To See You

Chapter 15

"You do realize that we're being followed?" Zelda asked Boone as he placed his hand in the small of her back to help her around a drunk person who was yelling something about being the man. She didn't mind Boone's hand touching her.

"I do, your friend Simone has been with us for the past three blocks," Boone whispered into her ear.

"Do you think we should be concerned?" Zelda asked, worried about what would happen if she reported that she had seen them together.

"No, I did some checking, and while it is highly discouraged, nowhere in the school's handbook does it say anything about students having relationships with their instructors. Although, I don't think we have reached the relationship stage yet," he added.

There was that word 'yet' again. Zelda found herself suddenly shy about the subject. It reminded her of the break down she had in front of him, and she was still embarrassed that she hadn't been able to hold it all together. She still hadn't allowed herself to think about what it had meant, what Boone had meant when he had said that she had been all that he had wanted. Zelda knew they would have to talk about it sooner or later but later seemed best.

"Eden is going to be jealous when she finds out that I visited your bar and watched you sing again." Zelda changed the subject, peeking up at Boone as she did.

He gave an amused smile but decided to run with the change. "About Eden, there is something I should tell you." He paused, and Zelda felt body tense. Had he discovered the truth? There was no way he could have.

Zelda took a shaky breath. "Yes?" she asked, prepared to defend herself.

Boone stopped and looked down at her with a questioning look. Zelda met his gaze, but the fear had to be evident.

They walked for a bit with Boone deep in thought, forgetting to finish what he had been about to say.

"Boone!" she hissed. "What about Eden?"

"Oh, I think you should know that she's proposed marriage," he smiled. "It was while we were picking out her doll."

Zelda couldn't help her relieved sigh. "How did she take it when you told her no?"

"I didn't tell her no," Boone said with mock astonishment. "I told her that I would have to think about it and let her know. Eden agreed that it was an important decision and said to let her know when I had made up my mind."

Zelda rolled her eyes.

"Hey, it's an important decision, and I have to take my time and consider it. Eden will know if I don't," he said in a defensive tone.

Zelda laughed. "Yes, she will, and then she will be mad. Did you have to think hard before you proposed to Anna?" she asked the questions before she thought better of it. Anna was his former fiancé. The girl he had been engaged to when Zelda had left town with Collin.

Boone was quiet for so long she didn't think he was going to answer and by the time they reached her door she had all but given up on his answering, but as she turned to say goodnight, he pulled her down to sit on her front steps.

"Anna was a habit. We had dated for so long that our engagement was expected. I asked her to marry me before you and I were seeing so much of each other that last year because of school. I had always admired you, my best friend's sister, and it wasn't until that last year as I got to know you that I realized I had made the wrong choice. But I am a man of my word, and I did care for Anna, so I carried on with the plan." Boone took Zelda's hand, tracing the lines on her palm.

"So what happened?" she asked on a whisper.

"Anna felt me pulling away that last year, and when she saw us kiss under the mistletoe she realized that what I felt for her wasn't strong enough to carry a marriage, so she dumped me." He gave a sad smile. "By the time we had called it off, you were full speed ahead with Collin, and I felt that if he was what you wanted I couldn't stand in the way of it, and I always believed it to be the right decision until recently."

Boone looked up at Zelda. "So many what might have beens."

Zelda felt tears once again building. "What happened to Anna?" She couldn't help but think that it was such an anticlimactic story after their admissions in the library.

"She got married a few years later and moved to Texas. She has two kids, a third on the way, and is blissfully happy."

Zelda nodded, happy for her, glad she wasn't miserable.

"And you have Eden," Boone said, looking for her silver lining.

"Yes, but I'm not blissfully happy," she admitted.

"What other secrets are you keeping close, Zelda? I have a feeling, after the way you tensed when I brought up Eden, that it's about Eden." He took her hand and kissed it, they were so wrapped up in each other that they had forgotten about Simone.

"I'm not ready to share that one, Boone." Zelda shook her head, looking away from him.

"But there is a secret?" he confirmed, watching her.

"Yes," she could tell him that much.

"She's not Collins?" he asked. "Although she does look a lot like him."

Zelda shook her head while looking down the street and noticing a familiar figure as reality bleed back into their tiny bubble.

"We've been followed to my doorstep." She nodded in the direction of a hovering shadow.

"Then perhaps I shouldn't try for a goodnight kiss," Boone said, standing and holding out his hand to help her stand as well.

"No, probably not," Zelda agreed.

They stood close in silence for a moment and Zelda wanted him to kiss her and to hell with Simone.

"I should go," Boone finally said. "I'm a bit upset that I didn't get to see Eden."

"She had better be in bed," Zelda said in an attempt to lighten the mood as she stepped away from him and moved up the steps to her door. "Thank you for telling me about Anna."

Boone nodded.

"You'll let Eden down gently, right?" she asked just before she opened the door.

"Sure, Zelda, I'll buy her something pretty." Boone smiled.

Zelda couldn't help but wish her heartache could be mended as easily as she said goodnight.

Netty was waiting for her and said that Eden had been a perfect angel. They had talked for a few minutes then Netty had left and quiet descended on the house. She checked on Eden and then stood in the living room numb. She refused to think about how close she had been to happiness. If she had known that Boone and Anna had broken up before she had left she never would have gone, her entire life could have been different. She had been so close.

There was a knock at the door, and she looked through the peephole to see Boone.

"Boone?" Zelda asked as she opened the door.

"I forgot to tell you how lovely you looked this evening, Zelda," he said pulling her close. She knew he was going to kiss her, a real kiss. One of his hands cupped her head as he rested his forehead against hers, taking a deep breath.

"In case I forgot to tell you, Zelda, I still only want you," he said as he captured her lips with his. Zelda couldn't help it as her arms wound around his neck, and she allowed herself to kiss him as she had always wanted, as she kissed him in her dreams. Zelda was lost as Boone took his time, and the kiss slowed from urgent to tender.

Eventually, he pulled away and rested his head against hers. "We'll go slow, Zelda, until we're both ready to say everything that needs to be said."

Then he gave her one more kiss before he walked away, leaving Zelda filled with hope that maybe one day she would be blissfully happy.