Chapter 58

AJ couldn't help but grin at Jordan's accurate assessment of the situation, however, Meredith had turned to look at him and saw the smile which she then assumed was because they were going to talk in private. This assumption made her hope that the conversation would go better than she had been thinking.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Woody incredulously asked Jordan, "Does she really think that she has any chance of getting him back?!"

"I am sure that Aunt Merry has hopes and dreams far beyond any that can be realized. What is incomprehensible to me if she think she has a snowballs chance in hell of getting him back, is she is going to attempt the reconciliation while she is spending the summer with the guy that she cheated on AJ with!"

Woody nodded, agreeing entirely as he wondered what approached Jordan's Aunt Meredith would try on Admiral Chegwidden.

Because the wedding party was already in the restaurant's private dining room set aside for special functions, there wasn't really anywhere else for Meredith and AJ to go. However, since the room could hold a group of fifty people and their group was only slightly more that a fifth of that, it wasn't too hard to find a quiet corner of the room to talk in.

AJ knew how sound carried and because Meredith was most likely not going to have a favorable reaction to her pleas for them to get back together it would be best if she was facing away from the room in general. Once they were as far from the others as possible, AJ said, "Alright Meredith since you have things to say to me, the floor is yours."

"AJ, I've had a lot of time to think about what happened between us," at his arched brow, she changed her wording, "Alright what I did that caused our break up. I am truly sorry for what I did, not only did I betray your trust, but it was a completely stupid thing to do! I have been trying to think of what I could do to get you to forgive me, in the hopes that we could resume our engagement where it left off."

"Meredith, in all honesty I have done some thinking about us as well." He took note of her happy face at his comment and he knew the rest of what he had to say would remove that smile. "However, what we had between us was never a grand passion, but more one of companionship. You know this has to be true because if you had truly been in love with me, what happened not only wouldn't have happened, but it would have been unthinkable. I think we are both better apart and I do wish you the best in finding someone that you love enough that it will allow you to break the cycle you are in."

"But, AJ! You could be that someone!" she protested.

"No Meredith, I couldn't. The love is not there on either side and it needs to be for a marriage to work."

"But you just said you were going to marry me for companionship!" her voice was on the rise.

"Yes, I did Meredith, and you saw how it worked out," he answered mildly. "As I said I wish you all the best, and I should get back to the others."

"But AJ, I'm not done talking to you!" Meredith declared that got notice from some of the others in the room.

"That may be, but I am done listening," he told her as gently as he could, then stepped around her to start back to the others.

Meredith stood there with absolutely no idea what to do. She wanted to scream after him, but she knew that would make her sound shrill and pathetic. There was also the fact that AJ had made it very clear he didn't love her anymore and possibly hadn't at all even when they had been together! She wanted to cry at that thought because even though she had been stupid enough to cheat on him, she really did love AJ! However, crying would also make her look pathetic and could be seen as a play for sympathy which was not what she wanted from AJ.

To be continued…