“So what are you going to do now?” Courtney asked.
 
Kristina sighed then down on the bed in her old room of her parents home. She stared out the window wondering just what her sister had asked.

“I don’t know,” she murmured.

Courtney’s sound of disgust traveled across the phone line. “Well I say you are a fool. How could you walk away from Robert? The man is in love with you. He even told you he was.”

“So did Warren,” Kristina added softly.

Courtney groaned. “Oh God Kristina. Come off of it already. Yes Warren was a low down piece of trash who did you wrong, but are you really willing to let a good man get away from you because of it?”

“I’m not letting a good man get away.”

The protest sounded weak even to Kristina’s ears. She closed her eyes and groaned. When had relationships become so difficult?

“Kristina, Robert is head-over-heels for you. I haven’t even met the man and I know it. Please don’t sell yourself short because some two timing bastard made you doubt yourself. You are so beautiful Kristina and so smart and he really likes you for you. Promise me that you will give Robert a chance and a whole-hearted chance. This is your once chance to be truly daring, go for it. You only live once.”

Courtney laughed. “I dared you to take Robert up on his proposition and look where it has gotten you so far. You would be insane to let a man like Robert get away because there aren’t many men out there like him.”

Courtney paused then exhaled softly. “Don’t make Robert pay for Warren’s mistake.”

Kristina jerked as if she had been shot the instant the words came out of her sister’s mouth. That was exactly what she had been doing to Robert and he didn’t deserve it. She closed her eyes and groaned, certain she had messed up a good thing.

“Oh Court, I have screwed up big time.”

Her sister sighed. ”Yes you have. Now the question is what are you going to do about it.”

Kristina continued to contemplate the question long after she hung up the phone with her sister. God help her, maybe it was love, or maybe it was infatuation, but she had to figure it out because she knew she didn’t want to give up Robert. She also knew they couldn’t go on with the way things were right now.

She sighed. With the finalization she heard in Robert’s voice last night she wasn’t sure there was a ‘them’ anymore. She couldn’t remember a time when she had felt so good, been so happy than she had during the time she spent with Robert. It was scary. What had started out as sex for her had become so much more. She knew better. She should never have slept with him.

She groaned and stood up. What she needed was some fresh air so that she could think. Could clear her head. She stood up and left the room before heading downstairs. Her parent’s were in the living room watching a movie. She stopped and smiled at them. If she were in San Angelo, she and Robert would be on sitting on his couch doing the same thing.

She sighed and shook her head. Pining over him wasn’t going to help. She had to resolve her past before she could have a future with him. She just didn’t know how. Her parent’s must have finally realized she was in the room and to look at her. She smiled at them.

“I didn’t mean to disturb your movie. I just wanted to let you know I am going to go out for a little while. Probably just grab a bite to eat and see if I can catch up with Melissa.”

Her mother nodded and smiled. “Okay. Have fun and don’t stay out too late.”

Kristina turned and walked toward the foyer. She reached for her purse and keys, then walked out the front door. It didn’t take her long to make it to D’Angelo’s, her favorite pizza spot. She hadn’t been here since she left Abilene. The smell of fresh baked pizza dough and roasted tomatoes assailed her nose as soon as she entered. Her stomach grumbled with anticipation.

She walked up to the counter and ordered two slices of cheese and a soda before walking over to an empty table. As she sat down she thought about how nice it would be to have Robert here with her. How nice it would have been for him to meet her parents. They would love him. There was no doubt about it. Well it wouldn’t happen if she didn’t get her head and her heart together.

She finished one slice of pizza and started on the second. She would have to come back to D’Angelo’s before again before she left out tomorrow. It might be a while before she could get back to Abilene.

“Kristina?”

She stiffened in mid-chew at the sound of the familiar voice calling her name. She looked up from her plate and her gaze fell on the man who just called her name. A man she never wanted to see again. One she had hoped she never would.

It was all she could do not to toss her soda in his face. She finished chewing her pizza before acknowledging him.

“Warren.”

He stepped closer to the table with a mixture of hope and anxiety on his face. “Do you mind if I join you?”

Kristina felt her eyebrows go up on her forehead. He had to be kidding. If he didn’t know the answer to that question, he was dumber than she thought. She realized he really was waiting on an answer from her. She frowned.

“Yes I do mind if you join me Warren. After what you did to me you have some nerve to even approach me.”

Warren stepped closer to the table but he didn’t sit. His expression was contrite. “I know Kristina and I apologize. I really do. What I did to you was unforgivable but I hope you will give me a chance to explain.”

She shook her head at him. “Don’t bother Warren. Your actions did all of the explaining for you.”

He gave her a tentative smile. “I’m divorcing my wife.”

Her mouth dropped open. He had really some nerve. To think this was a man she had been attracted to at one point-in-time. Now he stood before her looking like the loser she knew he was. She stood up, the pizza in her stomach starting to feel like bricks.

“I’m happy for you Warren. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to get going.”

She went to go by him and he reached out to touch him. She looked down at his hand then back up at him with disgust.

“Take your hands off me.”

He dropped his hand quickly. “I have the divorce paper’s if you don’t believe me.”

Her eyes widened and the ability to speak escaped her for a few moments. When she was able to speak, she told him exactly what she thought of his announcement.

“Go jump off a bridge Warren. No, better yet, go jump in front of a fast moving truck, preferably an eighteen wheeler.”

She turned and walked away from him hoping he wouldn’t follow, but he didn’t get the hint.

“Kristina—”

She put her trash in the bin before slamming her tray down on reserved tray space on top of it. She whipped around to face him. Several heads turned in their direction but she didn’t care.

“Are you serious Warren? You lied to me for months, almost a year. You have a wife and kids, both of which you failed to ever mention. You never would have mentioned if I hadn’t caught you. Now you have the audacity to show up here in my face and act like everything is supposed to be okay because you have proof of you filing for divorce? Get real Warren and while you’re at it get lost.”

She turned and walked away from him again. To think this was the loser she had been pining away over. May have lost Robert over. It made her sick. This time she made it out the front door before he approached her again.

“Kristina, I love you.”



She topped in mid-step, turned and slapped him in the face. “And I hate you.”



He rubbed the side of his face. “I deserved that.”

She shook her head. “No Warren. You deserve worse for what you did to me. I loved you Warren. I imagined a future between us, the house, the kids, the car, successful career, everything. Do you know how I felt when I found out you already had it with someone else?”

He remained silent and she shook her head. “I felt like a fool, a complete idiot. I thought to myself how could a smart woman like me fall for a snake like you? How could I have missed all of the warning signs? You are despicable Warren. You have made me doubt everything I believe in.”

She moved aside letting a patron who walked up by. He glanced at her and Warren with open curiosity but she didn’t care. Her focus was on the man in front of her. The one she didn’t realize she had so much pent up anger behind. Now was her time to get it all out. To let him know what he had done to her.

“You hurt me Warren. You crushed me. I have a man, a good man, in my life and I can’t even give myself to completely because of what you did to my level of trust. I’m making him pay for what you did to me and he doesn’t deserve it. No more than I deserved what you did to me.”

She stepped closer to him. “So screw your divorce papers Warren. They are worthless to me, just like you are. I don’t want to ever see you again. If you see me in public, pretend like you don’t know who I am.”

She stepped back from him. “But I do want to thank you Warren, because until I saw you tonight I didn’t understand just how lucky I am to have the man that I do. My only hope is that I haven’t ruined what he and I have in my blindness, no my unwillingness, to accept that what he and I have is real because of the way you hurt me. So you know what Warren. I will have my future, the house, the kids, the car, successful career, everything.”

She smiled. “It just won’t be with you and you don’t know how happy that makes me. Have a good life Warren.”

Kristina turned her back to Warren and walked away. She smiled to herself feeling an overwhelming joy. Like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. For the first time he didn’t follow her and when she climbed into her car, he was wearing a saddened expression. Close to the one she had worn when she found out he was married with kids, like the one Robert wore when she told him she was leaving.

Some of her happiness diminished. She had messed up badly with Robert but she planned to fix it. Tonight she would go back to her parent’s, get a good night sleep and leave out first thing in the morning going back to San Angelo. She had made a mistake by shutting Robert out the way that she had, but if he gave her a second chance, she would never do it again.

* * * *

Robert sighed in disgust. Why did everything have to remind him of Kristina? He looked down at the spaghetti sauce in disappointment. His lunch no longer looked appealing to him. He knew why. If Kristina had been here, they would be in the kitchen together making it. He hadn’t realized how domestic he had become with her. He didn’t realize how much he would miss her once she was out of his life and it had only been a day. Then again he never imagined she would be out of it.

The phone rang pulling him out of his thoughts. He turned down the heat and walked over to the cordless extension.

“Hello.”

“Robert?” It was Leslie.

“Yep, it’s me.” He replied tucking the cradle of the phone between his ear and shoulder as he walked back over to the stove

“Um, okay. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“Nope. Just cooking lunch,” he grumbled.

Leslie sighed. “She still hasn’t called.”

Robert sighed. “No Leslie and I don’t need to be reminded of it either.”

“Ouch! That stings.”

Robert closed his eyes. He knew he was being rude to Leslie and she didn’t deserve it. He opened his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “I’m sorry Leslie. I’m just . . .”

He could hear the smile in Leslie’s voice. “I know. Just give her a little time Robert. Trust me I know how she feels right now and I’m glad Alex is being patient with me.”

Robert smiled. He was happy his friend had found a good guy, even if his own love life was in the pits right now. “Good. He seems like a nice guy and I like him.”

“He is Robert. But I don’t want to keep you I just wanted to call and check on you.”

Robert reached the stove. He turned up the heat before giving the sauce a good stir. “Thank you Leslie. I appreciate it. How is Jessica?”

“She is with Justin and they are having a blast. He is doing a good job Robert. He is doing everything he can to be a part of Jessica’s life, including volunteering to take her to a birthday party.”

Robert smiled. “I’m glad Leslie. Jessica needs him.”

“She still needs you too,” Leslie whispered.

“And she will always have me. No matter what.”

Leslie paused. “I hope the same goes for Kristina because she needs you too, whether you know it or not.”

Robert shook his head. “She doesn’t need me Leslie. She won’t even talk to me. I don’t know what’s going on with her. I’m not sure I want to stick around to find out.”

“Don’t talk like that Robert. Kristina is a good woman and you know it. Just give her time. You don’t want to rush her. She will come to you when she is ready.”

He exhaled deeply. “I’m not sure she will.”

Leslie groaned. “What did you do Robert?”

He sighed. “When she left I told her not to contact me anymore.”

Leslie gasped. “Robert!”

“I know Leslie, I know, but I was frustrated. I feel like I am beating my head up against a brick wall with her. I’m tired of giving her everything I have and getting half or nothing in return.”

Leslie sighed. “I know if doesn’t seem fair right now, Robert. But there has to be a reason, so don’t blow this Robert. I know you can be stubborn, but the two of you can work through this.”

“I know we can Leslie and that’s the crazy thing. I don’t want to let her go. I care about her and I want to work through whatever it is but—”

He was cut off by a knock on his front door. He wasn’t expecting anyone. “Leslie, let me call you back. Someone is at my door.”

“Okay. I’m here for you if you need me.”

“Thanks Leslie.” He disconnected the call before turning off the burner. At this rate he wouldn’t be eating anyway. All of the talk of his relationship with Kristina not working was making him sick to his stomach. He wanted it to work. Would give anything for it to.

He made his way to the front door and opened it. Kristina stood there on the other side and he stood there numb with shock. He hadn’t thought she would show up on his doorstep so soon. She looked as uncertain as he felt. After their parting words, it wasn’t hard for him to imagine why.

“Hi Robert.”

He stared at her for several heartbeats before responding, thousands of emotions rushing through him at the sight of her. He had missed her. “Hi.”

She cleared her throat. “Can I come in?”

He stepped aside and allowed her to enter. He closed the door behind her then turned to look at her. Her mouth curved into the sexy, heart-stopping smile that had the power to make his heart skip a beat.

He opened his mouth to speak but before he could she walked up to kiss him. He drew back before he became entangled within the web of desire. This had been the problem in the past. When they touched the rationale of talking seemed to go out the window. She placed a finger to his lips.

“Me first,” she said, her gaze locked with his. “I love you, Robert.”

He stared at her. This had been the last confession he expected her to make. “You do?”

She nodded her head, a flicker of fear mixed with uncertainty in her eyes, the display of vulnerability squeezing his heart.

“Are you sure?”

That startled a laugh out of her. “I’m sure. I wouldn’t say it if I wasn’t.”

He smiled feeling as if some of the weight on his shoulders had been lifted off. “Good. I love you too.”

She slid her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. “I’m sorry I ran from you Robert, from us. I just had a lot of fear because of recent events.”

She pulled back and looked up at him. “A part of the reason I came to San Angelo was because of a bad break-up.”

She took a deep breath and he knew whatever she had to say was important to the future of their relationship.

“I was dating for a guy for about a year and I found out he was married and had children.”

Robert frowned as everything fell into place. All of her resistance to open herself up again made sense.

“I was devastated to say the least. Then I started to doubt myself, and my feelings. I tried to figure out how a woman like myself could be fooled by such a creep. More importantly my dreams had been crushed.”

She took a deep shuddering breath. “I thought he was the man I was going to marry. We were talking about a future together. What we had seemed so real, it felt so genuine. To find out it was just a joke to him hurt me in a way I can’t describe.”

She looked back up at him. “But I know you understand because in a way I did it to you as well. You have been nothing but good to me Robert and that’s what scared me. I thought I had perfection before and it crashed and burned around me. Then you came along. I couldn’t believe it was true. Not with what I had just been through.”

He cupped the side of her face. Understanding every word she said to him, knowing how hard it had to be for her to tell him such intimate details of a betrayal. It made him want her even more. To give her everything she was worthy of.

“So now that you have discovered what I feel for you is real, that what we have is real, what do you plan to do about it?

She gave him a watery smile. “Well I have a few ideas the main one being I hope you will take me back and give me another chance.”

A slow smile spread across his face. “I like your plan so far.”

She sighed in relief and dropped her face into his chest. “I’m glad, although I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to.”

He leaned back and caught her chin with the tip of his index finger. “I love you Kristina. I know we have a lot to work through and we will, together. I also have a few ideas of my own on how to move forward.”

Several emotions flickered across his face and he smiled. “You do?”

He nodded. “Yes I do.”

“Like what.”

He released her chin and touched his forehead to hers. He was ready to put it all on the line for the woman he knew was meant for him. No matter what her fears or reservations were, they would work through them together.

“I am hoping you will marry me”

Her mouth dropped opened and tears sprang to her eyes. A few tears slipped down her cheeks and her bottom lip trembled. Finally her arms come up and encircled his neck.

“That sounds like the best proposition I’ve heard in a long time,” she whispered. “Yes, Robert. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

He laughed before lowering his mouth to hers. It didn’t get any better than this.

THE END