Flicker of Hope- chapter 19

I would like to dedicate this chapter to Jeeshan- You have left so many comments, and they are all so wonderful. I really wanted to personally thank you for it. You have no idea what they mean to me.

Phoebe- you are amazing and your stories rock, and I am happy that you like my stories. Your comments are all very encouraging and they help me keep going. ;),
Lindsey Rose- You sure do know how to make my day with your comments!

Emma- :), Floppy Disc, Nessy, , L.A., Caitlynne, Ginger G., Sam, Samantha Brooke, MINIMAN, Lexy, Lindsay, Shuk :D, Brilla M., Ciriat, Ziya.- You guys all made me smile, and my cheeks is still hurting. Lol. I love you guys all so much.

This chapter is dedicated to you all. I am sorry if I miss any of your names, but please realize that you guys are all very special and dear to me. I enjoy all of your comments.

This chapter is from Tanner’s POV. This chapter might be a little confusing, but it is very important. This story is very close to its end, and I hope you guys enjoy it. Thank you so much for your comments, and support. I have never written something like this before, and I didn’t know if I actually could. You guys really helped me keep up, and for that I am glad.

Remember that Love isn’t always happily ever after. Sometimes love has its time. Hope you enjoy reading this chapter, and please don’t be too judgmental about the coming ending. I personally like the ending, and I hope you guys will too. Just a warning, the ending isn’t a happily ever after kind of ending, but it isn’t sad either. I think the ending is very different from any I have ever read. Well, we will see to that.

My goal is that the ending will make you smile. BTW, this is NOT the ending. The next chapter probably is the ending.

Happy reading! :)

*
Love was such a beautiful feeling that makes you do things you thought weren’t possible before. It changes you, and gives you a new life. No matter how much one tries to run from love, it always gets you. And Tanner William finally accepted that.

Tanner had stopped fighting, and he happily gave in to the feeling he had for her. Just the very thought of her made his heart flutter. It seemed almost impossible that someone like her loved him, but miracles of miracles, she did. He could see it in the way she looked at him, and he could read it in her expression. Though after her first confession, she hadn’t said it again, she had showed him signs in so many different, unknown ways.

He respected her for her feelings, and for giving him his space. He didn’t like people hovering in his business, only she would have been an exception but she never took the advantage of that fact. Everything that belonged to him was now hers- including his heart. He had given up everything to her, but he didn’t regret it, not even for a second.

He loved her more than life itself. He hadn’t thought he could love again, but she came into his life, and proved him wrong. It was there the whole time when she looked at him, but could she see the love in his eyes that was just dying to reveal?

He had been afraid to fall in love because he knew that if he let himself fall, he would fall hard. He had everything he had ever wanted in her, and he knew that the consequences will be worth it. Just one look from her made everything real again, and he felt himself alive by being with her. She made him feel things he hadn’t known existed. He couldn’t remember life without her in it; she was just everywhere. He hadn’t known love before her, and Angel just seemed a very distant memory, and Emily was his life now.

He had fall for her so deep that he knew there was no going back now, and he loved every moment of this amazing feeling.

He had kept his distance though his heart was screaming to let the newly found feelings out. He wanted to wait and give her a surprise by declaring his love for her on her coming birthday. She was everything to him, and she needed to know it. He loved her with all his heart, and he was willing to do anything for her. She meant so much to him, and the intensity of his love even surprised him.

Her birthday was just a week away, and in that day, he will tell her everything he felt for her. She had a right to know, and she needed to know. He didn’t know how much longer he will be able to hold this feeling inside his heart.

Just one week, and everything will be perfect.

He will confess the depth of his love for her, and he will make her his forever.

Nothing will be able to stop him from loving her ever again.

*
Emily was dancing in front of him in a deep violet gown. Her eyes were wide, and excited. Her cheeks were blushing deep red like a woman in love. His heart skipped a bit at that sight. Was all that love just for him? Her beautiful eyes were sparkling with mischief, and she was smiling with delight. His heart became very heavy as he kept watching her.

He wanted to tell her that he loved her, but for some reason he couldn’t get his tongue, and speak. The love of his life was right there, dancing in front of him, but he couldn’t move from the place he was standing. He wanted to hold her in his arms, and stare into those brilliant eyes but he couldn’t.

He couldn’t see anyone else around him and he wasn’t sure if there were anyone out there. His eyes were fixed on her, and he watched every move she made. She made his heart ache but he still couldn’t get hold of her.

She was dancing around him, moving in a circle. Her moves were very graceful, and he could only watch her, stunned.

And suddenly, the movement changed. Everything was going in a very slow motion.

Her breathtaking smile was gone, and there no longer was the mischief, and playfulness in her eyes- they were serious. Her cheeks were still rosy, but her eyes were searching. She had stopped dancing, and she was trying to say something to him. She was trying to communicate through her eyes. He searched her eyes, and what he found hurt him beyond words. Unseen tears filled her gaze, and her eyes spoke the words that his heart longed to hear one more time. I love you Tanner. I love you so much.

He felt his heart crying in response but still no words came. He couldn’t do anything! He just stood their as useless as ever. His heart cried her name, and he could feel the pain in her eyes. He couldn’t move from the spot, and wipe her tears. There was nothing he could do other than just watch her hurt.

Suddenly her eyes were covered with blood instead of the tears. She was walking away from him, with her eyes filled with so much pain that it made his heart weep with her. He couldn’t understand what was happening. She was walking backwards, looking hurtful, and the sight made him hurt. There was so much pain, and he couldn’t do anything to prevent it all.

Her eyes sent him the same message again and again. I love you Tanner. I love you.

She was walking away from him, and he stood their dumbfounded. His feet still didn’t dare move.

She walked away from him, from his life, and he couldn’t do anything about it.

She took his heart with her, and he just stood there.

She was gone, and the pain started hurting him more than he ever thought was possible.

She was gone. The love of his life was gone from his life just like that.

"Emily!" he screamed.

He looked around and realized it was just a dream. He was sweating, and there were actually tears in his eyes. He wiped them away, and tried to smile, but smiling hurt him, and it felt wrong.

He frowned. The dream was just too realistic, he told himself but something just felt off as if it was just very wrong.

He needed Emily. He turned around and tried to hold her, and make himself believe that it was just a bad dream, and he had Emily. But when he tried to touch her side, she wasn’t there.

He turned the lights on, and Emily still wasn’t there.

Where was she?

His heart was pounding very hard against his chest. Even his effort to comfort himself wasn’t working. He needed her to be with him.

Where could she be?

His dream couldn’t mean a thing. It was just a dream. It wasn’t real, but then why was he feeling a sense of loss like something was terribly wrong?

He was breathing rapidly, and he knew he was panicking. He tried to search for his phone, but his hands were shaking.

He wiped the sweat of his forehead, and tried to think coherently, and look for his phone.

He threw the blankets away, and found a note dedicated to him. It was from Emily. He signed, but he still couldn’t feel the relief he was looking for.

Gone for a walk. Be back soon.
Yours, Emily.

Even her note didn’t make him satisfied.

He took his cell phone, and the time read 7:45. Emily had never gone for a walk before especially not in the morning. Doubt clouded his vision. Was Emily lying to him- to try to hide something? But why would she do that?

He shook those thoughts off his mind. Even if she was lying to him, there probably was a good reason behind it. He trusted her, and he knew that she wouldn’t do something wrong. But that wasn’t the point; he needed to know if she was okay.

He dialed her number, and she answered it in the fifth ring. "Where are you Emily? You have no idea how much worried I was. You have never done something like this before. Where exactly are you? Listen, I really need to talk to you. You cannot imagine how much worried I was…." He suddenly stopped midsentence. He was blabbering the whole time, without letting Emily say a word, but he was just so worried. And he needed to hear her voice. He needed to know that everything was okay. "Are you okay? Is everything all right?"

Someone coughed in the back ground, and for the first time he noticed the sound of an ambulance in the background.

"I am sorry to say this, but the girl who had this phone has been in a really bad accident. She has hit her head pretty hard, she is bleeding, and…… Well, we are taking her to the Central Hospital…….."

Tanner silently cut the phone, and shut his eyes tightly.