Text Size

Tony pulled away from Kathleen and stood up running his fingers through his hair. He couldn't believe what he-what they were about to do. In the past he definitely would have but now? Now things were different.

"Tony, what's wrong?" she asked in confusion.

"I just, I just can't do this."

"Why? Are you married?"

"No."

"Engaged?"

"No"

"Then what's the matter?" she asked moving towards him and putting her arms around his neck. She leaned in to kiss him but before she could he removed her arms from him. For some reason her touch now felt as unwelcoming as rain at a baseball game.

He saw the hurt in her eyes and although he did feel bad for hurting her he knew he would feel a million times worse if he went through with it and ended up hurting the one woman he never would hurt for anything in the world.

"Look Kathleen." he said softly. "It's not you I swear. I just can't go through with this. I'm sorry."

With that said he said his goodbyes and left the hotel room breathing a sigh of relief that he stopped himself just in time from making the biggest mistake of his life.

Tony got in his jeep and sat there for a moment. What had almost happened had opened his eyes to something he had been denying for months, no for years now. He now knew that he couldn't deny it anymore. In fact he didn't want to deny it anymore. To deny it anymore would be like denying he needed air to breathe. He now knew what he had to do. He had to go home and talk to her.

He arrived home and let himself in through the kitchen door. He placed his books on the counter and hearing the T.V. the other room said a silent prayer that it would be the one person he wanted to see the most in the world. He pushed open the swinging door and smiled when he saw that it was indeed her.

"Hi Angela."

"Tony! Hi! How was studying?"

"It was good. Actually, could you turn that off?" he asked pointing to the T.V.

"Um okay." she said perplexed.

"Thanks. We need to talk and I don't want any distractions.

"Okay." she said and turned towards him scooting up against the end of the couch and pulling her knees up to her chest.

It was at that moment he noticed that she was wearing her bunny slippers. Only Angela he thought fondly could wear them and come off looking cute and adorable. On any other woman it would have looked childish but not on her.

"So what's up?"

"I almost made the biggest mistake of my life tonight."

"What? Oh my God Tony! You weren't nearly in an accident were you?!" she asked panic filling her voice.

"No, no. nothing like that." he smiled gently at her.

"Oh good." she breathed a sigh of relief. "So what did you almost do?"

"I almost slept with that girl from my class Kathleen tonight."

The room suddenly grew still. She got off the couch and walked over to the desk. The thought of Tony being with another woman in that way made her nauseous. But why was he telling her?

"Tony, why are you telling me this? We're not married or anything."

"Because Angela you're the reason why I didn't go through with it."

"ME?! I wasn't even there!"

"Yes, you were. Don't you get it? You are always here in my heart. You are the first thing I think of when I wake up. Through out the day I think of you and miss you. When you come home it's like the sun coming out on a cloudy day and when I fall asleep at night you are the last thing on my mind."

"Tony, what are you saying?" she asked her voice filled with emotion.

"I'm saying that I love you." he said his voice filled with the same emotion.

"You love me?"

"Yes"

"You love me?!"

"Yes!" he said smiling at her shocked expression.

"I love you Angela. I've loved you for so long. I've just been so afraid to tell you because I didn't want to ruin our friendship."

He walked over to her and gently wiped away the tears that have fallen down her face. He took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes.

"Tony?" she said her eyes shining with tears.

"Yeah?"

"I love you too!"

"Thank goodness" he chuckled and leaned in to kiss her.

His lips met hers and she instinctively put her arms around his neck. Unlike Kathleen's touch though Angela's touch felt warm and right like a glass of lemonade on a hot sunny day. Their kiss started out slow and grew deeper as the passion and emotion overwhelmed them. Finally, breathless they both pulled back and gazed into each other's eyes.

"I love you." they both said in unison.

Tony chuckled and leaned in to kiss her sweet lips again.

Tony gazed down at Angela fast asleep on the couch. The conversation and kisses he had imagined flowing through his mind like a waterfall. He sighed at the irony of it all. He had finally gotten up the courage to tell her how he truly felt and she was fast asleep. He lifted her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs to her bedroom. He nudged the door open with his hip and placed her down gently on the bed. He covered her up with a quilt he got from her closet and unable to resist the sweet temptation kissed her softly on the lips. He then walked to her door and before he left he turned back to look at this woman who had stolen his heart in a way that no other woman had ever been able to do since his beloved Marie died.

"Sweet dreams my love." he whispered and left closing the door firmly but quietly behind him.