Through Time Again

Ch.13 Five Year's Difference

June 19, 1933

"Dear Anet,
I hate writing letters"

Thomas growled, exasperated. Crumpled the page. Swore. Uncrumpled it. Tried smoothing out the kinks of the only sheet of paper he had in his room.

"I'm a chump. A yellow-bellied chump."

Right about now Vic should be picking up Anet from St. Mary's.

"Soon she'll be out of the city. Home with Harvey and her brother. She'll be sore I didn't see her. Talk to her. After God-knows-what she's been through. Maybe she'll be so sore at me that she'll never want to see my sorry mug again."

He raked his hands through his hair. Exhaled. She deserved something from him!

"Dear Anet ,
I hate writing letters you're probably sore at me for not seeing you. I'm yella! I know you don't give 2 slugs about my excuses, but I'm"

Tap, tap, tap.

"it don't matter what I am. I promised to—
God! I promised a lot! I don't want you to hate me for all the promises I broke, when I believed you were dead.  It's not an excuse. I would've made better choices—this is why I hate writing!
Anet, I do want to see you! To be with you again! But I don't deserve it. If you want to see me, just say the word and I'll come.
-Thomas"

He enveloped the letter. Tucked it away. He'd send it after Vic got back and resumed his life with Isla and Junior.

~•~

"Vic, it's not that I don't want to go back home and be with my family, it's just..." she looked up at him with those big, brown doe eyes, "Vic, I haven't seen my family in years. I'm sure they'd protect me just fine, but I know how protective you are of me, you kept me safe. I just want to be safe... with you." her small, slender hand held onto his.

"Dammit, Anet." Exasperated breath. "Baby, I would want nothing more than to pick up where we left off. To take you in and be your shining knight."

"I know a lot can happen in 5 years, but I still feel connected to you. "

"It's crazy, I know—, "

Her forehead plopped against his chest, "Please don't make me go, Vic."

He halted the urge to wrap his arms around her and say she could stay. That he would take care of her and be the man he had wanted to be for her 5 years ago.

"It's complicated, Anet. If you stay, I'll want you all over again, and I'd go mad."

Silence...

"...It's so weird." she doesn't pull back to look at him. "You talk so differently. Five years has really gone by for you... but for me, with my memories gone, it was just yesterday you were putting that ring on my finger —I don't even know what happened to that ring!" her voice cracks. "And... I think I'm starting to get it. S-someone else is supposed to be wearing that ring today. You've married someone else." she gripped fistfulls of his vest in her hands. A moment passed. She calmed. Lifted her face. Glossed eyes meeting his. "I get it. You thought I was dead. It's okay... But, Vic...I still love you."

Now he stood frozen. Uncertain what to say or do.

"I won't get in the way, I promise. Just, please, don't send me home!"

"You need to be someplace safe, Anet! Whoever is chasing you—,"

"Van der Meer. That's who I was running from last time."

"Van der Meer? That Dutch rat who lives on the other side of the Falls?"

Nod. "I don't know if I lost his boys, if I was paranoid when I hit that light or just careless. I don't even know if they were after me."

"Anet, even if you didn't go home, where would you stay? What would you do?"

She looked down again. Thinking over her answer. Her hands released his vest. Gently smoothed the wrinkles over his abdomen. "I'll think of something, Vic." she drew her eyes to his. "I'm not completely helpless."

Eyes locked. Moments ticked by.

He knew he should say no. Send her to Harvey. Then drive home to Isla...

It wasn't as if he and Isla had the perfect monogamous marriage—on his end. The only wife he'd ever been faithful to, even before marriage, was Graziella. There was no one for him the day he'd met Graziella...

Then came Anet. She drew him into her mystery and excitement. She teased what it would be like to have her—like she did now. Was he faithful to her 5 years ago? No, but he'd wanted to marry this dame and would've given her everything! He wanted and would have been as faithful to Anet as he'd been to Graziella.

Her hands slipped a fraction lower. "Vic?" teeth sunk into the bottom corner of her red lips. Eyes drawing him to a time long past.

He swore under his breath.

That hopeful smile. "You're not sending me away?"

A deep, resigned exhale. Eyes closed for a drawn moment as he cursed himself for his next words, "Of course not, Baby. "

She bounced up, arms slung around his neck. "Thank you, Vic!"

Vic wrapped his arms around her—like the hangman's noose he saw wrapping around his neck. Her small body pressing into his didn't help.

She craned her neck back. Smiling bright. A laugh that lilted from her lips and plucked at his heartstrings. She bobbed as if she wanted to lay one on him, "I, uh, I'm gonna have a hard time reminding myself you're a married man." That smile. "I promise I'll be good." she planted a kiss on his cheek.

The two released each other.

"Yeah. I-uh- appreciate that, Baby. You were always the good one. Y'never let me cross a line you said only a husband should. I don't imagine you crossing those lines with, uh, another dame's husband." The words came out choppy and awkward, as if he had never had to say anything like that to any woman...he hadn't.

She laughed. "You're right. I kind of am an old-fashioned dame." She bit the corner of her lip again, "I just need to tell myself it's been 5 years 'til I believe it."

"Yes! Well. Whadd'ya say I put you up for a few nights in a hotel 'til you figure out what you wanna do. And I'll do my best to help you if you need it."

That smile again. "Thank you, Vic." That look again...

God! I should've just sent her home!