Peter

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It was late at night when Jane finally came home. He was to hurt to talk to Teresa, the betrayal fresh in his mind. When he passes the living room to the stairs he notices someone new sleeping on the couch. It was the same teenage boy from yesterday. Correction-it was Teresa's teenage boy. Her son. The hurt comes back and Jane makes his way up stairs. Once in their room he carefully opens the dresser and begins to take some of his clothes out. Teresa begins to stir in her sleep making Jane freeze. His goal to runaway would be ruined if she woke up. After a good five minutes he seams it safe to continue. He wasn't actually going to run away, just stay at his motel for a while.

Putting the clothes in the grocery bag he brought with him Jane makes his way to the door.

"Patrick?"

He didn't want to look at her, knowing that if he did he would never leave. Teresa sees the bag full of clothes and immediately goes to him.

"Don't leave, please don't leave."

"Teresa."

"Look at me!"

Not turning around to face her, Lisbon improvises and gets between Jane and the door. The irritation evident in Jane's eyes, there was no part of him that wanted to stay.

"What do you want me to do Teresa? Forget the fact that you have a son? That you've lied to me this whole time? I can't stay here I want to go."

"Let me at least explain!"

The panic in her voice causes Jane to reconsider, the whole reason he snuck into the house was to not wake her. And now he sees the panic in her beautiful eyes and he can't seem to leave.

"Alright."

Jane sets the bag down and lets Teresa guide him to the bed, the both of them sitting on the edge after she turns on the lamp on their bed stand. That's when she tells him her story, not holding back anymore. Jane listens intently, clinging to her every word. At the end he could understand her need to be silent, but that didn't mean the hurt went away.

"There's something I want to know."

"Ask me anything."

"This morning, this whole month in fact. You won't let me get close to you, I love you and I know you feel the same and yet it feels like you are trying to end the relationship."

At his words she looks away, not wanting to face him.

"I don't deserve to be loved. Do you even know what it's like? To abandon your own child? And then to go out and see families and it just hits you that, that could've been you. After giving up Peter...I don't know...I just don't deserve it."

"Teresa, you don't honestly believe that do you?"

"How could I ever be in love again when I couldn't even keep my own son?"

Jane puts his hand on hers getting her attention.

"After I lost my daughter I thought I could never love again. And then I found you and that changed everything."

"Do you still love me though? After all of this? After Peter?"

"Teresa Lisbon I will always love you. I just...I don't know about all of this. You can't keep secrets from me, not when we're so close. I-I just need time. I need to process this."

"Oh."

"I'm going to live elsewhere for a week, but I'll still visit and I'll be at work."

"I understand."

She watches as he leaves, making his way down the stairs. Not knowing what to do she takes out her Bible and begins to pray.

Will he ever come back?