I’ve gone back to ‘fiction friday’… I’ll try not to mess with the ‘schedule’ again… xo
back to you. part 9. [previous: part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 | part 8]
Dani’s ride to Ava and Adam’s seemed to take forever even though it was only a few miles. Anxious but determined, Dani got out of the car and climbed the steps to the door. She rang the bell with trembling fingers. Moments later, Ava appeared at the door.
“Dani…” Ava was surprised to see her. “Hi.” She ushered Dani into the kitchen unable to miss the signs of confusion and fear all over her friend’s face.
“Ava,” Dani finally spoke. “I’m looking for…” Barely able to speak coherently, Dani sighed. “Is Adam here?”
Ava’s heart started racing for her brother. He’d given up. He drove away, but Dani came looking for him. “Dani… no. He’s not here. He was…” Before Ava continued, Dani interrupted.
“Oh God.” Dani was disappointed. “I need to talk to him.”
Ava watched as Dani reached up and covered her eyes with a shaky hand. “Dani, what’s wrong? What’s going on?”
“It’s not supposed to be like this.”
“What? Come here.” Ava put her arm around Dani and led her to the sofa. “Dani… take a deep breath and talk to me.”
“Ava, I’m scared… confused. Marrying Finn is what I should do, right? It’s what I’m supposed to do, isn’t it?”
“I can’t say,” Ava was honest with her. “Only you know those answers.”
“But last night you told me I’d be okay. I told you I always thought Adam was the one but you said everything would be okay. I thought that meant I should go on with the wedding…”
“Dani. You need to know. You didn’t talk to me last night.”
“Ava… what?”
“He told you he wasn’t me.”
“Who?” Dani was lost but only for a moment. A light flashed in her mind. “He?”
“I forgot my phone right there on that coffee table.” Ava gestured to the table in front of them. “I was asleep in my room. Adam slept here.” She laid a hand on Dani’s shoulder. “You didn’t say those things to me last night. You said them to Adam.”
“Oh God.” Tears streamed from Dani’s eyes. “All those things I said. Oh God.”
“I know,” Ava said. “He told me.”
“How could I not have known?” Dani questioned herself. But Ava had a theory.
“I think somewhere inside, you knew. I think you wanted to say those things to Adam…”
“Ava, I told him I love him. Still. That he’s the love of my life.”
“I know.”
“But he’s given up on me.”
“And you’ve given up on him. Dani, Adam doesn’t think he has a choice. He wants you to be happy.”
More tears fell from Dani’s eyes. “I have never stopped wanting him to come get me back.”
“But you’ve been with Finn for a long time,” Ava reminded her, though she shouldn’t have needed to. “Adam thought it was too late. He thought he had to let you go.”
“So I’m marrying Finn today.” Her tears fell faster as she stared into her lap. She tried to wipe them away before they fell but she couldn’t keep up. Finally, she turned her eyes back to Ava’s. “Do you know why I had to move back here?”
“Why?”
“Because I missed home. I haven’t felt like I’ve been home for years.”
“Dani…” Ava tried to speak but Dani wouldn’t let her.
“No, Ava, I think it’s wrong. If Finn’s the man I’m going to marry… spend the rest of my life with… shouldn’t anywhere with him feel like home?”
“Maybe it should.” Ava agreed. “But it doesn’t?”
“No.” Dani took a deep breath and wiped her tears. “God, Ava, I miss him.”
“Adam?” Ava didn’t know why she asked. She knew.
“Yes. I miss him so much. I can’t have him back, can I? Not now. It’s too late, isn’t it?”
“Oh Dani.” Ava pulled her into a hug. “I don’t think it has to be. He still loves you. More than you know.”
“How can he?” Dani asked, pulling away. “I let him go. I wanted him to come after me but I never went after him. I gave up on him long before he gave up on me. I don’t think I even realized that I had, but I did. How could I do that?”
“Dani…” Ava tried to calm her. “What do you want to do? Tell me… whatever it is… I promise I’ll help you.”
“I have to marry Finn,” Dani said, sounding unsure. “Don’t I?”
“Is that what you want?”
“Does it matter? It’s just…” Dani struggled. “I know that whatever I do, I’m going to hurt someone.”
“I know.” Ava hated seeing her friend in pain, but she knew Dani had to figure this out before she married anyone. “But won’t it hurt even more later if you’re not with the right person?”
Dani nodded.
“What do you need?”
“God, I don’t know. I should to go to Finn. Talk to him?” Dani’s thoughts were all questions. “Then I should talk to Adam?”
“Dani, go talk to Finn. And then call me, okay?” Maybe by then, Ava thought, I’ll figure out where the hell Adam is.
Again, Dani nodded. “Thank you, Ava.”
“Oh, sweety, you know I’m always here for you.”
“I know.” They hugged. “Hey, Ava?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad I moved back home. I miss us being together.”
“I’m glad you’re back, too.”
©2017 what sandra thinks
what sandra thinks 
He wants her, she wants him, nobody’s married anybody yet. If she’s that unsure, she’s gotta end it.
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It’s true… but she’s a mess and wants answers from someone other than herself… which is bad. She needs to make the decision on her own…
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Yep. Matters of the require the owner of said hart to make that call. Nobody else can. 😊
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That was supposed to say matters of the heart. My brain is fried…and it’s still on vacation. 😏
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It’s okay… I understand!
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I swear I’m losing what few brain cells I hadn’t already killed off. I’m not gonna know my own name in 5 years.
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I kind of wish I’d forget who I am on a daily basis…
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Oh lord, don’t say that. I see it every day at work, and it ain’t pretty. 😃
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My current state isn’t so pretty either… 🙁
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😕
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Oh my. This is the first part I read. I should read all the other parts huh? I feel like this can be relatable to so many people in real life.
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Yes… the parts aren’t long… the story will make lots more sense if you start from the beginning… but thank you for reading!
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Oh, goodness, I hope she won’t let Finn talk her out of going after Adam. Better to have no one than the wrong one, I think!
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I agree with that!
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Yes! I hope Finn doesn’t hold her back. It can’t be good for anyone if they go ahead with the wedding!
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If she is waffling back and forth with Finn. She shouldn’t marry him! Adam or no Adam
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I agree!
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Oooooh, man this is killing me (in a good way!) I’m hoping Finn will make this easy on her, like give her an out. But you’re right – she’s got to pull herself together and realize marrying Finn is wrong and not just because of Adam. Loving the story!
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Thank you! You know I always feel like my plots are weak… so it means a lot! 🙂
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Not weak at all. Matters of the heart always make for good drama!
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I hope so! 🙂
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I think she needs some time to figure herself out. As an honorary member of Team Finn (lol!), he doesn’t deserve the runaround and neither does Adam.
Another wonderful part!
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Thank you! I’m so glad you’re enjoying it!
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Love this story so much…..I could totally see this being a movie or series on TV!
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Oh, you’re a crazy girl! But thank you… 🙂 ❤
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Yes, I could see it as a weekly TV series with suitable dramatic music to end on a cliffhanger each week.
It really is very good Sandra.
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Thanks so much! I would love to write for television. But I’m not sure I’d be able to keep it up long enough! I’d probably run out of ideas after season one. Then again, it would probably be canceled after that anyway! 🙂
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Now that is being defeatist even before you’ve started. You could employ a host of co writers starting with suitable WP contacts.
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That is a big problem of mine — assuming failure. It stops me from trying many things. I wrote a post about confidence that speaks to this. But I never published it… perhaps I will revisit that.
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Just go and read J K Rowling’s story to see how failure should be treated. Just look at her now!
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I am definitely not Harry-Potter-level inventive!
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Maybe not, but she had so many rejections, so many setbacks, and was so insecure (still is), yet she kept on and on. Terrific staying power.
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I’m not sure how I’d handle that… or if I’d be able to handle it. My insecurities control far too much of my life. And then I think… there are so many romance writers out there… how would I stand out? Hmm…
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That’s what they all thought. The reading public are a fickle bunch and there are lots of excellent novels about that never become as popular as some think they should.
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Well, that’s true. I know there’s a lot of rejection that happens… for everyone. But the way I overreact to things — I might have a meltdown every time!
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Every girl needs a Ava in their lives ❤
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I agree! I know I need one…
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It’s never too late to find one, I think. So worry not, she’ll come 🙂
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