Afterboom - Chapter 25

Owen sat in the driver's seat with Alison by his side by his side. They sat there in silence staring out at Logan's Lake for the longest time before Alison finally broke the silence.

"Are we getting out anytime soon?" she asked turning toward him trying to read the expression on his face.

"Maybe. I don't know if coming to the lake was such a good idea, Alison." he said slowly turning to look at her. She knew instantly why he might be uncomfortable; she and Ikey spent a night dancing there.

"W- do you want to go somewhere else? There's probably a late night showing of The Ring at the movies." she suggested.

He remained silent for a moment. Alison noticed his irises were moving around from side to side the way it did when he was contemplating or mulling over a situation. Then turning to face her, he looked at her, his eyes soulful as she'd ever seen them, "Alison, Ikey said something at Angela Ferrelli's funeral a month ago. And I've been thinking about it a lot." he started.

She rolled her eyes in sheer exasperation and threw her hands up in the air, "Owen, I can't do the 'infidelity tour' thing with you again. It was pointless then and it's pointless now." she exclaimed.

He looked at her in disbelief. He couldn't believe the things she was saying. "Alison, I..."

"Hold on I'm not finished," she continued holding up an index finger, "Whatever Ikey and I did or had means nothing to me, Owen. So whatever it was that he told you, just suck it up and kiss me already because ya know what? You're the first thought in my head when I wake up and the last person I pray for before I go to bed. Now I don't know, what exactly it is that I need to do before you really believe I'm in this for real this time, but just get a move on already!" she finished and she looked at him defiantly but her expression changed when she saw the tears in his eyes.

He smiled at her tenderly, "I was going to say, that Ikey told us that we were lucky to have found our own Angela Ferrellis back here in Knight's Ridge. We didn't need to go looking for something we already had. At first I thought, 'this guy better not be directing any kind of conversation at me,' but then I realised he was talking to all of us; Eddie and Nick too. I got that he was over you then. But I started thinking about how we dated..."

"Oh God, Owen I hated dating again. It was fun having someone to talk to but it wasn't the same as having you with me. I missed you so tremendously that it hurt. And knowing what I did, I probably deserved it." She completed and they sat in silence for a few moments.

"Do you know why I like mops?" he asked her suddenly, his face lighting up.

"Uh, okay, must be nice out there in left field," she joked giving him a strange look.

He smiled back at her and waited expectantly.

"Why do you like mops, Owen?"

"Because no matter how messy or dirty something gets, you can always clean it up...with a mop." he concluded smiling at her lovingly.

She looked up in surprise to meet his eyes. Her eyes were brimming with tears and so were his. She grinned happily and scooted over to him and for the first time in months, through all the therapy and fights, they were happily wrapped up in each other's arms. They kissed each other softly and deepened the kiss.

When they finally pulled away, Owen placed his hand back on the steering wheel and said, "C'mon let's go home," and they drove off into the night.