My LOVE is Forever (Book 4-1st Alternate Ending)

Part 4

The crowd roars into a frenzy, on the huge screen on stage, a stylized image of Prince with his eyes closed, but the third eye open, fills the area. In a flash the image changes to a grid of images similar to the Hit N Run album covers.

A blast of color flashes and Prince is silhouetted, holding his signature cane, the crowd screams louder. He's so close, yet intangible, just being back in the same building with him is making hard for me to breath. The screen raises, and there he is, my eyes fill with tears. Dammit! I still love him. He walks forward, then struts the stage, I feel him take notice of me, even before our eyes meet. I hold my breath and bite the inside of my lip, reminding myself: don't you dare let him see you cry.

When he sits and begins to play Little Red Corvette, I allow some of the tears to spill free. It's a song that I grew up with, one of the first ones that caused me to fall head over heels for this mysterious man. He transitions into Dirty Mind, another blast from my past, this song made me question all the odd feelings my prepubescent body was starting to experience. This song caused me to not just look at him as a singer, or just some guy that played guitar, but also as an object of my young affection. I didn't know why at such a young age, but I was sure I was destined to love this beautiful, petite, doe-eyed man.

He slips back into Little Red Corvette, then Linus and Lucy, and Nobody Do It Like I Do. I'm still lost down memory lane, caught somewhere between a child and a blossoming woman. I was still playing with Barbies, and riding my bike with a transistor radio hooked to my handlebars, but also getting that mushy feeling when I would look into his eyes on his album covers, and fantasizing about being his wife.

When the melody for Nothing Compares to U starts, my stomach flips, although I've heard the lyrics a million and one times, when he gets to the part 'all the flowers that you planted, mama, in the backyard, all died when you went away' he looks directly at me, an image of the garden at the Minnesota house flashes into my mind.

I have to cover my mouth and run as fast as I can to the ladies room. Falling to the floor, I lose what remaining crackers I had left in my stomach. When I pull myself off the floor and step out of the stall, Angel is standing there with her own tear stained cheeks. She pulls me into one of her tight hugs, "Dana, we can leave. You don't have to put yourself through this."

I make my way to the sink and rinse my mouth out with water, and check my makeup, it's not as bad as I thought it would be, thanks to the waterproof mascara. I decide I don't care how ridiculous it sounds, I tell Angel what I feel, "I need to be here. I don't know why, but it feels important."

"Okay," she sighs and rubs my back, "We'll stay."

We make our way back to our seats and Prince makes it obvious that he noticed we were gone, he looks my way several times. When we had returned, Angel situated me between her and Marcus, and for some reason I do feel calmer. I do my best to block the fact that, barely a month ago, I was part of this man's life. I separate myself from that woman, and try to be the woman who is 'just a Prince fan'. Slowly, I begin to lose myself enough to sing along and dance to the music, that is until he steps away from the piano for a brief intermission.

In the darkness, a man's shadow, almost the same size as Marcus, approaches me as the crowd screams for Prince to return. "Dana?" I hear the familiar voice, before I recognize it's Kirk. He doesn't have to say another word, I follow him around and behind the stage. I'm lead to the door of Prince's dressing room, "He's expecting you," he nods. I open the door to find Prince is sitting slumped. His legs are bent, but open, and his arms rest on his thighs, his head hangs. I can see his sharp shoulder blades through the fabric of his tunic. He looks so much smaller than I remember leaving him.

"Prince?" As I say his name, his head lifts and a warm smile appears, he's up and striding across the room towards me. "Sugar!" I'm pulled into his insanely strong embrace.

"Prince, please don't call me that," I'm trying to stay strong, but I cling to him as tightly as he clings to me. It's then I realize I can feel more bone than flesh on his small frame.

He releases me slowly, "I'm sorry, Dana," he looks broken as he steps back.

I take in how tired he looks, and frail. "Are you doing okay?" I ask him, genuinely concerned.

He nods, but it's not convincing, "Have you been alright?" His eyes are full of worry.

"No, Prince. I'm not going to lie to you, I haven't," I run my hand over my face, now I feel trapped, I start scanning the small dimly lit room.

He nods again, but I know he noticed my flight response, "I have to get back out there, but I would like to talk to you later. Are you able to come to the 10:00 show?"

"I'm able to, but..." I shake my head. He nods, taking in a deep breath, he averts his gaze.

I make a counter offer, "We're spending the night out here. Angel, Marcus, and, and, me," I stumble. "When you're done, if you want, you can call me."

He looks up at me, then looks away, but I can tell he's considering the offer, "It'll be late."

"I'm familiar, I was your wife," I can't resist the jab.

"Dana," he breathes, "I die a thousand deaths every time I think about how much I hurt you," he takes my hands in his, "I know you hate me."

"I wish I did, it would make it so much easier. Fact is, Prince, I still love you. I always have, I always will," my voice cuts out as I choke back tears.

These words seem to cut him deeper than the jab, he whispers, "I still love you, too."

He moves in to hug me again, I shake my head, "Please, don't, I'll lose it."

Unconsciously, my hand comes up to rest on my abdomen as I fight back another wave of nausea.

He frowns when he notices my hand, then his eyes meet mine, he takes a step back, "Promise me you'll take care of yourself, no matter what," he pauses waiting for my answer.

I nod sadly, "I promise."

"I'll love you forever, Sugar," he says before he leans in and kisses my cheek just like he used to do. And just like that, he's gone.