"Leave the Past in the Past"

Hey Guys! Here's the latest chapter. It picks up with Eleanor and her trip in Seattle. I hope you guys enjoy it !


Meanwhile in Seattle…

As Eleanor waited for her flight, she stared at her phone and hoped that it would ring before she boarded. It had been two days since she talked to Teddy, and it was killing her. She wanted to call to him but believed that he should reach out first. The whole thing was his fault, and he needed to take responsibility for his actions. If only he would have checked with her before flying to Ohio for work, then things would be fine.

Eleanor continued staring at the family picture on her home screen and silently wished things were different. She wished things were easy again…just like in the picture. She wished that she and Teddy were on the same page about her career…about Charlie…and about their life together. They were supposed to be partners. They were supposed to be in this together, but they weren't anymore. Somewhere along the way, they had lost each other, and she didn't know if they would find each other again.

As she looked up from the photo, her eyes made contact with a familiar face. Out of all of the people in Seattle, it would be him. While she stared into his eyes, she awkwardly waved and silently hoped that he came over.

Gregory waved back and without any hesitation, he walked over to her.

"Hey," he smiled as he nervously rocked back on his heels. "Can I?" He asked as he pointed to the empty seat beside her. It had been four years, and something about her still made him nervous.

"Sure," stammered Eleanor. "How are you? How's the family?" She took a deep breath and turned around to face him.

"Fine, we're fine. And on your end?" Gregory placed his bags on the floor and wiped his sweaty palms on the leg his pants. He looked up to find Eleanor staring at him.

She paused for a second and thought about her answer. "Same…give or take. We've had better days…and worse days." She joked. "So, where are you headed this time?"

"Hartford. I have job interview at UConn. Their literature department is looking for a program coordinator. You?"

"Same. I'm headed home," giggled Eleanor. "Wow, fate really does work in mysterious ways. I wonder what it wants with us. We haven't seen each other in four years, then we meet twice in one weekend. How crazy?"

"I don't know, but I hope it's something good." He teased back.

Just as Gregory finished his sentence, the intercom buzzed. The flight attendant called for all passengers headed to Hartford to board at gate thirty-three. Eleanor stood up, smoothed the wrinkles out of her skirt, and extended her hand and waited for him to shake it.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye. It was great seeing you again."

"Same here." He whispered breathlessly as he stood up. He grabbed his bag and took a step closer to her. "…and I guess it is." He inhaled deeply. He had waited for this moment for four years, five months, and three weeks, and now it was here. "Goodbye my lover…goodbye my friend. You are the one for me. You stole my heart. You touched my soul. You changed my life and all my goals."

Eleanor could feel the tears pooling in her eyes. It couldn't be. "Did he really memorize my letter?" she thought. She tightly closed her eyes and tried to resist the urge to say something.

"I've seen you cry, I've seen you smile. I know your fears and you know mine. We've had our doubts…"

"But I love you, I swear it's true," interrupted Eleanor as she took a deeper breath.

"I could spend a lifetime with you. You were the one for me. And as you move on, remember me…remember us…and all we used to be." He shook her hand and headed towards the gate leaving a stunned Eleanor in the middle of airport.

Eleanor laid her hands over her mouth to muffle her sobs. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Gregory recited her letter…verbatim…to her. Every word…every pause…was in its rightful place. She wrote that letter over four years ago. "Who would hold onto something like that for so long?" she asked herself.


As Eleanor searched for her bag on the carousel, she silently kicked herself for not finding Gregory on the plane. They needed to talk. Obviously, he hadn't moved on, and she needed to know why. Maybe, fate was pushing them together, so she could heal him and fix whatever was wrong in his life.

She grabbed her bag from carousel and hurried towards the parking lot. As she walked through the sliding doors, she saw him standing next to an Avis kiosk. Even in the Connecticut moonlight, he looked amazing.

"You need a ride?" She yelled. "Because I'm parked in one of the decks..."

"Actually, I do." He responded as he pressed the cancel button. "Unless you mind? I can always call for a town car. '

Eleanor ran her hands through her hair and shook her head. "No, I don't mind." She smiled. "Follow me."

Once in the car, Eleanor made small talk with Gregory, and it worked for the most part. However, now, they were in one of those awkward moments. For a moment, she felt a small pain. Once upon a time, they could talk hours…on hours without repeating a single topic, and things were different now. After few more seconds, Eleanor spoke.

"I'm sorry." She started. "If what I did hurt you because that was never my intention. I just-"

"Ellie," interrupted Gregory before things went too far. "It's fine. I should have never recited your stupid letter. In that moment, it seemed like a good idea but now-"Gregory shook his head and cursed himself for being so impulsive. "Let's just leave the past in the past."

"I agree, but I just wanted clear the air. If you're fine, then I'm fine."

"I'm fine," agreed Greg as he looked out of the window at the passing trees. After a few more miles, he spoke again. "Why did you leave, Ellie? I needed you, and you ran. Why?"

"Greg," she whispered. "I couldn't do it…us anymore. Things were getting out-of-hand. Your wife found out about us, and she reported us to the Ethics Committee. Before I realized what was happening, I was subpoenaed to testify, and…" Eleanor gripped the steering a little tighter and shook her in disappointment. "You two were at war, and I was your Achilles heel. So, I left to protect you. Because without a complaining witness, there wouldn't be anything to rule on…"

Gregory shifted in his seat and placed his hand on top of Eleanor's hand. "Well, thank you. I guess…" He let go of Eleanor's hand and started staring at the passing trees again.

A few minutes later, Eleanor pulled into the parking lot of Gregory's hotel. She shut the engine off and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "For what it's worth," she started. "I wish that I had done things differently too…"

"Me too…" responded Gregory as turned and leaned closer to Eleanor. Before he knew it, their lips crashed into each other, and soft moans filled the inside of her car. Her hair was tangled around his fingertips while her hands traced his spine.

Eleanor could feel the heat between them. She was loving it, and she wanted more of it. She slowly climbed across the console and straddled him. She ran her hands along the inside his shirt, and he began nibbling on the side of her neck. She could feel him growing beneath her. She looked into his eyes, and he nodded. He knew exactly what she wanted.


Recap: So...Did they or Didn't they? Also, special thanks to bk-1205 for reminding me that people actually enjoy this story. Originally, I was going to wrap it up within the next three chapters, but I've decided differently. Until next time!