(Maureen's POV)

My heart was racing as I gently knocked on Joanne's hotel room door. I didn't know what to say, what to expect to hear her say. The only thing I was sure of was that by the end of this conversation I wanted to be able to say Joanne and I were back together.

Slowly the door opened, revealing Joanne, looking like a complete mess yet beautiful all the while, standing on the other side of the door.

"Come in," she softly spoke as she moved to the side allowing me inside. "Have a seat," she continued as she closed the door as slowly as she had opened it.

"Look Joanne," I boldly started, not even making my way into the living room area of the hotel room. "I know you don't want to hurt Kristin, but last night meant something to you, I know it did. You felt it, the spark, the flames, the passion we share for one another," I walked closer to her, staring deep into her wide brown eyes. "Joanne I love you." I nervously awaited any type of response from Joanne. She took a heavy sigh as she walked past me to the window, staring out into the city. "Joanne…" I started pleading.

"Maureen," she interrupted me, her eyes still gazed out into the city, "I have to go back to Chicago. I have to talk to Kristin…in person. Maureen, I love her."

I felt tears welling up in my eyes; she'd said the one thing I didn't want to hear. I could have easily walked out of the room and been done with this whole situation, but I wasn't giving up that easy, not this time. I was going to fight like hell for her. Slowly I walked over to her, grabbing hold of her, turning her to face me, to look into my eyes.

"But my question is do you love me?"

Her head turned away from me, her eyes fell to the floor. I gently placed my finger under her chin lifting her head back so that her gaze once again met mine.

"Honestly Joanne…"

"I've always loved you Maureen," she softly responded. And that's all I needed to hear from her. I quickly, yet gently pressed my lips against hers. "But," she was soon breaking our kiss continuing with her answer, "I want to make this work with Kristin. When you wouldn't come to Chicago with me Maureen that tore me apart inside, I've honestly never been that hurt before. I never thought I'd meet anyone who made me feel the way you made me feel…but then I did and I can't be the one to throw this relationship away."

"Joanne I love you!" I was basically pleading with her now. "I will do whatever it takes to get you back. I'll move to Chicago if that's what you want; cause all I know is that what I want is you!"

"It's not that easy Maureen."

"Why not? It's that easy for me. I know I love you and that's enough for me. Isn't that enough for you?"

"No, it's not. I have a girlfriend and girlfriend who I love and who…until about a hour or so ago…loved me more than anything," Joanne closed her eyes, holding them shut for only a second before opening them back up and saying, "I just pray she still does."

By now I was starting to get frustrated. I knew that I was basically the cause for this whole mess of a situation we were in; if only I'd moved to Chicago when she wanted me to; things would be so different now. "Well I love you, I guarantee you that and you don't have to pray that I'll love you for the rest of my life because I will, no matter Joanne."

"Maureen if you love me so much, don't you want to see me happy?"

"You truly think you'd be happier with Kristin rather than me?" She didn't answer, which was a good thing as how I could see her contemplating her answer. I moved closer to her, our bodies only inches apart. "Remember how it used to be Joanne; how much in love we were, how great every minute was even when we were fighting," I added with a slight chuckle, "the passion, the heat, the romance, the conversations until dawn, the friendship, the private intimate glances in a crowded room, the love, the sincerity, the type of bond that only the two of us could share, the intense emotions…Joanne I could go on forever."

"I love you," she whispered.

A huge smile crept across my face, I could feel my eyes light up; she was choosing me…I was getting my Joanne back.

"However, I have to see if I can work through this with Kristin…I owe that to her, to me, to us."

"You owe yourself true happiness and true love," I fired back, unable to believe what I had just heard. "You can't be serious Joanne…you can't throw away our second chance here!"

"Maureen," she started but was interrupted by her ringing cell phone. I couldn't tell at all who she was talking to or what they were even discussing…I just heard 'yes', 'of course', and 'uh-huhs'. "I've got to go," she nearly screamed as she hung up the phone racing around the room gathering up stuff that she hadn't packed yet.

"What?" I was confused and angry; we still had so much to talk about. "Where are you going?" I asked as I followed her frantically down the hallway. She wasn't answering me though, just continually pounding on the elevator button like the more times she pushed it the sooner the elevator would get there. I grabbed hold of her and again asked, "where are you going?"

Out of breath she finally answered me, "there was a cancellation on an earlier flight to Chicago, my flight leaves in an hour I have to hurry." My heart sunk, this was it she was going back to Chicago. And before I could say anything or kiss her, the one thing I wanted to do the most, the elevator door was opening and she was rushing inside with her bags.

"I love you," I yelled as the doors began to shut, "and I'm not giving up on us!"

The doors shut and she was gone; gone again out of my life. The only difference this time was that I was determined to fight like hell for her…somehow I was getting her back.