Preface
"Please babe, don't do this," he begged his voice breaking.
Tara crossed her arms in front of her. She looked away from him trying to contain her emotions as much as possible.
"It's too late, Jax. It's simply too late. Too much has happened. Too much time has passed."
She walked to the nearest window and saw people walking around the grounds. They couldn't see her given that she was in the farthest corner of the massive mansion.
"Tara, you and I are supposed to be endgame," she heard him say behind her.
Tara leaned her head on the window as she saw Ann fuss with Alfred probably barking orders. This would be her life in a few days, she thought.
Goosebumps rose in her arms as she felt Jax behind her.
"Jax," she whispered.
He slowly turned her around until they were facing one another.
"You should go," she whispered.
He circled his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "Do you want me to go?" he asked sincerely, his blue eyes looking deeply into her green ones.
"Please don't do this, Jax." Her hands rested on his chest.
"Don't do what, exactly?" he asked his voice becoming huskier. He took one of his hands and tilted her face upward. He looked into her eyes for a moment before leaning down and placing the softest of kisses on her lips. He pulled away and looked into her eyes. "Did you feel that, babe?"
Tara felt a few of her tears roll down her cheeks. She nodded as she closed her eyes. She felt his lips on face, kissing her tears away.
"I love you, Tara," he said between kisses. "I never stopped loving you. I will never stop loving you." He glazed his lips among hers.
This time she welcomed them. She moaned when she felt his tongue seeking entrance into her mouth. She welcomed his lips. Welcomed his touch. Welcomed him.
He opened the sash of her robe and she felt it drop to the floor.
Tara opened her eyes and stopped.
She pulled away and Jax looked at her questioningly.
"We can't do this," she quickly bent down and picked up her robe and secured the sash around her waist. "You have to go. Like now."
She walked around him and sat at the vanity. She noted her swollen lips and she wanted to kick herself for her obvious weakness.
"Tara, if I walk out of here, that's it. I am done."
Tara turned around and looked at him. "You can't just come here and do this to me. Not today of all days."
"Make your choice, Tara. But I am serious. I cannot bear it anymore. Seeing you live the life you are living. Seeing you pretend that you are happy when you are not. I cannot bear not being with you every single day. Not waking up next to you. Not loving you every single day. So you make your choice and make it fast because we are running out of time."
Tara wiped the tears from her face.
"It's not as easy as you make it sound, Jackson."
He walked over and pulled her to her feet.
"It is that simple, babe. It is."
Tara looked into his eyes and for the first time in a long time was at lost as to what to do.
