Stephanie was walking over to her horse, to brush out her mane. Chris was
watching her from the kitchen window that overlooked the backyard and most
of the stables. He leaned his chin on his palm and just stared out at her,
wondering why she was leaving him.
Had he done something wrong? Was he ignoring her, now that Jessica was back? Maybe that was it. Maybe she was feeling like she wasn't important. He had to tell her how important she was. He couldn't live life without her, she was his best friend.
He was going to go out there and tell her just what she meant to him when he felt two arms wrap around his waist from behind. He sighed and turned around and came face to face with Jessica. She looked up at him, a coy look on her face.
"Christopher, what are you doing in here all alone?"
"I was just thinking Jessi."
"About the wedding?"
Chris didn't want to lie, but it seemed the right thing to do in this situation, "Yeah, of course."
"Great, I was just thinking about the wedding too, we're so in tune with each other," she exclaimed.
"Yeah," he said blandly.
"It's going to be wonderful isn't it Christopher?" she said giddily.
"Um...it'll be great," he said, trying to be enthusiastic, but only wanting to talk to Stephanie.
"Oh, I so hope so. It's going to be a dream, I'm so glad that I came back."
"Me too," Chris said.
Jessica was going to start droning on and on about the wedding, Chris could tell. She would just go off on tangents so pointless he wanted to invest in some earplugs so he wouldn't have to listen to her. He tried to act interested, but really had none.
He thought back to when he and Stephanie were talking about what their wedding was going to be like. They both wanted it simple. Both thought that it should be here on the ranch at sunset. Everything always fell into place when he was with Stephanie. Because she's your best friend, his mind would always scream.
"So I was thinking a tiara instead of your traditional veil," Jessica said.
Chris turned his attention to her, "That's fine, it'll look great."
"The tiara?"
"Yeah, yeah, the tiara."
"Is something on your mind Christopher?" she asked, rubbing her hands lightly on his chest. Chris resisted the urge to push them off. What was wrong with him lately?
"No, I'm just thinking about why Stephanie wants to move."
"Isn't it obvious, she hates me Christopher."
"No she doesn't, how can you presume that."
"Oh, like I can't tell," Jessica said, rolling her eyes, "I'm glad she's leaving."
"Well, I'm not," he countered.
"Don't worry sweetie, you have me now, you don't need her to keep you company anymore, you have me."
"Yeah, I have you," Chris said, nodding his head.
"Of course you do, forever," she said, smiling, "I'm going to go take a bubble bath."
She walked away and as soon as she was out of sight, Chris turned back to the stables. He looked around and Stephanie wasn't there anymore, and neither was Ophelia. Chris walked outside quickly, trying to see if she was anywhere near. She wasn't and Chris quickly saddled up Othello and rode off down the path that he knew was Stephanie's favorite.
It wasn't too long before he found her sitting on a familiar hill. She was sitting alone and Chris dismounted and walked over to her. She looked up and smiled softly. He smiled back and sat next to her.
"Hi, what are you doing following me?" she asked.
"I wanted to talk to you and you were gone."
"I felt like taking one last ride. I'm going to be spending all of tomorrow packing up my things."
"I don't want you to leave Steph," he said, turning to her.
"Chris, I have to leave--"
"Why Steph?"
"Because, I just feel like it's time for me to go home."
"But this is your home."
"It was yours first," she protested.
"No, it was just a place where I lived, it wasn't a home until you moved in."
Stephanie sighed and looked out into the horizon. She wanted so badly to tell Chris why she was really leaving. And she so desperately wanted to tell him what she was feeling. What she had been feeling for the longest time.
"I'm sorry Chris, I don't want to hurt you, but this is for the best, trust me."
"It's not! I need you Stephanie!"
"You'll still be my friend."
"Is this about Jessi?"
Stephanie tensed for a moment, "No, it's about me Chris, it's about what I need to do for myself."
"I don't believe that for one second, but you know what, if you want to leave, fine! Leave!" he yelled and stood up.
She stood up as well, "Chris, believe me. In the long run, it'll all be ok."
"Stephanie, please, please don't go," Chris pleaded with her.
She took the sides of her face in her hands, and looked into his eyes, "Chris, I have to."
Chris looked away, almost painfully, then turned back to her, "Then go Stephanie."
He walked away and climbed atop Othello, before riding off quickly. Stephanie watched him go, before going and occupying the rock that she had been sitting on earlier. She gazed off towards the distance, taking in the spectacular view.
"Why?" she said, starting to cry.
Chris rode back, angry that Stephanie was leaving. Didn't she get that he needed her? Didn't she understand how much he liked having her around? Things just weren't going to be the same around here without her. He got back to the stable and put Othello back in his stall.
He went inside the house, slamming the back door and going straight upstairs. He went into Stephanie's dark room and looked around. He was going to miss all her pictures. His gaze fell to the picture of him and Stephanie from their porch. She had framed a smaller version of the picture. He stared at it for a while, then noticed her engagement ring sitting in front of it.
He picked up the engagement ring and stared at it for a while. He had seen it and thought it was perfect for Stephanie. Her favorite color was blue and he had kept that in mind while he was buying it. He started thinking stupid thoughts, of him and Stephanie married.
He really needed to get his mind off of this. Him and Stephanie were a never-was. He and Jessica were what is. And that was what he wanted. He wanted Jessica. Forget Stephanie. Jessica and Jessica alone was his future, and he had accepted that. He couldn't convince Stephanie to stay, so he just had to let her go. He put her engagement ring down and left the room.
He went off in search of Jessica and found her in the living room watching the television. He sat down next to her and kissed her deeply. She kissed him back, before pulling away and smiling.
"What was that for?"
"Do I need a reason to kiss you?"
"Never."
"I can't wait to get married," Chris said.
"I know sweetie, I know, and we'll be so happy, I promise," Jessica said.
"As long as you're with me I'll be happy," Chris said.
Jessica grinned widely, "I think we should write our own vows, what do you think?"
"I think that's a great idea, I love it," he said, smiling himself.
Stephanie walked into the room, and looked at Chris and Jessica. Seemed their little tiff was over and everything was back to fine with them. She sighed, happy for Chris, Jessica, she could care less about. But she wanted Chris to be happy. And if Chris wanted to be happy, then she would have to go.
"Stephanie," Chris said, looking up at her.
"Chris, sorry I was just passing through."
"Are you going to need help tomorrow, packing?" Jessica said.
"I think I can handle it by myself," Stephanie said.
"Suit yourself," the blond woman answered, leaning against Chris.
Stephanie bit her tongue, "Thanks for the offer."
"Just want to make sure you get safely on your way."
"I'm sure that I'll manage," Stephanie said, leaving.
Chris let her walk away. It was time to let go of her, time to move on to Jessica. He was going to be so happy in his new life. Him and Jessica were meant to be, that's just how it was. Stephanie was just a passing fancy.
So why was it so hard to let her go?
Had he done something wrong? Was he ignoring her, now that Jessica was back? Maybe that was it. Maybe she was feeling like she wasn't important. He had to tell her how important she was. He couldn't live life without her, she was his best friend.
He was going to go out there and tell her just what she meant to him when he felt two arms wrap around his waist from behind. He sighed and turned around and came face to face with Jessica. She looked up at him, a coy look on her face.
"Christopher, what are you doing in here all alone?"
"I was just thinking Jessi."
"About the wedding?"
Chris didn't want to lie, but it seemed the right thing to do in this situation, "Yeah, of course."
"Great, I was just thinking about the wedding too, we're so in tune with each other," she exclaimed.
"Yeah," he said blandly.
"It's going to be wonderful isn't it Christopher?" she said giddily.
"Um...it'll be great," he said, trying to be enthusiastic, but only wanting to talk to Stephanie.
"Oh, I so hope so. It's going to be a dream, I'm so glad that I came back."
"Me too," Chris said.
Jessica was going to start droning on and on about the wedding, Chris could tell. She would just go off on tangents so pointless he wanted to invest in some earplugs so he wouldn't have to listen to her. He tried to act interested, but really had none.
He thought back to when he and Stephanie were talking about what their wedding was going to be like. They both wanted it simple. Both thought that it should be here on the ranch at sunset. Everything always fell into place when he was with Stephanie. Because she's your best friend, his mind would always scream.
"So I was thinking a tiara instead of your traditional veil," Jessica said.
Chris turned his attention to her, "That's fine, it'll look great."
"The tiara?"
"Yeah, yeah, the tiara."
"Is something on your mind Christopher?" she asked, rubbing her hands lightly on his chest. Chris resisted the urge to push them off. What was wrong with him lately?
"No, I'm just thinking about why Stephanie wants to move."
"Isn't it obvious, she hates me Christopher."
"No she doesn't, how can you presume that."
"Oh, like I can't tell," Jessica said, rolling her eyes, "I'm glad she's leaving."
"Well, I'm not," he countered.
"Don't worry sweetie, you have me now, you don't need her to keep you company anymore, you have me."
"Yeah, I have you," Chris said, nodding his head.
"Of course you do, forever," she said, smiling, "I'm going to go take a bubble bath."
She walked away and as soon as she was out of sight, Chris turned back to the stables. He looked around and Stephanie wasn't there anymore, and neither was Ophelia. Chris walked outside quickly, trying to see if she was anywhere near. She wasn't and Chris quickly saddled up Othello and rode off down the path that he knew was Stephanie's favorite.
It wasn't too long before he found her sitting on a familiar hill. She was sitting alone and Chris dismounted and walked over to her. She looked up and smiled softly. He smiled back and sat next to her.
"Hi, what are you doing following me?" she asked.
"I wanted to talk to you and you were gone."
"I felt like taking one last ride. I'm going to be spending all of tomorrow packing up my things."
"I don't want you to leave Steph," he said, turning to her.
"Chris, I have to leave--"
"Why Steph?"
"Because, I just feel like it's time for me to go home."
"But this is your home."
"It was yours first," she protested.
"No, it was just a place where I lived, it wasn't a home until you moved in."
Stephanie sighed and looked out into the horizon. She wanted so badly to tell Chris why she was really leaving. And she so desperately wanted to tell him what she was feeling. What she had been feeling for the longest time.
"I'm sorry Chris, I don't want to hurt you, but this is for the best, trust me."
"It's not! I need you Stephanie!"
"You'll still be my friend."
"Is this about Jessi?"
Stephanie tensed for a moment, "No, it's about me Chris, it's about what I need to do for myself."
"I don't believe that for one second, but you know what, if you want to leave, fine! Leave!" he yelled and stood up.
She stood up as well, "Chris, believe me. In the long run, it'll all be ok."
"Stephanie, please, please don't go," Chris pleaded with her.
She took the sides of her face in her hands, and looked into his eyes, "Chris, I have to."
Chris looked away, almost painfully, then turned back to her, "Then go Stephanie."
He walked away and climbed atop Othello, before riding off quickly. Stephanie watched him go, before going and occupying the rock that she had been sitting on earlier. She gazed off towards the distance, taking in the spectacular view.
"Why?" she said, starting to cry.
Chris rode back, angry that Stephanie was leaving. Didn't she get that he needed her? Didn't she understand how much he liked having her around? Things just weren't going to be the same around here without her. He got back to the stable and put Othello back in his stall.
He went inside the house, slamming the back door and going straight upstairs. He went into Stephanie's dark room and looked around. He was going to miss all her pictures. His gaze fell to the picture of him and Stephanie from their porch. She had framed a smaller version of the picture. He stared at it for a while, then noticed her engagement ring sitting in front of it.
He picked up the engagement ring and stared at it for a while. He had seen it and thought it was perfect for Stephanie. Her favorite color was blue and he had kept that in mind while he was buying it. He started thinking stupid thoughts, of him and Stephanie married.
He really needed to get his mind off of this. Him and Stephanie were a never-was. He and Jessica were what is. And that was what he wanted. He wanted Jessica. Forget Stephanie. Jessica and Jessica alone was his future, and he had accepted that. He couldn't convince Stephanie to stay, so he just had to let her go. He put her engagement ring down and left the room.
He went off in search of Jessica and found her in the living room watching the television. He sat down next to her and kissed her deeply. She kissed him back, before pulling away and smiling.
"What was that for?"
"Do I need a reason to kiss you?"
"Never."
"I can't wait to get married," Chris said.
"I know sweetie, I know, and we'll be so happy, I promise," Jessica said.
"As long as you're with me I'll be happy," Chris said.
Jessica grinned widely, "I think we should write our own vows, what do you think?"
"I think that's a great idea, I love it," he said, smiling himself.
Stephanie walked into the room, and looked at Chris and Jessica. Seemed their little tiff was over and everything was back to fine with them. She sighed, happy for Chris, Jessica, she could care less about. But she wanted Chris to be happy. And if Chris wanted to be happy, then she would have to go.
"Stephanie," Chris said, looking up at her.
"Chris, sorry I was just passing through."
"Are you going to need help tomorrow, packing?" Jessica said.
"I think I can handle it by myself," Stephanie said.
"Suit yourself," the blond woman answered, leaning against Chris.
Stephanie bit her tongue, "Thanks for the offer."
"Just want to make sure you get safely on your way."
"I'm sure that I'll manage," Stephanie said, leaving.
Chris let her walk away. It was time to let go of her, time to move on to Jessica. He was going to be so happy in his new life. Him and Jessica were meant to be, that's just how it was. Stephanie was just a passing fancy.
So why was it so hard to let her go?
