Let Me Down | John Murphy

Softer Side to Murphy?

Chapter 9

To my surprise, John's outside waiting for me when I exit the tent. He immediately stands when he sees me and smiles.

"Your arm okay?" He asks and I nod.

"Yeah, it's fine. Have you seen Bellamy?"

"He's showing Dawn off over there."

I follow John's finger and spot everyone being mesmerised by my perfect little girl.

I love our little family so much.

"Okay, well I'll see you later." I'm about to head off when he stops in front of me.

"Wait, Quinn! Can we talk a second?"

I know I care for John, but I don't think I can have a deep and meaningful talk with him, especially if I have a feeling I know what it's about.

"John I-"

"It will only take a second, I promise."

I can give him a second... at least I think I can.

"Okay," I agree, and we head over away from everyone else until it's just John, myself, and the stars.

"It's beautiful out here," I say aloud, trying to distract myself from the true reason I'm with him right now.

"Here looks like a good spot," he says before flopping onto the ground.

Following him, I take a seat with a little distance so I'm not right next to him.

"So..." I start. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"

My heart, mind, and soul are trying to keep my cool. I have an idea what is about to be said, but I'm still petrified to hear it. I've never been good in these sort of situations.

"I wanted to talk about the last time we saw each other," he says, opening a can of worms that may never close again.

"You mean when you abandoned me?" I had to go there. Just once, I had to say it.

"Quinn I-"

"How could you?" I almost scream, my emotions raising way too fast for me to handle. "How could you leave me?"

God, could I sound any more broken?

"I didn't want to leave you, Quinn," he claims, yet I believe them to be lies. If he didn't want to, he shouldn't have in the first place. "I really didn't."

"Yet you did, anyways."

"I know, Quinn. I screwed up, and I'm sorry. I really am sorry. If I could take it all back, I would."

"But you can't."

I have no idea what my face must look right now, but I'm guessing it's snotty, teary, and wearing a depressing facial expression that'll make the saddest story happy and light.

I get up, trying to regain my dignity when I hear him make a shocking confession.

"I came back for you!"

My heart stops, just like my feet, as I twist my head to see him.

"What?"

"I came back for you."

I don't know what to make of his confession. It makes no sense. John Murphy actually went back for someone? The man so selfish, the devil looks like an angel.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, taking a step towards him.

"When I left you, it took me a moment to realise my mistake. Not a long one, but enough for you to be gone by the time I came back."

Is he serious? Why would he come back for me?

"I've made plenty of mistakes in the past, Quinn. Too many, so may say." The whole world will agree with him, there. "And the worst ones I put you through hell, which you didn't deserve. You've been by side more time than I can count, and definitely more than I should have, considering all the awful things I've done."

"We've all done bad things," I say, trying to ease his guilt a little.

"But I purposeful hurt you," he tells me. "I knew if you cared for me, I would disappoint you, so I tried to get you to hate me. I thought it would be better that way."

"John... I could never hate you," I confess. "I've tried to but... no matter what I do, I can't."

"I really believed you did," he says.

"For a while, I did, too," I say. "But something about you, John, is stuck with me."

Moving closer, he says, "you're something else, Brady."

"I can say the same about you, Murphy."

We move closer and closer until we're only inches away from each other's lips...