I own none of the characters of October Road or the song "To Make You Feel My Love" by Adele

When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love

When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love

I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong

I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawling down the avenue
No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love

The storms are raging on the rolling sea
And on the highway of regret
Though winds of change are blowing wild and free
You ain't seen nothing like me yet

I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
Nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the earth for you
To make you feel my love

To make you feel my love

Almost four years later…

Eddie Latekka was sitting in a booth in the back of Sully's Bar and Tavern. Spread out in front of him was a plate of cheese fries, a glass of beer, textbooks and notebooks. He had an exam the next day and was doing some last minute review. Without looking up from his book, he sensed when someone slid across from him. "I'm kinda in the middle of something and can't really visit right now so I would appreciate it if you leave me alone." He said without taking his eyes off of his book.

"Hello Eddie." Eddie froze. The voice from across the table belonged to someone he hadn't seen in a long time. He finally looked up and was met with a pair of green eyes.

"Hello Lacy." Lacy Burkett was never the same after she lost her best friend. She left for college at the end of the summer after graduation and had only returned home for Christmas break and rarely did she mingle with any of her high school friends.

"It's good to see you." Eddie nodded and returned his eyes to the book in front of him. "So what's all this?" Eddie sighed. He obviously wasn't going to get any studying down until he talked to her. He leaned back in his seat and picked up his beer.

"I have a test tomorrow."

"Wow. So you actually went to college?" Eddie took a sip of his beet.

"Wow. Do you actually have to sound so surprised?"

"I'm sorry. You just never seemed like the college type." Eddie hid his grin. He said those very words to a very special girl three years ago.

The summer after graduation, he spent it moping around. He was miserable. He hurt the one girl he really truly liked and he still has never forgiven himself for that. When the summer drew to an end, he remembered what Janet Meadows, the girl he hurt, told him. She told him that he could do anything that he put his mind to so he put his mind to going and completing college. He remembered how it felt helping Janet with her math and how cool it felt when she finally understood it and it was because of him so on the first day of classes at Dufran College Eddie Latekka declared an education major and he was now one semester away from becoming a math teacher. Friends and family were surprised at his choice and he knew they would be but it turned out that he was good at teaching. He had just finished up his first student teaching assignment and his evaluations were spectacular.

"Things and people change." Eddie told the girl across from him.

"They sure do."

"Is that an engagement ring?" Eddie had noticed Lacy twisting a ring on her left hand ring finger. Lacy looked up in surprise.

"Yes it is. I got engaged a few weeks ago."

"Congratulations."

"I spent my whole life dreaming about my wedding and over the years the dream changed, you know details and such but one thing never changed. My maid of honor was always Janet." Tears filled her eyes.

"We did it to ourselves." Eddie mumbled.

"Have you seen her?"

"No. She hasn't been back."

Eddie lied. He had seen her one time. It was March of his freshman year. He had a day off of classes and on a spur of the moment he drove up to Boston University. He didn't know why he went. He knew he would never find her because it was a huge campus but he just had to try. He needed to explain to her why he did what he did to her. He needed her to know that in the end he really did care for her. He cared a lot; more than he had ever cared for anyone and he had to tell her. She had to know.

To his surprise he did find her. He had been on campus for three hours when he saw her coming out of a building. He immediately recognized her walking with a guy talking and laughing. The sun was hitting her curls and she looked beautiful and happy. He ducked behind a tree to watch and that's when he saw the guy she was with place his arm around her shoulder. He said something, she laughed and then he kissed her and at that moment he experienced inkling of what Janet must have felt when she found him and Lacy kissing. He hated seeing her kissing someone else, looking happy with someone that wasn't him so he couldn't even imagine how bad it was for Janet. He was kissing her best friend in the world. It must have been so much worse for her. He waited until she was out of sight and then he left the campus. He was happy for her because she had moved on but he was sad for himself because he knew he lost out on a possible wonderful relationship and he had no one to blame but himself.

Eddie returned to Boston University a few times over the next few years but he never saw her again but the lack of success never stopped him from going back and trying. He just had to see her one more time.

"Eddie are you even listening to me?" Lacy suddenly demanded pulling him away from his thoughts about Janet. She had been talking but he hadn't been listening.

"Not really. I was just thinking."

"You looked sad. Actually you have looked sad since I first noticed you in here." Eddie shrugged and drained the last of his beer which was now warm. "Okay then. I guess that I will let you get back to your studying. Good luck on your test."

"See ya Lacy." Lacy slid out of the booth and over to a guy Eddie assumed was her fiancé and a few minutes later, he gathered his books and left the bar.

He couldn't possibly study anymore because he no longer could concentrate. He couldn't get the last few times that he and Janet saw each other. He remembered the look on her face after their first kiss. It was that look that made him kiss her again. He remembered the excitement on her face when she talked about the two of them going to prom. He remembered the look on her face when he broke up with her. He knew she was hurt; that was a given but she wasn't crying or begging him to reconsider. She looked sad but seemed to take the news okay so he was surprised to learn that she had cried because of it and then if possible he felt like more like a jerk then he did before.

The one thing he will never forget was the hurt he saw on her face when she found him and Lacy kissing. He went to Lacy's house because he finally decided that he could not go to prom with her. Knight's Ridge was a small place and he knew that eventually Janet would find out about it and end up really hurt. He figured that when he asked Lacy she would turn him down because she was Janet's best friend and he thought that girls did not date their friend's exes. When Lacy turned him down, then he would tell his friends that he was shot down and he was going to go stag but Lacy surprised him and agreed but the more he thought about it the more he knew he couldn't go with her. He had already hurt Janet enough and he wasn't going to do anything else to add to her pain. He showed up at Lacy's to give her the ticket and Lacy surprised him by asking him to reconsider and decided to help him along by kissing him. He was so shocked that he didn't respond. He stood their motionless while Lacy kissed him. The only thing he knew for sure was that Lacy wasn't the one he wanted to be kissing. It was Janet. It would always be Janet.

He had dated women since she left town. He actually got back together with his main high school girlfriend Rory for about a year but he broke it off when he couldn't stop comparing her to Janet. He compared every woman he dated to Janet and now that he is grown up, he knows without a doubt he loved Janet and every night as he is lying in his bed alone, he wishes that he would have been mature enough to tell her. If only he could turn back time he would do everything different. He would get to know Janet because he wanted to. He wouldn't care what anyone thought or what was expected of him. He would date her, in public. He would take her to prom and he would be proud to do it but unfortunately he can't turn back time and he was going to have to live with the guilt of hurting a wonderful girl all for nothing. It's the least he deserved.

Two and a half months later Eddie was back in Boston on the campus of the university on his pointless quest to find Janet. He had been walking aimlessly on the campus for two days, hoping to find her but he had no luck. Ever since seeing Lacy at Sully's Eddie has had the strongest desire to set things right with Janet. He knew that they could never be what they were but he wanted her to know that he really did feel something for her. Even though he knew that she would never forgive him, he wanted to apologize again. Finally giving up for the day, he made his way off campus and into the first bar he saw. He needed a drink.

"Here you gentleman go." Janet Meadows placed four beers and four shots of tequila on the table. "Do you need anything else?"

"How about another rounds of shots?"

"You haven't even finished what I brought you."

"They'll be gone before you make it back to the bar babe."

"I am not your babe and I will be back in a few with your shots." Laughing Janet headed back to the bar, taking a few orders as she went. Once behind the bar she got the orders ready and handed them off to the numerous waitresses. "Here Andrea. These shots are for table twelve." Janet handed a tray of four tequila shots to Andrea and then turned around to grab some more liquor.

"Excuse me. Can I get a draft?" A voice from behind Janet requested.

"Sure thing." Janet turned around. "We have…" Janet couldn't believe the blast from the past sitting in front of her. "We have Bud, Bud light, Coors, and Guinness on draft. What would you like?"

"Guinness." She nodded, grabbed a glass, filled and roughly placed it on the counter with a little force causing some of the beer to slosh over the top of the glass.

"Three fifty." He slid a five across the counter.

"Keep the change." She didn't respond. She just turned and began to walk away. "Janet." He called. She stopped walking, hesitated briefly and then turned around. "You look really beautiful." Janet didn't want to hear those words for him. Slowly, she walked over to him.

"What are you doing here Eddie?"

"I was thirsty." Janet sighed in irritation. "I was in town looking up an old friend."

"Keep looking. Your old friend is not here."

Over the next few hours Eddie sat at the bar watching Janet and Janet did her best to ignore him. She may have looked calm on the outside but on the inside she was freaking out. She hadn't seen him since her freshman year. She remembered that day as if it was yesterday. She had just come out of her math class and was walking with one of her guy friends. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of Eddie. He was looking elsewhere so he didn't see her looking at him. Before he saw her she turned back to her friend Rob.

"Will you put your arm around me?" '

"Huh?"

"You heard me."

"Why?" Janet didn't respond. "There is someone that you want to make jealous isn't there?"

"Maybe."

"This will be fun." Rob swung an arm around her shoulders. "Now laugh like I just said something incredibly funny." Janet did as he told her. "Now go with me." Next thing she knew, Rob was kissing her. He told her to go with it so she kissed him back. "Now that's bound to make any guy jealous."

Janet didn't have the guts to look back and see if Eddie had witnessed the kiss. She couldn't risk him knowing that she knew he was there but she had always had the gut feeling that he saw them. A few weeks later Rob and Janet started dating but it only lasted for eight months. When they broke up, it was a mutual decision and they remained friends unlike her other relationship.

When Janet left The Ridge after graduation she spent most of the summer sulking and crying outside on her grandparent's porch or inside on the couch. She had lost her best friend and her first boyfriend in the same day and she had never felt more alone. Finally after two months of watching their granddaughter mope around Janet's grandparents got her off the couch and reminded her that she was going to college in a few weeks and had her whole life in front of her.

Janet started college a few weeks later with a new and better outlook on life. Her grandparents were right. College was a chance to reinvent herself. On the first day of classes, Janet wasn't the same, shy naïve girl she was in high school. She walked into her first class confident and happy and people noticed that. She debated for months on what she should major in while taking general classes and the whole time Eddie's words rung in her ears. He told her that she would make a good teacher. She had always liked school, except for math and she had done a lot of tutoring so she decided to major in education and then did her best not to think of Eddie or Lacy again. They were part of her past, not her future and her future was all she was concentrating on at least until tonight.

"I'm out of here Charlie."

"Goodnight Janet. See you tomorrow." Janet went into the employee's area of the bar, grabbed her purse and snuck out the back door. Eddie remained planted at the bar all night and she just wanted to leave without having a conversation with him but that was not about to happen.

"Hey Janet." She jumped a mile when she heard his voice but she kept walking. "Janet, please wait." Finally she stopped and turned to face him.

"What?" He took a couple of tentative steps towards her.

"It's really good to see you."

"Is that it?"

"Can we talk?"

"No we can't. It's after midnight. My feet hurt. I'm tired and want to go home so please Eddie, just leave me alone."

"I need you to know that I am sorry. I am sorry for what I did to you; for hurting you. I need to explain so…so you can forgive me." Janet sighed.

"I have forgiven you Eddie. It was a long time ago and we were kids. It was a learning experience and believe me, I learned from it. I am not the same stupid, naïve girl I was back then."

"You were never stupid and naive."

"Please go home and don't come back here again. I have a life here and you are not a part of it."

"But…"

"Goodbye Eddie." Everything inside of him wanted to reach out for her, beg her to stay but he didn't. He just stood and watched her get into her car and drive out of his life once again.

Janet sat in the employees' parking lot at her former high school, trying desperately to get her nerves under control. She never thought that she would return to this town let alone the high school again but here she was and she wasn't just showing up for a visit. She was here to work. When she graduated she sent her resume to many schools including Knights Ridge High School at her mother's insistence and Knights Ridge was the only school that offered her a full time teaching position in the English department.

She didn't want to come home. She didn't want to return to the town where everywhere she looks she is engulfed with memories of her former life and those memories included her former best friend, the friend that betrayed her. She wanted to start her new, adult life in a place where she could make new memories and new friends but apparently, her life had other plans and since she was now a real adult with a college degree she had to go where the job is. Right now the job is in Knights Ridge as is the beginning of her adult life as soon as she gets out of the car.

Eddie Latekka walked into Knights Ridge High School with a grin on his handsome face. It was officially his first day as a teacher. Sure there were no students today but it didn't mean that he wasn't working. Besides him there were a couple of new teachers that were hired this year and the three of them were going to have a short orientation and then while they got their classrooms set up the principal would go over all of the lesson plans that Eddie had been working diligently on since accepting the job along with the other new teacher's plans and then he would meet with all of them individually to go over the plans so any changes that need to be made can be done before school starts.

After greeting the school secretary who was thrilled that the former captain of the football team was returning to school as a math teacher she sent him to the classroom where the orientation would be taking place. He walked down the hall, taking a minute to stop at the trophy case to admire the trophy the football team won his senior year thanks to his "Hail Eddie." Those were good times. Not wanting to be late, he pulled himself away from the memories.

He walked into the classroom and received the shock of a lifetime when he saw Janet sitting at one of the desks with the Knight Ridge High School employee handbook sitting in front of her and he knew that he had been given a second chance. Janet had been brought back into his life and this time he wasn't going to screw it up. He was in love with her four years ago in high school and seeing her sitting in front of him, feeling his heart racing, palms sweating he realized that he was still in love with her and he was going to prove it to her. He was going to make her feel his love. He just hoped that he wasn't too late.

"Fancy meeting you here." Eddie walked up next to the desk that Janet was sitting at. She looked up, shock evident on her face.

"What are you doing stalking me?" She uttered after a minute of shocked silence. Before answering her he took a seat in the desk next to her.

"I work here." Janet's eyes grew large when she saw him place a briefcase on the desk in front of him. "What are you doing here? Stalking me?" He knew exactly what she was doing there. Janet snorted in response.

"I work here too."

"Small world ain't it?"

"Are you…you are a teacher?"

"Yep. Math." He smiled cockily at her. "A friend once told me that I could do whatever I wanted to do and I remembered helping that same friend in her math class and it was a really cool feeling that she understood it because of me so I decided that I wanted that feeling in my career, hence a math teacher." Janet shook her head in disbelief. "What about you? Did a friend give you some advice on a future career that you took?"

"No Eddie. You don't get to do that."

"Do what?"

"Act like we are friends; like nothing changed. We're not anything."

"Why can't we be again? Why can't we start over with a clean slate?" Janet adamantly shook her head. "Look I was a …" He stopped talking when the third new employee walked in.

"Hi. I'm Sarah." She introduced herself, taking the seat next to Eddie.

"I'm Eddie Latekka." Eddie held out his hand and the two shook.

"It's really nice to meet you Eddie." Sarah practically purred. Janet turned her head and rolled her eyes.

"And this lovely lady is Janet Meadows." Putting on her best smile Janet turned.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Sarah."

After a few minutes of small talk between Eddie and Sarah the principal came in. He spent the first fifteen minutes expressing his excitement over having two alumni back teaching at his school. He let them know how impressed he was with their college transcripts and their student teaching evaluations. Eddie wasn't surprised that Janet was on The Dean's list. She was always a great student. Janet was the one surprised. She learned that as far as grades went, she and Eddie were identical. They both maintained a 4.0 and Eddie was also on the Dean's list. She knew Eddie wasn't dumb but she never knew how smart he was because he never really applied himself during high school. Janet's second surprise was that Eddie was going to be the assistant football coach. She shouldn't have been surprised because Eddie did love playing football and he was really good at it.

After their orientation the principal took the three of them to their classrooms to set up. They weren't alone. The school was full of teachers setting up their rooms for the year so they were introduced to some of the teachers on the way to their rooms. There were still teachers there when Eddie and Janet were students and it was weird for them both that they were now equals. It would take some getting used to and so would the fact that Eddie's classroom was a few rooms away from Janet's. She was going to have to get used to the fact that he was now back in her life and she had a feeling that he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Later on in the day Eddie was returning to his classroom after a bathroom break. As he passed by Janet's room he heard her cursing at her bulletin board. He stopped, walked backwards and stood in her doorway watching her struggle and a small grin played on his lips. He thought it was really cute. Seeing his opening he stepped into the room right up behind her.

"Let me give you a hand with that." Before she could respond, he pressed the front of his body to the back of hers and he felt her stiffen. Taking the stapler out of her hand he easily stapled the border onto the board. He handed the stapler back to her and stepped away. Janet stepped off of the chair she was standing on and turned towards Eddie, her cheeks red.

"Thank you."

"No problem." Eddie made a point of looking around the room. "It looks great in here Janet. You did a great job."

"I tried."

"I am lacking the creativity gene and my room is real dull and boring. Maybe you can help me out some time."

"Maybe." She turned away and looked for something to do.

"Janet I really want to talk to you. We are now working together and I want our working experience to be a pleasant one. I want to clear the air and try to make things right."

"Do you really think you can make things right? You and Lacy, you really hurt me."

"I know that and I live with that everyday but I want to try. Will you let me try?" Janet bit her lip and took a deep breath and turned back towards him. He was breaking through her defenses. Before she could stop herself, she was agreeing to his request.

"Fine but not here. Not at work."

"Will you meet me in the parking lot after our staff meeting today?" His brown eyes were full of excitement.

"I'll be there and thank you Janet."

The rest of the day drug by for Eddie. He couldn't wait to meet with Janet and the day just wouldn't end fast enough. The staff meeting seemed to take forever and to top it off he had to deal with Sarah's flirting. By the time he got to the meeting there were no seats next to Janet. She was sitting up front and he was forced to take a seat towards the back and then Sarah sat beside him which didn't please him. She had been randomly popping into his classroom throughout the day which left him fighting off her advances and when the meeting finally ended Sarah asked him out to which he responded that he is seeing someone. Disappointed she walked away and he hoped it would be the last of the flirtation.

Janet walked anxiously out to the parking lot and immediately saw Eddie leaning against her car, butt resting on the hood; arms crossed his muscular chest and legs stretched out in front of him. She couldn't get over how good he looked. The years have been kind to him. He looked better now than he ever did in high school. Her heart began to beat furiously which it shouldn't. It had no reason. She was over him.

"Hey." He greeted, flashing her a gorgeous smile.

"Hey."

"Do you wanna walk?"

"Sure." A walk sounded good because if she needed to make a quick escape she could do so. Janet placed her school bag in her car and they two feel in step together, making small talk until they found themselves at the football field which was deserted this time of day. "I remember this place." Janet commented. "I had some really good times here." Janet was in the marching band and she had always had a blast at the games.

"Yeah so did I."

"Maybe you will again." Janet followed Eddie up into the bleachers and they took a seat at the fifty yard line.

"Maybe but it won't be the same as it was in high school."

"Nothing ever will." The two grew silent and stared out into the field, each lost in their own thoughts or memories. "Okay well this was fun." Janet said a few minutes later. "Thanks." She stood and Eddie grabbed her hand and pulled her back down. She let her hand linger in his for a few seconds before removing it.

"I've been trying to figure out where to start."

"You're the one who wanted to have this conversation. If you don't know what to say, then there is no point." Eddie grinned and turned his body so he was facing her.

"I could start by telling you how sorry I am but I have already told you that."

"Many times."

"And I am sure you don't want to hear it again."

"I don't,"

"So I am going to take this chance to explain my side of what happened."

"I know your side. I was there. I don't need this trip down memory lane." Eddie continued.

"Before you and I were friends…"

"Before you used me you mean." Janet interrupted.

"You're right. I used you to get to a date with Lacy and I am not proud of that. Not at all but Janet I was a different guy then. It was a different time. In high school there are two groups of people; cook kids and everyone else. Me and Lacy were in the first group and you were in the second and believe me, I am not saying that to be mean."

"I know." Janet softly said. "It's the truth."

"When Lacy and her boyfriend broke up, it was the natural order of high school that I date her. It was common knowledge that Lacy didn't date anyone that didn't accept you as part of the deal."

"I knew it. Every time a guy that normally wouldn't be nice to me was nice to me, I knew it was because they wanted to get on Lacy's good side but not you. I didn't know that you were using me. You were different than all of the other guys or so I thought. You asked me to dance and then told me that I was pretty and you seemed so sincere." Janet laughed bitterly. "You should have been an actor cause damn, you were good."

"I wasn't acting. You looked beautiful that night. You are beautiful." Janet rolled her eyes. "The reason I asked you dance and walked you to class the first few times was to get Lacy's attention and you know what, it worked. I had her attention. I could have stopped being nice to you right then and there but I couldn't stay away from you because I started too really like you. I liked becoming your friend.

"I liked that to."

"It didn't take long before I started looking forward to school because I knew that I would see you. I dreaded weekends because that meant two long days without seeing you. I was thinking a lot about you and trust me I was thinking about you and it wasn't as a friend."

"Eddie I…"

"Please, let me finish. Let me get this out." Janet nodded. "As much as I liked you I knew I couldn't act on it because…"

"Because guys like you don't date girls like me."

"Yeah." Eddie said miserably. "But that didn't stop me from feeling. I tried to keep a respectful friend distance because I never wanted to hurt you but that day at the lake, changed everything. Sitting next to you on my car, being so close to you was sending me into overdrive and then when you tripped getting off my car and I caught you I didn't want to let you go. I had been wanting to kiss you for months and having you so close I couldn't resist. At that moment it didn't matter what anyone else thought. The only thing that mattered was kissing you." Eddie reached out and took her hand in his own and she left it there. "Our first kiss, it was unlike anything I had ever experienced before."

"It was that bad? I'm sorry." Janet said with a smile and Eddie laughed.

"No Janet. It was that good. That kiss was without a doubt the best first kiss I have ever had and I have had a few first kisses." Janet's cheeks were turning red again. "But here is the crazy thing was that every time we kissed it was better than the last. Janet I had never had that before.

"You were young and inexperienced."

"Janet I was most definitely not inexperienced and quit downplaying what I was feeling."

"I'm sorry." She mumbled.

"I knew when I kissed you, that I shouldn't have kissed you…"

"Because it would screw up the natural order of things."

"Precisely. I went home that night and fought with myself all night but I finally decided that I had to end the kissing aspect of our relationship because it could only end with hurting you and the longer I let it go on, the worse you hurt. I wanted to avoid hurting you as much as possible. The next day, I had every intention of ending it but you were so excited about the softball game that I didn't want to ruin your excitement and then you won the game and I didn't want to ruin the memory of the game for you. I realize now, that I kept looking for excuses not to end it with you because I loved being with and kissing you."

"Once prom was announced, everyone was expecting me to ask Lacy but you kept dropping hints about going together. I knew I wasn't going to prom with you; I couldn't so that's when I came up with the whole long distance relationship load of crap."

"It was a load of crap."

"It killed me to do that but I felt a little better about it because you seemed to take the news so well."

"I didn't. I was putting on a front. I couldn't let you see how hurt I was. Tears started falling as soon as I turned my back and then I really let go when I got inside."

"Talk about a being a good actor. The following Monday I went to school and did what was expected of me. I asked Lacy to prom. I honestly didn't think she would say yes considering…"

"Considering the fact that you broke my heart."

"Yeah. Considering that fact."

"If she would have said no would you have asked me?"

"Honestly, no. I would have gone to prom stag."

"I see."

"The fact that Lacy said yes, kept bugging me. I knew it would get back to you and I wanted to avoid that. The day that you caught me and Lacy kissing I had gone over to give her a ticket and tell her that I couldn't go with her. She doesn't take rejection very well does she?"

"Lacy was always used to getting what she wanted."

"She kinda freaked out a little bit and said that maybe she could convince me to change my mind and that's when she kissed me and that's when you walked up."

"It didn't look like you were resisting."

"Natural male response when a girl kisses him."

"Not true."

"A natural teenage male response."

"That's better."

"The thing is Janet, the second that Lacy kissed me I realized that I didn't want to kiss her. I wanted to be kissing you. I didn't want to kiss anyone else but you. I wanted to tell you. I wanted to run from Lacy's house, down to yours and tell you but…"

"I ruined your plans with the busting you."

"Yep and you weren't willing to listen and I don't blame you." Eddie reached out and began to twirl a curl around his finger. "I screwed up Janet." He whispered. "I never wanted to hurt you and I ended up hurting you worse than I ever thought I could. I can't imagine how you felt."

"No you can't." She whispered, looking at the ground. Eddie moved his hand from her hair to her chin so he could lift her face to his.

"You told me that you forgave me and I don't know if you said that just to shut me up or if it's true but I will never forgive myself for hurting you the way I did."

"I really did forgive you but that doesn't mean that I want to jump right into a friendship or anything else for that matter."

"I understand and respect that but I don't accept it."

"I don't think that you have a choice." His hand moved from her chin to her cheek.

"Do you know what I realized after you walked out of my life?" She shook her head. "When I was with you I felt something that I never felt before but at the time I didn't know what I was feeling but I now, I know. I was in love with you Janet and seeing you again today confirmed that. I was in love with you and I still am. I love you." Janet sat motionless. "Did you hear me? I am in love with you Janet Meadows."

Janet watched in utter shock as his face came towards hers. A second before his lips pressed to hers she closed her eyes. She knew that she should push him away but she didn't. Instead she responded to his kiss. She opened her mouth, inviting his tongue in. His hand remained on her cheek and she placed her hand on top of his. This kiss was better than any they shared in high school which was most likely due to the kissing experience they both have picked up over the years. Suddenly, Janet came to her senses and she gently pushed Eddie away.

"No Eddie. No. You just can't kiss me like nothing ever happened. I know that what happened between us happened in high school and we were still kids but the fact is you still hurt me Eddie and I don't trust you. For all I know, this is a ploy to get close to Sarah."

"It's not a ploy to get a date with Sarah. She already asked me out today but I turned her down. I told her that I was seeing someone." Janet pulled away and walked angrily down off the bleachers. Eddie chased after her and when he caught up with her there were tears falling from her eyes. "Janet…"

"How could I have been so stupid again?" She poked him in the chest. "How could you tell me that you love me while you are seeing someone else? You haven't a changed a bit. In fact I think you have become even more than a rotten person than you were in high school." She turned to walk away but he reached out and stopped her.

"Whoa. Slow down Janet."

"Don't tell me to slow down." She seethed.

"Officially I am not seeing anyone. I just told her that so she would back off but I want to be seeing someone. I want to be seeing you."

"No. No. We can't see each other Eddie. I can't date someone I don't trust."

"I get that and I know that I am going to have to earn back your trust and I am going whatever it takes to do that. While I am doing that, there is something that I want you to know."

"What's that?"

"You need to know that I love you and I am going to do whatever I need to do to make you feel my love and I mean whatever it takes. I could make you happy. I could make your dreams come true. I would travel to the end of the earth for you. I will do whatever it takes to make you feel my love." Janet's heart skipped a beat or two. She never thought she would hear anyone, especially Eddie Latekka say those words to her.

"I guess that remains to be seen." With that, Janet turned and walked away from Eddie, anxious to see what he had up his sleeve.

Janet walked into her classroom on the first day of class and saw a vase of wildflowers on her desk. She was a nervous wreck and the flowers immediately calmed her down. After placing her stuff in her desk she plucked the card out of the middle of the bouquet.

Happy First Day of School. I know that you are an amazing teacher so show them what you've got gorgeous. Have a great day. I'll be thinking of you often. I love you. – Eddie.

With a smile she tucked the card into her pocket. Sensing a presence at her door she glanced over and saw Eddie leaning against the door wearing a soft smile. "You look pretty today." He told her and with a wink he was gone.

Eddie and Janet spent the next few of weeks getting to know each other again. At first, Janet resisted his attempts but quickly found that he was very persistent and she finally gave in. They shared the same lunch period and they spent it tucked in a corner of the teacher's lounge talking and getting to know the adult, grown up versions of each other. After three weeks of daily lunches and hanging out together after the Friday night football games Eddie asked Janet out on a date and was as happy as a kid in a candy store when she agreed. Even though Eddie had begun to prove that he was serious about being together there was a small part of her that was afraid that he would take her out of town but he didn't. He took her to Sully's the most public place in Knight's Ridge for dinner and then to a movie in the movie theatre in town. It wasn't a fancy or especially romantic date but it served its purpose. It proved to Janet that Eddie wasn't ashamed to be with her and from that first date on, they continued to have at least two to three dates a week.

The night of Knights Ridge High School's homecoming Eddie showed up at Janet's apartment to pick her up for the dance. Since they were chaperoning the dance they or more accurately Eddie decided to make it as much like a date as he could. When she opened the door, he was blown away by how beautiful she looked and he told her so.

"Wow. You look absolutely amazing." He leaned in and kissed her softly. She was wearing a black silk dress that was very appropriate but beautiful for an adult attending a high school dance.

"Thank you." She replied once they broke apart. "You look pretty good yourself." He was wearing a simple black suit and red silk tie. He actually looked better than good.

"Are you ready?"

"In one second." She stepped away from the door and grabbed a red shawl. Eddie helped place it around her shoulders. They shared one more kiss and the very handsome couple left for dinner.

Eddie took Janet to The Johnson Inn for a fancy dinner and they weren't the only ones with that idea. There were many students dressed for homecoming there as well because The Johnson Inn was the nicest restaurant in the ridge.

"I have a confession." Janet admitted during dinner.

"Oh really?" Eddie quirked an eyebrow.

"I saw you during your first trip to Boston." Eddie had told her of his numerous trips to Boston to see her.

"What? You did? I thought I was slick."

"I don't think you had spotted me yet."

"Probably. Once I found you your eyes never traveled in my direction. As soon as I saw your boyfriend kiss you I took off. I couldn't watch anymore."

"He wasn't my boyfriend at the time."

"Huh?"

"Rob and I were just friends then but when I saw you I asked him to put his arm around me. He knew I was trying to make someone jealous so he took it one step farther kissed me."

"So you two weren't dating?"

"Not then. We started dating a few weeks later."

"Not that I am complaining but why didn't it work out?"

"I don't know. He was a great guy but he wasn't my great guy."

"When I saw you kissing him, what's his name? Rob? I think I know how you may have felt when you saw me and Lacy."

"No you don't. Speaking of Lacy, I got a wedding invitation along with a letter."

"Did you read it?" She nodded. "How do you feel about it?"

"I don't know."

"Do you mind if I ask what it said?"

"She spent the first page apologizing. The second page had a little more apology but was mainly and explanation and the final page was a personal invitation to her wedding."

"Explanation for the kiss?"

"Yeah. Lacy admitted that she was jealous. She was jealous of our relationship. Every girl in our class had a crush on you including Lacy. She knew why you were nice to me but she didn't expect it or us to go as far as we did. She was happy for me and at the same time she was jealous because she wanted what every other cool girl at school got which was you. When you ended it, she saw her chance. She knew that it would never go anywhere but she wanted to have the "Latekka Experience."

"I am an experience?"

"That you are." Eddie leaned over and kissed her softly. "When you told her that you didn't want to go to prom she panicked and kissed you. She told me that as soon as she did it she regretted it."

"Do you believe her?"

"I'm not sure. I believe that she was jealous but I don't think that she regretted it because when I showed up she said that you guys just happened. I do think she regretted it but only after I walked out of her life."

"I'm sorry that you lost your best friend Janet and I am sorry for the part I played in it."

"You know now that I am all grown up and mature and I look back on mine and Lacy's friendship I have to wonder how much of it a friendship of convenience was. I don't remember ever not being her friend and maybe both of us were just too comfortable to change it. Maybe we grew apart and never realized it."

"Do you forgive her?"

"I do. It took a few years but I ended up exactly where I want to be; sitting here with you."

"Are you going to the wedding?"

"I haven't decided yet. If I do go, would you go with me?"

"Absolutely." At that moment a couple of their students, on their way out the door stopped by their table.

"Hi Mr. Latekka."

"Hi Addison. You look very nice."

"Thanks." She gushed.

"Hi Miss Meadows. You look very pretty."

"Thank you Matthew. We'll see you at the dance."

"Bye." As soon as the students were out of earshot, Eddie began to laugh.

"What?"

"He has a crush on you." Janet shook her head. "Oh yes he does and who can blame the kid? You are beautiful."

"Yeah well, Addison has stars in her eyes when she looks at you."

"Who can blame her? I am hot." Both of them laughed. "On a serious note, you didn't ask for my opinion but I'm going to give it too you anyway. For what it's worth, I think that you should go to Lacy's wedding."

"Why?"

"If you want to rekindle your friendship than that would be a reason but mainly I think that you need to tell her as an adult how you felt about what she did to you; show her that she didn't break you; that you survived; that you are happy and have made a successful life for yourself."

"I'll think about it."

"You think about it."

Janet and Eddie arrived at the dance thirty minutes before the doors opened to the students. Once inside the decorated gym, which reminded them both of the numerous dances they attended throughout their high school experience, and were given their assignments. For the first two hours of the dance Janet was assigned to the refreshment table and then the dance floor during the last two hours. Eddie was assigned to the door the first two hours and then the dance floor the last two hours.

Since it was a school event Eddie and Janet maintained a professional relationship throughout the entire evening but it didn't mean that they didn't enjoy themselves. Janet loved seeing all of her students dressed up and interacting with them outside of the classroom. Once the students left the chaperone teachers cleaned up the gym. The dance was over at eleven and they were finished up after midnight.

"Are you tired and want to go home or can I take you for a ride?" Eddie asked as Janet slipped back on her heals. She lost her shoes as soon as the students left. Her feet were killing her.

"A ride sounds good." Eddie took her hand in his and led her to his truck. Like he always did, he opened the door and helped her inside. Once Eddie got in the truck she scooted next to him. He wrapped an arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder. Twenty minutes later they arrived at a little known overlook at the lake.

"What are you doing?" Janet asked as Eddie opened the door.

"Just wait." He got out of the truck, reached behind his seat, grabbed a bag and then shut the door and raced around to the passenger side and pulled Janet out.

"What is going on?" Eddie reached into the plastic bag, pulled out a cheap plastic tiara and placed it on her head. "Eddie?" She questioned.

"Since we are all dressed up tonight I want to give you the prom that you never had with me and you, sweetheart are my prom queen." Janet was frozen in shock. With a grin, Eddie leaned into his truck, turned the key and turned his radio to the CD function. While planning this night Eddie burned an hour's worth of the most popular slow songs from their senior year of high school.

"I used to love this song." Janet mentioned as the first few notes spilled out of Eddie's truck.

"Dance with me." He held out his hand.

"Here?"

"Yes here." Without waiting for a response he grabbed her hand and pulled her to his chest. Janet wrapped her arms around his neck and his arms went around her waist.

Who knew Eddie Latekka was such a romantic? Like with any girl, Janet had imagined many romantic scenarios but this, dancing outside underneath the stars with a full moon providing the romantic lighting was beyond even the best fantasies that went through her mind over the years. They spent the first four songs dancing in silence along with some kisses. Conversation began during the fifth song.

"Are you cold?"

"A little." Eddie relinquished his hold on his girl, shrugged out of his suit jacket and put it on Janet.

"Thank you." Eddie returned his arms around her waist.

"I need to ask you something Janet." She nodded. "Have I earned your trust back?"

Janet was silent before answering as she thought over these past few months. Every week a fresh bouquet of flowers with a card that had sweet words of love and encouragement courtesy of Eddie. Every morning at work, Eddie handed her a warm cup of coffee he bought from the coffee shop. Whenever they rode together, he wouldn't let her in or out of his truck unless he opened the door for her. He took her out on fabulous dates and the time that they spent on the couch at each of their apartments kissing was undeniably amazing and sure the physical aspects of their relationship was great but that wasn't the most important.

On more than one occasion, Eddie proved that he wasn't ashamed to be with her. He proudly held her hand or kissed her in public every chance he could get. He proudly introduced Janet as his girlfriend every time they met someone new or ran into someone they went to high school. During their dates or the times that they were just hanging out they talked about anything and everything. There was nothing that they hadn't shared with each other.

"Yes Eddie you have earned back my trust." She answered him with absolute confidence and the smile that crossed his face was pure joy which melted Janet's heart.

"Do you believe that I love you? Have you felt the love I have for you?"

"You told me that you were going to make me feel your love and you did Eddie, you really did. I have no doubt that you love me." Taking her hand, she placed it behind Eddie's neck and pushed his head down to her face and kissed her; a kiss that lasted through the current song and half of the next song.

"Wow." Eddie whispered through swollen lips.

"I have something that I need to tell you." Janet saw fear fill his brown eyes and decided to put him out of his misery. "I love you Eddie."

"Huh?" He had wanted to hear those words from her for so long but he never pushed. He knew that she would tell him if and when she was ready.

"I love you. I love you more than then I ever felt possible. After you broke my heart I didn't believe in love anymore. I never thought that I would find a man who loves me like you love me but you dropped back into my life and even though I asked you to stay out of it, you wouldn't. You're a persistent bastard aren't you?" Janet asked through her tears.

"When it's something that I want, hell yeah I am persistent and Janet, I wanted you." He reached out and wiped away her falling tears.

"I can't tell you how grateful I am for that. I tried, I tried to resist you but I guess that you can't deny the heart what it wants. When I think back on our time together in high school, I think that I was in love with you then and that's probably why things didn't work out between Rob and I. Relationships with three people never work."

"You love me? You really love me?"

"I really love you Eddie Latekka." With a tender smile, Eddie closed the distance between them and solidified the words that they spoke to each other with another kiss.

When they broke their kiss, Janet settled her head back onto Eddie's chest and the two continued to dance in silence. Wrapped in each other's arms, under the stars and moon on a perfect fall morning was something that neither of them would ever forget.

"I'm not ready for this perfect night to end." Janet whispered.

"It doesn't have too." Janet lifted her head to look into Eddie's eyes. Was he suggested what she thinks he is suggesting? "Our perfect night doesn't have to end."

"I don't want it to end." She repeated.

A few hours later as the sun rising over Knights Ridge Eddie and Janet were in Eddie's apartment, in his bed in a tangle of blankets, arms and legs. When Eddie told her that their perfect night didn't have to end he was serious. They returned to his apartment and showed the love they felt for each other with their bodies. What they shared was fun and intimate, more intimate then any prior experience and there was one reason for that. Love. They loved each other; heart and soul.

"This was really the perfect day. Getting dressed up, the dinner and even the dance but you know what the best part was?"

"I think I have an idea." Janet was lying with her head on Eddie's naked chest and he felt her smile.

"It was pretty good. In fact it was amazing; the best of my life but it was what had happened after the dance. You gave me the prom that I had always dreamed of. You made me your prom queen."

"You are a queen to me."

"Well you sure made me feel like one. I can't tell you how much it meant to me that you went to all of that trouble."

"It was no trouble. I had a CD and drove up to the lake."

"You know what I mean."

"I do and you should know that I would and will do something like that again. I want you to feel that way all of the time." Eddie kissed the top of her head. "Sleep now."

"I'm not tired."

"Bull."

"I just don't want this perfect day to end."

"We'll make another one like it when we wake up in a few hours." Janet turned her face up towards him.

"Now that sounds like a plan." The two shared a slow, soft, sweet kiss. "I love you." She whispered once they broke apart. It felt so natural saying those words to him.

"I love you too. Now sleep." Janet nodded and settled herself against him and within five minutes, she was sound asleep.

Before Eddie drifted off, he stared at the woman lying in his arms. If movement wouldn't have woken her up, he would have pinched himself so he could confirm that she was really there. After what they had been through he couldn't believe that she was back in his life and now was in his bed and she loved him. She really loved him.

Six weeks later Eddie and Janet attended the wedding of Lacy Burkett and Andrew Hunnington. Janet felt a small thrill when she checked the "plus one" on the RSVP. Lacy's family moved to a suburb of Boston after Lacy graduated and that's where the wedding was taking place. They weren't sure how late that they would be staying so to be on the safe side, the couple reserved a hotel room.

Eddie was right. She needed to come to this wedding and put the past behind her. During the reception Lacy made the time to speak with Janet. She repeated everything that was in her letter and Janet felt that she was sincere and accepted her apology but she made it perfectly clear that would not be friends again. They were too different and had nothing in common anymore. They probably hadn't had much in common for a very long time. Deep down Janet had known it and she suspects that Lacy knew it as well and instead of ending their friendship they kept it going for the sake of comfort. Why rock the boat when they didn't have to.

The only thing that hurt Janet was Lacy's reaction when she realized that Eddie was Janet's date. She did nothing to hide her shock. It was if she couldn't believe that someone like Eddie would willingly be with someone like her. Apparently, Lacy still had a high school mentality where cool kids don't date un-cool kids and as much as she tried not to let her bother her, it did.

"I'm glad that I came." Janet told Eddie later that night, lying in his arms. "I think that I needed to come to finally put closure on my friendship with Lacy."

"I'm sorry for you honey."

"When Lacy and I were little girls, when things like looks, weight, cool kids and not cool kids didn't exist; when the only thing you had in common was the fact that you were in the same class and were the same age and that fact alone made you friends with everybody, Lacy and I had a true friendship but once all of those stupid factors came into play, things changed. Our mother's were friends so there was no way that we couldn't be friends but Lacy and I no longer ran in the same circles and that changed things between us."

"Do I think Lacy still liked and wanted to be my friend? Yes I do but I'm not stupid. Having a friend like me, as far as boys were concerned made Lacy look better, more appealing to the opposite sex and Lacy knew it, subconsciously. I saw it tonight in the way she introduced me to her husband and they way she looked at you holding my hand."

"Are you okay?"

"Am I hurt? Yes I am but I think I am okay. Everyone, well expect for you, Nicky, Owen, Phil and Ikey, most everyone loses childhood friendships as they progress into adulthood. I've made new friends and I'm happy now. I have never been happier."

"Did you ever think that if we wouldn't have broken up then that we would have been together this whole time?"

"No. We were kids. I don't think we would have survived the distance."

"So I guess it was a good thing that I was young and stupid?" Eddie asked with a grin.

"Yeah and maybe I should send Lacy a thank you note for kissing you."

"Now, let's not get carried away." Smiling, Eddie pulled Janet on top of him and he tucked her hair behind her ear so he could see her beautiful face. "I love you." He whispered tenderly.

"I love you too."

A year and a half later Eddie and Janet were married. Like every married couple they had their good and bad times, more good than bad but the one constant through the years was the fact that Eddie made it his daily goal to make sure Janet felt the love he had for her and never once did she doubt it.

This chapter is dedicated to Huds for requesting this song. Thanks. Sorry it was sooooo long. I just had so much to say and couldn't stop. I hope I made everything right and you enjoyed the journey. As always, thanks for reading and reviewing.