It looks like a few people are enjoying this so I'll post a few more chapters. Please keep letting me know if I should continue.

CHAPTER 6

They traveled to a small, all-night diner they used to frequent when they were kids on the outskirts of town. It was cheap, but the food was excellent and they definitely wouldn't need to worry about running into anyone they knew.

Once the waitress had taken their order, Danny reached across the small table and took both of Mary's hands in his. He had decided to get everything out in the open about Delinda right from the start. "I want to explain the thing with Delinda."

"You don't have to," she told him softly.

"Yes, I do," he insisted before continuing, "I was lonely and…and…," even though Danny knew exactly the right word to describe what he was feeling at the time, he still couldn't bring himself to say it to Mary, "…something else…and Delinda and I had this stupid idea that we were both adults and if we wanted to have sex we should just say so."

Mary tried to disguise the hurt in her eyes, but Danny could see it and he squeezed both her hands before trying to reassure her, "It was all just talk. We never did anything. We didn't even come close."

"Oh," Mary spoke quietly, "but I saw you coming out of the closet this morning…and I just thought."

If Danny had been willing to let go of Mary's hands he would have smacked himself for being so stupid. He had just wanted some place private and he hadn't stopped to consider what it might look like to anyone else.

"Nothing happened. For some reason Delinda picked today of all days to try to enforce the agreement. I tried to tell her 'no', but you know Delinda…"

Danny continued to fill Mary in on his conversation with Delinda as the waitress delivered their food. Once he was finished with his explanation, he waited for Mary to respond. He was expecting her to be skeptical or hurt or disgusted, but he was not prepared for the fit of giggles that greeted him from across the table.

"Okay, um…so I guess you're not mad?"

"Mad? You let Delinda believe that you didn't want to sleep with her because you might still have feelings for her?"

"Well, sort of. I'm going to tell her the truth, I just didn't want her running off and ruining things before I got a chance to talk to you."

Mary was still laughing and though it was quite a beautiful sound--one that he'd missed tremendously--Danny couldn't help but be slightly offended.

"I still don't understand what's so funny."

"Danny, you do realize that this will be all over the Montecito by tomorrow. She's going to tell everyone that you turned down a booty call because you're too… sensitive."

Danny had just been worried about her talking to Mary. He hadn't stopped to consider that she might reveal their conversation to anyone else.

At his horrified expression, Mary ran her hands soothingly up his forearms, her eyes still sparkling with laughter. The soft strokes of her fingers made Danny's skin tingle and he immediately forgot about Delinda. He closed his eyes for a moment until Mary abruptly stopped, signaling the waitress had returned to refill their drinks.

"Okay, so I'm glad that's all out in the open. I don't want you to think there's anything going on—because there's not. For a lot of reasons, but most importantly being you and me."

"Danny…," her mood instantly shifted and she found herself once again trying to protest the conversation she knew was inevitable.

"No, please just let me say this. If anyone can understand all those things you told me earlier, Mary, it's me, because I've felt them too. And I can't help but think that maybe if we're both having such a hard time then we're not supposed to move on."

"Danny, you and I…it's just too hard for us to be together."

"It couldn't be any harder than it is to be apart."

Danny was right. Being apart had been absolute torture—even when she'd thrown herself into a relationship with Jake there was always a part of her that longed for Danny—ached for him. But it was that same ache that kept her from jumping back into his arms. Giving him that ring back had been the hardest thing she'd ever had to do, but she knew it had been the right thing at the time. She just didn't know if she could handle the hurt again if it didn't work out.

"Danny, I love you--you know that I do and I'll always be here if you need me, but I'm just not sure this is what you really want."

"You're wrong, Mary. I let you go because I wanted what was best for you and at that point in my life I knew that it wasn't me. And as much as it hurt I really wanted things to work out with you and Jake. I hoped he could give you all the things that I couldn't."

Danny took a deep breath before continuing--hoping that he could make Mary understand what had been the turning point for him. "I thought I had moved on—I pushed you away, tried to see other people, but something happened to me that day when I saw Jake proposing. The minute I saw him on the monitor, roses in one hand, ring in the other I knew I had to get to you. I flew down to the casino floor like a mad man and I'm really not sure what I planned to do once I got there. All I knew was that I couldn't let it happen."

Mary stared at him in shock. She had no idea Jake's proposal had affected him that way. He'd been so supportive and comforting while still giving her the space she'd asked for—he'd been exactly what she needed.

"Luckily, I didn't have to do anything—you said 'no' and I have never felt so much relief in my entire life."

"But, you never said anything…"

"I tried, but when you were so insistent that you didn't need my help…"

"I wasn't pushing you away, Danny. I just didn't want to fall back into old patterns. I just needed to figure out who I was without anyone else in the picture. I was trying to be strong—trying to not rely on you so much."

"You've always been strong, Mary—stronger than all of us. And despite what everyone else says—I love how confident you've become. You've just been so independent that it scared me a little bit. You didn't need me anymore." The last part was said so quietly Mary barely heard him.

"Danny, I will always need you."

Danny closed his eyes—that simple phrase allowing him to finally release the breath he felt like he'd been holding for months.

Mary couldn't stop the tears as she saw how her words had affected him. She laced her fingers through his and gave them a gentle squeeze—silently imploring him to look at her again. "I can't imagine my life without you, Danny." Mary hesitated before her next words, "but… we don't have to be together to stay close. I know you were scared when you thought I was going to marry Jake, but…forcing some sort of romantic relationship just because you're afraid of losing me..."

"You think that's what I'm doing? Forcing a relationship?"

"I don't know," Mary put her face in her hands, suddenly exhausted, "I'm so confused."

"Well, for the first time in my life I'm not where you're concerned. I love you. I want to be with you, Mary. The question is—do you still want to be with me?"

Mary looked up at him, her eyes still full of tears, and the hope and uncertainty in his gaze was too much for her to bear. She looked out the window before replying, "More than anything, Danny, but I just don't know if I can…"

Danny brought her hand up to softly brush his lips across her knuckles. "I'm not giving up, Mary."

"I know," she smiled as they both finished their dinner in silence.

As they walked to their cars, hand in hand, Danny felt an insatiable desire to kiss her. He pulled her arm until she was facing him and descended on her lips before she had a chance to protest. Cradling her head in his hands he moved them until her back encountered the fender of her car—allowing Danny to press himself fully against her.

"Come home with me," he whispered breathlessly. "Stay with me tonight and let me show you how much I need you."

Mary's head was spinning, but she knew she had to take control of the situation. She caressed his cheek--kissing him softly on the lips before replying, "Danny, I can't."

Pressing his forehead to hers, their lips met one more time before Danny pulled back and opened the car door.

Once she was safely inside, Danny lowered his head so that it was even with the open window. "If you change your mind, you know where I'll be."

They exchanged one last longing look before Mary drove off into the night.

---

She'd been driving for what seemed like hours. There was no way she could sleep—not after everything Danny had told her. Somewhere along the way it had started to rain—a rare occurrence in Las Vegas—and it somehow felt appropriate. She could still hear Danny's beautiful words--almost like they were on some sort of continuous loop in her head. Of course, now they were being drowned out by a different voice—a voice that sounded frighteningly like Sam.

"Are you out of your mind? This is Danny McCoy—the boy you've loved since you were two. He's practically begging to be with you. He's told you everything you've dreamed of hearing from him for years. Why the hell are you driving around Las Vegas in the middle of the night like a crazy woman when you could be warm and sated in his bed?"

She really didn't have an answer to that question. All the excuses she'd built up over the last year finally seemed like just that—excuses. She knew deep down that she would never love anyone more than she loved Danny and if he wanted her too—what was she doing half way across town?

---

Danny lay in bed staring at the ceiling fan. He'd been trying for hours to fall asleep, but to no avail. His mind just wouldn't shut off as it replayed the events of the past two days. He didn't think there was anything he could have done differently. He'd put his heart out there and all he could do was wait for Mary to decide if she was willing to do the same.

A persistent knocking startled him out of his thoughts and he grabbed his t-shirt and headed for the door. A quick glance through the peephole revealed the cause of his insomnia and he quickly disengaged the locks and threw open the door.

"I changed my mind," Mary told him--soaking wet and struggling to catch her breath.

"Oh, thank God." The words left Danny's mouth in a whoosh and Mary let out a squeal of laughter as he swiftly pulled her inside, sweeping her off her feet and carrying her to the bedroom.