Goes After him
Ally stepped off the plane and slowly made her way into the airport. It had taken her two whole months to decide if she should come and find Larry or not. Eventually, she decided she had nothing to lose, and got herself on the next flight out. So here she was, Detroit. Home of Larry. It was pouring down by the time she had managed to get a Taxi and haul all her luggage into a hotel. Once she got up to her room, she collapsed onto her bed. How was she going to find him? She hadn't thought about that. She knew Jamie's phone number, she would know where he was. But that would give him enough time to come up with some lame excuses as to why he left. No.she had to find some other way of finding him. Maybe she should just call his mobile.but for the same reason she just couldn't.
After some much needed sleep through the night, Ally decided to get out and have a look around Detroit. She stepped out of the hotel and squinted as the sun shone down on her. She made her way around, visiting different shopping centres. She eventually made her way to the nearest restaurant and sat down. She quickly ordered a drink, and sat and watched the crowd bustle around her. She went through her bag to get her money, when her hand bumped into her phone. After thinking about it for a second she gave into the urge, she grabbed it and dialled the number she had engraved in her head.
"Hello?" The all too familiar voice Ally had grown to love. She was unable to speak.
"Heeellloo?" Larry answered again. Ally quickly plucked up the courage to speak.
"Larry.?" She said slowly.
".Ally?" He seemed confused now.
"Um." Ally was finding it hard to remember why she had phoned.
"Ally? Is that you?" Larry asked again.
"Uhuh." She said softly.
"Oh, okay." There was silence for a second.
"Larry, we need to talk." Ally blurted out.
"Well, I'm listening." He said.
"No, I mean face to face." Ally said. She didn't like the way he seemed to be so calm about this.
"Um.we're not in that kind of position.to see each other face to face." He stated.
"I'm in Detroit." Ally said.
"Wha - Detroit?" Ally held back a smile. He had to break sometime.
"Yeah Larry, Detroit."
"Um, okay. Where do you want to meet?" His smug voice returned.
"Well.I'm near a shopping centre." She glanced up at the nearest street sign. "Gilson Street." She continued. "I'm in a restaurant called the." She looked at the menu.
"Rhine Café." She finished.
"You're kidding." Larry said.
"No, I'm pretty sure." She double checked the street sign. "Why?"
"Erm, because I'm a few minutes away. I'll be right there." Ally heard the line go dead as Larry hung up.
Larry quickly made his way down the crowded escalator. He had a small office in the building opposite the same shopping centre Ally had mentioned. He bought coffee at the Rhine Café every morning. He thought of the last time he had seen Ally, when he had left again. He hated doing it. He just didn't want to hurt her as much as he'd been hurt in the past. He thought he was in the process of getting over her, but hearing her voice on the phone and knowing she was so close to him.he couldn't help but remember everything. He pushed his way through the crowd till the café came into view, and he saw her sitting there. He couldn't help but fall in love with her all over again - if he actually fell out of love with her at anytime they were apart. He stood there for a while, until people shoving past him finally snapped him back to reality. He slowly walked towards her, not taking his eyes off her. She didn't notice him until he was standing right above her.
"L-Larry. I didn't see you." She put down the magazine she had been reading and waited as he ordered himself a coffee and sat down. She watched him as he did this. She noticed the slight aging that had taken place in him since she had last seen him. She noticed the light pink shirt and dark blue suit. She noticed as he looked back at her and held eye contact for just a second.
"So. What did you come all this way to talk about?" He asked. Ally didn't answer. She gave him a look that plainly said, 'You know why.'
"Ally-"Larry started, but Ally cut him off.
"I don't want any excuses Larry. What happened?" She broke eye contact and focussed on the table as she fought back tears,
"I.I don't know." He said. "I just got scared." He also seemed to be focussing on the table.
"You got scared? You think I wasn't scared Larry? You think the idea of being totally in love with someone doesn't scare me? You think the fact that I didn't think I could live without you didn't scare me?" Everything Ally had promised herself she wouldn't tell him slipped out. A single tear fell down her face.
"You think you were the only one affected by this? I left because I thought it was the best thing for you!" Larry said, surprised by Ally's outburst.
"How was that the best thing for me?" Ally asked.
"Ally, I wasn't going to be the one that made you afraid to commit. That's happened to me. You know that. I wasn't going to be the one to put you through that." He said.
"So you ran." Ally said. "You ran from me." There was more silence.
"It wasn't you." He reached for her hand. She didn't resist as he held onto it. "It was me. All along it was me. How could I have been so stupid to think it would be easy to just waltz into another relationship!" He seemed to be talking to himself now.
"Was that all it was to you? Another relationship?" Ally asked, removing her hand from his grasp.
"No.I.I loved you. I still do. It's just the thought of it all happening again. The thought of everything slowly deteriorating till there's nothing left in the marriage, not even the love." He said. Once again silence filled the air.
"Not always. If you had enough faith.that we could last.then maybe." Ally started.
"That's my problem. I've lost all my faith." Larry said. Ally watched as he tried to hide a tear falling down his cheek. "I have to go." He said getting up. He started walking away when Ally grabbed his arm and forced him to face her. They stood there, holding eye contact while the crowd bustled past them. She handed him a paper napkin with her hotel and room number on it.
"I don't think you have." She simply said, before turning and walking in the opposite direction.
Ally stopped pacing around the hotel room for a second. She had been going over the conversation in her head ever since she had come back, but it still didn't seem like it had actually happened. It was around ten o'clock, but he hadn't called. She whacked herself on the head. Why had she given him her address? Did she actually believe he'd come? She had no idea. She was pulled out of her thoughts by a knock on the door. Her heart stopped. She slowly opened it.
"Good evening. I was just wondering if you wanted to order something for breakfast tomorrow morning." The waiter said.
"Um.um.no thanks." Ally said, not bothering to hold back her disappointment. She waited till the waiter had moved to the next room before slowly closing the door. A few minutes later there was another knock on the door.
"No thanks!!!" Ally yelled. The person knocked again. "I said no thanks!!!" She shouted again.
"I thought that's why you gave me your room number!" The familiar voice shouted back. Ally groaned. She opened the door, covering her face with both hands.
"I thought you weren't going to come." She said.
"I figured that." Larry replied. He reached towards her and pulled her hands off her face, and still holding them he said, "I was scared. I ran. I now believe it to be the biggest mistake of my life. Even my son thinks so!" Larry said.
"You told Sam?" Ally asked surprised.
"I tell Sam everything. He's like my personal therapist." Larry said grinning.
"And what did he say when you told him I was here." Ally asked.
"He told me to find you. And tell you how much I love you."
"What about your lack of faith?" Ally asked.
"What lack of faith? I'm now hundred per cent faith! After talking to Sam that is. . . " He said.
"Larry.I don't know." Ally started.
"Now you don't know? I thought you had made your mind up when you came all the way over here!" Larry said. Ally opened her mouth but he placed a finger on her lips.
"I'm never, ever going to leave you again. And I know that's what I said before, but a lot has happened since then." He slowly lowered himself onto one knee and produced a ring from his pocket. "Ally, I'm willing to make this forever. Be my wife?" Ally took hold of the ring he was holding.
"How did you get this in a few hours? It would've cost a fortune!" She asked.
"I've had it for a while. A long while." He said standing up. "Was that a yes?" He asked.
"Oh yeah. I forgot." She said grinning. She leant forward and kissed him. "I didn't come all this way for nothing. Of course it's a yes!" She finished. Larry grabbed her in an embrace.
"I'll never let you go again. . . " He whispered.
"I know you won't." She said.
R&R!! There's still more to come!
Ally stepped off the plane and slowly made her way into the airport. It had taken her two whole months to decide if she should come and find Larry or not. Eventually, she decided she had nothing to lose, and got herself on the next flight out. So here she was, Detroit. Home of Larry. It was pouring down by the time she had managed to get a Taxi and haul all her luggage into a hotel. Once she got up to her room, she collapsed onto her bed. How was she going to find him? She hadn't thought about that. She knew Jamie's phone number, she would know where he was. But that would give him enough time to come up with some lame excuses as to why he left. No.she had to find some other way of finding him. Maybe she should just call his mobile.but for the same reason she just couldn't.
After some much needed sleep through the night, Ally decided to get out and have a look around Detroit. She stepped out of the hotel and squinted as the sun shone down on her. She made her way around, visiting different shopping centres. She eventually made her way to the nearest restaurant and sat down. She quickly ordered a drink, and sat and watched the crowd bustle around her. She went through her bag to get her money, when her hand bumped into her phone. After thinking about it for a second she gave into the urge, she grabbed it and dialled the number she had engraved in her head.
"Hello?" The all too familiar voice Ally had grown to love. She was unable to speak.
"Heeellloo?" Larry answered again. Ally quickly plucked up the courage to speak.
"Larry.?" She said slowly.
".Ally?" He seemed confused now.
"Um." Ally was finding it hard to remember why she had phoned.
"Ally? Is that you?" Larry asked again.
"Uhuh." She said softly.
"Oh, okay." There was silence for a second.
"Larry, we need to talk." Ally blurted out.
"Well, I'm listening." He said.
"No, I mean face to face." Ally said. She didn't like the way he seemed to be so calm about this.
"Um.we're not in that kind of position.to see each other face to face." He stated.
"I'm in Detroit." Ally said.
"Wha - Detroit?" Ally held back a smile. He had to break sometime.
"Yeah Larry, Detroit."
"Um, okay. Where do you want to meet?" His smug voice returned.
"Well.I'm near a shopping centre." She glanced up at the nearest street sign. "Gilson Street." She continued. "I'm in a restaurant called the." She looked at the menu.
"Rhine Café." She finished.
"You're kidding." Larry said.
"No, I'm pretty sure." She double checked the street sign. "Why?"
"Erm, because I'm a few minutes away. I'll be right there." Ally heard the line go dead as Larry hung up.
Larry quickly made his way down the crowded escalator. He had a small office in the building opposite the same shopping centre Ally had mentioned. He bought coffee at the Rhine Café every morning. He thought of the last time he had seen Ally, when he had left again. He hated doing it. He just didn't want to hurt her as much as he'd been hurt in the past. He thought he was in the process of getting over her, but hearing her voice on the phone and knowing she was so close to him.he couldn't help but remember everything. He pushed his way through the crowd till the café came into view, and he saw her sitting there. He couldn't help but fall in love with her all over again - if he actually fell out of love with her at anytime they were apart. He stood there for a while, until people shoving past him finally snapped him back to reality. He slowly walked towards her, not taking his eyes off her. She didn't notice him until he was standing right above her.
"L-Larry. I didn't see you." She put down the magazine she had been reading and waited as he ordered himself a coffee and sat down. She watched him as he did this. She noticed the slight aging that had taken place in him since she had last seen him. She noticed the light pink shirt and dark blue suit. She noticed as he looked back at her and held eye contact for just a second.
"So. What did you come all this way to talk about?" He asked. Ally didn't answer. She gave him a look that plainly said, 'You know why.'
"Ally-"Larry started, but Ally cut him off.
"I don't want any excuses Larry. What happened?" She broke eye contact and focussed on the table as she fought back tears,
"I.I don't know." He said. "I just got scared." He also seemed to be focussing on the table.
"You got scared? You think I wasn't scared Larry? You think the idea of being totally in love with someone doesn't scare me? You think the fact that I didn't think I could live without you didn't scare me?" Everything Ally had promised herself she wouldn't tell him slipped out. A single tear fell down her face.
"You think you were the only one affected by this? I left because I thought it was the best thing for you!" Larry said, surprised by Ally's outburst.
"How was that the best thing for me?" Ally asked.
"Ally, I wasn't going to be the one that made you afraid to commit. That's happened to me. You know that. I wasn't going to be the one to put you through that." He said.
"So you ran." Ally said. "You ran from me." There was more silence.
"It wasn't you." He reached for her hand. She didn't resist as he held onto it. "It was me. All along it was me. How could I have been so stupid to think it would be easy to just waltz into another relationship!" He seemed to be talking to himself now.
"Was that all it was to you? Another relationship?" Ally asked, removing her hand from his grasp.
"No.I.I loved you. I still do. It's just the thought of it all happening again. The thought of everything slowly deteriorating till there's nothing left in the marriage, not even the love." He said. Once again silence filled the air.
"Not always. If you had enough faith.that we could last.then maybe." Ally started.
"That's my problem. I've lost all my faith." Larry said. Ally watched as he tried to hide a tear falling down his cheek. "I have to go." He said getting up. He started walking away when Ally grabbed his arm and forced him to face her. They stood there, holding eye contact while the crowd bustled past them. She handed him a paper napkin with her hotel and room number on it.
"I don't think you have." She simply said, before turning and walking in the opposite direction.
Ally stopped pacing around the hotel room for a second. She had been going over the conversation in her head ever since she had come back, but it still didn't seem like it had actually happened. It was around ten o'clock, but he hadn't called. She whacked herself on the head. Why had she given him her address? Did she actually believe he'd come? She had no idea. She was pulled out of her thoughts by a knock on the door. Her heart stopped. She slowly opened it.
"Good evening. I was just wondering if you wanted to order something for breakfast tomorrow morning." The waiter said.
"Um.um.no thanks." Ally said, not bothering to hold back her disappointment. She waited till the waiter had moved to the next room before slowly closing the door. A few minutes later there was another knock on the door.
"No thanks!!!" Ally yelled. The person knocked again. "I said no thanks!!!" She shouted again.
"I thought that's why you gave me your room number!" The familiar voice shouted back. Ally groaned. She opened the door, covering her face with both hands.
"I thought you weren't going to come." She said.
"I figured that." Larry replied. He reached towards her and pulled her hands off her face, and still holding them he said, "I was scared. I ran. I now believe it to be the biggest mistake of my life. Even my son thinks so!" Larry said.
"You told Sam?" Ally asked surprised.
"I tell Sam everything. He's like my personal therapist." Larry said grinning.
"And what did he say when you told him I was here." Ally asked.
"He told me to find you. And tell you how much I love you."
"What about your lack of faith?" Ally asked.
"What lack of faith? I'm now hundred per cent faith! After talking to Sam that is. . . " He said.
"Larry.I don't know." Ally started.
"Now you don't know? I thought you had made your mind up when you came all the way over here!" Larry said. Ally opened her mouth but he placed a finger on her lips.
"I'm never, ever going to leave you again. And I know that's what I said before, but a lot has happened since then." He slowly lowered himself onto one knee and produced a ring from his pocket. "Ally, I'm willing to make this forever. Be my wife?" Ally took hold of the ring he was holding.
"How did you get this in a few hours? It would've cost a fortune!" She asked.
"I've had it for a while. A long while." He said standing up. "Was that a yes?" He asked.
"Oh yeah. I forgot." She said grinning. She leant forward and kissed him. "I didn't come all this way for nothing. Of course it's a yes!" She finished. Larry grabbed her in an embrace.
"I'll never let you go again. . . " He whispered.
"I know you won't." She said.
R&R!! There's still more to come!