I walked over and knelt down on his right side, and he was trying to get his nose to stop bleeding, I pushed his hands away and cleaned the blood off him with the wet rag and said, "Hold that there."
I got up and left with the dry towel and came back with ice wrapped in it…I knelt down again and moved the wet towel and said, "Here…it stopped bleeding…It doesn't look broken…"
Mark said, "It hurts like hell…Damn she's got one hell of a right hook…she should think about becoming a boxer." I said, "Don't be such a baby…That was mild compared to what she's done before." We were quiet for a while…and I was just staring at the floor…
Mark touched my knee…and I looked up and he said, "I really fucked up didn't I?" By now I had tears sliding down my cheeks and I nodded…it was all I could do to keep from going over the edge…
Mark said, "I really want to talk to you about it…I know you might not feel like it right now…and you might not believe me…but I'm really sorry about what happened…I'm not sorry I made love to you…because I am in love with you…with as hard as it is to believe…especially after I said Sara's name…I know it was the lowest thing a guy could do…but I never meant to say it…I hadn't even realized I said it until you pointed it out to me."
I just kept looking at the floor…I was kind of shocked to hear Mark tell me he was in love with me…but I still couldn't say anything for fear of bawling in front of him…Mark said, "I have to say something and I want you to listen to everything I have to say…then you can either talk back or you can leave which ever…it's your choice." I nodded in agreement.
Mark said, "Sam, I love you…I'm in love with you…I've been in love with you since the very first day I saw you standing in line with Jamie for our autographs…I didn't notice you for any other reason…other then your laugh…you have this laugh that has the ability to make every one drop what they're doing and look for the person whose laughing and when they find you…they fall completely in love with you and your laugh…and that's exactly what happened to me…I looked up and there you were…with the smile plastered across your face and a laugh that would make the devil give up all his bad habits just to get to you…I wanted to make love to you that night…and I loved every minute of it…you was beautiful and you were glowing all over…it made me love you even more when you moaned out my name…I think when I said Sara's name I was actually just saying good-bye to her…"
I looked up into his eyes and knew he was telling the truth…Mark continued, "For the longest time I was mad at myself for letting myself fall in love with you so fast after Sara's death…I should have just told you how I felt from the beginning…but I couldn't…I don't know why…but I just couldn't…I didn't like feeling like I was cheating on Sara…Samantha…all I know is that since Sara's death, when I'm around you, you make me happy…I know you're not Sara…and I know you can't replace her and don't want to…because you're you…you're something special…you're the first woman I gave my heart too since she died…I know I hurt you…but I never meant to…I would never hurt you intentionally…How could I hurt someone I love so much…I'm so sorry Samantha…I love you."
We sat there in silence for a couple of minutes…