:Two years later:
It was a beautiful morning, not chilled but neither was it scorching hot; just a perfect spring morning. The air was sweet and the sounds of life around her sent excitement sizzling through her. "Next up, Nick Brookes," said a host in the near by stands and the crowd applauded and cheered wildly; Julia making sure to be one of the loudest.
Nick's lean, fit figure came jogging up to the obstacle course, where he would be timed. Anticipation Filled Julia as she stood and watched with her heart caught in her throat. It always worried her when he ran like this, knowing how bad it was for him and how careful he had to be. Just six months before he had collapsed in the middle of a race and had to be rushed to the emergency room.
Julia shivered toward the thought and tried her very best to shake away the memory and try and focus on the optimistic side.
"Get set, go!" the host called out in his radio voice as Nick thundered out into field of hurtles and obstacles. He was like lightning, just as fast as he ran. Julia had no doubt he was gifted, and just the way she saw him enjoying the feeling of nearly flying through air made her smile for him. It was just the risky side of it. She cared for him more then anything, and the very thought of one wrong race taking him away from her forever—well, it sometimes kept her up at night.
"He cleared the first hurtle!" The host cried out, "and—woah, the second he cleared with a good 2 feet to spare!"
"Come on, come on," she breathed quietly. "Almost there, almost done;" all she needed was to see him finish the race and find him still moving and not collapsing. She could at least handle the idea of him becoming overly breathless as long as he could get his inhaler and fill his lungs with the air he needed.
"He's coming on his last hurtle! Record time, this guy is good!" The host's impression was enough to get the crowd cheering even more wildly when he cleared the last hurtle and slowed down to breathe and take in the victory of finishing in such a great time. "That was Nick Brookes, with a magnificent timing of 2:38; and that puts him in second unless another runner can do better! Nick Brookes, ladies and gentlemen."
Julia pushed and shoved through the wild crowd when the tournament was finally over. Nick had been awarded a trophy for second place, and awaited Julia at the bottom of the stands. When she reached him she gathered him into her arms, feeling so proud of him. "Wow, look at you!" she exclaimed, "You're moving up, next time I bet you could make first!"
He smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "Come on, let's go out for lunch, my treat." Julia shook her head and smiled, if anything, she should be the one paying for him. But, she knew he would object and didn't want to bother. As far as Nick was concerned, he was the one who paid for meals; or at least most of the time. Sometimes Julia surprised him.
"You did great out there, Nick, you really did," Julia said when they reached his car.
"I could have done better," was all his reply. Julia wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but she could have sworn she detected a bit of disappointment in his voice and the sound of failure.
"Nick," she whispered and reached for his hand. She was surprised when he jerked it away from her and began to fumble with the keys of his car. "It's not your fault," she finally said when the car geared to life and once more tried to reach out to him.
"Yeah," he mumbled and then gave her a forced smile. "Come on, let's just forget about it. I'd rather spend time with you and just drop the stupid race, alright?" Julia bit her lower and nodded.
She didn't really want to just forget about it, and she wanted to let him know that it wasn't a stupid race in her eyes. That even though he had a slight handicap that held him back from his full limit that he was still great; Still one of the best.
Nick took her hand in his and smiled, this time. "Want to go down to the lake?" he questioned. Julia didn't need to hear him say it, but she knew he felt he needed to be there.
"Sure."
The car rumbled to a stop when they reached the lake. "Julia," Nick said quietly, "I want to take you out on that boat tonight, is that alright with you?"
Julia glanced at him. His shirt was half way unbuttoned, from the heat of the race, and his hair was disheveled. Something was wrong. She couldn't quite pin point it, but something definitely was not right with him. All day he wasn't himself, and now he was full out screaming inside out and Julia was hearing him.
She was about to answer him when his head jerked up and his eyes hit her with so much force, she was sure her heart had stopped. "Please."
That one word, that one single word hit harder then anything she thought possible. His voice was a sheer plea and his eyes were showing need and longing--- but not for her. He was begging for her presence, that was more then obvious, but there was more. She felt it in her heart, and she trembled.
"I'll be there."
:later:
The night was beautiful, nearly as perfect as that night they had first shared together on their first date. Everything was nearly wonderful, the scenery, the light breeze that felt refreshing, but Nick was acting worse.
He was acting so out of character, it was beginning to scare Julia more then she was willing to admit. Nick seemed more flustered and uncomfortable, repeating simple gestures with shaky hands that didn't seem to know what they were doing.
And he hadn't kissed her in over a week, and only touched her when given necessary. It hurt. It hurt more then anything she had ever felt. What seemed to be the real pain, however, was that she didn't know why. He just suddenly pulled away. One day he was there and being the amazing man she loved, and then the next—he was gone.
"Nick?" she whispered once they were sitting out on the lake, the gentle rocking of the boat seeming to calm down his nerves. He looked up at her and then back down again, holding his hands together and toying uncertainly with the ring she had given him just under a year ago.
He didn't answer. "Nick, please," Julia pleaded, reaching out for his hands. He pulled them away from hers and brought his eyes up to hers again.
Before he even spoke Julia knew what he was going to say. She didn't want to hear it, didn't want to accept it. Her heart nearly stopped beating as those words reached past her ears and into her heart—deep into her heart.
"Julia, I'm sorry—I," he paused, slipped off the ring that had been there with promise for that wonderful year and handed it to her. "It's over."
She wanted to die.
