Chapter 52
"You can't ignore me the whole night," he said. As she brushed past him. Her mouth set in a grim line. "Try me," she muttered under her breath. Slamming the door in his face. He groaned and leaned his weight against it. Hitting his head against it in frustration. Before turning the knob and walking in. "Sheridan! Sheridan, I'm sorry."
"Too little too late, Luis," she said. "You acted like a complete jerk tonight. And," she said. Throwing the pillow in her hands at him. Taking great satisfaction in the fact that it landed square in his face. "You're sleeping on the couch." "Sheridan! Sheridan, listen to me. I said I'm sorry. What more do you want?"
"For you to really mean it, Luis. Your behavior was uncalled for. Nick is my friend. I invited him. You could at least be nice to the man. He saved my life. He's…" "He's in love with you!" he yelled. She didn't have an answer to that. And it dawned on him that maybe she wasn't as blind as he first thought. Maybe she already knew.
"But I'm in love with you. Luis. Don't you see that's all that matters? Don't you have faith in me? In my love? Enough faith that you wouldn't feel threatened by Nick? I love you. I never looked twice at him," she said. In a shaky voice. There were tears in her eyes. And he felt like the world's biggest heel.
He moved forward. To touch her. But she stopped him by holding her hands up in front of her. "No, Luis. Stop right there. You're not going to get off that easy. You were jealous of a man that is nothing more than my friend. A man who came to say goodbye. Forever. He's leaving Luis. Moving. He hasn't decided yet. But there's nothing tying him down anymore. His flight leaves in the morning."
"I'm sorry," he whispered. Aching to take her into his arms and kiss away the tears that coursed down her cheeks. "I overreacted. I was the world's biggest jerk. Please say you forgive me," he said. Moving closer. Ever closer. "I love you. So much. And just the thought of losing you again…just the thought of losing you whether it be to another man or some other force I can't fight, it scares me. More than you can ever know."
"But I do know, Luis. I'm scared, too. Scared that this is all a dream. Too good to be true. And I'm going to wake up in that hospital bed again and have no memory of you and Ali. That I'll wake up and never remember you. I love you both," she sobbed. Resisting his comfort for only a moment before giving in and crumpling in his arms.
He held her as she cried. Gutwrenching sobs he realized had been a long time coming. She'd been through so much. They'd been through so much. But they'd ignored the feelings of sadness because of the overwhelming happiness of being back where they belonged. Together. "Shh," he soothed. "It's okay. I'm right here. You're not going to wake up and find out this is all a dream. I promise." "I believe you," she whispered. Leaning her forehead against his and closing her eyes. They stayed that way for several minutes before she asked a simple question. "You really were jealous?"
He nodded his head. Too embarrassed to admit it aloud. "Luis, you have nothing to be jealous about. Even when I couldn't remember you, I knew my heart belonged to you. Does that make sense?" she asked. Taking his hand in hers. "You were always in here," she said. Placing his hand over her heart. "Always," she breathed. Kissing him softly. Threading her fingers through his. And tugging him behind her as she led him down the hall. To their bedroom.
"You can't ignore me the whole night," he said. As she brushed past him. Her mouth set in a grim line. "Try me," she muttered under her breath. Slamming the door in his face. He groaned and leaned his weight against it. Hitting his head against it in frustration. Before turning the knob and walking in. "Sheridan! Sheridan, I'm sorry."
"Too little too late, Luis," she said. "You acted like a complete jerk tonight. And," she said. Throwing the pillow in her hands at him. Taking great satisfaction in the fact that it landed square in his face. "You're sleeping on the couch." "Sheridan! Sheridan, listen to me. I said I'm sorry. What more do you want?"
"For you to really mean it, Luis. Your behavior was uncalled for. Nick is my friend. I invited him. You could at least be nice to the man. He saved my life. He's…" "He's in love with you!" he yelled. She didn't have an answer to that. And it dawned on him that maybe she wasn't as blind as he first thought. Maybe she already knew.
"But I'm in love with you. Luis. Don't you see that's all that matters? Don't you have faith in me? In my love? Enough faith that you wouldn't feel threatened by Nick? I love you. I never looked twice at him," she said. In a shaky voice. There were tears in her eyes. And he felt like the world's biggest heel.
He moved forward. To touch her. But she stopped him by holding her hands up in front of her. "No, Luis. Stop right there. You're not going to get off that easy. You were jealous of a man that is nothing more than my friend. A man who came to say goodbye. Forever. He's leaving Luis. Moving. He hasn't decided yet. But there's nothing tying him down anymore. His flight leaves in the morning."
"I'm sorry," he whispered. Aching to take her into his arms and kiss away the tears that coursed down her cheeks. "I overreacted. I was the world's biggest jerk. Please say you forgive me," he said. Moving closer. Ever closer. "I love you. So much. And just the thought of losing you again…just the thought of losing you whether it be to another man or some other force I can't fight, it scares me. More than you can ever know."
"But I do know, Luis. I'm scared, too. Scared that this is all a dream. Too good to be true. And I'm going to wake up in that hospital bed again and have no memory of you and Ali. That I'll wake up and never remember you. I love you both," she sobbed. Resisting his comfort for only a moment before giving in and crumpling in his arms.
He held her as she cried. Gutwrenching sobs he realized had been a long time coming. She'd been through so much. They'd been through so much. But they'd ignored the feelings of sadness because of the overwhelming happiness of being back where they belonged. Together. "Shh," he soothed. "It's okay. I'm right here. You're not going to wake up and find out this is all a dream. I promise." "I believe you," she whispered. Leaning her forehead against his and closing her eyes. They stayed that way for several minutes before she asked a simple question. "You really were jealous?"
He nodded his head. Too embarrassed to admit it aloud. "Luis, you have nothing to be jealous about. Even when I couldn't remember you, I knew my heart belonged to you. Does that make sense?" she asked. Taking his hand in hers. "You were always in here," she said. Placing his hand over her heart. "Always," she breathed. Kissing him softly. Threading her fingers through his. And tugging him behind her as she led him down the hall. To their bedroom.