Nicolette knocked on Jake’s
door – when he didn’t answer, she took it upon herself to walk inside.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Jake?” she called.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> She saw him on the balcony.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> When she got closer, she repeated, “Jake?”style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>
style='color:black'>
style='color:black'>“Yeah?” his voice was hollow.
style='color:black'>
style='color:black'>“Do you hate me?”
style='color:black'>
style='color:black'>Jake looked into the eyes of the woman he loved more than
anything else in the world. “No.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> I jus’ can’ believe I lost ye.”
style='color:black'>
style='color:black'>“I lost you too. I
never thought it would stop hurting.
Noel found me, wounded, and brought me here. He said everyone else around me was dead – he checked.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> We both assumed…”
style='color:black'>
style='color:black'>“I got knocked out.
Babette said the crew looked fer ye an’…” He found himself caressing her face. “I s’pose it doesn’ matter what happened.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Ye got a prince, I got a family…but I’d give
me life t’ be yer love.”
style='color:black'>
style='color:black'>“Oh, Jake…” Tears
spilled from Nic’s eyes. “You
are.” She kissed him, not forgetting
about Noel, but needing to be sure that he was actually in front of her.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> She couldn’t pull away from him.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> A whole other lifetime was flooding back to
her and she clung to him, her slight belly the only thing between them.
style='color:black'>
style='color:black'>Jake forced himself to pull away from her.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Love, I mean…Nic, if ye don’ stop, I’m
going to put ye on tha’ bed an’ make love t’ ye.”
style='color:black'>
style='color:black'>“Jacob…” The tone
in her voice was pleading with him. She
wanted him to take her, make love to her, make her feel like everything was the
way it was before they were separated.
style='color:black'>
style='color:black'>Jake swallowed, his throat feeling tight.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “I can’.
Yer married, yer with child. I
love ye, but I won’ ruin yer life. ‘E
can give ye more than I can.”
style='color:black'>
style='color:black'>“Jake…”
style='color:black'>
“Ye
better get back t’ ‘im before ‘e thinks we’re up t’ somethin’.”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> He turned away from her for his own sanity
and she left without another word.
