There's a Place For Us (Complete)

Part 30

I. An Exquisitely Tragic Love Affair

(Part 30)

By the time Isabella reached the end, her voice was barely audible, and she was shivering as if the effort of sobbing was killing her.

She closed her eyes and lifted her chin to the ceiling as the last of her tears escaped her eyes. She blindly searched for Adam's hand, and when she found it, he squeezed tightly. Then she looked at Adam for any reaction. She half expected him to run out the door. She had never told anyone the whole story with all of the vivid details.

"Holy shit..." Adam regretted the words as soon as they slipped out. That probably wasn't the best reaction.

Isabella laughed, "yea. That's my life."

Adam looked at her sympathetically and Isabella returned his look with a smile. Oddly, she felt happy. Relieved. She didn't feel like the weight of the world rested on her shoulders anymore.

Adam hated himself. He hated his life and his decisions and the things he used to do. Isabella had literally been through hell and back. He hated how he took life for granted and how good he had it. How he had wasted half of his life while Isabella was out there somewhere being tortured. To make things worse, he had signed up for the navy. Almost exactly where her boyfriend Logan had been. Where he had died. His mind flashed back to the day he had signed the papers for the navy.

'You sure about this kid? Once you sign up, you're in. 'Course you gotta go through training, but what I mean is, you sign these papers and there's no turning back.' Adam had nodded his head, definite at the time.

"Is that what happens? Do you relive it?" Adam asked her.

Isabella knew he meant her flashbacks and she nodded her head. "They kinda just follow me," she explained.

"You mean haunt you," Adam corrected. Isabella shrugged although her insides screamed that he was right, but she didn't want his pity.

Outside, it was dark. She had been speaking for over an hour, telling minor details of things. The stars were easily seen and the wind shook the window frames. Isabella and Adam sat close to each other on the couch. Their fingertips touching. "Can you do something for me?" Isabella asked while eyeing Adam's lips.

"Anything," he replied honestly. He wanted to give her anything she needed. It was the least she deserved after all the things that had happened to her.

"One," she said holding up her pointer finger signifying the number one. "Stop thinking about what I just told you. It doesn't matter. It's over now."

"Two?" Adam asked.

She responded with a smile. "Kiss me. Just let everything take over and kiss me," she pleaded. Maybe she had just told the story of Logan and their love, but at the moment, Logan wasn't with her. Adam was. And maybe it was wrong to kiss him and want him, but that was exactly what she wanted. For the first time in her life, she momentarily forgot about her black haired farmhand, wanting her chestnut colored stargazer.

Adam roughly pushed Isabella against the couch, taking her off guard. She squealed in surprise as his lips found hers. Instantly, her arms wrapped around his neck. It felt so good to be kissing him. Even Logan didn't kiss like that. Or did he and she just didn't remember......

The thought stopped her for a second, but even in that second Adam noticed. He pulled back. "I know you love him, Isabella... I'm sure this is hard, but you have to let go," he whispered gentle.

"But Adam," she responded, stroking the side of his face, "how do you look at someone you love and tell yourself it's time to walk away?" The question halted them both. Adam closed his eyes, resting his head on her stomach. Isabella pet his head and although there were tears in her eyes she whispered, "but you're here now. Not Logan. You're the one I want."