Jack and Diane

"He didn't try to stop you?"

"No, he knew he'd really crossed the line by punching me, he was apologizing, well, sort of apologizing. He was saying shit like 'if you didn't give me a reason to hit you, I wouldn't have.' And 'I'm sorry but you forced me to do it. You didn't give me any other choice.' He couldn't even man up and say sorry properly, he still had to blame me for his own actions."

"Some people are just weak and fucked up, I guess. You said a while back that he'd been calling and texting you since you moved back home. Is he still doing that now?"

"Yeah, it hasn't stopped. I don't take his calls anymore, but I still get his texts. I haven't blocked him yet because I want to have proof of him harassing me for the divorce if needed. He has days where he blames me for everything wrong in his life, then others where he says he's sorry and still loves me. The worst is when he starts threatening me, saying that I'm his and that no other man can have me, then that he'll beat some sense into me and drag me back home to New York. I really think he needs psychiatric help."

"Geez, it sounds like it. Still, let me know if you think he'll ever actually show up and try to hurt you, don't ever hide that from me."

"Well, over the last two weeks he's been threatening that almost every day. I went to the police the other day, but they just think it's empty threats, that he's just angry with his marriage falling apart. That as long as he's in New York, there's nothing to worry about."

"Until he's not, I guess. Anyway, thanks for sharing all this with me. I can see why you need a bit of time to move on from him, what a fucking nightmare." I reply.

"Yeah, it has been. But I'm so lucky to have you here with me, you've made it so much easier for me. I really mean that, Jack."

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

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I've taken Diane out for a couple more 'dates' since then, out to dinner and to the movies. We even went out dancing too, something I'm really crap at, but enjoyed it because of the woman I'm with.

Diane continues to be by my side at work as well, I'm starting to wonder how I'll ever manage the business if she's not here running it with me. And we've also been able to make each other smile a lot more now too, putting both her failed marriage and the loss of my parents behind us.

The only thing going through my mind now is when. When will she be ready? I've got major blue balls from being with her all the time, I want her so much I can taste it. And I know she wants me too, I see the way she looks at me, the way she steals glances at me when she thinks I won't notice.

But I promised her we'll take it slow. And I don't break my promises, especially to Diane.

It's just another Tuesday as I head to the back of the store to fill an order that's come in. While grabbing the different items, I can hear some loud voices coming from the front counter, some guy sounds angry. I place the order down and quickly make my way to the front counter to see what the hell is going on.

"I've told you I'm not coming back, Jason. Not now, not ever. What the hell are you even doing here?" Diane says forcefully.

"I'm here because you're my damn wife, and you will be coming home with me. This shit has gone on long enough!" Jason responds angrily.

"I'm divorcing you! Get that through your thick skull. You have no right to be chasing me across the country like this, I've told you again and again that we're done. It's over. I want you to leave."

"I'm not leaving without you, even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming with me." Jason replies.

"Are you fucking serious? Who the fuck do you think you are?" I state forcefully as I make my way around the front of the counter near Diane's soon to be ex-husband.

"Jack, no! Don't hurt him, he's not worth it." Diane pleads with me.

It's too late, her stupid husband quickly moves and lunges at me, swinging a big haymaker. I move my head to the side to avoid it before giving him an upper cut. Before he can fall backwards to hit the ground, I follow up with another two crosses to complete the combination.

I stand my ground, waiting for him to get back up, I don't want this to be over just yet. But I also need him to be the one that continues the fight, knowing that my in-store cameras will be catching all the action.

Back on his feet, he charges head down towards me, and I time my knee to crash into his face as he makes contact with me, forcing him to crumble to the ground in front of me. I again allow him to get back up, Diane is yelling at me to stop, but I have no intention of doing that. This fucker has punched her, the woman I love. Now it's my turn.

As he again gets to his feet, I'm wondering if he'll be smart enough to walk away at this point, but no, he's not.

He again throws more punches; I raise my hands and use my shoulders to absorb them before landing more than a few good strikes of my own to send him backwards and onto the ground yet again. His nose is bleeding everywhere, he already has a big cut above his eye as well, probably from my knee. But yet, he's again standing, and comes at me one last time.

This time I give him my best right cross, landing flush on his temple as he moves towards me flailing away again. It drops him instantly, he's almost unconscious at this point. As he lays there at my feet, I grab him by the collar and drag him out of the store like some drunk at closing time.

After I throw him to the sidewalk, I lean down over him as I decide to remind him of a few things.

"If you ever come looking for Diane again, I'll fucking do way more than just beat the crap out of you! Cowards like you not only deserve to be beaten; you should be in fucking jail you pathetic piece of shit. Don't ever call her again, no texts, no nothing or I'll come and find you." I tell him as I can see a police squad car approaching, obviously one of my employees must have called them already.

I gave the police my in-store camera footage, explaining to them who he is and what he's doing here, they then take him away for processing. At least now something might happen to him.

After the police have left and everything is settling back down, I find Diane sitting out the back of the store, she's crying and holding her hands up to her face. I approach her, kneeling down to give her a hug.

"I'm sorry, Jack. I'm so sorry for all of this. I can't believe he'd come here looking for me. I never wanted to get you involved in this."

"It's okay, he's gone now. If he ever comes near you again, he'll be in even worse shit than he already is. The courts will no doubt give him a proper restraining order this time, they can't not do it after today. And besides, you've always got your knight in shining armor, remember?"

"Thanks Jack, I don't know what I'd do without you. I just wish I'd never met him, hell, I just wish that we'd never broken up to begin with. I should've gone to Iowa State with you like my parents wanted me to. I should never have gone to Princeton, none of this would've happened if I made the right choice back then." Diane almost sobs into my ear.

"Woulda coulda shoulda. What's done is done. We're here now, just you and me." I reply.

Diane hugs me tightly in response, and I hold her until she gets herself together before I make her a coffee and we both get back to work.

That evening as I'm just starting to cook dinner for myself at home, my doorbell rings. I'm a little surprised as I open the door to see Diane standing there with a bottle of wine in her hand.

"Come in, have you eaten yet? I just started cooking." I ask.

"Sure. What are you having?"

"Steak and vegetables. I'll throw another steak on for you, if you can help me with the vegetables." I reply as I lead Diane into my kitchen.

"I just wanted to apologize again for everything that happened today, I never wanted to drag you into this, but thanks for looking out for me again." Diane says as she begins to help prepare the vegetables for us.

"Diane, I'll always protect you, no matter what. I always have, and that will never change. So, you have nothing to apologize for. I was just doing what I always do and will do again a thousand times over if I have to." I respond as I grind some pink salt onto our steaks.

"I know you will. I'm just frustrated because I don't know how he even found me; my parents didn't see him; they didn't tell him I was at the store. He had no way of knowing that."

"I know. The police detective spoke to me not long ago after they interviewed him, he said Jason was tracking your phone, that's how he found you. Did you guys have one of those phone finder apps installed on each other's phones?"

"No. I had no idea that he put one on mine either, although that sounds very much like something he'd do. I'm probably going to have to get a new phone now, great."

"You could, although he also informed me that they're not only seeking a five-year restraining order against Jason, but they're also charging him with assault. He might not be around much longer to hassle you even if he wants to. The Detective's going to talk with you in the morning about it all, he was actually calling me to arrange the return of the hard drive with my camera footage when I spoke with him."

"So, you're in the clear, then?" Diane asks.

"Yeah, of course I am. That's why I kept letting him get back up and come at me when it happened. I was just defending myself, wasn't I?"

Diane begins laughing, looking at me and shaking her head.

"You knew exactly what you were doing all along, didn't you?"

"Yeah, and I enjoyed it too. I was trying hard not to smile knowing that the cameras were on." I reply, laughing along with Diane.

We sat down to eat our meal together, chatting with each other, sharing the bottle of wine as well. It's clear to me that I want nothing more than to have Diane fully in my life once again. That I feel like I'm missing a part of me when she's not with me. But I'll wait for her to be ready, we've got the rest of our lives together as far as I'm concerned.

As we stand beside each other in the kitchen after our meal, with me washing the dishes and Diane drying them, she begins to snap the hand towel on my ass when I'm taking too long.

"Hey, keep that up and I'll be forced to tickle you, and you know once I start, I can't stop." I joke with her, just like we have since we were kids.

"Big words, tough guy." As Diane again snaps the towel on my ass making a large 'crack' sound.

"Okay, that's it." As I drop the washcloth and begin chasing Diane through the house.

I catch up to Diane in the living room, grabbing her from behind and falling back onto the couch with her still in my arms. Diane can't stop laughing as I go to work with my tickling, she's squirming, but there's nothing she can do about it.

"Alright, alright, please stop. I'm begging you." Diane pleads as she turns to face me, with her still laying on top of me on the couch.

I stop my tickling, we're both smiling at each other as Diane is looking directly down into my eyes. She leans in and kisses me on the lips, a soft kiss, before she breaks it and keeps looking into my eyes some more.

"I love you, Jack. I've always loved you. I'm sorry that I screwed things up between us, but I'm hoping you'll give me another chance." Diane whispers softly to me.

"You don't even need to ask me that. You should know already that I'll always love you; I can't help but be in love with you. It's like I don't have a choice, I never have."

Diane kisses me again; this time I kiss her back. I want her so bad I can feel it in my bones. She slowly gets to her feet, holding out her hand. I take Diane's hand as she leads me into my bedroom.

Well, I guess she's ready.

As we lay in each other's arms after having the best sex I can remember for such a long time, Diane looks up at me smiling once again.

"What is it this time? There's something behind that smile of yours." I ask her.

"Do you know what today is? Do you know what's special about today's date?" Diane asks.

"Umm, No. I have no idea. What we just did was pretty special, does that count?"

"Yes, it was special, but that's not what I'm referring to. Think about it for a moment."

I can't think of anything special about this date, and Diane is now giggling, seeing me trying to figure it out.

"I'll give you a clue. It was ten years ago to this very day." Diane replies.

I think to myself some more, ten years ago we were both sixteen in high school. But what happened on this day? I have no idea.

"Oh god, your useless." Diane begins laughing.

"Give me another clue, I'll figure it out." I answer.

"Clearly not. Obviously, this day meant way more to me than it did for you." Diane chuckles in her response.

"Ohh..." I respond, as it dawns on me.

"Ten years ago today is when I first asked you properly to be my girlfriend. It was the first time I told you that I loved you, that I'd always love you from that day on." I add while smiling, I'm glad that I remember it in the end.

Diane kisses me softly again, the way she's looking into my eyes right now is just making me want her even more.

"I'm happy you remember it. Are the words you told me then, are they still true now?"

"Yeah, more than ever."

We kiss again, and I can feel myself stirring back to life down below. Maybe the night is not yet over.

"Hold on, did you come over here to seduce me tonight just because it's our ten-year anniversary?" I ask her, not able to hide my smile.

"No, I'd never do that, or would I?" Diane laughs cheekily as her hand slides down my body to start fondling me once again.

"Well, I don't care either way. I'm just happy you did." I reply as we continue making out once more.

It took another two months before Diane's divorce finally came through. It only took me one more week to propose to her, for us to be engaged to be married like we were always destined to be. Of course, she said yes, and made me the happiest man in all of Iowa.

Her now ex-husband avoided jail time narrowly, he's serving a two years' probation, and has a five-year restraining order that will definitely send him to prison if he breaks it. So far, he's been smart and has had no contact at all with Diane.

A few more years have gone by now, we're still very happily married and have two boys already and a daughter on the way. The hardware store is doing well with Diane running it with me, just like my parents Tom and Janice did while raising me and Gabby. I just can't wait to teach my boys to play football, I might even get into coaching.

As for Diane, she's still my best friend, the one person I can't be without. And I know she's happy too, because she still loves to tease me like she has ever since I can remember. That's always right before we try to tear each other's clothes off and make love. Having kids makes that a little more difficult, but somehow, we still manage.

Yeah, they say life goes on, long after the thrill of living has gone. We're walking on.

The End.