Lia06- Maybe this will explain more. And funny you should mention hunting, LOL.

Surfer-kel- It's on a to-do list. With this story and my other one and my new job I've been meaning to but not got there.

Strangexbutxtrue- I guess you don't know the real Janny story about the translator girl. And have you figured out what you'll do yet? LOL

Trblmkr831- Well its all about to make sense. Hope you enjoy.

Meadow567- Well I haven't seen you around yet. LOL How was the daydreaming?

Flowersc781- Glad you remembered to breathe. You'll have to read on to see what will happen. Hope I didn't make you wait too long.

Emador- Step away from your monitor, you cannot actually reach Craig through it! LOL This strangling monitors has got me concerned. Hehe. And of course you did good on the test…it was all Gary and the wide angle lens!

I heard a car door slam. "Mac, I got to go. I heard a car door. Mom probably refused to go to my aunt's and made dad bring her back."

"Okay, I'll talk to you sometime this weekend. Have fun." Mac said.

"You too and say hi to your folks." I said and hung up.

I walked through the house shaking my head.

"Mom I said I'll be fine." I said and opened the screen door and walked out onto the porch. "Just go on to………Craig?"

I looked up and saw Craig standing next to a car in the driveway. He started to walk towards the house.

"I promised you we'd see each other before Easter." Craig said quietly, almost as if he was unsure of himself.

"What are you doing here?" I snapped.

"Kylah…I know you must be angry…" Craig started.

"Have you been talking to Mac? What has he told you?" I asked.

"Mac? Nothing, I talked to him last week but not about you other than that he had talked to you." Craig said.

"What about Pavelich? Has he said something?" I asked.

"No, Kylah…I haven't talked about you with them." Craig said.

I looked at him. "Well, you've come a long way from New York. Say what you have to say."

Craig looked down. "I've really hurt you haven't I?"

I didn't say anything. Craig sighed and walked to the porch steps.

"Kylah…I'm so sorry. I wish I could take it all back. I never….Kylah I love you so much. More than I thought possible to love another person." Craig said.

"You expect me to believe that? You've cut me out of your life!" I started to cry.

"Oh baby, don't cry." Craig started to reach for me.

"Don't touch me!" I yelled.

Craig stepped back. "Okay, I won't. I deserve that."

"Just say what you came to say and get out!" I said.

"Kylah…when we first left Minneapolis, I missed you so much. And I thought it was just the initial reaction to separation. But it didn't go away or lessen…I missed you more and more every day." Craig said.

I looked at him but didn't say anything.

"And, it really started to scare me. I'd never been so attached to another person. I didn't know how to deal with needing you so much. I'd had other girlfriends in the past….but I didn't love them like this….and I didn't know how to deal with that." Craig said. "And the longer we were apart the more I hurt. And that scared me too. I thought I was too dependant on you. I tried pulling away…but I couldn't stop thinking about you."

I still looked at him. His eyes were tired, but truthful.

"And then I realized you thought you did something wrong and I was hurting you. I thought then I should just let you go. I always thought I'd been selfish when I started dating you. But I love you too much to say goodbye." Craig said. "But I couldn't stop thinking about you. I missed you. I wanted to hold you. So I tried drinking to forget you…it didn't work."

"And you couldn't tell me this? You had to hurt me? Put me through hell?" I snapped.

Craig closed his eyes. "I never wanted to hurt you. But I couldn't deal with being away from you….I know I didn't handle it well, but I'd never been in that position before. I'd never needed someone so much. Then it got to where I couldn't sleep. I'd wake up reaching for you….and when you weren't there; it felt like I couldn't breathe."

"You missed me so damn much that you wouldn't let anyone talk about me? You told your secretary not to pass through calls from me and throw my messages away?" I snapped.

Craig hung his head. "I'm sorry. Talking about you hurt too much. Hearing your voice….it made me miss you more. And I was scared of how much I missed you and needed you. I was a mess….I still am. Kylah….I'm sorry. I never meant for this to turn out so bad."

I looked at him, a thousand things flying through my mind.

"I know how much I've hurt you and it kills me that I've done that. And I don't blame you if you don't forgive me. Right now I can't forgive myself for what I've done." Craig said. "But I made a promise to see you by Easter and I had to keep it, I've never broken a promise I made you."

"Except the one to never hurt me." I said.

"I deserve that." He said. "Look I know me apologizing isn't enough. And I wish there was some way I could change it all. I wish I could make it all better. But I made a promise to you and I decided I couldn't break it. And I wanted to be man enough to talk to you in person."

I clenched my jaw and didn't say anything.

"I'll go; I don't want to hurt you anymore." Craig sighed.

Craig and walked back down the stairs and off the porch. I didn't say anything as I watched him walk down the driveway towards the car. So many feelings were happening at once. I was hurt, angry, scared….and I still loved him.

Craig stopped next to the car and looked back at me. I watched him but said nothing. He nodded and reached for the door handle. I thought about everything that had happened since Lake Placid. The hurt, the fear, missing him, needing him, being alone….

"Craig! Wait, no!" I ran off the porch. "Don't leave me. Don't leave me. No!" I ran into his arms. "I'm sorry, don't leave me again. I don't want to be away from you. Don't leave."

"I won't. I'll do whatever you want." Craig said and held me tight.

I started crying. "Don't leave me. I don't want to be away from you again. I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for? You haven't done anything wrong." Craig said.

"I don't know. I just don't want you to go. I don't want to be away from you again. I missed you so much." I cried.

"I missed you too. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left Minneapolis without you. I should've taken you to New York with me." Craig said.

"You shouldn't have hurt me." I cried. "You really hurt me. I've been so miserable without you."

"It's over now. I'll not leave you again. I promise we'll never be separated again." Craig said.

"How can you promise that?" I asked.

"I always keep my promises to you." Craig said and wiped the hair away from my eyes.

I nodded and hugged him again. I didn't want to let go. "Would you stay awhile? Can you?"

"You want me to?" Craig asked.

I nodded. "More than anything. You can stay here as long as you like."

"Is your parents home? I probably have some explaining to do." Craig said.

"No, they went to my aunt's for the day. And yes you have some explaining to do. They were all excited to meet you and then…well they've been very worried about me." I said.

"I could spend a lifetime apologizing and it wouldn't make up for ever hurting you." Craig said.

"Well you're here now, let's just see what happens." I said and hugged him again.

"I'm not leaving you again, I promise." Craig said.

I looked at him. "I hope you really mean that and that you're still saying that in a few days."

"I can't be without you. I know that now. Being away from you….it was hell on earth." Craig said.

"I felt the same way." I said.

Craig leaned down and kissed me. "I've missed that so much."

"Me too." I smiled and leaned against him. "You want to come in for awhile. I…well I was coloring eggs for the church egg hunt tomorrow. I think you should come with me to that."

Craig looked at me. "A bunch of kids? Well sure, I'd love to go anywhere with you."

"Great, come on in. I'll show you around later. And I should probably hide daddy's shotgun just in case." I said and led Craig towards the house.

To be Continued…..