After Eternity

Chapter 23

I.

During the afternoon, Cliff had seen James's car at his mother's front door and payed them a visit, since he was also at his father's visiting. They haven't seen each other in a long time since Cliff had been on tour with his band and he missed sitting and talking to his best friend. When he saw him by accident that morning hadn't been enough, and he knew James had some news to talk about.

They met when being children. Cliff was the first kid to approach James when he came to live with Morgan and Ray. He found out pretty quickly how introverted James was, because it had been hard to him to actually get to know him. When school started, they were in the same class and that's when finally Cliff was able to break the ice between them. They have become best friends ever since, like two brothers. James was an adopted kid and had been through a lot, only later when they were already young adults, Cliff could see all his problems blossoming. Many times he had been the one putting some sense on his head, but Cliff was some sort of a wild guy himself and they had been through a lot of trouble together.

When metal came into their lives, it all went out of hand. They had gotten drunk together too many times, maybe in very dangerous times. When drunk, James would get himself in all types of trouble. First there was happy James and after a couple more beers a very angry James would come out and he'd get violent. Cliff had been the one to calm him down most of the times. When Cliff embarked on Metallica, him and James started trying drugs other than pot. They have tried acids and cocaine for the first time together. They have shared girls, some in separated, others at the same time. Many things have been kept a secret between them, but they had a lot of experiences to tell. They were bothers in arms and could always count on one another.

Many years later, there they were, sitting on James's mother's porch, sitting on the long rocking chair, sipping on a bottle of Corrs like they have done many times for many years in a row, sometimes days in a row.

"So..." Cliff said. "Tell me about this Diana..."

James smiled instantly. "She is English, and she came to work in my company. That's how we met." He explained.

"And you are having sex with her, motherfucker. You can't keep that away from me." Cliff added slightly punching his arm.

"Yes..." James paused and sipped on his beer. "... but it's not just that."

"What is it, then?" Cliff pushed, though the way he talked about her was enough for him to understand that this woman in James's life was very different than any other woman he had been with and he had been with a lot of women.

"It started as that. I mean..." James giggled looking at his friend. "...you saw her... she is beautiful and hot as hell, but after being with her the first time, I thought it was going to end there. I really thought I was just after another good fuck, and that would be it..."

"But it was not..." Cliff interrupted. James shook his head.

"No... I kept coming back for more and more and it's not just even the sex... it's that I feel so calm and quiet when I am with her. I have shared with her many things about me that I haven't shared that easily with other people and I have only known her for a month and a half. She is funny. She is very easy to talk to..."

"And you are so fucking in love with her." Cliff laughed loud. James laughed too. "Man... in our entire life, I have never heard you talk about a woman that way. You are fucking fucked."

"I am scared..." James said losing his smile. Cliff got serious too.

"Why? What are you scared of? You have lived so many things. Some good, some bad... allow this to happen if it has to happen." Cliff supported him.