Deliverance (standard:romance, 2957 words)
Author: Erekose	Added: Sep 14 2000	Views/Reads: 5029/2603	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Can you give your heart to the same person twice?

Deliverance 

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"I wonder by my troth, what thou, and I Did, till we lov'd? were we not
wean'd till then?" 

-- John Donne 

John let himself in the door. Rachel burst into tears the minute she saw
him. He rushed to sit beside her on the couch and hold her close. 

"Now, now," he soothed. "What happened?" 

Rachel's only response was to sob even louder. 

"It's going to be fine," said John as he patted her back and stroked her
hair. "Do you want a drink of water?" 

Rachel managed to nod. 

"I'll be right back, okay?" 

Again, she nodded. 

John moved gently off the couch and walked to her kitchen. Why did this
always happen? he reflected bitterly. Always some emotionally blind 
piece of dirt managed to walk all over her, and he was left to clean up 
the mess. He fetched a glass and filled it with water. 

He returned to the living room. Rachel had stopped crying, and accepted
the glass with a smile of gratitude. "Thank you." 

"Any time," he smiled back. "Now, why don't you tell me what happened?" 

Rachel took a deep breath and released it. "He thought I was seeing
someone else." 

"Why?" John was astonished. "Of all the things to accuse you of!
Cheating!" 

She broke into tears again. "It was our three-month anniversary too. He
found that jumper you'd given me and asked where I'd gotten it from. 
When I told him that it was from a guy-friend, he went all mad." 

"Did he hit you?" 

"No, but he almost did. He left. I don't think he'll be coming back." 

John wasn't satisfied. "I think I'd better hang around, anyway, just in
case." 

"Are you sure?" she asked. 

"Not a problem. I can get up early and rush home before going to work." 

"Thank you." 

There was an uncomfortable pause. "Let me get you a pillow and blanket,"
Rachel said finally. 

"You okay?" he asked. "Don't need to talk about it?" 

She shrugged. "I'll be fine, I just need to know there's a friend
nearby." 

"Alright then." 

As Rachel moved off to get him a pillow and blanket, John wondered if it
were wise for him to be here. Best friends though they were, he hadn't 
slept alone under the same roof as her since... well, since they'd 
lived together. 

Rachel returned with his things, which she handed to him. She had
changed her clothes. She was wearing a green, blue, and purple jumper. 


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