Author's Note: No, this isn't the end YET but I'm getting there slowly but surely. Hope everyone who is reading (if you are reading) is enjoying the story. Feel free to review with rants, positive feedback, or criticism. Thanks KJFlygirl87 for your faithful reviews throughout this fic as well as Spunky-hyper-girl. And to erasde89, thanks for the feedback...I'm sure there are "lurkers" out there so it's nice to know someone is actually reading and liking it. I truly appreciate the comments guys...it motivates me beyond belief. Now all I have is one question...oh where oh where is my Sundiata????
My eyes fluttered open and it took a while for them to adjust to the sunlight which was peering in through the open blinds. For a split second the events of the previous night replayed themselves inside my head and I had to wonder if it was all just a dream. Then I felt the strong arms wrapped around me and the warmth of the beautiful body lying beside me and I knew that it had not been a dream after all. In fact, it had been very, very real.
I smiled as I watched Ronnie sleep peacefully next to me. He was such a beautiful man...even in sleep. His breathing was soft and even, his bare chest rose and fell rhythmically. I ran my hands through his hair and let my fingertips trace the line of his jaw. I loved watching him sleep and I had done so so many times before.
"I love you", I whispered as I planted a tiny kiss on his nose.
Then I slid out of bed and reached for my bag, quietly slipping my clothes back on.
"Mary-Courtney?"
Ronnie called my name as he yawned and stretched, raising himself to a sitting position.
"Good morning", I smiled.
"Yeah...good morning. What are you doing?"
"Getting dressed."
"I can see that. I mean, why? I was hoping we could be lazy in bed for a while then I wanted to make breakfast for you."
I smiled as I remembered the days of not so long ago after high school and in college when Ronnie and I would sleep late after a marathon night of lovemaking. Then we'd wake up and lounge around for hours as we laughed, talked and held each other. Then he'd always serve me breakfast in bed. Granted most of the time it was cereal out of a box, but still it was the thought that counted and we had endless good times sitting in bed naked, acting goofy and eating Raisin Bran together.
"Ronnie, I have to go."
I said the words and he knew automatically what I meant.
"You mean back to Milwaukee, right?"
"Yes. I..."
"Dammitt, Mary-Courtney!" he yelled. "I can't believe this!"
"Ronnie..."
"No! We have an unbelievable few days here and it's perfect and we're having a great time and it's just like it used to be between us, only a thousand times better. I felt like we reconnected. We spent time together, talked, had fun, got to catch up... then last night..."
"Ronnie, last night was incredible."
"Yeah it was. Didn't that mean anything to you?"
"Of course it did."
"If it did, then how could you just get up and get dressed and make plans to go back to him?"
"Ronnie..."
"Damn you, Mary-Courtney. You know, I made a lot of mistakes when it came to us that I have to live with everyday. I have a lot of regrets and I'm sorry but I thought you had forgiven me for all that."
"Ronnie, I..."
"I thought this was our second chance. I thought we would be able to get it right this time. I thought we could start over."
"Ronnie wait..."
"But I guess not, huh? I guess it's back to the games again. I just don't understand how you could make love to me then just walk away."
"Ronnie!"
"I love you, Mary-Courtney. There it is. I said it. Not for one moment did I ever stop being in love with you. I think you should know that. I love you and I'll never stop but if you walk out the door, if you walk away from what we could have, then I swear to God that I hate you."
"Ronnie Bass..."
"Dammitt, I didn't mean that, okay? Look, I could never hate you and you know that. I love you...too much sometimes, I think. But if you leave, if you walk away...then don't bother coming back. Because I can't take the games and the revolving door. I definitely can't take knowing that you're with another man."
It had been a long time since I had seen Ronnie that upset. His voice was rising and his face was flustered as he moved about the room desperately trying to keep a firm grip on the sheet draped around his nude waist.
"Ronald Edwin Bass, are you done?" I asked exasperated with my hands on my hips. "Huh? Can I finally get a word in edgewise?"
"I guess I was just fooling myself. When it comes down to it with us, the answer is always no."
"Yes!" I screamed.
"It's just that...wait, what did you say?"
"I said yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! A hundred times yes!"
"Mary-Courtney..."
"Damn babe, if you had cooled it with the tantrum, I could have told you five minutes ago what's really going on. I love you too, Ronnie. I always have, always will. Nothing has changed. I look at you now and it's just like it was eight years ago...I still see the same beautiful, wonderful man. I still get the butterflies when I'm around you and when I'm not with you my heart aches because I want to be with you. None of that has changed at all Ronnie. I fell in love with you eight years ago when I was just a kid. And yeah our love was real but we both had a lot of growing up to do. We had to change and move on and experience life. We went down so many winding roads but they all ended up leading back to each other. And now I know in my heart, 100 without a doubt that I am head over heels in love with you and that I want to be with you."
"Mary-Courtney, I have waited forever to hear you say those words and I feel the same way but now what? I wake up and you're getting dressed and it looks like you're sneaking off and you tell me you love me and you want me, yet you're going back to Milwaukee...I guess I'm just confused. I don't know what it all means."
"It means exactly what I said. All those feelings are true but I have, or at least had a life back in Milwaukee and..."
"What about a life here? What about starting a new life...with me?"
"Is that what you want? Do you really want me to move here? With you?"
"Yes. Man, I want that more than anything. I just want you, Mary-Courtney."
"I want it too babe but we, I, have to do it the right way. I have friends I need to say good bye to. I have a job that I have to give notice to. I have to end things with Charlie the right way. I have to look him in the eye and tell him it's over and why. I owe him that."
"So that's what you're doing? And then you're coming back?"
"Yes", I smiled. "That was the plan all along. I made my choice Ronnie and I choose you. I choose us."
He breathed a sigh of relief as he reached out to me. We held each other for a long time.
"I love you, Mary-Courtney. I want to make it right this time. I want it to work."
"Me too."
"I may have hurt you in the past but I've never lied to you."
"I know."
"Then you also know that my word is my word. And I'm giving you my word that from here on out, this minute forward, I pledge to love you and be with you and protect you and never hurt you again. I want you, I want us forever. That's what I want, Mary-Courtney but you've got to want it too."
"I do. You have my heart...and pretty soon you'll have the rest of me too...all of me."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
We kissed tenderly at first, then with more passion. I got lost inside that kiss like I had so many times. I ran my fingers through his hair and he moaned in my mouth as we gently fell back on the bed. I gave a little chuckle as Ronnie had lost his battle with the bed sheet and his most private parts were in plain view.
"Hey, can a guy get a little privacy around here?" he joked, as he covered himself with the sheet.
"I don't see anything little at all, trust me", I teased as I licked my lips.
We laughed and kissed again. Finally Ronnie pulled away and held me in his arms as he tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear.
"What?" I asked.
"I love you", he whispered.
"I love you, too."
"So this is it? We're really gonna do this, huh? It's for real this time?"
"For real", I nodded.
"You just made me the happiest man alive. This, you...us is what I've wanted for so long."
"I know. Me too."
"I hope so. Mary-Courtney, I hope you've wanted this. I hope this is where you want to be."
"It is", I smiled as I kissed him again. "Ronnie, I want to be wherever you are."