A/N: Sorry I left you all in the middle of the conversation at the end of
Chapter 9. But, I'll admit it...I planned it that way. :D Hope you like
it.
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Chapter 10 – Explanation
-----------------------------------------------------
As Adam informed Jane of Iris no longer being in the picture, he held out his hand to her, inviting her trust. Gazes locked, Joan placed her hand in his and he led her to take a seat on the couch. Each turned halfway toward the other and, hands still joined resting on the back of the couch, Adam started the conversation.....
"Jane, Iris and I broke up Thursday night."
"What happened?"
"She had overheard us when we were talking on the stairs."
"The part about you wanting me to be here with you more than her?"
"Yeah."
"I'm sorry Adam."
"Why? In the end I'm not.......Jane....it wasn't meant to be."
"But you seemed happy."
"It was fun, and yeah I guess I could say I was happy but there was still something missing between her and me. What 'it' was I'm not sure, maybe some kinda connection. But it just wasn't there."
"Connection?"
"Yeah....awareness....acceptance.....understanding.......Don't you feel it?"
"Yeah, I guess so, even just as 'friends' I know those things usually come easily between us."
"Well knowing how having that feels, I've figured out that any serious relationship I have needs those things, those feelings, as a basis."
"Adam, I never meant to come between the two of you."
"Jane, it was nothing that you did.....Iris called it herself....what's there between you and me was there before she and I started dating. When we finally realized it, there was no option but to break up."
They sat there looking at one another for a minute, still holding hands, each with his own thoughts, till finally Adam continued, breaking the silence.
"Jane, if we could go back and change what's happened, I'd..."
Interrupting him, Joan offered, "But we can't. I know that from experience. Remember there have been moments, events between us I'd give nearly anything to go back to and have the chance to do something different."
"Don't think about those. Aren't there as many moments between us that you wouldn't change, those that you might remember as special?"
"Adam, you know there are."
"Tell me a few."
"Alright....you coming to me for help reading the note from your mom....."
"And for me....you getting me to read it at all and being there to help."
"The sculpture you made for me of the cheerleader...."
"....the smile on your face when you said thank you."
"You thinking my boat was beautiful...."
"....you ignoring what people say about me and becoming my friend."
"Our time at the science fair...."
"....our kiss with all the feathers falling around us. See Jane, there are lots of special moments that we both remember to go along with the others that we want to forget. We just have to move on from here....the question is how."
"How?"
"As friends...or as something more."
Joan looked at Adam and thought how lucky she was to have him as a friend. A friend that even after all of the times she'd done something stupid, who was still there for her and who still wanted...what?
"Adam, I said before that maybe we weren't ready for...well.... for something more than what we had at the time."
"I know Jane...I was there and I keep seeing you saying that over and over again, even when I try to think of the other times we just mentioned."
"Oh, Adam...."
"It's okay Jane...you get used to it. It doesn't hurt or confuse me any less than it did that night, but you do get used to it. What I wanna know is if that's still how you feel. I thought maybe after the other night at your house...that maybe things might be different."
"Adam, that night on the sidewalk, I should have told you why I felt the way I did, maybe if I had, much would have been different.....but we said we can't change the past and that we have to move on so....I'll tell you, no, I don't feel the same now."
"Jane, are you saying...."
"Adam, I'm saying that I want us to be more than just friends. I need you Adam. It's taken me along time to realize that, but I know it now and I have to stop wasting time and hiding behind lame excuses and admit it to you. There's more I have to say but before I do let me ask.... what do 'you' want?"
Adam simply sat there looking at the girl across from him. He'd waited a long time to hear Jane say that she was ready.....that she thought 'they' were ready....
"I want us to be a couple. I want to be open with you and stop having to hide how I feel about you. I want everyone who sees us together to get a glimpse of the connection that we have."
"I'd like those things too."
Adam offered a smile to Jane, one that she returned as their shared gaze said much more than words could define. The grip they had on each others hands tightened slightly confirming the commitment that they'd just made.
Joan broke the silence between them with a little laugh..."How do we tell Grace? She'll freak"
"No, I think it'll be something closer to 'it's about time'," Adam replied with a smile.
"Or maybe 'I told you so."
"Unchallenged."
"Adam, as I said there's more I have to explain to you, if we're to be a couple, I think it's time for that as well."
"Is it about the secret you once said you had?"
"Yeah, and about why I do stupid things some times and why I talk to strange people and just well, why."
"Jane, if you want to tell me that's fine, don't feel that you have to though."
"No, I do have to tell you. I want everything to be in the open between us."
"Okay, but first two things..."
"What?"
"First, I'd like to kiss you."
"And second?" she inquired with a smile.
"If we're going to keep talking, I want ya to do it from over here closer to me."
"Both seem like good suggestions Adam."
Answering her smile with one of his own, Adam leaned toward her, and she toward him, to share a tender kiss. After a moment they broke apart and pulled back far enough for their gazes to meet and for the smile each wore to be shared. The pair then adjusted their position on the couch so that they were sitting next to one another, feet up on the table where earlier they'd shared dinner. Adam placed his arm around Jane's shoulders and drew her closer to his side. Joan, looking for a way to establish closer contact with Adam from her position, grasped Adam's other hand in hers.
"Adam, before I begin I want to ask you to let me get through all of it before you ask questions."
"Cha, Jane, if that's what you want."
"I just think it will be easier to get through it that way."
"Okay."
"Well, first I need to tell you that the whole story is kinda about choices...."
----------------------------------
A/N: Yeah, I did it again, but Chapter 11 follows...Let me know what you think.
-----------------------------------------------------
Chapter 10 – Explanation
-----------------------------------------------------
As Adam informed Jane of Iris no longer being in the picture, he held out his hand to her, inviting her trust. Gazes locked, Joan placed her hand in his and he led her to take a seat on the couch. Each turned halfway toward the other and, hands still joined resting on the back of the couch, Adam started the conversation.....
"Jane, Iris and I broke up Thursday night."
"What happened?"
"She had overheard us when we were talking on the stairs."
"The part about you wanting me to be here with you more than her?"
"Yeah."
"I'm sorry Adam."
"Why? In the end I'm not.......Jane....it wasn't meant to be."
"But you seemed happy."
"It was fun, and yeah I guess I could say I was happy but there was still something missing between her and me. What 'it' was I'm not sure, maybe some kinda connection. But it just wasn't there."
"Connection?"
"Yeah....awareness....acceptance.....understanding.......Don't you feel it?"
"Yeah, I guess so, even just as 'friends' I know those things usually come easily between us."
"Well knowing how having that feels, I've figured out that any serious relationship I have needs those things, those feelings, as a basis."
"Adam, I never meant to come between the two of you."
"Jane, it was nothing that you did.....Iris called it herself....what's there between you and me was there before she and I started dating. When we finally realized it, there was no option but to break up."
They sat there looking at one another for a minute, still holding hands, each with his own thoughts, till finally Adam continued, breaking the silence.
"Jane, if we could go back and change what's happened, I'd..."
Interrupting him, Joan offered, "But we can't. I know that from experience. Remember there have been moments, events between us I'd give nearly anything to go back to and have the chance to do something different."
"Don't think about those. Aren't there as many moments between us that you wouldn't change, those that you might remember as special?"
"Adam, you know there are."
"Tell me a few."
"Alright....you coming to me for help reading the note from your mom....."
"And for me....you getting me to read it at all and being there to help."
"The sculpture you made for me of the cheerleader...."
"....the smile on your face when you said thank you."
"You thinking my boat was beautiful...."
"....you ignoring what people say about me and becoming my friend."
"Our time at the science fair...."
"....our kiss with all the feathers falling around us. See Jane, there are lots of special moments that we both remember to go along with the others that we want to forget. We just have to move on from here....the question is how."
"How?"
"As friends...or as something more."
Joan looked at Adam and thought how lucky she was to have him as a friend. A friend that even after all of the times she'd done something stupid, who was still there for her and who still wanted...what?
"Adam, I said before that maybe we weren't ready for...well.... for something more than what we had at the time."
"I know Jane...I was there and I keep seeing you saying that over and over again, even when I try to think of the other times we just mentioned."
"Oh, Adam...."
"It's okay Jane...you get used to it. It doesn't hurt or confuse me any less than it did that night, but you do get used to it. What I wanna know is if that's still how you feel. I thought maybe after the other night at your house...that maybe things might be different."
"Adam, that night on the sidewalk, I should have told you why I felt the way I did, maybe if I had, much would have been different.....but we said we can't change the past and that we have to move on so....I'll tell you, no, I don't feel the same now."
"Jane, are you saying...."
"Adam, I'm saying that I want us to be more than just friends. I need you Adam. It's taken me along time to realize that, but I know it now and I have to stop wasting time and hiding behind lame excuses and admit it to you. There's more I have to say but before I do let me ask.... what do 'you' want?"
Adam simply sat there looking at the girl across from him. He'd waited a long time to hear Jane say that she was ready.....that she thought 'they' were ready....
"I want us to be a couple. I want to be open with you and stop having to hide how I feel about you. I want everyone who sees us together to get a glimpse of the connection that we have."
"I'd like those things too."
Adam offered a smile to Jane, one that she returned as their shared gaze said much more than words could define. The grip they had on each others hands tightened slightly confirming the commitment that they'd just made.
Joan broke the silence between them with a little laugh..."How do we tell Grace? She'll freak"
"No, I think it'll be something closer to 'it's about time'," Adam replied with a smile.
"Or maybe 'I told you so."
"Unchallenged."
"Adam, as I said there's more I have to explain to you, if we're to be a couple, I think it's time for that as well."
"Is it about the secret you once said you had?"
"Yeah, and about why I do stupid things some times and why I talk to strange people and just well, why."
"Jane, if you want to tell me that's fine, don't feel that you have to though."
"No, I do have to tell you. I want everything to be in the open between us."
"Okay, but first two things..."
"What?"
"First, I'd like to kiss you."
"And second?" she inquired with a smile.
"If we're going to keep talking, I want ya to do it from over here closer to me."
"Both seem like good suggestions Adam."
Answering her smile with one of his own, Adam leaned toward her, and she toward him, to share a tender kiss. After a moment they broke apart and pulled back far enough for their gazes to meet and for the smile each wore to be shared. The pair then adjusted their position on the couch so that they were sitting next to one another, feet up on the table where earlier they'd shared dinner. Adam placed his arm around Jane's shoulders and drew her closer to his side. Joan, looking for a way to establish closer contact with Adam from her position, grasped Adam's other hand in hers.
"Adam, before I begin I want to ask you to let me get through all of it before you ask questions."
"Cha, Jane, if that's what you want."
"I just think it will be easier to get through it that way."
"Okay."
"Well, first I need to tell you that the whole story is kinda about choices...."
----------------------------------
A/N: Yeah, I did it again, but Chapter 11 follows...Let me know what you think.
