She's Come Back

Ch. Six

Jason stood in the middle of his living room staring at the not-so-dead Keshia Ward.  He had to be seeing things because Keshia had been dead for eight years. There is no possible way that she was still alive after all this time.

Keshia stood staring at Jason. He looked like the Jason she knew and yet he looked totally different. He was bigger, his hair was cut short, his eyes were no longer the soft baby blues but a darker blue and he looked like he'd been through a lifetime  of pain.

She took a step forward, "Jason -"

He held up a hand to stop her, "You died eight years ago. How is this possible?"

"Eight years ago I was abducted by a man who goes by the name Franco. He faked my death so that no one would come looking for me. He's kept me locked up in some room with a steel door." she says

"How are you here?" he asked.

"A nosey neighbor." she says.

Jason just stands there staring at her. He didn't know what else to say. Standing before him stood the woman he loved for so long who he thought was gone to him forever. "I know that you have a lot of questions and that you are at a loss for words but-"

"Where are you staying?" he questioned suddenly.

"I actually stay right across the hall from you. Apartment 15B." she says.

His eyes widened,"That's you?"

She nods.

"You've been here for months now. How have we not run into each other?" he asked.

"We seem to have different schedules that keep us busy. I mean I've seen your back and everything when you go into your apartment but that's it." she says.

He takes a step forward,"I only ever see your back or part of the side of your face." he said.

She smiles,"I never would have guessed that we lived across the hall from each other." she says.

Jason was now standing before Keshia gazing down at her with a look in his eyes that she couldn't place. He looked the same but so different.

"How can you look the same but so different?" she says.

Jason lifts his hands and cups her cheeks,"For so long you're the only face that I could remember, the only person that I knew I could really trust. And for so long I thought you were dead." he says, his eyes searching hers,"After nine years I finally have you back in my life." he says.

Keshia smiles,"You have no idea how much I've missed you." she says.

Taking a step closer Jason hesitantly lowered his lips to hers, earning a smile from Carly,"Yay!" she squeals, clapping her hands together rapidly,"You can finally be happy!"

Jason pulled away from Keshia and she looked towards Carly who had a smile on her lips like a kid who'd just walked into a candy store. Jason watched a smile form on Keshia's lips and he found himself smiling. Never would he have thought that this moment would ever be possible. He thought she was gone to him forever but here she stood, before him, smiling at one of his closest friends.

"So, what does this mean for the  both of you?" Carly asked.

Keshia turned to Jason who was still gazing down at her,"It's the start of something new." he says.