Author's Note: "Baby come close to me" by Emita Tawata is the song I was listening to a lot while working on this chapter. I thought it was the perfect tune describing the state of Adam and Tanya's relationship and feelings towards each other.

Convicting Confessions

"Hey guys…I'm sorry but I have some work I need to finish up," Kat said standing to her feet.

"Kat you're leaving already?" Adam said.

She nodded. "I gotta be up bright and early tomorrow."

"Yeah guys I think I'm going to call it a night too," Aisha said, "I got some stuff to work for tomorrow's show."

"What time is it?" Zack called.

"It's going on 9 p.m." Tommy answered.

"I probably need to head back as well."

"I can give you a ride," Tommy offered turning to Zack.

"Thanks man."

"Guys feel free to take some food…there's plenty left," Adam said sighing.

"Hey man thanks so much for the awesome party," Rocky said slapping his hand.

"No, problem bro glad you enjoyed it."

"Thanks so much Adam!" Aisha cried wrapping her arms around him.

"It's all good, guys…well take care have a good night," he said.

Adam watched as the both of them disappear around the corner of the patio.

"Adam, thanks the food was amazing and I absolutely adore this patio."

He smiled hugging Kat.

"Have a good night everyone. See you later Tommy," Kat said walking over to the edge of the patio.

"Yo Adam it was really great seeing you again…and thanks for the good eats."

"No, problem man, it was really great seeing you again too. We should definitely hangout sometimes."

"Yeah, for sure."

"Adam, thanks man for having this and providing us with some great foods," Tommy chirped.

"It's all good; glad everyone had a good time."

"Have a good night Tanya, Adam," Tommy said throwing a hand in the air.

"Good night you guys," Tanya said waving.

"Hey Tommy?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Hey man I will meet you at my car," he said turning to Zack.

He nodded trekking through the gate besides Adam's home.

"Hey what's up Adam?"

"Did you notice something earlier?"

Tommy eyes flickered with suspicion. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Earlier, you came over here peering around the corner like you seen or heard something."

"Oh…right…about…that…it was nothing…" he trailed off.

"You sure?"

He cut his eyes over Tommy crossing his arms.

"Yeah, I am," he said nodding.

"Tommy, if there is something going on…"

"No, Adam everything's cool, I promise."

He decided not to press the issue with him any longer; if Tommy wanted him or the others to know something he would have said so.

"I gotta go…thanks again for everything. Hey man we should keep in touch and get together with the guys sometimes."

"Yeah that would awesome."

"Good night!" Tommy said waving as he departed towards his front yard.

Adam shut and locked the side gate to his house.

"Then there were two," Tanya called with a smile.

"Yup, and don't you think you're going anywhere."

"Sweetie I hadn't planned on too," Tanya said walking over embracing him…

"Geez, Adam had I known I was going to get stuck cleaning up I would have went home too," Tanya jokingly chided sitting back on his couch.

"It was all a part of the plan," he said taking a seat next to her.

She snickered turning to him. They peered at one for a long while without saying a word. Adam reached over gently sweeping her dark curly hair away from her sweet face. Feeling the moment between them he inched his body closer to her and seizing the moment he shut his eyes as he leaned over pressing his lips against her. He felt the pressure from her soft lips firming against his own. All the repressed feelings and desires he harbored for Tanya started pouring out of him through their passionate kiss.

"Adam?"

He thought he heard his name being called but he was too caught up in the moment to bother looking up.

"Adam?"

He no longer felt the pressure of her lips against his, so Adam opened up his eyes to see her gazing intensely at him.

"Tanya…I'm sorry...I know I probably went a little overboard…" he stammered.

"It's okay," Tanya said pulling away from him.

"Tanya is something wrong?"

"Honestly, Adam I'm just not used to seeing you like this."

"Like what?" he asked peering intensely at Tanya.

"I don't know how to describe it…" she said peering up at his ceiling, "you seem more open and bolder…I guess I'm just not used to you being so open with your feelings."

Adam reached for her hand taking it in his own. "I've learned that if I don't express myself more especially to those that I care for and love that risk losing them…and that's something that I never want to happen…especially with you."

"I know that I've said this to you before but I'm not going to let you get away from me again," he continued.

She turned away shaking her head.

"Tanya?!"

"I've been thinking a lot of about what you said to me at the harbor…and I just couldn't stop thinking about that time."

"What…time?"

"You don't even remember," she chided.

"I'm sorry…" he trailed off frantically searching his mind for what she could possibility be talking about.

"I came over here to tell you and your family goodbye…"

Adam peered over at her; it has hit him she was talking about very last time that they had seen each other before she departed for New York City.

"I remember your parents telling me that you would meet me at the airport…"

He felt a strong pang in his stomach. "Look Tanya…I'm-"

"I sat there for goodness know how long but you…never came!"

"I…really…sorry but I couldn't…" he stammered.

"But you couldn't have at least told me goodbye…that's all I wanted but you never came," she sobbed.

Adam started recoiling that moment in his mind. He was there, in fact he arrived at the airport before she did, but he stood there outside the terminal all ready to tell her that he loved her and to tell her goodbye, but he just couldn't bring himself to do so.

"Tanya…I'm so sorry…but I couldn't bring myself to tell you goodbye. I didn't want you to go in the first place…"

She turned towards him fresh tears dripping down her face. "Then why didn't you say anything?"

"I've never once wanted you to give up your dream for the sake of our relationship."

"Adam…"

"You worked really hard to get where you were and I didn't want to you to give that up…that's why I never said anything."

She shut her eyes shaking her head. "I don't know what to say…I just wish you would have shared this with me back then…or at least told me good-bye instead of making me look like a fool waiting there for you."

Her words cut deep into the very core of his soul tearing it apart from him.

"Tanya…I couldn't say goodbye to you. You say goodbye to someone who you never plan on seeing again and I knew in my heart that we would see one another again someday. And I'm sorry that I could never express my feelings towards you, I just hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me," he said in a small voice.

He turned away from her; it had never occurred to him that Tanya harbored bitterness resentment towards him over him not telling her goodbye. He felt a tight grip around his hand. Adam peered up staring into her deep brown eyes seeing her tears flowing.

"Adam, of course I forgive you…it took me a long time to get over that but I did…and I'm really happy that I did, because if I didn't I would have missed out on the chance to see you play in your band and get to spend all this time with you," she said tenderly stoking his face.

"I love you,"

"I love you too," she said echoed wrapping herself in his embrace.

"I think we both would agree that we have a lot of lost time to make up for."

She nodded leaning her head against his shoulders.

"Oh…" Tanya said rubbing her bleary eyes as her focus slowly adjusting to the bright morning light glaring through the blinds.

She turned to her side startled. There he was lying fast asleep besides her. The cool air hit her body as soon as she pulled the blanket away from her body. Tanya sat up wondering when she fell asleep. Standing to her feet, she glanced down at her watch. It was ten minutes till 9. She gently nudged Adam who was peacefully resting on one side of the leather couch.

"Yeah…" he groggily cried.

"Good morning…sweetie," she laughed.

"Oh…yeah good morning," he said sitting up rubbing his eyes.

She snickered, forgetting how cute he was when he just waking up.

"Hey what's up?"

"I should be heading home…I got work around noon."

"How about some breakfast?"

"I…don't know…"

"It's not even 9 a.m. yet," he said glancing down at his watch.

"I know but I need time to get ready and prepare for the show."

Adam sighed leaning back against the couch.

"I'm sorry I'll have to take a rain check this time," she said grabbing his hand.

"It's cool."

"We can do breakfast some other time…I promise."

"Okay," he said standing to his feet.

"Thanks so much everything, I had a really great time."

"Yeah, I did too it was really awesome getting a chance to hang out with everyone again."

She couldn't but to notice the weariness in his tone. "I'm sorry about last night…"

"What are you talking about?"

"Talking about the incident before I left town…I should have told you how felt sooner…"

Adam shook his head. "Tanya, it's cool you had every right to be upset with me. I should have at least been there to tell you goodbye."

She turned away staring into the bright cloudless skies. "I'll call you later."

"Okay," he said grabbing her hand.

She sighed turning back to him.

A wide grin spread across his face.

"Bye, Adam," she said wrapping her arms around him.

"Bye."

She peered into his dark eyes, turned away slipping into her vehicle. He threw up a hand as she pulled out of the driveway. She smiled shifting into drive speeding head back to her home…

Tanya lied back against her bed peering out of the window cracks of bright light peeking through the shut blinds. Tanya had come home to an empty house, Kat was at work and Tommy wasn't home either. She was glad no one was home, that way she could enjoy some quiet time to collect her thoughts. She still couldn't believe that even after discussing how she felt that Adam still didn't seem to get it. He didn't seem to realize how much it hurt her that he didn't come to see her before she departed from Angel Grove. She had always tried imaging in her mind what would have happened had he showed up.

Before leaving Angel Grove she had contemplated whether or not to take the song-writing gig in New York City, she had a stable career and life and relationship with Adam, so there wasn't a need to uproot her life but at the same time opportunities to write become a lyrists for one of the top record companies in the country didn't happen all too often either. It was such a tough decision, everyone that meant something to her was cheering her on and telling her not to pass up the opportunity including Adam.

She always respected how much he supported her in her career but with that support she often wondered if he was simply afraid to tell her that didn't want her to go because of all the respect he had for her?

Adam was never really good with expressing his emotions; she knew he loved her he told her so but she there was always the feeling of loving her so much that he felt that he just needed to let her go. Then she remembered that conversion she and Kat had about her relationship with Tommy. Kat loved him with all her heart but she knew he wasn't happy being in London with her, and knowing that she decided to let him go for the sake of making their relationship work. It seemed like faith was on their side, with her moving back to Angel Grove and Tommy possibly opening up a research center in town seemed as if their love was coming back round full-circle.

Thinking about her relationship with Adam it seemed like the same thing was occurring with them too. They separated many years ago and now that she was back in town it felt like they had just picked things up right where they left off. She shook her head, not believing how much she still loved him even after all these years. But still she could help but thinking if only he had come to see her off, that maybe she would've decided to stay and not go to New York City.

Adam plucked a string on his acoustic. He continued pitching the tune swaying his head back and forth to the random string of notes. He leaned back against the canvas chair peering out into the cloudless skies. Last night turned out was bittersweet time. He gotten to spend time with his good friends, he received the shock of his life when his old buddy Zack showed up, he was definitely the last person in the world he was expecting to see, nonetheless it was great getting to see him again. But, the night turned sour as he was completely blind-sided by Tanya's heart-wrenching confession. He honestly had no idea that she was out there waiting for him to tell her good-bye.

He sighed plucking another random chord.

He kept recoiling that moment over and over again in his mind. If there was anything he regretted it was definitely choosing not to say good-bye to her. Adam just couldn't justify in his mind the idea of telling her not to go. He honestly didn't want to see her leave him, but he loved her too much to tell her not too. If things didn't work out between him the last thing he wanted was for her to not have pursued her career for the sake of their relationship. But, the more and more he continued pondering her confession, the more he felt like perhaps that he should have done the latter. As years passed he did start thinking those thoughts that maybe he should have expressed how he felt, but he just couldn't bring himself to do so in that moment.

Being up front about his feelings was something that had always been very difficult for him to do. For many years he struggled with trying to overcome his shyness and being less awkward and introverted. He shook his head, it took the love of his life leaving to realize that if he should show and tell the ones he loves how he feels. Tanya seemed to recognize that he was trying to be upfront with his feelings toward her. He hope that he wasn't being overbearing, but at the same time he was happy that he was putting it out there how he felt towards her. Adam sucked in a long deep breath-taking in the crisp morning air. He released his breath plucking a string of random chords on his acoustic.