Till Death Do Us Part: Chapter 8
"You havent lived till you've met someone worth dying for.." - S. Banks
Chapter 8: His Happiness is Another's Sorrow
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The very first thing Pan noticed about his home was how messy it seemed to be, which was ironic since the house was luxurious and proper from the outside. It was also eerily quiet.
"Is anyone even home?" Pan asked him doubtfully.
"Oh, yeah, they're all home. Nicky's probably asleep by now, but I don't know about Mother." Officer Kurtis replied, taking off his jacket and carelessly throwing it aside. Pan cringed; he just seemed to be oblivious of the mess.
Her eye suddenly caught a photo frame, a wedding picture that was firmly set on top of the furnace. The two people in it seemed like the happiest couple on earth- Ryan Kurtis was handsome in his black tuxedo, but he was not half as attractive as the woman with him- she was simply stunning in her long, white, strapless dress. A flush of color exuberated her cheekbones, and her jade green eyes watched the camera with a playful smile.
Officer Kurtis followed her gaze with a hint of sadness in his eyes. "That was my wife. Maria."
"I'm sorry," was all she could say in answer. She wanted to ask him more, but once again felt his uneasiness and remained silent.
"Ryan? Is that you out there?" An elderly woman walked into the living room, stopping short when she saw Pan. "My God, you've brought a friend. And this house is a complete mess," she added, fretting over the clothes strewn all over the place and absently picking up a few.
Officer Kurtis was shaking his head, sighing. "Not a friend, Mother. She just needs someplace to stay tonight."
Mrs. Kurtis raised an eyebrow. "All right, Ryan, as long as you trust her. I won't ask any questions." Then, turning to Pan, she smiled. "Hello, dear. I'm Ellen, Ryan's mother."
Pan returned the woman's smile with her own.There was something about her that made Pan miss her own mother with a terrible ache. "Pan. I'm so sorry about bothering you this late at night, Mrs. Kurtis."
"Nonsense," the older woman brushed her comment away with a wave of her hand. "It's always good to have some female company in this house." She sighed to herself.
There was an awkward moment, in which no one really knew what to say.
"Why don't you go and wash up, dear," Mrs. Kurtis said briskly to Pan, who eagerly accepted the excuse in order to leave the room. Just before she was out of earshot, however, she heard Officer Kurtis anxiously whispering something to his mother.
"…Had to say that, didn't you?" he was saying.
"Why, what's so wrong if I said that it's been awhile since a woman's come into this house?" Mrs. Kurtis replied with a huff. "Honestly, Ryan."
"She is not my girlfriend, Mother, that's why it's so wrong! She's not even a guest, for crying out loud, I just picked her up off the street."
"Hush, Ryan! She'll hear you."
"Mother, you're just glad I brought a woman in the house, and you don't even care if she came straight from the PD. Did you even ask me why she was there in the first place? No! Because you're so desperate for Nicky to have a mother again."
"And why is it such a bad thing to want Nicky to live a happy life the way he deserves?"
"It's not, but with this girl it is. Don't push me into relationships I don't want, Mother."
"Ryan, I am not pushing you into anything. I just made a statement to the poor girl, and I am sorry if it offended you."
Silence.
Pan stood frozen in her tracks, her heart pounding loudly. Relationships? Suddenly, everything became clear with a rush- the police officer's overly generous attitude, his mother's warm eagerness to have her here,telling her not so subtly that he wasn't married- of course. But was it even possible? She shook her head. Falling in love once had been her biggest mistake. She was not going to do it again.
Instead of going upstairs to wash up, Pan grabbed her jacket and began to put it on quietly.
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Trunks lay awake in bed, unable to fall asleep. It had been the worst day of his life- losing the one girl he really cared about in a matter of seconds. And that wasn't the only thing that troubled him; her safety had become a major concern. Where the hell did you go, Pan? He asked silently in the dark. It seemed as if she had just disappeared off the face of the earth. It was hard to imagine she had been in his arms only yesterday.
He had finally dropped off Marron at her apartment around midnight since both had agreed they needed to get some sleep. Only now, sleep just refused to come.
He sighed. He missed her so much it hurt. 'Pan!' he wanted to shout. 'I love you!'
It was going to be okay, he tried telling himself. She would turn up tomorrow and then everything would be the same again.
But why, then, did he feel like it was already too late?
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"Where are you going, Pan?"
The sudden voice caught her off guard and she gasped. There stood Officer Kurtis, hands crossed over his chest, a smirk playing on the corners of his lips.
"I don't know," she answered flatly. "But I'm definitely not staying here another minute."
"I understand your feelings," he said. "I know why you're so quick to leave."
She looked at him, surprised. "If you know, then why are you asking where I'm headed? It shouldn't matter to you either way."
He sighed, running his fingers through his blond hair. He looked defeated. "But it does matter to me, Pan. I…" he stopped. "I don't know how to say this to you, exactly."
She rolled her eyes. "Please. Skip the drama, Officer. I've seen enough."
He smiled a little at her comment, but didn't change the expression on his face. "You want to hear the truth?" he said with an eyebrow raised. When she remained silent he continued, "Hell, I didn't mean half of what I said back there to Mother. Sometimes I have to say things like that so so she won't...get her hopes up. But if truth be told, I liked you a lot, Pan. I know.." he stopped when she began shaking her head.
"No," she closed her eyes. "You don't know anything about me, Officer. And it would be better for both of us if it stayed that way."
"I know enough," he said. "And I'd like to get to know you, Pan. If you'd let me."
She turned away from him. "This is absolutely crazy," she held up a hand when he started to say more. "I respected you, Officer. And I was grateful to you for giving me a place to stay. But now you're just taking advantage of me. Just let me go, please. You're giving me a headache."
"If you don't believe what I have to say, then just spend the night because of my Mother. You don't know her," he paused when she stared at him. "She's a heart patient. It made her so happy just to see you here..and she'll be crestfallen if I tell her you've left. Please," he gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Just one small favor."
Pan sighed. "Okay. Fine. I'll be out of here tomorrow morning, though. Don't expect any other small favors."
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True love never lasts.
Marron recalled her friend's harsh words with a smile. How odd it seemed that her entire life revolved around this phrase- and possibly ended there as well. What's the point of living if you can't have what you love the most? She wondered.
It was amazingly satisfying, however, to see that she held enough power to change the lives of two people forever. Just one night, she thought wryly. That's all it took to get them apart.
But was she glad to see things the way they were turning out? She couldn't shake away the fact that Pan had been her best friend once. Her only friend. And it was her own fault, of course, that all this had ever happened. She made the two of them meet, had even wanted them to fall in love. So why, now, did she feel like that had been the stupidest mistake of her life?
On top of everything else, Trunks didn't even love her back. So what was the point of doing all this? Why take such large risks and put everything she had at stake just for the man who never loved her back?
The answer was simple. Revenge.
If she couldn't have Trunks, then neither could Pan. And besides, all her life Pan was the one who got everything she wanted. Men fell at her feet, only Pan never seemed to really notice. And Marron had thought it would stay that way, until she did notice one man in particular. Only it had been Trunks this time, and suddenly nothing was the same anymore. Who cared if Pan was the sick one? Her life seemed to be content enough. She probably enjoys all the attention, Marron thought bitterly before drifting off into a restless sleep.
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Pan awoke early the next morning, which was unusual for her. All night she hadn't gotten much sleep- thoughts of Trunks kept drifting into her head. And as much as she had tried to ignore them, she couldn't help feeling guilty.
Guilty? Why am I feeling guilty? He's the one who should be feeling guilty, not me.
But inside her heart she knew. It was Ryan Kurtis who was replacing her thoughts now, filling her daydreams. No! she wanted to shout. Not again. I can't let it happen again.
But how long could she go on pretending that she had no feelings for him? That everything he did, the way he smiled at her, turned her insides to mush? Oh God. It's the same story all over again, isn't it? She almost laughed at the absurdity of it. The sick girl falls in love a second time. But did she love him more than Trunks? That was the one question she did not have an answer to.
It was hard to accept the fact that Trunks did not need her anymore. He was satisfied with Marron, and would be happier with her rather than herself. At least she'll live for him longer than I ever would have.
Speaking of which, she hadn't taken her medication since yesterday and was beginning to feel drowsy. She would have to go back to Marron's apartment one last time, she decided. A confrontation with Trunks was not what she needed, but it was something she had to do. And besides, she needed to get the rest of her stuff out of there.
But before she left Ryan Kurtis and his small mansion, she would make a decision. How exactly she would do it, she didn't know, but would let her feelings decide for her. It would be, perhaps, the hardest decision of her life.
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A/N: Next chapter: Pan visits Trunks one last time..will it be enough to change her mind? Or is she ready to sacrifice everything and fall in love one more time? And on top of everything else, will time hold out for Pan?