Watching her there, he was struck by her beauty, yet again. Nothing about her ever got old. Each time he looked at her, it was as if he was seeing her for the first time. Over the time they had known each other, he had been attracted not only to her outward beauty, but also to the beauty she exuded from the inside. Never had he met a woman who cared more for others. Never had he seen anyone with any more talent, or who worked so hard. She was amazing in every way. And yet, looking at her talking to her constant companion, he was struck by something else. She was hurting. He was cut to the core by the fact that he was the one who had hurt her. Standing here, everything became crystal clear. He had cared more about his feelings, being scared of rejection. His own pride and fear had kept him from telling her how he felt. Today was the day. No more secrets.
"Tell her I'm here Levi."
Levi, always loyal, did what he was told. As soon as she met Jack's eyes, he saw she was embarrassed. She jumped to her feet murmuring, "Oh, I didn't know—"
"I didn't mean to scare you," he interrupted her.
"How long have you been there?"
"A few minutes. I know I shouldn't have listened. I'm sorry. However, there are a few things you should know."
Jack slowly walked towards her, never breaking eye contact. He stopped a few feet away. "First, Allie is not back in my life. She did come to visit me while she was on a business trip. She came to tell me she is getting married-- to my best friend from high school. In fact, she asked me to be in the wedding." He smiled at the look on Sue's face. It was a mix of relief and embarrassment. Taking a step closer, he resisted the draw to close the gap entirely. There were things to talk about first.
"I thought you two were….I mean, you were before, and so when I saw you say she was meeting you, I assumed—"
"We were together for a while before. However, she has the crazy notion that there might be something between me and a girl I work with," he smiled.
"And how did she get that notion?" Sue's voice was low, and her eyes were still shimmering with unshed tears, but there was a smile spreading over her face now.
"Apparently, when this girl came in the room, I couldn't keep my mind on what I was doing." His eyes looked deep into hers, and his feet drew him closer to her. His hand was instantly drawn toward a stray tear that was still sitting on her cheek. Wiping it with his thumb, he willed himself to keep talking.
"I know who it is." Sue's smile brightened, and a teasing gleam appeared in her eye. "I have been noticing Lucy has that affect on you."
"It's true, when Lucy comes in I do get distracted," his smile slowly melted away. "I get distracted because I figure you will be coming in soon." He held out his hands towards her, and she gladly made the connection. "Sue, you are wrong about Allie, or anyone else for that matter, being better for me. It is only you. I have tried to get over you, but I can't, and honestly, I don't want to." His thumbs gently traced the tops of her hands. "Um, I seem to have had a misunderstanding too." Sue said nothing, just looked into his face with a questioning look. "Seems I thought you were dating someone else also. Kevin."
Sue's eyes brightened, and then she put on a more serious look. "I have been seeing Kevin." Jack felt the knife in his heart for a moment, before he saw the teasing smile creep back onto Sue's face. "We see each other every time we can when Lucy is not around. After all, it is hard to plan a surprise party for her when she is there."
Suddenly it snapped into place in Jack's head. Lucy was dating Kevin. The mysterious boyfriend. His heart soared, and he could no longer fight the force that was drawing him closer to her. He moved the final few inches. Framing her face with his hands, his heart beat wildly out of rhythm. The closeness of her body made it hard to talk to her, but he had one more thing to say.
"Sue, I --
