Don't Catch Me!

Chapter 29 - Forgiveness and Revenge

Chapter 29 - Forgiveness and Revenge

I woke wrapped in a pair of arms with a warm body next to me.  I fought.  I hit and I kicked and I shoved until he was groaning on the ground then I turned to the door.

“Cissy, no!  Cissy, it’s me.”

“Joel?  Is that you?”  Then I remembered.  I shrank to my knees and cried.  “I couldn’t stop him.  I couldn’t do anything.”

His arms wrapped around me and this time I welcomed them. 

“I’m sorry Joel, I’m so sorry.”

“Cissy, you have nothing to apologise for.  I should have been there.  I should have never left you there.  It is me that should apologise to you.” He wrapped himself around me and rocked me gently on the floor.

“Joel, he didn’t, did he?”

“No.  I got there in time. I saw him pulling you up the stairs as I came in the front door.  I would have been there earlier but each time I caught up to you he moved you.  So I got to the big white house just to see you driving off then by the time I had tracked your signal to the football game you were gone too.  Finding you after that wasn’t so hard.  I figured he would take you to the after game party.”  He brushed the hair from my face and I could see that he loved me.

“I wanted to find you, but he tricked me,” I told him everything.  I had to tell him, I wanted him to know.  He kissed my head and held me as I told him.

“I am sorry Cissy, I should have never have left you.” I could feel his guilt.

“Joel, don’t blame yourself.  It’s not your fault.”

“Cissy, this would have never happened if I was there.  I was a fool.  I was trying to fix this and ended up making it worse.”

“I know you were giving me some space.  And Joel I did need that.”

“Space?  No, that’s not what I was doing.  Cissy, I am embarrassed to admit it but no I wasn’t giving you space.”

“Ohh, what were you doing then?”

He dropped his head and looked away.  Using my fingertips I brushed them along the stubble on his chin bringing his eyes back to mine. 

“Please tell me?”

“I feel like such an idiot.” His shoulders slumped and he winced just a little, “I needed to get some of this dimension’s money.  I needed to woo you and I didn’t want you to be sleeping in a gutter.”

“Joel?  You didn’t?  You didn’t do anything illegal did you?”

He laughed softly.  “No, that would be counterproductive!  I can’t impress you with that sort of behaviour right?”

“No, that wouldn’t work at all!” I chuckled at the thought. 

“However, what I had to do wasn’t that romantic.  I used to play a lot of pool with my brothers.  So I went to a local pool hall and played for money.  While you were in danger I was playing games.  How can you ever forgive me?”  He shook his head, “Forgive me?  Another thing you will never forgive me for.” 

His arms loosened around me and I felt something tugging at my heart.  I wrapped myself around him and held him tightly.  He breathed a soft laugh and his arms remained around me.