A/N: Thank you guys for all of your fabulous reviews! I know that I usually don't respond to reviews but I really do love and appreciate them all so keep reviewing… I promise that I read every single one of them… I'm so sorry about the delay with this chapter, I just got back to school and I got hit with a horrible case of writer's block and me being the perfectionist that I am, I wanted the ending to be just as I envisioned it and it took me a while to get here but voila! It's here! Anyway, I'm super excited for this chapter and you'll see why :) Happy reading and as always, don't forget to review!

Will you stay with me, will you be my love?
Among the fields of barley
We'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we lie in the fields of gold…

See the west wind move like a lover so
Upon the fields of barley
Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth
Among the fields of gold…

"Fields of Gold" – Sting

Chapter 8 – Stay With Me

Johnny sat on his bed, staring at the ceiling, fists curled up at his sides. His jaw was clenched so tight that he thought that his teeth might break. Johnny's head was swimming ever since the private investigator had told him last night that he was divorced but only one emotion won out in the end.

Anger.

No one had told him that he had been married for four years. What bothered him about the entire situation was that this wasn't some quickie marriage that could've been dismissed or written off. For four years, he shared his life with another person… and no one thought to tell him. He shook his head. Brook never told him, he corrected himself. He couldn't believe that she would keep something like this a secret from him. She was accusing him of cheating on her and keeping secrets when she was the one who was withholding information from him. The hypocriticalness of the entire situation made him want to scream. She was lucky that she ran off to Manhattan when she did because right now, with him as angry as he was, there was no telling what he was going to do.

He slid off his bed, neglecting to pull back the curtains to let in the small amount of sunlight that was outside, and headed downstairs. Whenever he thought that he was making progress with getting his memory back, something would come up and push him back a step. This was pushing him back a freaking mile. Four years of his life, Brook just failed to mention. He was slowly losing hope that he would get his life back. He was just going to stay lost like this forever, not knowing who he was or where to go from here.

A knock at the door brought him out of his desolate thoughts. He walked to the front door and opened it, revealing Arnold Michelson, the private investigator, holding a larger stack of documents and a pleased smile on his face.

"Good morning, Mr. Zacchara… I have the information that you requested…" Arnold said holding up the folder. Johnny nodded and showed the man into the house.

"Can I get you anything? Coffee, maybe?" Johnny asked.

"Oh, no thank you… I just wanted to deliver this information and I'll be on my way…" Arnold said cheerfully and Johnny couldn't help but to be sickened by the man's demeanor.

"That was quick…" Johnny muttered.

"Well, for the considerable fee that you paid… I figured that it was only appropriate to make this case a top priority…" Arnold said.

"Thank you…" Johnny said as they both took seats in the study.

"So, according to the documents… you filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences on February 16th, 2013 but Ms. Spencer fought the divorce…" Arnold began.

Johnny felt his fingers go limp and his coffee mug hit the floor and shattered. Mr. Michelson flinched at the sound of the ceramic cup breaking, luckily it was empty, but Johnny didn't care. It all made sense now. All of those flashbacks were of her.

His memories were of his wife.

"But—but there has to be more… what was the real reason why we broke up?" Johnny implored, hungry for any piece of information.

"Yes, well I was just getting to that… the details… oh—oh my…" Arnold began.

"What?" Johnny snapped.

"The—the documents clearly state that you admitted that you engaged in an adulterous affair with a Miss Brook Lynn Ashton while you were married to Ms. Spencer…" Arnold stammered.

His stomach immediately went into a freefall upon hearing Mr. Michelson's words. No words passed over his lips in response to the admission. Now it was clear why Brook kept tightlipped about the beginning of their relationship, just citing it as being complicated…

They were having an affair.

Despite not knowing the full circumstances of the situation, Johnny felt sick to his stomach as he thought about being unfaithful to his wife. The deepest form of betrayal in a marriage… and he committed it. His thoughts went back to his flashback, hearing those screams… hearing her begging him to stay and to make things work and the fact that he knew that he loved her but had done that to her anyway made him want to jump off a building. How could he do that to her? Somehow, he knew that she loved him with every ounce of herself and he was still able to toss her aside like an old newspaper.

"Mr. Zacchara?" he heard Arnold ask.

"Y—Yes?" Johnny asked, looking up at the private investigator.

"I just said that I took the liberty of also providing Ms. Spencer's contact information… but I can see that this is difficult for you… do you want me to continue?" Arnold asked.

"I—I'm sorry… I don't mean to be rude but this is a lot of information to take in… if you could just leave the documents on the desk…" Johnny said and Arnold nodded.

Johnny buried his head in his hands as Mr. Michelson excused himself and a few moments later he heard the front door close. He looked up at the documents on his desk. Those years that Brook tried desperately to suppress were just staring at him. He didn't want to know anymore. He didn't want to know all of the horrible things that he had done. He was too ashamed to even look at the documents and knowing that within that stack of files was his ex-wife's location and her phone number was even more daunting. How could he even begin to face her after everything that he had done? Would she understand or would she slam the door in his face now that he needed her? He sighed heavily and raised his head. The weight of all of this information was suffocating him and he needed to talk to someone. Without hesitating, he immediately went for his phone. He pressed the phone to his ear and closed his eyes as the phone continued to ring.

"Hello?"

"Laura? Please don't hang up…" he pleaded and he heard her sigh on the other end.

"Johnny… you shouldn't call me…" she said.

"I know that we didn't leave things on good terms last night but… I just—I just don't know who else to turn to…" he said.

Lulu arrived at the deserted Zacchara mansion not too long after getting that phone call from Johnny. What had possessed her to come running to Johnny's side whenever he needed her was beyond her. Everything within her was telling her not to go to the Zacchara mansion but of course, nothing about her and Johnny made sense… not even now. She was just drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

"Johnny?"

She called his name over and over but she didn't hear him respond. She walked into the study and sighed. She had forgotten how many times she had stood there with Johnny, fighting about and fighting for their relationship. This house and all of its memories made her shudder. She made her way over to the window and saw Johnny standing outside on the terrace. His back was to her and his gaze was directed to the gray skies in front of them. She swallowed hard and pushed the door open.

"Johnny…"

He turned around to face her and even though he tried to smile, she could see right through him. Something happened… something big. Completely forgetting that she was upset with him and that she was supposed to be putting distance between the two of them, she walked up to him and wrapped around his neck. She felt him sigh and his arms came around her waist and he buried his face into the crook of her neck. She could let him have this one indulgence before she pushed him away again.

"You sounded horrible on the phone… is everything ok?" she asked as she gently let him go from her embrace.

"I'm sorry for that… I know that I'm the last person that you want to see but I don't have anyone else to talk to…" he said, looking up at her.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I've—I've come into some information about my past…" he began.

"What kind of information?" she asked.

"I hired a private investigator to dig up some stuff on my past and he's come across a name… and I have this person's contact information and I—I don't know if I can do it… I don't know if I can face them, Laura…" he lamented.

"Why? What kind of information did this PI get for you?" she asked.

"I shouldn't tell you… I've already burdened you with too much…" he said, shaking his head in shame.

"If you don't tell me what's bothering you then I can't help you, Johnny…" she said.

"It's—it's irrelevant… truthfully… I just… I wanted to see you…" he said and this time she shook her head.

"Johnny… I can't do this anymore… being around you… it's—it's not good for either of us." Lulu said, backing away from him.

Nothing in the world could've prepared her for the look of hurt on his face. She didn't mean for the words to come out harshly but it was the truth. If she was going to have any luck in saving her sanity, she needed to stay away from him. He opened his mouth to say something but the sharp crack of thunder reverberated throughout the sky and they both flinched.

"You can't or you won't?" he asked, putting his hands into his pocket.

"Both…" she said, looking down at her boots. He let out an exasperated sigh and laughed bitterly.

"So we're back to this… aren't we? I swear… talking to you… opening up to you is like slamming my head into a brick wall, Laura…" he snapped.

His tone was surprising. He was clearly frustrated with her but couldn't he take a hint? She didn't know how much longer she could push him away for. Every single time she was near him, she found herself wanting to be with him more… hating him less and less for everything that he had ever done to her.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Johnny… but I don't know how I can be any clearer… I don't want you…" she said through gritted teeth.

"Liar…" he said, walking up to her.

The word made her want to collapse into his arms because he could see right through her exterior. He reached out, taking her by the shoulders, but she couldn't bring herself to look up at him. The rain had started to fall, filling the silence between the two of them. His hand gently caressed the side of her face and she felt her breath leave her body at his touch. His fingers moved slowly from her cheek to under her chin and he tilted her face towards his.

"Why are you so afraid to feel for me?" he asked softly.

"I—I can't… I can't tell you…" she sputtered.

"Yes, you can… you can tell me anything, Laura…" he said but she shook her head.

"Not this…" she wailed.

"Laura… I'm trying here… I really am… and I know that I'm not perfect but I promise you… I won't betray your trust… please tell me why…" he pleaded.

"I can't—I can't trust you, Johnny… that's point… the last time I opened my heart to someone, he betrayed me… instead of coming to me and grieving with me over Aura…" she began before her voice broke off. Realization washed over Johnny's face and Lulu knew that she didn't need to say another word.

"He turned to another woman…" he muttered.

"I will never go through that ever again… not with you and not with anyone…" she said, folding her arms across her chest.

"I would never do that to you, Laura!" he cried.

"And what makes you so sure of that, Johnny?" she shouted.

"Because I'm in love with you!" he yelled.

The world seemed to stop after he said that and he seemed just as shocked as she was at his admission. The warning bells inside of her head were going off furiously. She was being drawn back into his web and she was sure that she would never be able to survive another go-around with Johnny, especially because of the precarious situation that they found themselves in. He couldn't love her. There was no way that he could feel that way. He was the one who had left. He was the one who had given her the divorce papers. He was the one that told her that he didn't want her anymore. She suddenly couldn't breathe and her feet were involuntary moving backwards, needing to get away from him and his sudden declaration. She almost didn't notice that she was backing into the rain but she began sprinting onto the grounds. She could hear him calling her name faintly over the sound of the pouring rain but she kept running. She was so tired of running away from him. She had been doing it for four years.

Leaving him at the train station.

Going away to France.

She could almost hear her mother, telling Lulu to stop running and to face him. She had to face her greatest fear: her feelings for Johnny. Her feet slowed to a stop and she turned around and he was standing there, drenched and completely out of breath.

That's when she broke.

She fell to her knees but he swooped in to catch her and she clung to his wet t-shirt as she sobbed. He cradled her head to his chest and rocked her back and forth. Even though he didn't remember, she showed him how deeply he had hurt her.

"You can't love me… you don't even know who I am…" she cried.

"I know all that I need to know… and I promise that I will never do this to you…" he said against her soaked hair.

"You can't promise that… you can't promise me anything!" she cried.

"I can promise that I will love you with everything that I have in me… you just have to give me a chance…" he said, cupping her face in his hands.

Her gaze snapped up to his and her hands slid up his. The warmness behind his eyes melted that last wall that was shielding her heart from him. She knew that she was completely exposed. Her heart was a sitting duck for him to wreck havoc on but she didn't care. Inside, she was screaming for him, wanting to love him… because she did. Her hands cupped his face and she leaned in to kiss him. Their lips met with a passion and a fury that she hadn't felt in forever. After everything that had happened… losing Aura, the affair, the painful divorce… she found herself, with the rain pouring down around the two of them, hopelessly and irrevocably in love with Johnny Zacchara once again.

He brought her to her feet, never breaking their kiss, and drew her towards him. His hands were on her lower back, melding their bodies together in the rain, and her hands never left his face. She wanted to hold him like this forever. It had been so long since she had been held like this or kissed like this and she didn't want to forget how it felt to be cherished. She felt her feet move underneath her and she noticed that he was bringing her out of the rain. Her eyes opened and she couldn't help but to smile as she realized where they were.

"What is it?" he asked, running his fingertips across her lips.

"Nothing…" she whispered as she shook her head.

"I know that it's not the most romantic spot in the world… with all of the flower pots and garden tools and everything…" he chuckled as he surveyed their location but she shook her head.

"No… it's perfect…" she said, putting a hand on his cheek.

"You're perfect…" he breathed, pressing his forehead to hers.

His breath was warm on her face and his hands found that familiar place at her hips. Despite the fact that they were both soaked to the bone from being in the rain, Lulu had never felt this much heat inside of her. She inched closer to him, her heart pounding inside of her chest with each step, and pressed her lips to the spot right below his earlobe. His breath hitched in his throat and his hands slid up her back and up to her shoulders. He slowly pushed the chocolate brown leather coat off her body and let it drop to the floor. Her hands slid up his chest, peeling his wet t-shirt off his damp skin. She kissed his collarbone softly and she felt his hands tighten around her. Before she knew it, he had turned them around and had her pressed up against the wooden door. Taking one of her thighs into each hand, he hoisted her up against the door and she panted into his mouth, responding to the amazing sensation of his body against hers. Her arms and legs instinctually wrapped around his strong frame as his tongue repeatedly and hungrily invaded her mouth. She hadn't been kissed like this in so long and she thought that she was going to pass out.

"I need you…" she heard him whisper against her neck.

She was too far gone to form a coherent sentence. All she could do was nod her head, consenting to whatever he wanted to do to her. His hands hastily freed her from her button up shirt and her eyes rolled into the back of her head as he ravaged her neck with his lips and he pressed his groin in between her legs. He was firm against her as his hands trailed down to undo the button on her jeans. She felt herself leave the rough surface of the door and it dawned on her that he was carrying her across the garden shed to that chaise lounge that had held the two of them so many times. She detached herself from his torso as they sat before each other. His fingertips trailed from her face, down her neck, and along her collarbone. He peppered soft kisses along her neck and she twisted her fingers through his damp hair. She heard the clattering of his belt buckle and then the gentle thud when he tossed his jeans across the room. All of this time, his lips never left her skin. She had almost forgotten how skilled he was at undressing the two of them while keeping her occupied. With a few quick snaps of material, she found herself completely bare before him.

Stripped of all clothes and reservations.

His gaze was piercing and smoldering. The dark intensity behind his eyes spoke volumes to what he planned on doing to her all night but he surprised her once again by wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her on top of him. She could feel the heat rush to her cheeks as she realized that she was sitting astride him. He noticed her coyness and eased her slight embarrassment with a soft kiss, gently lowering her down on top of him. She held his face in her hands as he slowly slid inside of her, never breaking their gaze. Her hands came to his chest, feeling his heart pounding furiously, and he quickly took her mouth in a dizzying kiss. His hands came to her waist and he began moving her, slow and torturous at first, savoring every moment of this feeling that they had been denied for so long. She gently pushed him so that he lay flat on his back and took over their slow rhythm. She felt a warmness begin to pool deep in her core and her sharp breaths evolved into soft uneven whimpers of pleasure. His arm rose and his fingertips knotted through her hair and brought her down to kiss him. As soon as she was lying on top of him, he rolled her onto her back, hitching one of her legs around his waist.

"Johnny…" she panted.

She could barely get his name out before he pressed his lips to hers again. That tiny warmness that she had felt was spreading, coursing like fire through her veins, and she was slowly losing control of her body to the intoxicating rhythm that they were creating together. His lips broke from hers and his grip on her tightened as he uttered a low groan against her neck, clearly starting to feel the same intensity as she was. Her arms wrapped around his back and she arched her back, pressing her chest against his, letting a small cry betray her lips. She involuntary tensed as her release rippled throughout her body. His rhythm, once consisting of smooth even strokes, gradually became erratic. With every move that he made, one thought echoed through her mind.

Make me forget…

It became a mantra in her brain and she did. All of those moments that she was holding onto as a way to distance herself from Johnny slowly began to fade into the background. She was in this moment right now with him and nothing was going to stop her from being with him.

Not their tumultuous past.

And not their uncertain future.

She had waited for so long… denied herself for so long and she couldn't hold out any longer. They needed each other in a way that couldn't be explained in simple terms. Even with the past erased, they still wanted each other over anyone else and that quickly stamped out any lingering doubts about the two of them. She felt herself getting lost again in his body and she placed her hands on his hips, wanting to go over that edge one more time. His breath was becoming shallower as he continued his movements inside of her. With one final push and a deep moan from Johnny, they came together, falling over that edge in each other's arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding his trembling body to her chest, and breathed deeply. He layered soft kisses along her collarbone once he regained his composure and she closed her eyes as his lips brushed against her skin.

"No regrets?" he asked, raising his head towards her.

His eyes were weary as he looked at her. Her fingertips ran across his chiseled features and she smiled dreamily. She pulled him into a deep kiss, the pads of her fingertips smoothing over his cheek. He had gotten his answer in that one gesture. There was nothing to regret. She had finally found her way back to him. After what seemed like a lifetime apart, he had come back to her. Looking at him, she couldn't see the man that had destroyed her but only man that she knew, the man that she had fallen in love with all of those years ago.

Make me forget everything that you've done…

And he had.