Chapter 2

An emotionally intense and upsetting conversation was inevitable, but Elena kept it at bay as long as possible by giving a tour of the property and serving lunch by the pool. After repeated apologies that she neither accepted nor rebuffed, Christopher became impatient and started barraging her with questions.

"Why are you down here, Elena?" "When are you coming home?" "Is Drew here?" "What does Joaquin have to do with this?"

Christopher had told himself that he needed to stay calm when he finally saw her, but his patience was thin these days, and her vague answers irritated him quickly.

"'It's complicated,' isn't an answer, Elena."

Noticing her body tense up from the terse comment, he apologized, then continued in a less adversarial tone. "I'm confused. I know you were upset and I don't blame you, but I don't understand why you're here, or why you wanted to leave."

She gave an incredulous look. "Where would you like me to start? Six months ago when you shut me out of your life, or just a few months back when you kicked me out of Zürich?"

Still embarrassed by his actions, his cheeks flushed. "I am so sorry, Babe. I regret, very much regret, yelling at you and telling you to leave.

"When I realized you had been in contact with Drew, I was hurt you lied to me, but when you said you saw him again that night and never told me~acted like you had no idea where he was~I saw red. I have never been so angry with you. I didn't want to talk to you or see you, or be anywhere near you, but I still should not have yelled at you or told you to leave."

Feeling a cold emotional distance come between them, he needed to be closer physically. He moved to sit on the chaise nearest her, put a hand on her knee and looked up into her dark eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"I know you are," she agreed with him. "When you get angry like that, you say the most cruel things to me, and I believe that you are sorry after you do it…just not sorry enough to not do it again, and again, and again."

It was not the reply he was expecting, and the surprise showed in his eyes and in his disjointed response.

"No, I would nev…Elena, Babe…I…I'm so sorry…I don't mean to…" Holding on to her hand, he leaned his head against her knee and was quiet for a few moments, thankful she did not jerk away. After gathering his thoughts, he looked up to see that Elena had also become emotional. Gently, he reached up and wiped away a tear from his love's cheek.

"I do not mean to take out my frustrations on you. Obviously, I have been because, you're right, I do blame you and accuse you of things when I get angry, but I swear, I don't mean the things I say." Assuming she would accept or, at least acknowledge his statement, he paused, but there was nothing.

"I have been so fucking angry about...well, everything," he continued to explain. "I try to keep it from you, but then I just explode."

"I never wanted you to keep things from me. It makes me feel shut out, like you don't want me around."

"I don't."

Now she was the one caught off guard. "What?"

"When I feel like that, I don't want you around," he confessed. "I don't want you to see that." Standing up, he paced a few steps back and forth before clarifying himself.

"Babe, communication has never been our strong suit. That's what got us in trouble in the first place~we didn't know how to ask the other what went wrong.

"Had you called me after getting that email, or if I had gone to Mexico when your mom told me you packed up and left, we wouldn't be here now." A sweet smile spread across his face before he added, "You and I would be in our own home arguing over whose turn it was to make dinner."

It coaxed a small laugh from her, but that was all.

"I won't make that mistake again. I came down here because I want you to come home, but I also want to know why you left, and why you ran to Joaquin, of all people."

"I needed to get away."

"But why come here?"

"I needed to be far from Dallas to sort things out, and I've known Joaquin since we were kids."

"We've known each other since we were kids," he countered, motioning between the two of them.

"I knew he would be here for me."

"I'm always here for you."

"I knew he wouldn't judge me."

The comment both shocked and incensed him. "Elena, I don't judge you."

"Yes, Christopher, you do," she countered, standing up to look him in the eye. "You judge everything I do and then give your verdict of whether or not to love me at that moment."

The accusation left him very defensive. "That is absolutely not true! A moment never goes by that I don't love you. Even with all we have been through these last 3 years, I never stopped loving you."

"Even when I gave my brother money so he could get out-of-town, then lied to you about it? Did you love me then?"

"Yes. I handled the situation terribly and was mad about it…" Still am, he thought, but decided that was better kept to himself. "…but I didn't stop being in love with you because of it. There is nothing you could ever do to make me not want to spend my life with you."

She was hesitant to respond, starting to speak then stopping a few times before finally spitting out, "Even if I accuse your family of hurting mine, for stealing from us? Will you still want to spend your life with me then?"

Much to Elena's dismay, Christopher's curiosity suddenly replaced his need prove his undying love. "What do you mean my family hurt and stole from yours?"

With a heavy sigh, Elena walked away.

Quickly, he was on her heels. "Yes, Elena, I love you no matter what. Obviously, I want you to be honest with me, but I wouldn't stop loving you if you felt there was a reason you couldn't be.

"I didn't realize I was taking everything out on you, or that you felt scrutinized, but now that I know, I'll stop, and if my family did do something to yours, then I will make it right."

After reaching the end of the piazza, she entered the house. "Elena, please stop."

When she did, he walked around to face her and took her hands in his.

"I flew down here to tell you that I love you; I always have and I always will. I will do whatever you want and fix whatever needs fixing for you to come home, but there is something you're not telling me. Please tell me what is wrong," he implored.

"There is always something wrong between us."

"It wasn't always like that."

"Well, it is now," she surmised. "In the months before I left, not a day went by without something happening that led to you getting mad and cutting me out of your life."

"OK, I admit it was like that after the ba..." He closed his eyes. In the months since Pamela lost the pregnancy he had come to terms with what had happened, but still could not say the words without becoming angry.

"...after the explosion, but…" he drifted off not wanting to think about the aftermath of that horrible day. They're gone, he told himself, trying to refocus on Elena who was actually in his life.

"Babe, this is different for us; we never used to argue and I certainly never raised my voice to you~and I won't again, I swear. We can get back to where we used to be…back when we told each other everything and you knew I loved you no matter what."

She looked down and shook her head. "I don't know, Christopher. So much has happened between us and around us, I don't think we can ever get back to who we were, or how we felt about each other."

It was a knife to his heart. What was "wrong" was that her feelings toward him had changed. His eyes glazed over.

"If you're not in love with me, then, you're right, there's no going back, but don't throw away everything we have because you don't know my love for you is completely unconditional.

"There is nothing you could ever do to stop me from loving you, Elena Ramos."

Although her head was down, he could tell she was upset and reached out to hug her.

"Elena, I'm back." Joaquin called from the foyer.

Christopher rolled his eyes. "You have got to be kidding me," he mumbled.

Oh, thank God, Elena thought. I can't take this. I had my mind all made up that our relationship was over for the last time, and then Christopher shows up and I want him all over again.

"We're in the family room. Come join us," she called back. Please come join us; I need a break.

2014

Reviews, comments and private messages always appreciated!