Chapter 6: Choices
She had walked off most of her anger and her buzz. She had power walked through most of campus then back to her car. The game crowd was starting to pack into the bars. She noticed Jacob’s car still in the parking lot and was tempted for only a moment to go talk to him. But figured he would be drunk and not wanting to start another fight, she drove home.
She ordered Chinese and thought an awful lot about Jacob and Nick.
She even dragged her old diary out and read her dog eared pages. She was startled out of her reverie by her ringing phone. Amy’s number read on the caller ID.
“Hello.” She answered.
“Please tell me it isn’t true?” Amy sounded hysterically. Angela sighed.
“Yes, it is.” She answered. “He is back.”
“Oh geez.” Amy gulped. “Angie, I am so sorry. I never thought he would come back.”
“Amy, it’s ok.” She assured her frined.
“No, it’s not.” She paused. “I should have told you a long time ago.”
“Told me what?”
“Why he left.” Neither said anything for a moment.
“Amy, you knew why Nick left this whole time and you didn’t tell me?”
“I promised him I wouldn’t tell you what he was involved in, if he left.”
“YOU DID WHAT?” she screamed. “You told him to leave!?”
“Angie, I am so sorry.” Amy sobbed.
“No, how could you.” She accused. “You knew how I felt about him.”
“Ang, I know. Just please hear me out.” She pleaded. Angie didn’t say anything.
“He was involved in drugs, Ang.” She informed her. “He was in some trouble and people were threatening him. He had to come up with a lot of money fast, or….” She trailed off. “Or they were going to come after you.” Another pause.
“And you know this how?” Angie finally asked.
“I overheard a conversation he was having.” She explained. “Well, actually, I had picked up the phone line while he was on it.” she paused. “It was one time when Devon and I were fighting and I was staying with you.” She continued. “I was frightened. I had to do something. Angie, please don’t hate me.” She pleaded. Someone knocked on the door. She looked out her peep hole and sighed.
“I will have to call you back.” She snapped.
“Angie, please.” Amy continued to plead.
“I will call you back. Someone is at my door.” She flipped her phone shut and opened the door. Nick extended the dozen roses to her. She sighed and accepted them. She left the door open and retreated to the kitchen and shoved the flowers into a cup and sat them on the counter. She turned to find Nick sitting at the kitchen table.
“I owe you an apology.” He said.
“Okay.” She sank into the seat across from him.
“Angie,” he started, “I am an idiot. I don’t know how I can ever make you understand what happened.”
“Amy just told me.” She informed him. He looked up at her then slowly shook his head.
“Everything?”
“Yes, I believe so.”
“And?”
“And why didn’t you come to me and tell me. I could have helped you?”
“That is exactly why I didn’t want to come to you.” He dropped his head into his hands. “I was in with some bad people. They didn’t know who you were, but they would have found out if I stuck around.”
“I could have loaned you the money.”
“No, this was my dumb mistake.” He shook his head again. “Plus, I was on some pretty hard shit for a while, Ang.” She gasped.
“I never knew.”
“I know. I hid it from you. I wanted to get straight and have a life with you, but I couldn’t do that.”
“I could have helped.” She repeated.
“I was afraid you would end up hating me if I told you.”
“Nick, I could never hate you.” She quietly said.
“I came back here, not only because of my mom.” He confessed. “I came back here hoping to find you single and ready to take me back.” He looked up at her saw tears rolling silently down her cheeks. “Instead, I came back and found you in love with someone else.”
“Nick, I don’t know what to say.” She choked out. He stood and walked around the table and pulled her to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her and held her silently for a while, while she sobbed.
“Angie,” he pulled her away and smiled at her, “I love you, I left to protect you. I know that this is a bad time for you, but I am actually in a good spot in my life, and I have to ask if you will give me another chance.” These are the words she had waited years to hear him come back and say to her, but as he said them, Jake’s smiling face popped in her head as he swung her around the dance floor, or as he took her hand across the table. Jake, who knew she liked cream in her coffee and carnations instead of roses.; Jake, who she had held back from for so long, waiting, on what? The blonde haired blue eyed boy to come back into her life. Now here he was before her, asking for a second chance and what does she hear her self saying?
“No.” she shook her head. “I love Jake.” She looked down, but he tilted her face up to him and wiped away her tears and gently kissed her lips.
“Nick, I am so sorry. I…” he placed his finger on her lips and shushed her.
“I don’t need you to apologize. I am the one who is sorry I put you through so much pain. I shouldn’t have waited so long.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out the letter from Jacob. “Here, you two have some things to work out.” She recognized Jake’s handwriting on the outside where her name was written.
“He is actually a decent guy, Ang. I spent some time with him.” She gasped. “Although I am pretty sure he got me drunk and took advantage of me.” She gave him a suspicious look. He laughed it off and pecked her one more time. “Don’t worry about it. Go to him.” He motioned to the letter. “If you don’t mind, I am going to take a nap on your couch; I have a hell of a headache.”
She sat in her car and slowly opened the letter written on a napkin. It was short.
Meet me in UT Gardens. Love, Jake
She drove there in a daze, not quite aware of her surrounding. She knew that what ever awaited her with Jacob she was going to embrace it. She knew they had a lot to over come, but she knew with Nick out on the table everything else would be much easier. She pulled into the parking lot and got out of her car. The UT gardens were located on campus behind the Agriculture Campus. Neyland Drive circled it on the outside and sometimes you could see a Life star helicopter landing at the nearby hospital. Tonight, however was peaceful and quite. She walked through the gates and wandered through the first path. Jacob was no where in site. She wandered around some more and finally spotted him near the picnic tables, which were surrounded by the carnation beds. He rose when he saw her and smiled, as she drew closer to him he bent down on one knee and she could see he was holding something in his hand.
“Angela,” he said her name as she gasped at the ring he held out to her. “Will you marry me?” Tears flowed down her cheeks as she gasped for breath. She managed to nod, then finally managed a weak, “Yes!” he slid the ring on her finger then stood up and kissed her, sweeping her off her feet and swinging her around.
Prologue
Jake and I are on our honeymoon! I can hardly believe it!
We married in March and we are currently in Hawaii on a beach.
Well, I am on the beach, Jake has decided that he can surf and
Is desperately trying to stay on his board.
A lot has happened in the past couple months. Amy and Devon
Got married too! On New Years Eve actually. It was beautiful.
Nick left the day after he talked to me. He emails me every
Once in a while. Jake asked me to invite him to our wedding, but he declined, saying he was in Mexico and didn’t want to
Have to deal with customs. I realized that talking to him
And seeing him again gave me the closure I needed.
Jake and I had a long talk and I finally told him my real
Number of men. He wasn’t happy about that, but accepted it
As the past.
He quit Knox Home Care, saying he was not sure he could
Keep his hands off of me at work now. In fact we pretty much have
A whole new staff. Molly was fired. Turns out she was sleeping with
Luke. He was also fired. Bridgette was also fired, which I got
Great pleasure out of. Several patients complained on her advancing
On their husbands. Amy quit and went to work at a day care where
She can be with the twins more. Jake took a job at the hospital as head
Therapist and he loves it. We have a new boss, male, but he is nice
Enough, I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. Jake jokes and tells me
To keep my charm on off when I am at work. I miss all my old friends
Working with me, but on to new things. Jake is heading back in. looks
Like he had given up on surfing. I am happier than I have ever been, I
Guess my bed time story does end happily after all.
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