It Had To Be You 15 - by Maro Z
Jess has always been a tomboy, and she's successful and happy, but then a secret from her past re-emerges threatening all she knows!
The end is in sight, and a small church is the location for many revelations! Thanks for the comments all, and for reading!
Justine.A - I get exactly what you're saying. I'm glad that you feel so involved with the characters...great comments, thanks!
BethanyFelllows - Ha ha! you'll soon see!!
Ms March Angel - I honestly got what you were saying, I know I update more regularly than most, and I'm so glad that you are waiting with bated breath for the next chapter. Just wish Buzzle would post them as frequently as I submit them. Love the fact that yuou're using aliases to comment......keeping me on my toes!!!
Annie - here it is!! :)
K.B.P. - he's finally sorting it all out. Which I think is great....hope you like this chapter.
Nessa - you'll find out now! :) Thanks!
Tavita K - He's sorting everything out. Finally dotting all the i's and crossing the t's......I sense this is male of break time for them both!
Silky - it has all come to a head! And yep, the end is in sight!!
Thanks all for you support.....even a single word comment is so rewarding!
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Jess stood stuck to the spot listening to the raised voices echoing inside the church. She had no idea what Alex was doing here...in Martinwood! He'd said he'd never set foot in the village again, but here he was arguing with her father, because of her! She loved him even more in that moment, he was taking on all his personal demons in one hit, and she, she'd not done that! She'd done anything BUT face her demons, her past...at the detriment of her relationship with him.
"I just want you to admit what you did Summers, that's all. Come clean for once in your life!"
Her father's voice was clipped, strained, "I may not have always done what was right..."
"No shit!" Alex cut him off. "I loved her, and instead of accepting that, you ruined how many lives?"
Her father was spluttering, typical bully, no idea how to deal with things when the tables were turned, "it wasn't..."
But Alex was unrelenting, "look. I am SO over what you did it is unreal. But I love your daughter and every day that she pushes me away because of what YOU did reopens all those wounds." Jess could hear him pacing, his leather shoes clicking on the stone floor. "But I am here to tell you, Mr Righteous, how far your actions have reached. It seems obvious to me that Jessie needs her family in her life, I don't think she'll be happy until she's exorcised her demons, and if you're going to be part of her life....my life, then I have to tell you this. You need to know what you've done!"
Jess covered her mouth, feeling Alex's pain as he told the man he hated how, in the space of three days , his mother had taken an overdose , he'd lost his home, three jobs, his unborn baby, and then his wife. Spelled out like that it was a miracle that he'd made it even half the way to where he was today. She was slumped against the wall, so devastated for him, for her....
"I only wish you'd known all these years that we were married!" Alex was continuing, unrelenting in the onslaught to her father. "I wish I'd seen your face when you realized that the little scrote that you hated, judged so wrongly, had married into your family.....is STILL married into your family. Does that rock your boat? Make you mad? Does your skin crawl at the thought?"
There was no audible response from her father. Jess stepped closer, craning her ears.
"Oh God man! Are you crying? Don't do that!"
Jess stepped closer to the door, some bizarre misplaced familiarity meaning she wanted to intervene, but she froze as her father's voice boomed out from the closed building.
"I'm not crying! But I have had time to rue my actions. I'm not stupid. You come here in your immaculate clothes, your expensive shoes. I can tell you've made a success of your life. I spend my life seeing people, all types of people."
She could hear the harsh sounds of Alex's shoes as he paced the floor again, she imagined he was flummoxed by the fairly soft response to his accusations. Poor Alex, so much trauma at the hands of her father. And since her chat with her mother she realized that her father was as hurt as everyone else in this mess, but he had directly caused more trauma than he'd aided. All because he was too proud to go back, rescind on his actions. It was one huge mess!
"So because I'm well presented you're suddenly wrong and I AM good enough for her?" Alex scoffed.
"I know I was wrong!" her father announced so forlornly.
"Don't give me understanding, or sympathy old man! You represent EVERYTHING that has gone wrong in my life, your daughter's life......now you want my pity?"
She heard her father laugh in such a sad, ironic way, "I don't want your pity Pattison. I have what I have....I have to sleep at night...."
"Don't we all!"
She could hear the animosity rise in her father's voice, "Yes! Frankly we do! I haven't been without loss! We lost three babies....and then I almost lost my wife....then through the choices I made I lost my only child. I know that my actions were wrong, I created more problems, animosity." There was a theatrical pause, Jess wondered exactly what was happening....and then he continued. "I don't want sympathy....You just need to learn!"
Alex was livid, "and just what can I learn from YOU?"
Her father laughed, "I don't profess to teach from my successes, but I'm the king of failure. Why are you here shouting at me? Why do I matter now if you have Jess, you have what you want finally? I can only reason that you are displacing your anger toward me onto my daughter! I know I did wrong. But if it was all rosy with Jessica you'd not leave her side! So are you here hoping that shouting at me makes everything alright with her again?
"My anger, my lack of control caused all this. Grow up, don't be an idiot.....like me! Go back to her and live your life free of us, because if you love her as you make out you do, then it's salvageable."
"Shit!" Jess chuckled at Alex's lack of control, then gasped at his recovery. "Who made you King of relationships?"
Her father guffawed rather extravagantly, "the whole point is I have been there! I messed up and my anger has alienated the only people I ever cared about.....Don't let this do the same to you. Hate me by all means, but do it at my daughter's side. The wife you preach about needs you, I'm sure."
Jess had heard enough. She needed to step in.
Swinging open the door, she flinched as four eyes swung to take her in, but she looked at Alex not her father.
"As much as it pains me to say, he's right. I need you Alex."
Alex stepped towards her, but she held up a hand to stop him.
"He's also quite wise about the rest of it. We all have to move on. I came here wanting to hurt him..." she looked at her father for the first time. "But now I'm here I realize I was wrong. All he's done is already creating more pain than anything I can inflict on him."
Her father nodded, "she's right Alex. Don't let this ruin things for you both."
Alex turned to the older man and shrugged, "don't think this will make it all right.....all that you've done!"
He shook his head, "I don't. I was wrong." Suddenly he was looking at Jess again. "I just hope one day you find it in your heart to forgive me, to realize I regret things."
Jess nodded, "now is not the time for all this. I came here to tell you that I understood your motives....not agreed, just could comprehend." She turned to Alex, "then I was on my way to you, to tell you I love you, and that I'm sorry, and that if you'll forgive me for being so ridiculous, I want to love you for the rest of my life....."
Alex scooped her into an embrace, "I think I can agree to that!"
"You forgive me the doubts?"
He nodded, "as much as I hate to admit, your father does speak a lot of sense. I've accused you of hiding behind your grief, and all the while I've hidden behind my anger, my resentment. I can see so clearly now."
"I love you so much Alex!"
He cupped her face in his hands and stared down into her eyes, warm blue eyes searching, tension etched across his face, "I know you do, I never doubted that....we just hid didn't we?"
She nodded, "but not anymore."
He grinned, "that sounds serious to me....We've got a lot to sort out though Jess. I don't want to waste any more time. I've no idea if my independent wife will move to New York with me....or do I have to move here with her?"
She leaned back and smiled at him.
"I think you'll live wherever I am!"
And with that she marched out of the church, a beaming smile crossing her face, happy that he would follow her forever.
====================================================================================================================================================================
MZ
Justine.A - I get exactly what you're saying. I'm glad that you feel so involved with the characters...great comments, thanks!
BethanyFelllows - Ha ha! you'll soon see!!
Ms March Angel - I honestly got what you were saying, I know I update more regularly than most, and I'm so glad that you are waiting with bated breath for the next chapter. Just wish Buzzle would post them as frequently as I submit them. Love the fact that yuou're using aliases to comment......keeping me on my toes!!!
Annie - here it is!! :)
K.B.P. - he's finally sorting it all out. Which I think is great....hope you like this chapter.
Nessa - you'll find out now! :) Thanks!
Tavita K - He's sorting everything out. Finally dotting all the i's and crossing the t's......I sense this is male of break time for them both!
Silky - it has all come to a head! And yep, the end is in sight!!
Thanks all for you support.....even a single word comment is so rewarding!
=====================================================================================================================================
Jess stood stuck to the spot listening to the raised voices echoing inside the church. She had no idea what Alex was doing here...in Martinwood! He'd said he'd never set foot in the village again, but here he was arguing with her father, because of her! She loved him even more in that moment, he was taking on all his personal demons in one hit, and she, she'd not done that! She'd done anything BUT face her demons, her past...at the detriment of her relationship with him.
"I just want you to admit what you did Summers, that's all. Come clean for once in your life!"
Her father's voice was clipped, strained, "I may not have always done what was right..."
"No shit!" Alex cut him off. "I loved her, and instead of accepting that, you ruined how many lives?"
Her father was spluttering, typical bully, no idea how to deal with things when the tables were turned, "it wasn't..."
But Alex was unrelenting, "look. I am SO over what you did it is unreal. But I love your daughter and every day that she pushes me away because of what YOU did reopens all those wounds." Jess could hear him pacing, his leather shoes clicking on the stone floor. "But I am here to tell you, Mr Righteous, how far your actions have reached. It seems obvious to me that Jessie needs her family in her life, I don't think she'll be happy until she's exorcised her demons, and if you're going to be part of her life....my life, then I have to tell you this. You need to know what you've done!"
Jess covered her mouth, feeling Alex's pain as he told the man he hated how, in the space of three days , his mother had taken an overdose , he'd lost his home, three jobs, his unborn baby, and then his wife. Spelled out like that it was a miracle that he'd made it even half the way to where he was today. She was slumped against the wall, so devastated for him, for her....
"I only wish you'd known all these years that we were married!" Alex was continuing, unrelenting in the onslaught to her father. "I wish I'd seen your face when you realized that the little scrote that you hated, judged so wrongly, had married into your family.....is STILL married into your family. Does that rock your boat? Make you mad? Does your skin crawl at the thought?"
There was no audible response from her father. Jess stepped closer, craning her ears.
"Oh God man! Are you crying? Don't do that!"
Jess stepped closer to the door, some bizarre misplaced familiarity meaning she wanted to intervene, but she froze as her father's voice boomed out from the closed building.
"I'm not crying! But I have had time to rue my actions. I'm not stupid. You come here in your immaculate clothes, your expensive shoes. I can tell you've made a success of your life. I spend my life seeing people, all types of people."
She could hear the harsh sounds of Alex's shoes as he paced the floor again, she imagined he was flummoxed by the fairly soft response to his accusations. Poor Alex, so much trauma at the hands of her father. And since her chat with her mother she realized that her father was as hurt as everyone else in this mess, but he had directly caused more trauma than he'd aided. All because he was too proud to go back, rescind on his actions. It was one huge mess!
"So because I'm well presented you're suddenly wrong and I AM good enough for her?" Alex scoffed.
"I know I was wrong!" her father announced so forlornly.
"Don't give me understanding, or sympathy old man! You represent EVERYTHING that has gone wrong in my life, your daughter's life......now you want my pity?"
She heard her father laugh in such a sad, ironic way, "I don't want your pity Pattison. I have what I have....I have to sleep at night...."
"Don't we all!"
She could hear the animosity rise in her father's voice, "Yes! Frankly we do! I haven't been without loss! We lost three babies....and then I almost lost my wife....then through the choices I made I lost my only child. I know that my actions were wrong, I created more problems, animosity." There was a theatrical pause, Jess wondered exactly what was happening....and then he continued. "I don't want sympathy....You just need to learn!"
Alex was livid, "and just what can I learn from YOU?"
Her father laughed, "I don't profess to teach from my successes, but I'm the king of failure. Why are you here shouting at me? Why do I matter now if you have Jess, you have what you want finally? I can only reason that you are displacing your anger toward me onto my daughter! I know I did wrong. But if it was all rosy with Jessica you'd not leave her side! So are you here hoping that shouting at me makes everything alright with her again?
"My anger, my lack of control caused all this. Grow up, don't be an idiot.....like me! Go back to her and live your life free of us, because if you love her as you make out you do, then it's salvageable."
"Shit!" Jess chuckled at Alex's lack of control, then gasped at his recovery. "Who made you King of relationships?"
Her father guffawed rather extravagantly, "the whole point is I have been there! I messed up and my anger has alienated the only people I ever cared about.....Don't let this do the same to you. Hate me by all means, but do it at my daughter's side. The wife you preach about needs you, I'm sure."
Jess had heard enough. She needed to step in.
Swinging open the door, she flinched as four eyes swung to take her in, but she looked at Alex not her father.
"As much as it pains me to say, he's right. I need you Alex."
Alex stepped towards her, but she held up a hand to stop him.
"He's also quite wise about the rest of it. We all have to move on. I came here wanting to hurt him..." she looked at her father for the first time. "But now I'm here I realize I was wrong. All he's done is already creating more pain than anything I can inflict on him."
Her father nodded, "she's right Alex. Don't let this ruin things for you both."
Alex turned to the older man and shrugged, "don't think this will make it all right.....all that you've done!"
He shook his head, "I don't. I was wrong." Suddenly he was looking at Jess again. "I just hope one day you find it in your heart to forgive me, to realize I regret things."
Jess nodded, "now is not the time for all this. I came here to tell you that I understood your motives....not agreed, just could comprehend." She turned to Alex, "then I was on my way to you, to tell you I love you, and that I'm sorry, and that if you'll forgive me for being so ridiculous, I want to love you for the rest of my life....."
Alex scooped her into an embrace, "I think I can agree to that!"
"You forgive me the doubts?"
He nodded, "as much as I hate to admit, your father does speak a lot of sense. I've accused you of hiding behind your grief, and all the while I've hidden behind my anger, my resentment. I can see so clearly now."
"I love you so much Alex!"
He cupped her face in his hands and stared down into her eyes, warm blue eyes searching, tension etched across his face, "I know you do, I never doubted that....we just hid didn't we?"
She nodded, "but not anymore."
He grinned, "that sounds serious to me....We've got a lot to sort out though Jess. I don't want to waste any more time. I've no idea if my independent wife will move to New York with me....or do I have to move here with her?"
She leaned back and smiled at him.
"I think you'll live wherever I am!"
And with that she marched out of the church, a beaming smile crossing her face, happy that he would follow her forever.
====================================================================================================================================================================
MZ
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