Once Upon a Time
Remember a Time
Chapter Eight
Jefferson walked through the forest back toward his empty home with a large, rounded box in his hand. He had gone to a customer's house, at least he was on his way there, but his mind wasn't on his work. It was stuck on Alice.
He had brought her to a friend's house the morning after the shared their first kiss. He woke up that morning feeling better than ever, he felt like he was on top of the world and hoped the young woman in his home felt the same. He greeted her with a shy "Good morning" to which she gave a quick smile in response to than looked down as she made the bed. Jefferson had been about to talk to her about what had happened the previous night, apologize if he had to, but she was quick to tell him she should be on her way and she knew where she'd be able to stay for a while. It seemed clear to him that Alice had no intention of talking about what had happened between them.
Jefferson thought perhaps he had scared her off, moving too quickly but he could barely help himself. She was different than any other girl he had known or met. In the short amount of time he had known her he could tell she was kind, fearless, smart, trusting, funny, she was amazing in every way that he could think of. She trusted a stranger enough to sleep in his home, some may think it was stupid of her but Jefferson believed her to be brave. She was able to get a true sense of who people were; she was observant, able to read what was in someone's eyes. It was a gift everyone could have if they took the time to master it, but no one ever wanted to bother.
His home was just coming into view as he walked up a steep ridge, ducking branches that reached out to grab him. The sound of hooves on the stone covered road echoed through the forest; Jefferson looked around to see who it was coming down the road so fast. He caught a glimpse of a horse as black as night throw the trees but wasn't able to see who the rider was. His heart began to pound when the horse stopped in front of his home.
Now who is coming to my house? He walked forward, preparing himself for the worst. Walking around from the back he didn't see his visitor anywhere.
"Hello? Can I help you?" There was no answer but the front door was ajar and he head foot step inside. He placed his box on the ground and picked up a wooden pole from the side of his cottage. Jefferson cautiously walked through the door, ready to strike it needed but a body collided into him with enough force to spend him to the ground. He was about to throw the intruder off him but the thought was lost somewhere in his mind as a familiar set of hand snaked around his neck and a pair of soft full lips collided with his.
His eyes were opened out of surprise but quickly closed at the sight of blonde lock tumbling around his face. Alice. His hands traveled up her side, arm wrapping around her body pulling her tight against him. Jefferson made a disappointed grunt when Alice pulled away, sitting up straight in a straddled position over Jefferson. She placed her hand on his chest as she looked down at him with a wide grin.
"Hi."
Jefferson smirked up at her, his hands rubbing her back. "Hi."
"Sorry I let myself in, the door was opened and I needed to see you."
Jefferson sat up, sliding Alice down a bit so he could do so, shaking his head. "You're welcome here any time Alice. Why did you need to see me?"
She leaned forward kissing him deeply, her hand moving into his hair and her arm curling around his shoulder pulling him close. His own hands moved to the small of her back, snaking across her sides. Jefferson mouth twitched at the corners, a small smile fighting its way to the surface. Alice slowly pulled their locked lips apart, giving him on short kiss before leaning back in his arms. The two sat on the floor in front of the still open door, lost in each other's gaze.
Alice sighed happily before speaking again. "I had hoped you'd be happy to see me, I was afraid that…I don't just that you would have been more than happy to have me leave."
Jefferson shook his head, cupping Alice's face in both his hands. "I worried you hated me or was angry with me for the other night, I didn't have any self-control to speak of at all. I was less than a gentleman. My thoughts were on you all day yesterday and all this morning, I almost went to see you but thought you may not want to see me."
Alice giggled softly. "So we were both fearful of the same thing."
"I guess we were."
"Jefferson," Alice's tone suddenly became very serious, worrying Jefferson slightly. "I'm not insane but I know who crazy this is going to sound. Being here, sitting with you…I feel like this is where I'm supposed to be, like this is home. I've never thought about my future, never thought about love or having my own family but now I want all of that more than anything but only if I can share it with you." He stared back into her eyes, trying to see if she was just playing with him or serious. "Jefferson, say something...please."
His eyes swept over Alice's face, he tried hard to find the right words to respond. He didn't want her to feel like she was alone and he wanted to speak not just show her he felt the same but tell her. "Alice…you might be the best thing to come into my life in a very long time. You have no idea how glad I was that it was you who had been here and not someone who was looking for something from me or someone who was unwanted." Jefferson shook his head, looking down between the two of them. "I don't even know if I'm making any sense but I know I can't imagine my life without you now and when I try I hate everything thing about it."
"This is crazy just…mad." Alice laughed.
Jefferson tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, brushing his thumb over her cheek with a gentle smile. "Perhaps we are all, in some way, a little mad."
Addison's head rested on Jefferson's chest, her arm draped over his stomach. He had one arm wrapped around her shoulders, his opposite hand running through her hair as she lay against him. He planted a soft kiss on the top of her head.
Jefferson smiled softly, more than content lying in bed quietly with Addison in his arms. Thought about what she had said earlier about having a dream that had included him. As they lay there together he started thinking more and more about it, wondering what had happened. Her change in demeanor hadn't gone unnoticed by him back in the dinner before she had cut her hand. He looked down and saw her bandaged hand resting on his side. Jefferson took it gingerly in his palm, turning it over to take a look at it. Addison's head tilted up a fraction, watching his hand holding hers. She turned it so that they were palm to palm, entwining her fingers with his.
"So, that dream you had…"
Addison looked up into Jefferson's eyes. "I did tell you about that didn't I?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "You may have mentioned something about it." She groaned, embarrassed she brought up her dream, pulling the blanket up over her head. Jefferson laughed, pulling the blanket away. "What are you doing, hiding?"
"I'm trying to but you're not helping me in any way."
"What are you hiding from?"
"Embarrassment."
Jefferson craned his head down, tilting Addison's up, until his lips met hers. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about; you can't control what your mind does when you're sleeping."
"But I should be able to control what comes out of my mouth."
The corner of Jefferson's mouth turned up in a half smile. "No always, why don't you just tell me what it was about."
Addison sighed, pulling herself up farther on the bed so her head was in the crook of his neck. "I only remember pieces. I remember being in the woods, walking alone, and I was frustrated about something…I had a fight with someone I think; it was that kind of frustration like the aftermath or residual aggravation. I tried walking on these rocks that were slippery, it looked like it had just rain, and I stepped oddly on one and felt myself falling so I closed my eyes but never hit anything. It felt like something had latched on to my arm to keep me from hitting my head on the rock, probably would have killed me. I turned around and there you were, wearing a long orange coat."
Jefferson's whole body went tense, his heart frozen. It's not a dream…it's a memory. He wanted to say something to her, he wasn't sure how he wouldn't say something, but it would probably cause her to run off. How could she have that memory?
"Jefferson?"
"Hm…" He was pulled from his frantic thoughts at the sound of her voice. "Oh, sorry."
"What is it?"
Jefferson shook his head. "Nothing, not anything you'd believe anyway."
Addison sat up, looking back at him. "How do you know what I'd believe?"
"No one ever believes it." She stayed in her position, looking down at him waiting until he sighed and sat up next to her. "You'll think I'm insane than you'll take off, it's better to just drop the subject now."
"Just tell me, isn't it worth the risk?"
"No, it's not."
Addison gazed at him in disbelief. "Telling me the truth isn't worth the risk? Only a first date and you're already going to start lying?"
"If it means I lose you nothing is worth the risk."
She nodded her head slowly, looking forward. "Well Jefferson," Addison swung her legs of the side of the bed, putting her feet to the white plush floors. She bent down to grab her blouse as she slipped her skirt on. "You've lost me anyway. Lying is no way to try and get me to stay, if you had told me the truth, whether I thought you were crazy or not, you would still have had a chance but now? I don't think I can trust you if you'll lie so easily and so soon."
Jefferson quickly got out of bed, following Addison through the doorway. "Addison, please don't leave! There are things going on here that you don't understand!"
She stopped dead in her track on the middle of the stair case, whipping around to face him. "Then tell me whatever it is you're hiding? Tell me what it is that I don't understand."
She saw the muscles in his jaw tighten as his teeth ground together and she saw pain in his eyes; it almost broke her heart and caused her to jump into his arms and say she was sorry. But she just stood there, holding her ground.
Jefferson had prayed that she'd drop it, prayed she'd follow him back upstairs and stay the night to make the empty house feel a little bit more like a home. "I can't."
Addison's eyes burned, she roughly wiped tears from her cheeks jerking away from Jefferson when she saw his hand rise to help. "No. Good bye Jefferson."
"Addison, don't!" He trailed behind her to the front door. "Please." She turned to him at the sound of his soft, weak sounding voice, with her hand on the door knob and the door pulled half open. "Don't leave me."
Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of tears forming in his own eyes. She shook her head. "I'm sorry." She whispered before darting out the door and running down his driveway, heels in hand.
Jefferson stood in the open doorway, stunned, angry, frustrated, and abandoned. I had her, she was right here and I let her go. Alice.
He thought about getting in his car and going after her but knew she'd never accept a ride from him. Jefferson gripped the door knob so tightly he was surprised it didn't crumble in his hand. With on aggressive, swift motion, he whipped his arm slamming the door shut with a louder than expected bang.
He turned into his living room, glaring at all the pieces of furniture and artwork that seemed to mock him, knowing somehow that he had just wrecked his only hope for happiness in this world. He hated all of it; everything that was in front of him was a reminder of what he didn't have. It had to go.
In seconds it looked like a tornado had come barreling though the room, overturning pictures, smashing tables, and ripping apart couches. Jefferson took the large coffee table, picking it up over his head, and threw it towards the bay windows in the front of the house.
Nothing was left untouched. When he was finished destroying every mockery in the living room Jefferson collapsed in the center of the floor on a pile of splintered wood.
"It's all gone, everything I've ever love…gone."
And it's entirely my fault.
