The Other Woman

Monica shot up in bed and just looked at him. She didn’t say anything for a while, but when she had her voice back she told him, “Say it again.”

“I didn’t say anything.” he said looking at her.

She told him in a demanding tone, “Say it again Frank.”

When he opened his mouth her heart started to beat faster, “I…” was all he started off with.

But he didn’t want to be a coward any more. Frank looked right at her and said, “I love you.”

Monica let out a gasp as her heart burst inside her chest and the tears started to flow again, “Say it again.” She told him.

“I love you.” He said as he took her into his arms, “I love you.”

She wrapped her arms around him and held onto him for dear life. After a while she pulled him she cradled his face in her hands and asked, “You really love?”

He placed both of his hands on her wrist and twisted her hands so that he could kiss the palms of her hands, “I do love you. I love you.”

He watched as she pulled away from him and a look came over her face which he insistently didn’t like, “Monica…” he started off before her slapped him across the face stopping his words. He stared at her with his hand on his check and a surprised look on his face, “What was that for?” he sort of yelled at her.

“That is for wasting all the years we could have had together and this is for all the shit you put us through.” At the end of her sentence she jumped on him and started to punch and slap every part of him that she could.

Frank was stunned and happy all at the same time. He allowed her to hit him so that she could get all of her frustration out. After a while though he over powered her and flipped her onto her back kissing her passionately.

“are you done with your tirade?” he asked her breathlessly from the kiss.

She looked up at him and smiled, “maybe.”

He smirked down at her, “Well I guess I am going to have to do something to keep your mind from beating me then.”

This time when his lips touched hers they were soft and gentle. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip until she opened up and allowed him entrance. This was the first kiss that they shared knowing that they loved each other.

Frankie poured his heart into the kiss and he knew that she was too as they both fought for dominance. Monica let him win and relaxed into his arms as one of his hands messaged her forehead.

She groaned as he grounded his hips into hers and on reflex pushed hers back against his. She loved the feel of him. After a few more minutes kissing, touching, and grinding Frank pulled away from her. placing his forehead against hers he said, “We need to talk.”

Monica nodded her head. They did need to talk and they needed to get some stuff out in the opened if they were even going to make it work and last this time, “I know. So, what did you want to talk about?” she asked as

Taking a deep breath and lifting up off of her he asked, “Did you sleep with Jepha?” at first he thought that she wasn’t going to answer, but then she did.

“Yes, it happened after I stormed off. It was only that one night.”

Frank felt his heart clutch in his chest. Moving so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed he said, “Tell me what happened between you guys this whole week.”

So she did. She told him everything he wanted to know.

***
Monica met Jepha the next day for lunch like she had promised, “Jepha.” She said as he engulfed her in a hug.

“Monica,” he said as he held her in his arms and inhaled her scent.

When they finally sat down to eat Jepha knew that what was going to happen today was not going to go in his favor, it was just a feeling he had. As they ordered their food they just simply looked at each other and smiled.

Monica thought how she was going to do this. She had stayed up most of the night and she thought everything over and she knew she was making the right decision. She knew that she had to do this if not for her, then for him because she did want him to feel the same she had been feeling all these years.

“Go ahead and speak Monica. I know you have something you want to tell me.”

She gave him another smile as she thought on how she was going to say this to him. When the thoughts and words came she took a deep breath and began, “Jepha I just want to say thank you for last night first. That was the best night of I’ve had in a while because the person I was with loved my and I never had that experience before…” tears threatened to fall, “But I can’t…I…I can’ be with you. I thought that I could, but I realized that I can’t.” a tear fell down her face as she continued; “I don’t want you to fell how I felt with Frankie all these years. I could be selfish and be with you, but I don’t want that. I care enough for you to be with someone who will love you as fully as you will love them. I want you to be happy and loved and in the end that means not being with me. Frank took a big chuck of me and I don’t know if I will ever get it back. I’m sorry Jepha, but I can’t be with you like this. It wouldn’t be fair.”

After she was done talking the food arrived and then the sat in silence for a while before he spoke up, “I know Monica. I know that you can’t be with me even if a big part of me wishes that we can. All I ask of you now is two simple things.” He told her.

She wiped her face, “What are they?” she asked.

“The first one is that we will continue to be friends. Even if we just speak over e-mail I still want to be in touch with you.”

She smiled at him, “Sure. That’s alright with me, but what’s the second thing?”

He hesitated a little, but said it anyway. It couldn’t hurt their situation than what it already is, “In the future if you are no longer with Frank and I am with no one and you learn how to let him go that we try and work on a relationship. That is if I still feel the same for you and that you grow to love me. Deal?”

“Deal.” She said and stuck out her hand for him to shake. The rest of the meal was spent how any two friends would spend it.

***
She told him everything not waiting to hold anything back from him. Crawling on the bed until she was behind him she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder, “what about you?”

He didn’t want to say who he was with, but he knew that she deserved to know since she shared what happened between her and Jepha, “I was with Kaitlin.” He felt her flinch when he said Kaitlin, “It was only that one night as well.”

“Was there anyone else?” she asked him.

He wished that he could see her face, but he couldn’t, “yeah there was someone else.” He said as he turned around to tell her. She’s the most beautiful and strongest woman I know. She put up with a lot of shit for me and she still stuck it out. She gave me the best gift in the world and that’s my son Anthony. She’s also has these grey eyes and whenever I stare at them I get lost in their depths. They are like the clouds of a storm they way they change, like pale grey when she’s sad, or almost black when she angry or in passion, or how it looks like lightning is flashing in the whenever she is excited or happy.” He placed his hand on her cheek, “and I love her with all my heart even when I didn’t know if I could or wanted to love again. She scared me, but she finally showed me what real love was even when I mistreated it.” He brought his lips to hers and gently kissed her lips.

After the kiss they changed their clothes into pj’s and climbed into bed with each other. There was still a lot to talk about, but that could wait until later all they wanted to do was hold onto the other. They didn’t do anything besides holding each other and kissing. After a while they were able to fall asleep knowing that the other would be there in the morning.