The peaceful slumber that Sainta and Bryan were sharing was disturbed by a sound knock on the front door. Sainta raised her head, groggy from sleep. Bryan was oblivious of the noise. He was still asleep appearing as calm as a baby. The only evidence of his grief was the tear stains down his face.
Sainta laid her head back down not feeling the need to answer the door. Another knock rang out. This time it was louder. She heaved, standing up stiffly, and walking to the door. She knew if the knocking went on, Bryan would wake. She didn't know what to expect from him the day after their meet.
"Yes?"
A curly meshed haired boy glance up meeting his blue eyes with the girl's brown ones. His expression was more than questionable. "Is Denton home?"
Sainta cocked her head. "Oh, Bryan? No, he is sleeping and does not desire to be disturbed." She was about to close the door when the boy stopped her.
"Who are you?" The girl frowned at the frequent question.
"I should ask you the same" she retorted coolly.
"David Jacobs. I'm a friend of Denton's" he said, mirroring her attitude perfectly. "Now, who are you?"
The girl decided - once again - that a false identity was needed. Never can go anywhere without one - she mused. "Renee…" What was her last name? "…Kerry."
David quirked an eyebrow. "Renee Kerry?" Time to play the Jacobs' way. His attitude switched to how he was with Jack Kelly in Irving Hall on the first day they met. "It's funny you say you're Renee, Denton's fiancee. Because you sure look nothing like her." Sainta turned a light pale shade. It may have been the early morning tiredness or she just wasn't thinking clearly at the time, but it didn't dawn on her that this boy would know Renee. "How can you be her when I've met Renee several times and you are not her. Now, where is Denton?" The firmness shot out from his voice like a cannon. It was more flamed from anger at the moment. No telling who this girl was. One category popped in his mind though - harlot.
The girl keep a tight fix on David's eyes. If she couldn't convince him with her lie, maybe she could beat him at his own game of slyness. Being nebbish was not her style.
"If I'm not Renee then it's none of your concern who I am. Please, go away." With that, she slammed the door on him and clicked the bolt lock shut.
In the hallway, David yelled through the door. "I'm coming back and not alone! Next time you won't get off that easy!"
Sainta stood, back turned toward the door, waiting for him to leave. Oh wonderful, we'll have company later - she thought cynically. She closed her eyes suddenly feeling faint.
"I'm wondering the same thing myself" Bryan remarked, walking out the bedroom.
The girl looked up to see him standing there. "What do you mean?"
"Who you are…why you are here helping me…" he answered offhandedly. Sainta's mouth twitched, but no words fell out. "I heard you talking to someone just a moment ago. Sounded like my friend, David."
She nodded, solemnly.
"Even if you don't reply to my questions, I want to thank you for being here for me. I don't know what I would of done if I would of left the train station alone."
Sainta smiled warmly. "It's what I do, Bryan. You do not have to thank me. You seem to love Renee with all your heart and soul."
The mention of Renee's name sparked memories and tears. He nodded, sadly. "I don't know what I'm going to do without her." He stifled a sob. "In her last letter to me, she said she couldn't remember how life was like before we met. I cannot either now."
"Oh Bryan…" She went to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Time will ease the pain. I have experience in that situation - losing someone you loved very much. The pain never goes away, but you have to live for Renee now since she can't live for herself."
"You're right." He pulled away from her wiping his face in his hands. "I'll try."
"She'll always be here." Sainta placed her hands gently on Bryan's chest, signifying his heart.
For once, she could indicate a slight glimmer of hope in the poor man's face. "Will you stay with me?"
Sainta's eyes became fixed to the floor, almost in guilt. She always felt guilty when this moment came to pass. "I can't."
"Why?"
It was always the same excuse. "I can't have you getting attached to me directly after Renee's death." She knew that was not the only reason - I'm afraid I will not be able to leave you. "Your friend, David Jacobs, became very suspicious of me while he was here. He said he'll be back and not alone."
"David will understand why you're here."
"No! No one can know I was here, just you." Bryan was one of the few she had this shining up to, for some reason. It made her not want to leave him. This was going to be hard. "I have to go."
Bryan lowered his head. "I still don't know your name."
"St. Matthew." Quick, simple reply.
That's how it always was for the men she did not want to become attached to. For other men she would get to know more personally and wasn't in has bad of shape as Bryan was, her identity was either "Sainta" or "Mattie". Leigh could never be known to anyone.
"The name suits you. You are a saint."
To say the least - the girl shot back in her mind. Bryan was plucking her heartstrings every second she stayed there with him. "I'm sorry, Bryan, I really need to go."
He caught her hand before she could gather her belongs. "I'll never forget what you've done for me."
Sainta mustered up all the energy in her will power to not break down. "Never forget Renee……remember me only as a trifle thought."
With her shirt-coat in hand, the auburn headed girl slipped onto the fire escape, disappearing into the street as though she was just another face in the crowd.
***
You may think that's the end, but it's not! There's more. I've almost totally commited myself to finishing this fic in less than a year...LOL! Hopefully less than a month. Well, we'll see. That'd be a first for me. Anyways, thanks to all for reviewing this fic! Especially Kora with her intriguing reviews for my fics :)
Sainta laid her head back down not feeling the need to answer the door. Another knock rang out. This time it was louder. She heaved, standing up stiffly, and walking to the door. She knew if the knocking went on, Bryan would wake. She didn't know what to expect from him the day after their meet.
"Yes?"
A curly meshed haired boy glance up meeting his blue eyes with the girl's brown ones. His expression was more than questionable. "Is Denton home?"
Sainta cocked her head. "Oh, Bryan? No, he is sleeping and does not desire to be disturbed." She was about to close the door when the boy stopped her.
"Who are you?" The girl frowned at the frequent question.
"I should ask you the same" she retorted coolly.
"David Jacobs. I'm a friend of Denton's" he said, mirroring her attitude perfectly. "Now, who are you?"
The girl decided - once again - that a false identity was needed. Never can go anywhere without one - she mused. "Renee…" What was her last name? "…Kerry."
David quirked an eyebrow. "Renee Kerry?" Time to play the Jacobs' way. His attitude switched to how he was with Jack Kelly in Irving Hall on the first day they met. "It's funny you say you're Renee, Denton's fiancee. Because you sure look nothing like her." Sainta turned a light pale shade. It may have been the early morning tiredness or she just wasn't thinking clearly at the time, but it didn't dawn on her that this boy would know Renee. "How can you be her when I've met Renee several times and you are not her. Now, where is Denton?" The firmness shot out from his voice like a cannon. It was more flamed from anger at the moment. No telling who this girl was. One category popped in his mind though - harlot.
The girl keep a tight fix on David's eyes. If she couldn't convince him with her lie, maybe she could beat him at his own game of slyness. Being nebbish was not her style.
"If I'm not Renee then it's none of your concern who I am. Please, go away." With that, she slammed the door on him and clicked the bolt lock shut.
In the hallway, David yelled through the door. "I'm coming back and not alone! Next time you won't get off that easy!"
Sainta stood, back turned toward the door, waiting for him to leave. Oh wonderful, we'll have company later - she thought cynically. She closed her eyes suddenly feeling faint.
"I'm wondering the same thing myself" Bryan remarked, walking out the bedroom.
The girl looked up to see him standing there. "What do you mean?"
"Who you are…why you are here helping me…" he answered offhandedly. Sainta's mouth twitched, but no words fell out. "I heard you talking to someone just a moment ago. Sounded like my friend, David."
She nodded, solemnly.
"Even if you don't reply to my questions, I want to thank you for being here for me. I don't know what I would of done if I would of left the train station alone."
Sainta smiled warmly. "It's what I do, Bryan. You do not have to thank me. You seem to love Renee with all your heart and soul."
The mention of Renee's name sparked memories and tears. He nodded, sadly. "I don't know what I'm going to do without her." He stifled a sob. "In her last letter to me, she said she couldn't remember how life was like before we met. I cannot either now."
"Oh Bryan…" She went to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Time will ease the pain. I have experience in that situation - losing someone you loved very much. The pain never goes away, but you have to live for Renee now since she can't live for herself."
"You're right." He pulled away from her wiping his face in his hands. "I'll try."
"She'll always be here." Sainta placed her hands gently on Bryan's chest, signifying his heart.
For once, she could indicate a slight glimmer of hope in the poor man's face. "Will you stay with me?"
Sainta's eyes became fixed to the floor, almost in guilt. She always felt guilty when this moment came to pass. "I can't."
"Why?"
It was always the same excuse. "I can't have you getting attached to me directly after Renee's death." She knew that was not the only reason - I'm afraid I will not be able to leave you. "Your friend, David Jacobs, became very suspicious of me while he was here. He said he'll be back and not alone."
"David will understand why you're here."
"No! No one can know I was here, just you." Bryan was one of the few she had this shining up to, for some reason. It made her not want to leave him. This was going to be hard. "I have to go."
Bryan lowered his head. "I still don't know your name."
"St. Matthew." Quick, simple reply.
That's how it always was for the men she did not want to become attached to. For other men she would get to know more personally and wasn't in has bad of shape as Bryan was, her identity was either "Sainta" or "Mattie". Leigh could never be known to anyone.
"The name suits you. You are a saint."
To say the least - the girl shot back in her mind. Bryan was plucking her heartstrings every second she stayed there with him. "I'm sorry, Bryan, I really need to go."
He caught her hand before she could gather her belongs. "I'll never forget what you've done for me."
Sainta mustered up all the energy in her will power to not break down. "Never forget Renee……remember me only as a trifle thought."
With her shirt-coat in hand, the auburn headed girl slipped onto the fire escape, disappearing into the street as though she was just another face in the crowd.
***
You may think that's the end, but it's not! There's more. I've almost totally commited myself to finishing this fic in less than a year...LOL! Hopefully less than a month. Well, we'll see. That'd be a first for me. Anyways, thanks to all for reviewing this fic! Especially Kora with her intriguing reviews for my fics :)