Chapter 17 Jeff’s nerves were a wreck as he pulled up into his driveway.  He was dreading telling Kristin that they were finished.  He knew it was going to hurt her, but he also knew that he no longer had feelings for her.  He had to end things with her for good, but he still didn’t want to be alone.  He walked into the house and again laid his keys on the table.  "Kristin?", he yelled, "Where are you?"  He could see her sitting on the couch, but she didn’t answer.  "Kristin?  Didn’t you hear me call you?", he said as he got closer to the her.  She was sitting with her knees pulled up to her chin and she was crying.  He sat down next to her, but didn’t look at her.  They sat there silent for a minute.  "Where did you go last night?", she asked as she looked at him.  He still looked straight ahead at the wall.  "Matt’s.", he simple answered.  "Why?  Jeff, look at me damnit!", she said getting angry.  He turned to her, the tears filling his eyes.  "I can’t do this anymore, Kristin.", he said.  She sat there looking at him, not believing what he was saying.  "You can’t do what anymore?", she asked  even though she knew what he was talking about.  "This.  Us.  You living here.", he said.  "Why?  What about last night?", she asked beginning to sob.  "I was lonely.  I’m sorry.", he said looking down at the floor.  "But, it was so full of emotion.  I thought everything was better.", she pleaded.  "You’re right.  It was full of emotion, but it wasn’t for you.", he said as he waited for her to blow up.  She stood up and bent over him, getting in his face.  "What do you mean it wasn’t  for me?  There’s someone else…..isn’t there?", she asked getting angry, "Jeff, look at me, damnit, and tell me there’s not someone else."  He looked her straight in the eyes, "Kristin, I’m in love with someone else.", he said.  She stood there for a second trying to absorb what he had said.  Then she slapped him as hard as she could.  Jeff grabbed his face but didn’t say anything, because he felt like he deserved what he got.  "I can’t believe you!  All this time, this last year, we’ve been together.  I’ve taken care of your house and that damn dog!  And for what, to get dumped like this?  You’ve got some nerve.  You never did love me, did you?…..Did you?", she demanded.  "Not like you wanted me to.", he answered.  "Well, I hope she’s worth it.  I hope she knows what she’s done.", she yelled.  Jeff started to become angry at her accusation of Sky, "SHE, hasn’t done anything.  I fell in love with HER."  "Oh, so she doesn’t love you back?", she said with a slight laugh.  "I don’t know, but that’s none of your business.", he was starting to yell.  "That’s funny.  Now you know how it feels.", she barked at him.  "You know what?  Just pack up your stuff and get out of my house!", he demanded.  "FINE!", she yelled as she marched into the bedroom and started gathering her things.  Jeff walked in behind her, "Kristin……..I’m sorry."  She didn’t say anything, she couldn’t.  She grabbed all of her things that she could get into her two suitcases.  She turned to him and coldly said, "Just box up the rest of my stuff and I’ll send for it."  And with that, she walked out of the house and out of his life.  He plopped down on the couch.  Although he wasn’t in love with her, he did care about her.  You don’t spend a year of your life with someone and not care about them at least a little.  He really felt bad that he had hurt her so much.  But at the same time, he felt so relieved that it was over.  A big weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.  "Now, if I could only get Sky back.", he thought to himself.  He picked up the phone and ordered some flowers to be sent to her.  He then got some boxes from the attic and packed up the rest of Kristin’s things.  Before he could get them loaded into his car, Kristin’s brother came and picked them up.  He didn’t say a word to Jeff, only glared at him. "I never did like him anyway.", Jeff said to himself as he walked back into the house. Later that afternoon.. Sky walked in to start her shift in the ER.  When she approached the clerk’s desk, she saw a beautiful vase full of lillies.  She leaned close to them and took a deep breath, inhaling their scent.  Lillies were her favorite.  When she and Josie were growing up their mom always had fresh cut lillies in a vase on the kitchen table.  She told them that the lillies brought peace to the house.  "They’re pretty, aren’t they?", Randi asked startling her from  her memories.  "Yeah, who’s are they?", Sky asked.  "Their yours.", Randi answered with a smile.  "Mine?  Well, who sent them?", Sky asked.  "Well, I don’t know….why don’t you read the card and see.", Randi answered.  Sky pulled the card from the flowers and read it. The smile on her face quickly faded and she handed the card to Randi, "throw this in the garbage, will you?" "In the garbage?  Who are they from?", Randi asked as she looked at the card.  "Nobody.", Sky answered as she picked up the vase and headed to the elevators.  "Where are you taking them?", Randi yelled leaning across the desk so that she could see Sky.  "I’m sure there’s a patient up stairs that would enjoy them more than me.", Sky said turning and getting onto the elevator.  She delivered the flowers to the nurses station on the third floor.  She asked the nurse to make sure that someone got them.  She agreed to and thanked her for her kindness.  Sky headed back downstairs and went about her job.  This scenario continued for two weeks.  Everyday, Jeff sent her flowers and everyday, she delivered them to a patient.  He tried to call her several times only to find that she wouldn’t talk to him.  As much as she hated to admit it, she did miss him.  She almost gave in and called him one day, but decided not to.  Josie and Matt were still talking just about every night.  She would tape their shows and watch them when she got home from work.  Sky refused to watch.  Then, one day while Josie was out swimming, Sky couldn’t stand it anymore.  She just wanted to see him one more time.  She went into Josie’s room and grabbed one of the tapes.  She went into her room and put the tape into the VCR.  "I’ll just play it long enough to get a glimpse and then I’ll put it back in her room.  She’ll never know the difference.", Sky said to herself as she pushed the play button.  She laid down on the bed and watched anxiously.   Suddenly, their music sounded.  She forgot to breathe for a second, as she saw Jeff atop the ramp.  She had almost forgotten just how good looking he was.  She was so entranced in the match that she didn’t notice that Josie had come in and sat down on the bed.  "He made her leave, you know.", Josie said.  Sky just about jumped out of her skin.  "Shit, you scared me.", Sky said as she frantically pushed the stop button.  She was embarressed that her sister had caught her.  "Whatcha watchin’?", Josie asked teasing her.  "Nothing.  Don’t you have something to do?", Sky said, standing up and exiting her room.  Josie was right behind her.  "Did you hear what I said a minute ago?", Josie asked.  "No.", Sky answered.  "He made her leave.", she informed her again.  "Who made who leave?", Sky said playing dumb.  "Don’t pretend that you don’t know what I’m talking about.  Jeff made Kristin leave.  He told her he didn’t love her.  He told her that he had fallen for someone else.  And if you would return his calls, you would have known that.", she stated very matter of fact.  "It doesn’t change the fact that he lied.  The whole relationship, if you want to call it that, was based on a lie.", she said.  Josie began to get angry, "You know what, you’re right.  You just sit here and let a man who really cares about you get away.  Just because he’s not perfect.  God forbid that the great Sky ever make a mistake and  be knocked down to the level of us humans.  But, when you’re old and gray and all alone, just remember that you missed what might have been you’re only opportunity at love.  And all because you thought you were too good for him.  I thought you’d changed.  Guess that’s what I get for thinkin’!"  She went into her room and slammed the door.  Sky couldn’t believe what Josie had just said to her.  She didn’t want to believe it because she knew that her sister was right.  But still, she pushed her feelings down deep and refused to address them again.           Last Chapter ..*.. 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