brushed away the stray tears, which trickled down her cheeks with his fingertips. Looking into her eyes he saw all the fear, pain and sadness she had been experiencing.

Without hesitation, he quickly wrapped his arms around Jessica pulling her body closer to his. Jessica collapsed into his strong arms burying her face in his chest. He reached up and tenderly stroked her hair as he held her tightly.

The couple stayed exactly like that for minutes in complete and utter silence. They were perfectly content to be in the comfort of one another’s arms. Jessica could hear the beating of Nick’s heart as she leaned against him. No words were needed for what they were both feeling was inexpressible.

Nick pulled away slowly from Jessica’s embrace. He reached up and gently caressed the side of her face. As he slowly inched his face closer to hers, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that what he was doing was right. He knew that this time Jessica wouldn’t pull away. And she didn’t.

As his mouth found Jessica’s she could feel herself being seized up with dizzying passion. His kisses sent her into a frenzy. For the few minutes that he kissed her, all Jessica knew of the world was forgotten. The only thing that mattered or even made any sense at all to her was him. They belonged together - she was certain of it.

The pair broke apart, gasping for air, still gazing longingly into each other’s eyes. Nick reached down and gently took one of Jessica’s hands lacing his fingers with hers. “I love you Jessica,” he said hoarsely raising her other hand to his cheek.

“I love you too Nick,” Jessica whispered back, finding her voice.

Having said those three magical words, they sat hand in hand silently. The love for one another that they had just expressed was sacred. A sacred bond between the two of them. It was a promise love. A promise to each other that only they could understand.

Nick’s love was a promise to Jessica that he would never hurt her. That he’d help her forget. Jessica’s love in turn was a promise to trust him with all her heart and soul. And she did. It was something she saw in his eyes. She’d seen it from day one she’d just been too blinded by fear to notice.

“Nick, Jessica whispered urgently. “Don’t leave me. Stay here with me tonight please?”

“I’ll never leave you again Jess,” he replied with sincerity.

Nick leaned back and propped himself against the headboard of the bed, his and Jessica’s hands still intertwined. Jessica bent slowly resting her head on Nick’s muscular chest. He gently smoothed the stray locks of blonde hair from her face, his touch gently lulling her to sleep.

Jessica could feel her eyelids drooping with exhaustion. She tried to ward off slumber but she was too tired. There were so many things she wanted to tell him. She finally gave in though, her eyes closing for the last time. For the first time since that horrible night, she wasn’t scared. She knew Nick was there, watching over her.

Nick watched Jessica’s eyelids flutter for the last time as she fell asleep. Looking at her angelic face as she slept he realized that she was his angel. Sent from above. He just wondered why it had taken him so long to find her.

“I’ll never let anyone hurt you again. I promise,” he whispered to her sleeping figure as he kissed her forehead gently.

Lila glanced at her watch, excusing herself from the kitchen table where Brian and AJ sat. Nick and Jessica were still sleeping as well as Elizabeth. No one asked her where she was going for they were used to it. Everyday at exactly noon she would cease whatever she was doing and politely excuse herself.

Lila trudged wearily out of the kitchen, grabbing her purse as she passed the foyer. She climbed the stairs slowly, her step lacking its usual bounce. She opened the door to Brian's room and headed directly towards the bathroom. Once in the bathroom she began rummaging around in her purse. After a few seconds, she triumphantly pulled out a small pink case containing the pills.

She opened the case effortlessly counting the tiny oval shaped pills. She made a mental note to head to the pharmacy today to refill her prescription. She turned on the faucet allowing the water to run before she filled a tumble glass with it. Removing one of the pills carefully from its designated slot she placed it in the palm of her hand.

She and Brian always used protection, but you could never be too careful these days. These pills she took were the only assurance she had against ever becoming pregnant. She took them religiously, never missing a day, never consuming it later than usual. She and Brian loved each other, but they weren’t ready to deal with the responsibilities of becoming parents. Not now at least. Maybe someday. By now Lila was used to the feeling of the pill and the after taste it left in her mouth each and every time she downed one.

Lila hands began shaking slightly as she stared down at the pill. Her thoughts raced back to last night. Brian can’t leave me. I won’t let him. I love him too much, she repeated to herself yet again. “I won’t let that happen,” she said almost as if she were trying to convince herself.

Staring down at the familiar tiny pill in her hand, she suddenly had a thought. A way to ensure Brian would never leave her. A way for them to stay together forever.

She turned on the faucet full blast. As the water began swirling around the sink she quickly removed the remaining pills. She clenched the pills in her fists staring at her reflection in the mirror. Tears brimming in her eyes, she turned away. She couldn’t bear to look at herself.

“I’m doing this for you Brian. For us,” she murmured to herself.

Unclenching her fists, she let the pills fall into the sink. She watched as the last of the pills swished down the sink. Her hands still shaking, she turned off the faucet and replaced the now empty pink case in her purse.

She dabbed at her eyes with toilet paper and took rapid deep breaths to compose herself. She flipped off the bathroom light and headed down the stairs.

Making her way back to the table, she resumed her seat next to Brian. Her eyes unable to meet his. “Everything okay?’ he inquired cheerfully as he gave her a small sweet kiss on the lips.

“Just fine,” Lila replied with false sincerity her face plastered with a pretentious smile.

Elizabeth lay awake in the guestroom fiddling with the edges of the blanket. Although it had always existed, she had never slept in the guestroom before. She usually spent the night with AJ in his bed.

Her eyes travelled the room as she thought about him. She couldn’t even bear to think about last night. When she had arisen this morning, she had prayed that it was all a bad dream, but the aching in her heart had told her it was real.

I can’t go on like this, she told herself. He doesn’t want me and he never will. I have to forget, she said determinedly. Although Elizabeth knew she had to forget, she couldn’t. It wasn’t that simple. Her heart wasn’t like a faucet which could be turned on and off.

With a sigh, Elizabeth decided it was time to get out of bed. Time to start her new life. One in which AJ didn’t exist. Even before they’d started dating each other Elizabeth and AJ had been close. The fact that they were long time friends had only made their break up harder on Elizabeth.

She walked slowly over to the closed blinds snapping them open. The weak sunlight streamed into the room. Elizabeth surveyed the aftermath of last night’s storm. Leaves littered the beach and the now barren trees looked frail and helpless as they swayed in the wind.

She was about to turn away from the window when something caught her attention. An unmistakable figure. AJ. She watched as he trudged dejectedly alone down the beach. His head was to the ground and his shoulders were hunched making it impossible to read his facial expression.

Her eyes followed his lithe figure and suddenly another figure appeared almost out of the blue. She was headed towards AJ, her head bent in the same manner. It was inevitable that the two were bound to bump into each other.

AJ walked down the beach, kicking up a storm as he walked. Elizabeth hadn’t come down for breakfast or lunch. He hoped that he hadn’t hurt her too badly. He cared about her so much. The last of his intentions was to ever hurt her.

During lunch, AJ had watched Brian and Lila. The happy couple. He watched them fawn over each other until it made him sick with envy. What Brian and Lila shared was untouchable. He and Elizabeth would never be like that. Their relationship would never have the chance to grow to that level. A level where nothing else in the world mattered except them.

Sighing, AJ continued down the beach. Just being in the same house with her made him feel guilty. It was a guilt that weighed on his conscience every second. It was his fault that she had left him. If only he’d told her sooner just how much she meant to him, he’d be holding her in his arm right now. He hadn’t told her though. Now there was nothing he could do about it but live out the consequences.

Suddenly, AJ’s thoughts were rudely interrupted as he clumsily crashed into something. Looking up quickly he realized that it wasn’t something moreover someone.

As their eyes met, AJ felt a jolt of electricity race down his spine. He gazed into her eyes captivated. Her eyes. They seemed so familiar to him. So unmistakably filled with pain and sorrow.

The girl. The storm, AJ suddenly recalled. It was the same mysterious girl he’d seen before. Only this time she was standing right in front of him staring back into his eyes.
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