Disclaimer: I do not own Mort Rainey, or Shooter!
Mort's eyes grew wide. He didn't know where she had gotten this gun but he knew not to push her any further. End of Chapter 10
"Fine Elyse, I won't follow you home. But I want to ask you one question. Please?" Mort asked, a begging look in his eyes.
"Fine, but if you are gonna ask me to sleep with you one last time it ain't gonna happen." Elyse said, placing the pistol in her back pocket of her jeans.
"Why him?"
"Excuse me? I don't think I know what you are talking about." Elyse really did not want to answer that question. After all what could she say, Well, I had fun those two nights but then I already knew what Brandon wanted in life and right now you seem like a good for nothing, but seriously hot, author? Yeah that would go over well with him.
"Well, I mean, why did you choose Brandon over me? There must be a reason. I mean, come on you didn't just pick him because it was raining outside that day. Or for some other stupid reason like that, did you?" She could tell that Mort was aggravated that she was avoiding answering the question.
"Fine if you must know..." she paused. "It is because I have known Brandon for some time now. We went to high school together, all four years of it. We did have a break up, but that was over something stupid."
"Didn't he cheat on you?" Mort questioned, knowing that he struck gold with that question.
"Yes, but that is none of your business." She let out a long sigh. "He did cheat on me, but that's a thing in the past. There is nothing I can do about that, nor can he. We can't change his actions, but he did fly up here to see me and to try and win me back, didn't he?" tears were forming in her eyes. She knew she didn't want to say good-bye to Mort; after all he did say, "I love you."
Mort approached her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Since you want to go back to him so badly go ahead. But there is something that you should know from my end. Something that I didn't think I wanted to tell you, but I feel it is necessary now. Look, when I said that I loved you I knew it was soon. We hadn't known each other that long and it may not have made sense to you. But you must realize that there was a connection between us that I haven't felt in years. I'm sorry if I scared you by saying that, but I just had to tell you how I feel. When we kissed here a few minutes ago, I knew that I had to have you. But clearly you don't want that." Mort turned his gaze away from her and directed it towards the ground.
Tears were stinging Elyse's eyes. She had made this man feel horrible. She hated being responsible for hurting people. Elyse wasn't sure how to react to the situation. There was a feeling in the pit of her stomach and a voice inside her head that was telling her to stay with Mort. She was so confused. She backed into the wall and slid down. She sat there on the floor, head in her hands, sobbing out of pure confusion. Mort didn't know what to do. He didn't know if he should try and console her, or if he should keep his distance.
Well, his heart got the best of him. He walked over, and cautiously sat down. He could see that she was distraught and was trying to think how he could console her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and she collapsed against him, wrapping her own arms around his chest.
They sat there embraced in each other's arms, unaware of what they were really doing. About ten minutes later her sobbing ended and she lifted her head from his chest and stared into his eyes.
"I'm so sorry for that outburst. Your words really struck down deep. I never meant to hurt you. I ...I...I was just trying to follow my heart. And at the time it was beating for Brandon. But then, when you kissed me that last time..." she paused. "All those feelings that I had felt the first time we kissed came flooding back. I just got confused." She sat up, wiping her tear strained face on the sleeve of her black zip-up hoodie. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. This was a calming exercise that she had learned a few years back.
"I didn't mean to make you cry. Believe me, those are not the intentions that I had. I just thought that you needed to know the truth. So, are you saying that you don't want to go back to Brandon?" Mort asked, a hint of happiness in his voice. He made sure he wouldn't get his hopes up yet though.
"At this point in time I don't know. I don't know if you are more suited for me than Brandon, or vice versa. Look, I have to go back to Texas. There is no way around that one. I have a job there and I have to get back to it. I don't know who I want right now. Whether it be you or Brandon, I will have to choose sooner or later. That part I am sure about. Look," she rose from the ground, and extended a hand to him and he took it. "I will make up my mind and I will let you know one way or another. I will call, email, or I may just show up, who knows. Is that okay with you?"
Mort looked into her eyes and saw remorse. He knew that she just needed to figure out where her life was going and who the leading man was going to be. "That's fine. Just don't wait too long. It gets lonely up there at my cabin. You catch the drift?" a slight, half-grin spread across his lips.
"I believe that one. Don't worry, it shouldn't take me too long to figure it out. I hope." She smiled back at him, which was followed by an awkward silence.
"Well...um...you should be getting back to your friends. They'll be wondering if you are alive or not. Go on, I'll be fine. Just go, you said yourself that it shouldn't be too long before you make up your mind. So there, we both don't have to wait very long do we?" Mort seemed unusually persistent about her leaving. Or making an attempt to leave.
All at once thoughts flooded into her mind. Wait a minute, why is he so anxious to get me out of here? What is going to happen, or what is he going to do when I make an attempt to leave? He seems awfully pushy. This isn't the Mort I was talking to. This is the one that wants to kill me. Oh no! What do I do now?
She simply did not know. There were only a few things she could do. She could either make a run for it, but if he had a gun that made no difference. Or she could stay here and try and face him, not that she could take him of course. He was taller than her, only by a little, and he weighed more than her too. What's a girl to do?
A/N: Well, I can tell you that this girl is gonna make you wait till the next chapter to find out!! HaHa! Sorry, couldn't resist mate! I know how much you readers love cliffhangers. Don't worry, the end will come soon enough. But whose end is yet to be decided.
Thanks for reading this chapter. Let me know what you think and I'll post soon. It won't be in the next couple of days because I have orientation for college so I wont be able to post.
Mort's eyes grew wide. He didn't know where she had gotten this gun but he knew not to push her any further. End of Chapter 10
"Fine Elyse, I won't follow you home. But I want to ask you one question. Please?" Mort asked, a begging look in his eyes.
"Fine, but if you are gonna ask me to sleep with you one last time it ain't gonna happen." Elyse said, placing the pistol in her back pocket of her jeans.
"Why him?"
"Excuse me? I don't think I know what you are talking about." Elyse really did not want to answer that question. After all what could she say, Well, I had fun those two nights but then I already knew what Brandon wanted in life and right now you seem like a good for nothing, but seriously hot, author? Yeah that would go over well with him.
"Well, I mean, why did you choose Brandon over me? There must be a reason. I mean, come on you didn't just pick him because it was raining outside that day. Or for some other stupid reason like that, did you?" She could tell that Mort was aggravated that she was avoiding answering the question.
"Fine if you must know..." she paused. "It is because I have known Brandon for some time now. We went to high school together, all four years of it. We did have a break up, but that was over something stupid."
"Didn't he cheat on you?" Mort questioned, knowing that he struck gold with that question.
"Yes, but that is none of your business." She let out a long sigh. "He did cheat on me, but that's a thing in the past. There is nothing I can do about that, nor can he. We can't change his actions, but he did fly up here to see me and to try and win me back, didn't he?" tears were forming in her eyes. She knew she didn't want to say good-bye to Mort; after all he did say, "I love you."
Mort approached her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Since you want to go back to him so badly go ahead. But there is something that you should know from my end. Something that I didn't think I wanted to tell you, but I feel it is necessary now. Look, when I said that I loved you I knew it was soon. We hadn't known each other that long and it may not have made sense to you. But you must realize that there was a connection between us that I haven't felt in years. I'm sorry if I scared you by saying that, but I just had to tell you how I feel. When we kissed here a few minutes ago, I knew that I had to have you. But clearly you don't want that." Mort turned his gaze away from her and directed it towards the ground.
Tears were stinging Elyse's eyes. She had made this man feel horrible. She hated being responsible for hurting people. Elyse wasn't sure how to react to the situation. There was a feeling in the pit of her stomach and a voice inside her head that was telling her to stay with Mort. She was so confused. She backed into the wall and slid down. She sat there on the floor, head in her hands, sobbing out of pure confusion. Mort didn't know what to do. He didn't know if he should try and console her, or if he should keep his distance.
Well, his heart got the best of him. He walked over, and cautiously sat down. He could see that she was distraught and was trying to think how he could console her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and she collapsed against him, wrapping her own arms around his chest.
They sat there embraced in each other's arms, unaware of what they were really doing. About ten minutes later her sobbing ended and she lifted her head from his chest and stared into his eyes.
"I'm so sorry for that outburst. Your words really struck down deep. I never meant to hurt you. I ...I...I was just trying to follow my heart. And at the time it was beating for Brandon. But then, when you kissed me that last time..." she paused. "All those feelings that I had felt the first time we kissed came flooding back. I just got confused." She sat up, wiping her tear strained face on the sleeve of her black zip-up hoodie. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. This was a calming exercise that she had learned a few years back.
"I didn't mean to make you cry. Believe me, those are not the intentions that I had. I just thought that you needed to know the truth. So, are you saying that you don't want to go back to Brandon?" Mort asked, a hint of happiness in his voice. He made sure he wouldn't get his hopes up yet though.
"At this point in time I don't know. I don't know if you are more suited for me than Brandon, or vice versa. Look, I have to go back to Texas. There is no way around that one. I have a job there and I have to get back to it. I don't know who I want right now. Whether it be you or Brandon, I will have to choose sooner or later. That part I am sure about. Look," she rose from the ground, and extended a hand to him and he took it. "I will make up my mind and I will let you know one way or another. I will call, email, or I may just show up, who knows. Is that okay with you?"
Mort looked into her eyes and saw remorse. He knew that she just needed to figure out where her life was going and who the leading man was going to be. "That's fine. Just don't wait too long. It gets lonely up there at my cabin. You catch the drift?" a slight, half-grin spread across his lips.
"I believe that one. Don't worry, it shouldn't take me too long to figure it out. I hope." She smiled back at him, which was followed by an awkward silence.
"Well...um...you should be getting back to your friends. They'll be wondering if you are alive or not. Go on, I'll be fine. Just go, you said yourself that it shouldn't be too long before you make up your mind. So there, we both don't have to wait very long do we?" Mort seemed unusually persistent about her leaving. Or making an attempt to leave.
All at once thoughts flooded into her mind. Wait a minute, why is he so anxious to get me out of here? What is going to happen, or what is he going to do when I make an attempt to leave? He seems awfully pushy. This isn't the Mort I was talking to. This is the one that wants to kill me. Oh no! What do I do now?
She simply did not know. There were only a few things she could do. She could either make a run for it, but if he had a gun that made no difference. Or she could stay here and try and face him, not that she could take him of course. He was taller than her, only by a little, and he weighed more than her too. What's a girl to do?
A/N: Well, I can tell you that this girl is gonna make you wait till the next chapter to find out!! HaHa! Sorry, couldn't resist mate! I know how much you readers love cliffhangers. Don't worry, the end will come soon enough. But whose end is yet to be decided.
Thanks for reading this chapter. Let me know what you think and I'll post soon. It won't be in the next couple of days because I have orientation for college so I wont be able to post.