*Ten Minutes Later*
“You didn’t tell her.” Brian said when he caught a glimpse of AJ’s face as he walked into Brian’s house.
“No I didn’t tell her.” He said. “And I got myself in deeper.”
“What did you do this time?” Brian motioned to AJ to sit down in the chair across from him, and he did.
“I told her I had never met anyone like her and I kissed her…..many times.”
“AJ. Katie comes home in two days. What do you think she’s going to do when she finds out about all this?”
“She won’t.” AJ closed his eyes. “She won’t find out. Tracy leaves tomorrow. It’ll all be fine. Once she’s gone it’ll all be ok. Out of site, out of mind right?”
“I don’t know if that works in your case.”
“Yeah I know.”
“I don’t want you to make a mistake. Do what you feel is right and what you’ll be happy with. Or should I say who you’ll be happy with?”
AJ closed his eyes. “I just don’t know what to do.”
“I can’t tell you what to do. You’re on your own with this one.”
August 26, 1999
“Last call for flight 833 to Milwaukee Wisconsin.” Came voice over the loud speaker.
“Come on Tracy let’s go.” Jade said while pulling her arm. Tracy just couldn’t leave. That bad feeling that she was having was getting worse.
“I’m not going.” She finally said. “I just can’t. I’ll catch a different flight. You two go ahead and get my bags when you’re getting yours.”
Jade and Angie looked at each other, and then back at Tracy.
“Why are you staying?” Angie asked.
“Please just go, you’re going to miss your flight. I’ll explain it all later.”
Jade noticed that they were closing the gate, so she ran, pulling Angie with her, and they made it just in time. Tracy waited until the plane left, and started to walk away. As she was walking to the main entrance to get a taxi, someone came up behind her and wrapped their arms around her. She jumped but then relaxed once she saw the tattooed covered arms.
“I thought I was going to miss saying goodbye.” He said softly into her ear.
“You would have. If I left.” She turned around to look at him.
“You didn’t go?” he asked, thinking he had heard her wrong.
“No. I couldn’t. Something is keeping me here.”
AJ then hugged her tight and kissed her. After they realized that they were making a scene, they began walking toward the parking garage, to his car. She wasn’t quite sure where they were going but it looked like he was taking her back to her aunt and uncle’s. She was a little disappointed because she wanted to spend the time with him. He took one hand off the wheel and placed it on one of hers. They didn’t say a word the whole way there, and she was right, he was taking her there. He pulled into the driveway and cut the engine.
“We really need to talk.” He said. He was still faced forward staring off in the distance, trying very hard not look at her. Tracy didn’t say anything, she was just waiting for him to continue. “I keep putting it off, and I just can’t do it anymore. It’s not fare to you.” He paused and looked into her worried eyes. He figured that she knew he was about to tell her something bad. She was right. “I’m getting married the day after tomorrow.”
Tracy looked outside her window, trying to keep herself from crying. She knew something was going to happen between them. But that was a blow to the stomach. She didn’t think it would be anything like that.
“Oh is that all.” She said with sarcasm. “Then what are you doing here with me?”
“I’m so sorry Tracy. I fell in love with you.”
Tracy got out of the car and AJ jumped out faster than she could. He caught up to her halfway around the house and took her arm. She snapped it back.
“Don’t touch me!” She yelled.
“Tracy you don’t understand! Just say the word and I won’t marry her. I want to be with you.”
She began to cry, unable to control it anymore.
“No. Just go.” She managed to say. “You’ve been everything but honest to me. Just leave.”
“But Tracy, I lo..”
“Just go!” she yelled. Her back was to him now. She could hear his footsteps going the other direction. Then she heard the sound of his car and soon it faded out, and he was gone.
Chapter 10
August 28, 1999
AJ looked at his reflection in the mirror. What he saw was a person who was unhappy, and a big liar to top it off. He’d been so confused about everything. He loved Katie, but he loved Tracy. He felt like scum to be doing this to both of them. To cheat on his own fiancé, and to hurt the one he had fallen head over heals for. When he saw Katie the day before, he was going to tell her everything, but didn’t have the heart to. He had talked to Brian about everything and he wasn’t much help at all which wasn’t a surprise to him. He knew that Brian knew what he should do, but he wanted AJ to figure it out for himself. So AJ did think everything over and decided to marry Katie. After all they have been together for a really long time, and he did love her.
Brian stuck his head in the door, snapping AJ out of his thoughts.
“AJ come on, it’s time go out there.” Brian said
AJ turned to look at his best friend who was smiling at him.
“You ready?” he asked.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” AJ answered. AJ turned to the mirror and straightened out his jacket and walked out with Brian. They stood before about two hundred people. AJ looked around at all the people wondering why they couldn’t have had a smaller wedding. He would have been happy if only his close family members and the guys were there. The brides’ maids began to walk down the aisle and AJ began to feel really nervous. He wasn’t sure if it was just the fact that everyone felt that way when they were about to get married or if it were that he was beginning to feel like he was about to make a huge mistake. Then there was Katie, wearing her long white dress with no sleeves, it was a simple dress, nothing fancy about it, and she wore a vale in front of her face. AJ was beginning to think that she froze, and didn’t want to walk down the aisle. He saw her father whisper something in her ear and they began walking, slowly toward him. He managed to create a smile on his face, hoping it looked real. It seemed like years before they made it down the long aisle. They stopped just before him so that her father could lift her vale, and he kissed her on the cheek. She met up with AJ and took his arm, and they walked the rest of the way, which was only about two feet. The whole time the priest talked, AJ couldn’t pay attention. He had no idea what he was saying. He could have yelled fire and AJ wouldn’t have heard him. But he did snap out of it when the I Do’s were coming up.
“Do you Katherine Marie Thomson take thee Alexander James McLean to be your husband to love and to cherish, through sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, until death do you part? If so, say I do.” Said the priest.
Chapter 11
~*~Meanwhile~*~
Tracy layed on the couch, looking at the ceiling. All she could do was think about AJ and how much he had hurt her. In that span of time, wouldn’t you think that he would have told her sooner? Now today he was watching Katie walk down that aisle, happy and not even thinking about her. No she was out of his mind for good now. Was she some kind of a last fling or something? Tears started to run down her temples, because of the way she was laying. She wiped them away, trying not to cry over him.
~He wasn’t all that important to me anyway.~ she thought. ~He’s just a jerk and I never want to see him again.~
She knew she was lying. She was just trying to make herself feel better. It wasn’t working.
~*~Meanwhile~*~
“I….” Katie hesitated. AJ’s head spun. He wasn’t sure if he was imagining it. “I……” she couldn’t get the words out. He wanted to jump and scream for joy, but he kept himself together. “I….can’t.” she finally said.
AJ sighed and a loud gasp from the crowed came at the same time.
“We need to talk.” She said. She grabbed his arm and dragged him out the side door, leaving everyone to talk about what had just happened.
She pulled him into a small vacant room and closed the door behind them.
“Now don’t be mad please.” She pleaded.
AJ tried to contain the joy that he was feeling and also the guilt that he was feeling because he was so happy.
“I met someone AJ. And you and I both know that the past few months haven’t been going very well. I love you AJ. I love you so much but this past year it’s grown into a friendship type love. You know what I mean? I guess I picked a horrible day to do this. I know I picked a horrible day to do this. I think you can find someone better.” He stopped listening after that and just pretended to listen to her banter on. He was thinking about Tracy and how she would feel when he told her that he wasn’t going to get married. “So do you understand?” she finally asked.
“Katie. You have no idea how I understand.” He said. “You have no idea.” He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and ran out the door. If he could run through the walls he sure would have to save the time. He ran out of the parking lot to see that his car was blocked by the limo that was supposed to carry him and his bride away. He ran to the car and looked in the driver’s seat and saw that he was gone. He cursed to himself and ran back inside hoping he would find him. He ran into Brian first.
“Brian can I borrow your car?” AJ said, out of breath.
“Only if I can drive.” He said. “I know how you are when you’re hysterical and I don’t want you wrecking my car.”
“Ok ok ok then let’s go!” AJ pulled him out to his car and they both jumped in, and sped away to Tracy’s aunt and uncle’s house.
~*~Again…Meanwhile~*~
“Are you ok Tracy?” Aunt Lisa asked as she walked into the living room.
“Yeah I’m fine.” Tracy sat up to look at her aunt.
“You don’t seem fine. Is it because of that man?”
“Sad, but yes.”
“Well, if it was meant to be, everything will work out in the end.”
Tracy smiled, she knew her aunt was just trying to make her feel better. “He’s getting married today.”
“Ok….then it wasn’t meant to be. There’re plenty of fish in the sea. You’re young, you’ll find someone.
“Thanks Aunt Lisa.”
“The taxi’s here!” Mark said from the doorway.
The two of them got up and they all walked to the door.
“Thank you so much for letting me stay a little longer Aunt Lisa.” Tracy said while giving her a hug. “You too, Uncle Mark.”
“Any time for my niece.” He replied.
“Are you sure you’re going to be all right going to the airport by yourself? We can take you.” Said Aunt Lisa.
“No I’ll be fine. I’ll call you when I get home to let you know I’m safe.”
Tracy gave both of them another hug and got in the taxi that was waiting for her in the driveway.
Chapter 12
~*fourty-five minutes later*~
Brian pulled into the driveway and AJ practically jumped out before the car came to a stop.
“Wait here.” AJ said and ran to the door.
He rang the doorbell and within minutes Lisa opened it.
“Can I help you?” she asked, obviously recognizing who he was.
“Is Tracy still here?”
“No she left about an hour ago to the airport.” She answered. “The flight is supposed to leave in about twenty minutes.”
“Do you know what gate she’s in?”
She thought for a minute. “Yeah I think it’s Gate 84A but don’t hold me to it.”
“Thank you so much you are a life saver!” he said happily.
He ran back to the car and told Brian and they were off on the little adventure once again.
Lisa stood in the doorway, and watched them speed down the road. She smiled to herself.
“So it was meant to be.”
~*Twenty Minutes Later*~
“Please let the flight be delayed, please let the flight be delayed.” AJ repeated as he and Brian ran down the halls, trying to find the right gate. He groaned when they hit a metal detector. He pulled everything out of his pockets and handed it to the guy and walked through. He beeped and he had to go back. He found some more stuff that was in his pockets and went through and didn’t beep. He continued running while yelling behind him to Brian,
“Grab my stuff will ya!”
Brian nodded and took his time after that.
AJ continued running down the halls dodging people, trying not to run into anyone, and wasn’t very successful the whole time. He was getting very close now.
“Gate 82, Gate 83, Gate 84!!” He looked around and saw that everyone had boarded the plane.
----------
Tracy sat down in her seat that was in between to people she didn’t even know. The man to her left had already fallen asleep and was snoring up a storm. The lady on her right was futzing with her laptop. Tracy rested her head on the back of her chair. She figured it was going to be a long flight, having to hear that man snore so loud. She wondered what would happen if she stuck a big sock in there or something. Maybe it would muffle some of the noise. Then she began to think about AJ. She got to know him in an airplane. Got to see how he was different from the other guys she’d met before. Now she came to her senses and realized that he was just like everyone else. A complete pig. She went back and forth in her mind about how much she loved him and then how much she hated him and never wanted to see him again because of everything that he did.
----------
AJ stopped dead in his tracks and his heart sank. He searched around the area hoping that she decided not to go, but he wasn’t that lucky. Brian eventually caught up to him.
“It’s not over yet.” AJ said. “I’m going to Milwaukee.”
He managed to weasel out a ticket for a flight that was supposed to start boarding in an hour. He found out that Tracy was supposed to have a two-hour layover in Memphis and he figured out that he would get to Milwaukee before she would. He smiled, pleased with himself.
“Hey don’t get all happy yet.” Brian said. “You still don’t know if she’s going to take you back.”
“I’m trying to think on the bright side of this Brian.”
“Yeah well while you’re thinking off in Lala Land, I’m thinking in the real world and you’re going to have to do some fast talking.”
“Yeah I know. But I think I have some time to think about what I’m going to say.”
Finally it was time to board and AJ got up to get in line.
“I’ll see you later. Hopefully with a girl hanging on your arm.” Brian said while giving him a quick hug.
“She will be. I’m sure of it.” He paused. “Ok I really hope that’s the way it will be.”
He gave his ticket to the lady standing by the gate and then walked down the terminal to the plane. He was really hoping this was all going to go the way he wanted it to.
Chapter 13
~*8:00 PM That Night*~
“Thank you for flying Northwest Airlines, we hope you’ve enjoyed your flight, and come back again.” Said the pilot as the plane came to a complete stop. Everyone got up and started to walk out. The flight went quite slow, all she could think about of course, was AJ and what happened the day before. And it didn’t help that she had a layover either. That made it worse. She sat by the gate for who knows how long, and was lost in her own thoughts. If someone ran around naked screaming fire, she wouldn’t have noticed. She just wanted to go home and stay there for the rest of her life. She was getting so fed up with herself. She got up from her seat once she realized that everyone else was pretty much out of the plane.
----------
AJ had been waiting at the gate that Tracy’s flight was supposed to come out of for about two and a half hours now. He was still in his tux and his really uncomfortable shoes. He made a mental note that dress shoes are not good to run in. He had been running through what he was going to say to her in his mind over and over again. It was no use to do it though, because he knew once he saw her, he wouldn’t remember a word. His heart jumped once he saw the plane come up to the terminal. Within five minutes people started filing out and he waited as patiently as he could for her to come out. She was the last person, go figure.
“Tracy.” He said from behind her. She snapped around and looked at him with a shocked look.
“How did you, but I…”
“It doesn’t matter how I got here. All that matters is that I am here.” He went to take her hand but she stood back.
“We are not on touching terms.” She warned. “Why are you here?”
“I couldn’t go through with the marriage. And neither could Katie.”
“I take it Katie would be your fiancé?” she interrupted.
“Was my fiancé. The I do’s came and she said no, thank god. I would have done the same thing but she did before me. I’m not getting married anymore. I want to be with you, and only you.” He stepped closer to see what she would do. She stepped back.
“Wait a minute lover boy. What makes you think I want you?” she made it sound more harsh than she wanted it to. He didn’t say a word. “You lied to me. You lied to her. You cheated on her so what’s that supposed to make me think huh? That makes me think that you would go and do the same thing to me.”
“But Tracy I wouldn’t. I don’t know what came over me. Katie and I were already falling apart. We both knew that. We just didn’t want to admit it. I love you Tracy. I know it’s way too early to say that but I do. I can sit here and say it over and over again until you believe me. I love you Tracy. With all my heart.”
“Now why did you have to go and do that?” Tracy asked, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Do what?”
“Tell me you love me. I never asked for this.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“I…I just can’t.”
Before Tracy even realized what she had just said, she turned around on her heals and began walking away from him. It took all her strength not to go run back and run to his open arms. What made him think that he could just weasel back in her life like that? She was happy the way she was, then that one phone call changed everything.
She kept on walking, while AJ stood behind, thinking that there was nothing left he could do.
~Wait a minute I can’t just give up.~ he thought to himself. He began running after her, he didn’t quite no where she was, for there were so many people around.
Tracy continued walking faster, she needed to get out of this place. She found herself to be running toward the parking garage because Jade and Angie were going to pick her up. She hoped she would run into them soon so she could leave. She didn’t want another run in with AJ. She might do something without thinking straight.
~Why do I always think with my head and not my heart?~ she asked herself. She began to slow down. Part of her wanted to believe AJ and run back the other direction toward him. The other part wanted to scream and pull her hair out. She was just so angry at him. Angry that he followed her, and she was angry that she was just so confused.
She began to realize something else now. She really was miserable before AJ came back into her life. There was this empty feeling that she would always get. Once he started to come around, she started to feel whole. She was really happy when he was there. She came to a complete stop right then and there. Her squabble with her heart and her mind came to an end. Her heart won by a long shot. She turned around to see that AJ was running in her direction. He couldn’t see her yet, but when he did, a look of relief appeared on his face.
“Thank god you didn’t leave.” He said to her as made his way to her. “I’m not going to let you go this easy. I love you too much to do that. I know I’m a complete ass Tracy. But I’m your complete ass.” He said trying to make a little joke.
Tracy let out a small, soft laugh. Tears began to fill her eyes, and soon dropped down onto her cheeks. They stood there staring at each other for a few minutes not saying a word.
“It’s going to take me awhile to trust you fully again.” She said.
“I can deal with that…” He replied.
Before he could say another word to plead his case, she closed the gap between them and kissed him. She pulled back just enough to get a few words in.
“I love you.” She said softly.
“I love you too.” He closed the small amount of distance that was between them and kissed her again. This time, it was a little bit longer. They didn’t care if people were staring.
“There you are we’ve been looking all over for you.” Angie said as she and Jade walked up to them.
“Awe! Isn’t that cute!” Jade said. They didn’t move from their position.
“Ok I want to see some space in between you two.” Angie joked.
Tracy and AJ stopped kissing and looked at the girls who where standing there smiling at them.
“Oh group hug!” Jade said. Angie followed her lead and they went on each side and hugged them.
“Thanks guys.” Tracy laughed.
“It’s nice to see you too.” Said AJ.
“I know it’s always nice to see me.” Jade joked.
They began walking to the parking garage with AJ’s arm wrapped tightly around Tracy’s waist. He looked up at the ceiling and mouthed ‘thank you god.’ He knew he was very lucky to have her back and there wasn’t a day he didn’t think of it.
Three months later Tracy moved to Florida and rented an apartment on her own, to prove to her parents that she could do it and she did.
As for Jade and Angie, they stayed back in Wisconsin, and visited Tracy every chance they could get.
Tracy and AJ are still together and are growing stronger every day. The sound of wedding bells is even in the air. And AJ’s sure this one will be a whole wedding, and not just half.
The End
Chapters 5-8
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