Chapter Ten: …& the Rest Is History.

Ricky's Point Of View
Monday morning.

It had been a hell of a couple of days… So much had happened since Friday, I just didn't even know what to do. Amy was flying back to New York, and I was both sad and angry. Sad because obviously I didn't want that visit to end, and angry because I knew once she was back in New York, she would be back in the same city as Ben.

Who knew what that meant…?

She could turn around and pretend as if nothing even happened, and just carry on with her relationship with Ben, leaving me to wallow in my own misery once again.

In one weekend everything completely changed between us again, and even though I don't regret one single minute of it, I knew it was going to be extremely hard to watch her leave this time, not that it wasn't hard any other times, but this time it was different.

Not only would I have to deal with uncertainty, and Amy's ever fluctuating emotions, but I'd also have to deal with telling Clementine the truth, which would be extremely painful to do as well.

I never wanted to hurt her, and I hated myself for having to put her through that. It was just that when it came to Amy… nothing else mattered.

It was selfish, maybe, but I loved Amy, and there wasn't anything I could do that would expunge the feelings I had for her.

Believe me I tried.

As I sat there, at George and Kathleen's dining room table, trying to enjoy the scrambled eggs and toast Kathleen prepared for everyone; I couldn't help but stare at Amy.

John called and asked if I could join them for breakfast, and that Amy requested that he call me; but, she hadn't said a word, besides hello, since I arrived.

She sat quietly at the far end of the table, swirling her food around her plate with the fork, barely even looking up.

"Ames, what's going on?" George asked, "Is something wrong?"

Amy looked up, trying to hide her expression.

"Nothing" she said, biting her lip, "I'm just sad about leaving, that's all"

She briefly made eye contact with me, but turned her head fast enough that she hardly realized I even noticed.

"Well, you don't have much longer" George said, "Graduation is only a few months away"

"Yeah, and then you'll be home for good!" John exclaimed.

Amy smiled, and wrapped one arm around John.

"I can't wait" John said, while snuggling under Amy's arm.

"Me either Buddy, me either"

I smiled watching Amy and John hugged each other. I hated how upset he got every time Amy went back to New York, I honestly couldn't wait until it was all over and Amy was home for good, if not for me, but for John.

"Well, I'm going to go head upstairs and get dressed" George said, while getting up from his chair, "We have to leave in a couple of hours Ames, so make sure your all packed"

"Oh, I finished already" Amy replied.

"Aright well, I guess we'll leave for the airport at about 11:30?"

"Sounds good" she said.

George walked out of the room, and Kathleen began taking everyone's dishes into the kitchen.

"Hey John, why don't you go put something on the TV for a little bit?" Amy suggested, "I want to talk to your daddy for a bit"

"Okay" John answered, and then ran out of the room and into the living room.

Amy began biting her lip again, her telltale sign of nervousness.

"Amy I" I started, but she quickly shook her head no, to stop me from talking.

"Can we talk outside on the porch?" She asked, "I really don't want to do this in here"

I nodded, knowing all too well that she didn't want her family to hear what it was that she wanted to say.

I followed her out the door and we both took a seat on the porch stairs, the same spot we sat on Friday night.

It was silent for a few minutes; I could tell that she was really nervous to talk to me.

I didn't want to pressure her into talking so I just waited, silently, staring out into the clear blue sky's ahead.

"I don't regret it" She said softly, while staring at her own feet below her.

"I don't either Amy" I replied, while cautiously slipping my hand over hers.

I seen her clench her face, in efforts to stop herself from crying, but a couple of tears fell anyway.

"It was wrong though Ricky" she said.

"It doesn't have to be" I answered.

"And what about Ben? And Clementine? They are going to be hurt Ricky, really hurt… I just don't know what to even say to him once I get there"

"I know they are, but it happened and well… I'm planning on telling Clementine tonight" I said.

"I don't know if I can do it Ricky… I never wanted to hurt him" she said.

"Amy you've gotta tell him the truth though" I said.

"Why?" she said through her tears, "So I can lose him, and be with you? And what if it doesn't work out again? Then what? Then I've hurt someone who really cares about me, over nothing"

"Nothing?" I said defensively, "Amy I love you… I am in love with you. We can make this work, I know we can"

Suddenly she moved her hand from mine.

"How do you know that Ricky?" she said, while looking at me angered "we were so sure of this once before, and look what happened"

"That wasn't my choice Amy" I said, "You chose that… I told you I wanted to marry you, I told you I loved you Amy"

She calmed, but didn't reply.

She just stared straight ahead, shaking her head.

"I don't know what I want right now Ricky"

"We don't have to figure it out right now Amy" I said, "but we both know that what happened the other night… it happened for a reason Amy"

She didn't answer.

"Amy I love you, I love you more than I have loved anyone in my entire life, besides our son… and this weekend is something that… god Amy, I haven't been this happy in three years" I said, now trying to fight back my own tears, "I get it, were both in relationships or whatever, and yeah, maybe technically it's considered wrong, but I don't know Amy… with you, nothing seems wrong to me"

She turned to face me, her eyes filled with tears, and her face damp.

She wiped the couple of tears off my face with her thumb, and unexpectedly leaned over towards me, and rested her head against my shoulder.

I automatically wrapped my arm around her and held her tight; it was one of the best feelings in the world.

"I'm sorry" she whispered.

"Why are you sorry?" I whispered back.

"For hurting you over and over again"

My heart felt like it dipped into my stomach.

"We'll figure it out Amy, I promise, we'll figure it out" I said, while softly kissing the top of her head.

I didn't know what would happen once Amy left and returned to New York, or what would happen later that night when I met face to face with Clementine. I knew it would be a rough road moving forward, but never once would I regret anything I had done with Amy.

There was a reason for what happened, I believed it, and I felt it.

In that moment, we were both unsure of what was next for us or what the future had in store; but, all we knew was, at that very second, it was just us on that porch, wrapped in each other's arms…. And at that particular moment in time, that's all that mattered.

A/N: Okay, so that's it! That's the end of this story! I thought about all different ways to wrap this story up, including them telling Ben and Clementine; however, I felt it was appropriate to end it on a good note, being that my other story, "Secret Life: The Movie" basically picks up three months later, during Amy's Graduation. If you haven't read it and want to know what happens after this story, then check it out. It also continues on to "Secret Life 2" after as well.

So I hope you all enjoyed, and for the thousandth time, thank you all for your reviews and kind words during this story and my other stories! 3