* * *
Rex and Vanessa sat together on the sand a few metres from where the party was happening. Vanessa still felt a little shaken up at the events of the last 20 minutes or so. To come from a situation where she and Rex had been threatened by a knife to a situation where Rex had almost been ganged up on by a mob of guys, had certainly strained her nerves. Nevertheless, it felt so good to be with him again and having him hold her and speak to him with his gorgeous adoring sky blue eyes focussed on her.
He spoke, ‘Seeing you there at the mercy of Shirley just scared the hell out of me. I just didn’t know what that guy was capable of, but I had to stop him at all costs.’
She gazed at him with grateful eyes. ‘And you did. And you gave him the beating of his life.’
He touched the side of her face. ‘I can’t stand the thought of you hurting and being in danger.’
‘I’ve been in so much pain. For a long time now.’
‘I know and I hate it. I really hate it. I don’t want you to suffer anymore.’
‘Then stop pushing me away.’
‘If it were only so easy.’
‘What’s so hard about it? You still want me, don’t you?’
His eyes locked onto hers as he spoke, ‘More than anything in the world.’
‘Then what?’
Rex sighed. ‘When you tried to commit suicide that second time… After you tried to throw yourself off that building… Your mother made me promise…’
‘Promise what?’
‘That I would get out of your life. That I would never contact you again, because she believed that as long as I was there, you were never going to recover. Abandoning you was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Many times, I felt like calling or coming to see you, but I remembered my promise. Your mother rang me from time to time, at least for a while and said you were doing really well, so when you turned up here, all I could think about was you relapsing back into the state you were in when we last saw each other. I couldn’t stand to think of that happening, but now I see that I can’t just push you away, because you’re here. And to tell you the truth, I’ve had enough of pushing you away.’
‘You have?’ Vanessa’s heart leapt.
‘Yes. No more. From now on, whatever happens, I’m gonna be there, ok Nessie?’
‘Yes!’ Joy filled her body. It was something she hadn’t felt in a long time - not since the last time they had ever been together. Back then, he made her feel that way all the time. She grabbed him and kissed him passionately. He wrapped his arms around her too and met her kisses with his own.
Finally, she had him and this time, he wasn’t going to get away…