Blurred Lines

Chapter 16 - Labyrinth

Marlena's Lakeside Cottage

September 26, 1992

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It only hurts this much right now

Was what I was thinking the whole time

Breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe out

I'll be getting over you my whole life

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Marlena stood in the center of her kitchen and laughed loudly, her head thrown back in a halo of honey colored hair, her hazel eyes sparkling with humor. She was amazing. Absolutely, and utterly amazing. She was wearing a soft t-shirt of varying pink stripes, and a pair of denim overalls. He didn't even know she owned denim overalls. John's hands froze where he stood unwrapping the newspaper from a large vase, as if caught in time. He could watch her for hours. He could imagine wrapping her in his arms and sliding his palm inside over her hip.

Abe saw John stop moving out of the corner of his eye, and then turned to see what he was staring at. Marlena was laughing in the kitchen as Sami screamed, "You can't catch me Eric! I'm Supergirl!"

"I'm Superman!" Eric cried out, chasing his twin sister at the top speed of a seven year old. "Superman can catch anyone!"

Abe glanced again at John, and then saw Lexie watching with a deep sadness in her eyes. The whole situation was so emotionally complicated. If Isabella saw him doing this she would be so hurt. Walking towards John, Abe leaned close to him, and said softly, "You're staring at her."

John startled, jumping slightly as he was pulled from his musings. He shook his head slightly. He'd been so lost in his fantasies that he'd forgotten where he was, and that wasn't good for any of them. He glanced around the room quickly, trying to see where Isabella was or if she'd noticed his daydreaming.

Abe sighed, knowing that John was worried that Isabella might have seen him. "She's upstairs with Bo and Carly. I think they are unpacking the twins' room."

John felt almost buried in guilt. He looked at Marlena again, and he whispered, "Why is this so difficult? It was so much easier when we were... just friends."

"Just friends?" Abe asked him. "I'm not sure you and Marlena will ever be just friends. You'll always hover somewhere in between. More than friends."

"That's a dangerous place for me to be Abraham," John replied, tossing the crumpled newspaper into a large garbage bag sitting near the end of the couch.

Abe watched John for a moment, realizing that he didn't plan to say anything else on the matter. Marlena laughed again, and Abe watched John stiffen in response. He asked his friend, "You still love her then?"

John gave Abe a long look, "Can you hand me that other box behind you?" He didn't answer the question. He wasn't ready to unpack that emotional box yet.

Marlena stared at Kim, laughing loudly, "Oh! I do remember that!" She looked around the room searching for John, and she called to him, "John! Do you remember that night when I tried to make dinner for all of us at the house... what a mess that was!"

John smiled to himself remembering the chaotic destruction that had followed her wake in the kitchen. It had taken hours to clean up, and they had spent most of the time laughing. "Wasn't that when you tried to make tacos?"