If Only She'd Loved Him

Chapter 68

"Nope, he's working.  He won't be by till 9:00."

"Oh, okay." Megan spun around.  "How do I look?"

"Like a heartbreaker," Jean laughed.

Megan stopped smiling in a millisecond.  "Not funny."

"Yeesh, get a sense of humor.  I was kidding.  You take things way too personally.  You look fine, all right?"

"Yeah," Megan sighed.  "Maybe you're right.  Maybe it is time to end it."

"It's past time."

The doorbell rang as Jean spoke.  "I'll get it."  She smiled in a wicked way at Megan. "Unless you don't want me to?"

Megan ignored her.  "Thanks," she responded. "I'll just be another minute." 

Running her brush through her hair one more time, she adjusted the band of her skirt. Taking a deep breath, she went into the living room.  Jean sat on the sofa, legs splayed, not bothering to make conversation, while Erik stood quietly by, a bouquet of roses clutched in his hand.  Little tremors shook through Megan as she saw him standing there.  She hated hurting people.  She almost preferred being broken up with, rather than being the one who did the breaking.  Erik's eyes lit up as he saw her.  Leaning over, he brushed her lips in a kiss and handed her the flowers.

"You look gorgeous, sweetheart."

The roses were beautiful, but he always brought at least one.  When roses become routine, the romance is over, Megan thought to herself.  She ducked her head down, accepting the bouquet.

"Thanks," she mumbled. "Let me go put these in water, okay?"  She slipped into the kitchen, her heart beating a mile a minute.

Erik followed her. God, she was beautiful! When Megan had called him earlier that day and said she had something important to tell him, his heart had swelled.  Tonight would be special.  He felt it inside, deep where it mattered, where his soul had slept for so long.  Tonight, she was going to tell him that she loved him.  Tonight, he was going to tell her he loved her too.

He smiled, getting distracted by the sway of her hips, the slice of her skirt and those legs. What was it about those legs of hers? She should always wear heels, he thought to himself. watching closely as she bent over to pick up the knife she'd dropped. Picking it back up, she resumed slicing the stems of the dozen roses he'd brought. It was the first time he'd ever brought two different colored roses in one bouquet.  Half red and half white, Erik had been very specific to the florist.  When he'd first arrived, he'd hoped Megan would take notice of their color.  Red and white roses meant unity, but she had just smiled without commenting on them. 

Ummmm, he could smell her perfume from here. The soft white of her skin became too hard to resist.  His breath tingled on the back of her neck as he kissed her.  Megan gasped, cutting the tip of her finger, instead of the rose she'd been holding. 

He was horrified.  "Oh sweetheart, forgive me.  I'm sorry.  I never thought I'd hurt you," he stammered, trying to reach her finger so he could kiss the blood away.

She took her hand.  "Don't be silly.  I'm fine.  It's nothing to worry about," she told him gently.  Inwardly she was cringing.  This, this moment right now, was one of the main reasons she was going to break up with him tonight.  He treated her like a china doll, not a person.  Ignoring his protests, she walked over to the sink and ran cold water on the tiny cut.  The bleeding stopped immediately.  She wrapped a paper towel around her finger and went back to the roses.

Erik picked up the knife and wouldn't give it to her.  "No, let me finish.  I don't want you to get cut again." 

Good Lord, Megan sighed, but she didn't want to make a big fuss.  Pulling a vase off the top of her refrigerator, she sat it down on the counter and waited for him to finish.  It only took a minute.  A moment later, he was at her side, handing her the flowers.