Anne with an E The Next Chapter

Here Comes the Bride

Her mind raced as he moved slowly from the railing of the porch to the stairs.

"As I live and breathe, I can't believe you're here. I've had the most dreadful week Ruby and all I have been thinking about is how to get the nerve up to go and see you, Ruby, my one true love..." he walked down the stairs and down the path to where she stood transfixed.

"Ruby, I can't tell you how sorry I am. I didn't want to leave you" his eyes pleaded. "You know what kind of situation I was in... but Ruby" he said as he reached her and grasped her hands in his "I'm free now".

Ruby's entire body shook as he stood in front of her. He was beautiful... the kind of guy who made heads turn and who everyone wanted to be friends with or loved by.

"Oh... Ruby I know how it must have hurt" he said it, running his fingers through his light brown hair and looking so desperate for her "but you know Diana's father is very powerful, and well it seems she has fallen in love with another bloke and so, you know, now you and I are free to be together again".

The words "be together" were enough to shake the sense back into her and she released herself from his grasp and pulled her overcoat around herself, suddenly aware of the child in her belly and her need to protect it. She recoiled and he noticed the hardened look on her generally warm face.

"What is it Ruby? Can't you forgive me" he said stepping up closer to her. His hand brushed her cheek and she looked up at his eyes.

"I'm getting married tomorrow"

"Married...how did that happen?" he leaned down to look into her eyes, looking cagy and shocked "who are you marrying? You told me just a few months back that you loved me!"

"James, I thought I knew what that was... but I was mistaken. What you and I had was not love. It was you taking advantage of an innocent, STUPID girl. It was me looking to fit somewhere and have something that was my own. You saw that in me and you acted on it. You should be ashamed of that. I know I am".

"Ruby, I told you in that letter that I cared very deeply for you but that I was stuck, you know I had no choice".

"You know James, I realize now that we do have choices. I don't really care what your reasons are. I am to be married tomorrow. He is the most loyal, steadfast and reliable person I've ever known and that is what makes a marriage work".

"Ruby" he laughed..."loyal doesn't keep a marriage alive... fire and passion does" he said as he grabbed both her arms in his hands "and that's what we had darling".

She resisted and released herself from the strong arms she had so wanted all this time. "James... you took something from me that I can never ever get back... you left me in pieces here with not even a word. And he picked me up, he walked beside me and he repaired the broken part in me that I thought could never be fixed. I need to go now, I wish you a good evening" she said as she turned down the path to walk away from him.

"Ruby, don't do this...you know we can have everything we talked about.. the house, the beautiful tea parties on the porch, dinner parties with our friends and babies..."

As he said it, she saw it flash in front of her...all the memories she had invented in her mind. It would be so easy wouldn't it? She could stay here and love him and they could have their child and this house and they could be a family. It was all here in front of her now and it would be simple and safe. She turned to look at him, his still bruised face and his pleading eyes, his hands open to her and the big house behind him, glowing warm and calling to her .But she remembered the only home she needed now was Moody and the images with James turned to a safe little candle lit living room with Moody and her child.