| |
Nancy Jasper sits outside of the bar watching Janet through the door. She refuses to get a closer look; she may recognize her. Nancy has no clue even if she knows she works with her boyfriend. This is not the time to introduce herself, she will wait and watch her a few days. She feels like a stalker, the urge to slap Janet strong she must suppress her feelings. Nancy eyes Janet the whole way across the street, she is going to the store.
Suddenly Nancy notices Janet stopping, she lays down flat on the seat of the car. Her heart beating franticly, chills radiating through her body as to almost being caught. After a few minutes Nancy rises and adjusts the bag next to her, duct tape and zip ties poking out from the top. As Nancy decides she had enough watching Janet for the day, her phone rings as she is pulling out the space. She pushes a button on her steering wheel, the phone answers and a male voice come out of her car stereo speakers.
“Nancy, we need to talk.” Says the husky male voice she remembers so well.
“About what Sean. You made it clear this morning at the garage. What more could you want?” Nancy answers.
“I need to see you, tonight at the garage. Be there.”
Before she can answer he, the phone goes dead, smiling maybe she is finally getting her way after all.
“I knew he would be crawling back to me.”
She speeds off to her house to prepare for her encounter with Sean O’Malley the love of her life. Suddenly her mood has genuinely improved since she left work to know Janet’s routine during the day. She holds off her plan for the time being. She needs see what Sean has up his sleeve later this evening.
––––––––
AS SEAN O’MALLEY SITS in his living room waiting on Janet, he come to a decision. If Nancy still works for his company, he will never be able to move on from his deception. All he wants is to forget that night ever happened. He calls Nancy, he plans on firing her tonight to finally be free of the guilt.
Ten minutes after the call, Janet returns humming to herself. Sean smiles as he crosses the living room, to help her carry in groceries. Sean hopes his and Janet’s lives can now get back to normal. He hopes to god getting rid of Nancy is the right thing to do. Maybe him loving her earlier has perked her mood.
“You seem in a good mood. Your talk with Dawn It was a good one? Sean asks his curiosity perked.
Janet smiles, “Yes I did Sean. I feel reborn almost.”
Shaking his head, he hasn’t a clue why a talk with her best friend could result in such a mood change. He shrugs it off, concentrating on his task at hand tonight. As he thinks maybe he should tell Janet about what he did when he didn’t know if she was going to live or die. Even though he can barely live with himself, he cannot bring the courage to come clean. He resists the urge once again. The guilt setting up shop in his stomach as if he swallowed a tape worm.
Sean heads to the bedroom, Janet is sitting on the bed looking at a book. He has never seen this book, it’s a large book what looks to be newspaper clippings. If he wouldn’t have known better, he would think it’s about Gary Anderson. She doesn’t know he’s there, he walks gently into the room and his suspicions are correct. The book is all about Gary and his murderous rampage. He stomps towards the bed, not being able to think straight, he grabs the book out of Janet’s hands.
“What pray tell is this Janet?” the rage in his voice apparent.
Wide-eyed Janet is speechless, chocolate brown eyes darting upward, “Sean...Ummm...”
This is all she could get out when the book suddenly went by her head, she could feel the air barely touching her ear. Janet flinches as Sean grabs her by her arms. His hands digging into her flesh.
“Sean your hurting me.” Janet pleads.
Sean’s grip becomes tighter on Janet’s upper arms; no doubt his grip is going to leave bruises. She can’t fathom he would react this badly to a few newspaper clippings.
“Ummm.... Sean, I can explain...Please...let go...you’re hurting me.” Janet babbled. Panicked she doesn’t know what else to say. Her arms are throbbing and she wants him to let her go.
Sean releases her, she rubs her arms at the red marks, they are going to bruise. He scoffs, leaning up against the wall.
“I am all ears. I cannot wait to hear your side of why you have this scrapbook.” The criticism seething from his voice.
Janet breaths a cleansing breath, the throb in her arms subsiding. She knows she is defeated as she bows her head. She doesn’t know how to explain so he would understand how she feels about her ordeal.
Her voice cracking, “Sean, I love you. I have no closure. The pain and guilt of surviving eats at my soul. I need to face him Sean. I need closure. I believe it’s only then I will be able to be free of it all and move forward. It’s the only way we can move forward, together.” The tears streaming from her eyes. As she looks past Sean, her eyesight blurry from the tears.
In no attempt to answer Janet, Sean storms out of the house. Sean jumps in his truck, heading to the garage. To face his second problem of the evening. He cannot blame Janet for wanting to confront the person who almost snuffed out her life. Guess he can put up with her visiting him in prison, after all what could happen to her in a place full of guards. They will keep her safe, even though he didn’t at the time she needed to be kept safe. He should accept her decision. Maybe he needs to tell her about his slip-up. Would she understand?