James looked down at the paper in his hands.
"Okay," he said to himself, trying to keep his nerves collected. "You can do this. Just knock on the door."
Lucy was thinking about leaving the Palm Woods and for good this time. James loved her. He didn't want to see her leave. He wanted her to stay. He had tried to convince her in every way possible. This was the only way left that he could think of.
James reached out a hand and rapped it on Lucy's door. She opened the door of her apartment and stared at him. He could see the boxes on the floor of her apartment and had to bite back the urge to scream, "Stay with me!"
"Hi James," said Lucy. "Do you need something?"
"I need you," he thought.
"I...um...I have something for you," he said.
"Really?" asked Lucy. "What may that be? Is it a pair of helping hands?"
"Lucy," said James, pocketing the paper, thinking his idea was stupid and that it would never work, "For you, it's anything."
With a smile a mile wide, Lucy opened the door of her apartment wider and allowed James to step inside. James walked over to one of the boxes and began to slowly pack some books into them from a pile that rested beside the box.
"Lucy," said James. "Aren't you gonna miss me?"
Lucy let out a sigh. "James, we've been over this. I'll miss you, but I have to leave. My future depends on it."
"But what about our future together?" asked James. "Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
"Of course it does," said Lucy. She turned to look at James who had stopped packing to wipe away tears with the back of his hand. "I will always love you James Diamond, but I have to be strong and look at the bigger picture. I mean, maybe we're not suppose to be together. Maybe we're like some star-crossed lovers: destined to fall in love but always meant to live apart."
Lucy took a deep breath and said, "I'm going to go get some soda out of the fridge. Do you want some?"
"No. I'm good," said James. Why did he have to be the basket case in their relationship?
Lucy turned and walked over to a mini fridge a little ways away. While her back was turned, James tried to compose himself.
"So, when are you leaving?" asked James, trying to make his voice not waver.
He had forbidden himself from asking that question earlier because he didn't want to know the answer.
"Tomorrow," she replied. "I have to be at the airport by eight in the morning."
"Oh, ok," said James.
"That's not much time!" thought James worried. "How can I possibly say goodbye to you so soon?"
James watched Lucy take a sip of her soda. As she put the can down, she looked at James and asked, "Are you going to be okay?"
"No! I'm going to fall apart without you!" he thought.
"Yes," he said, falling apart on the inside.
James helped Lucy to finish packing the rest of her apartment into the boxes. Once the last box was sealed with packing tape, Lucy released a sigh of relief and came over to James.
"Thanks for the help," said Lucy.
She leaned forward and gave James a kiss on the cheek.
"Don't leave without saying goodbye tomorrow," said James. "Ok?"
"Ok," she said.
"And Lucy," said James as she turned to go.
"Yes?" she asked turning back to look at him briefly.
"Don't leave," he said.
"James, please..."
James walked toward Lucy and grabbed her. He held her tight, afraid that if he didn't hold her that he would forget that she was ever real. He leaned forward and kissed her so passionately that even she forgot for the moment that they were about to part tomorrow. They broke from the kiss and Lucy just stared at James for a moment.
"I can't do this James," she said. "I'm not invincible. Please go."
"I'm sorry," he said. "I couldn't help myself."
"James, please," Lucy said, trying to swallow her tears.
With a nod of his head and tears of pain leaping to his eyes, he turned and left her apartment. As he opened the door and left the apartment, he didn't notice that the piece of paper he had placed in his pocket earlier had fluttered to the floor.
Lucy stood in the center of her apartment for a moment, trying to hold herself together. That was when she noticed the piece of paper lying on the floor. She walked over to it and slowly bent down to pick it up. She unfolded it and recognized James's handwriting. She couldn't stop herself from reading what was written on it.
"Lucy, I've tried everything.
I've tried to make you stay.
But I'm running out of words,
I'm running out of things to say.
I told you that I loved you,
Yet you still packed up to leave.
I bought you a bouquet of roses,
Yet you still won't stay with me.
I've tried everything that I can think of.
I've run out of ideas to convince you with.
Lucy, I'm sad that you are leaving,
It feels like a piece of my heart has been ripped.
This is my last shot to convince you,
And I really hope that it works out the way I plan,
Maybe if I make you remember the time we met,
maybe then you'll allow me to be your man.
The first time I ever laid eyes on you,
you were a beauty too great to behold.
I never saw anything so beautiful in my life.
I didn't know that they made women that were better than gold.
I know I may have come across as strange at first,
But that was only because I was in love.
I knew that I had to try to do anything to meet you,
I knew from the beginning that you were my angel from above.
It wasn't until a month ago that we really kicked it off,
when I said that I loved you and you said you did too.
We leaned in and kissed and it felt so right.
I never loved anyone the way that I love you.
So please, before you get on that airplane,
to fly away to meet your future and cause me strife.
Please remember the love we have,
Remember always that you are the love of my life."
Lucy choked up as soon as she finished reading James's poem. She had never known that he felt that strongly about her. She knew then that, even if she had to push aside her future, her love for James was more important.
She ran out of her apartment and to apartment 2J. She frantically started to pound on the door.
"James! James! Are you in there?" shouted Lucy as she pounded on the door.
The door to the apartment opened up and Lucy saw James standing there with a sad look still on his face.
"Look Lucy, about before, I'm sorry..."
Lucy raced forward and hugged James. He was taken aback for a second.
"Don't be sorry James! I'll stay," said Lucy.
"What changed your mind?" asked James as Lucy pulled back from their hug.
"This," she said and handed him the piece of paper.
"My poem?" said James, a blush heating up his face. "How did you get this?"
"I found it on the apartment floor after you left," said Lucy. "I'm not leaving. I'm not giving you up. There are plenty of opportunities right here...with you."
A huge smile lit up James's face as he wrapped his arms around Lucy. He kissed her passionately on the lips as she kicked the apartment door shut behind her.
AN: My first one-shot. Please let me know what you think! :)