Edge of Desire
Three
The sun poured in through the thin fabric of Frances’ window curtains, causing her to stir in her sleep. She let out a yawn and pulled for her blanket, trying to get more of the material, when she felt a pair of hairy legs rub against her own smooth ones. Her eyes flew open and she sat up, covering her mouth with her hands. A naked John O’Callaghan was lying next to her, sleeping peacefully.
She began glancing around her room, seeing their clothes strewn about on the floor and an opened Trojan wrapper lying on her nightstand. Suddenly, her stomach was turning and her heart was racing.
“What the fuck did we do!?” she whisper-yelled to herself, panicking. “Oh my God, Oh my God,” she repeated, picking up John’s white v-neck from the floor to put it on. She ran to her bathroom, and began pacing in front of the sink. “Fuck!” she cursed, tugging at her hair.
She heard her phone vibrating and quietly opened her bathroom door, checking to see if John had woken up. When she saw him still sleeping quietly, she tip-toed over to where her jeans were, grabbing her phone from the back pocket. She ran back into her bathroom, answering the call.
“Hello?”
“Frances, you finally answer!” Amelia, her best friend, yelled. “We have less than three hours to get to the airport! Are you ready yet?”
“Oh my God, the airport!” Frances screamed, panicking even more now. “How far away are you?”
“I’m ten minutes from your house! Frances, please tell me my phone call was not what woke you up!”
“It wasn’t!” she said, but the guilt in her voice gave her away.
“Oh my God, Frances! You’ve been reminding me of today for the last two weeks, and now you’re-“
“I know, I know, I know!” Frances rushed, cutting her off. “I’ll just have to hurry! If I’m not done by the time you’re here, just wait for me in the driveway!”
Amelia sighed. “Alright. I’ll see you, Frankie.”
“See ya!” She hung up the phone and rushed to get a start on brushing her teeth and washing her face.
Although she felt completely disgusted with herself, she didn’t have any time to shower. She threw her dark brown hair up in a messy bun, and shrugged on a pair of jean shorts, and an oversized grey tee shirt. She grabbed her phone charger from the wall and threw it into her purse, before throwing the bag over her shoulder. She grabbed her two suitcases, and after taking one last long look at John’s face, she hurriedly left her room. Descending the stairs had been another hard battle, but at last her feet landed on flat ground.
“Hey, Frankie, have you seen John?” Garrett asked her, walking into the living room.
She shook her head, hoping the look on her face didn’t give her away. “No, not since last night. Look, I’m already running late and Lia’s here …”
Her brother nodded his head, giving her a hug. “I’ll miss you, kid.”
She laughed, giving him a squeeze. “I’ll miss you, too, Gare.”
“I put a picture of me in your suitcase already, just so you can always see my sexy face whenever you want,” Trey told her before pulling her into another hug.
She rolled her eyes playfully. “Oh, you didn’t have to do that,” she said dramatically, making him laugh.
“Remember to call, and don’t talk to strangers!” her mother stated, tears already running down her cheeks.
Frances struggled to hold her own back. “I will and I promise not to,” she said.
“We’re proud of you, Frankie,” her father told her, giving her a strong hug.
“Thanks, dad.” After pulling away, she grabbed her suitcases and headed for the door. Before stepping out, though, she glanced over her shoulder. “I love you,” she told them, smiling.
After haphazardly tossing her luggage into Amelia’s trunk, Frances buckled herself into the passenger seat. Amelia wasted no time in backing out of the driveway and speeding like a madwoman down the street.
“Something happened,” she said, breaking Frances’ train of thought.
“What?”
“Something happened last night. What was it?”
Frances sighed, rubbing her forehead. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, Lia.”
“Try me.”
Frances looked at her. “I slept with John last night.”
Amelia slammed her foot down on the brake, and Frances thanked God that there was no one driving behind them. “You what!? Oh my God, Frankie!”
Frances covered her hands with her face. “I’ve never felt so horrible in my entire life.”
“Why in the hell do you feel horrible? Frances, you’ve been in love with John since you were sixteen! You had your first wet dream about the man, and now that you’ve finally gotten the real thing, you feel bad about it!?”
“Of course I feel bad about it, Lia!” Frances yelled, pulling her hands away from her face. “I slept with a man whose still in love with his dead wife!”
Amelia’s face fell. “Well … when you put it that way …” her voice trailed off, which only made Frances feel worse.
Tears began hoarding her eyes and she felt her bottom lip tremble. “All that I wanted was one last measly night in Tempe with no problems before starting over in Chicago. Instead, I ended up sleeping with someone who will never feel for me, the way I feel for him.”
“Oh, Frankie,” Amelia cooed, on the brink of crying herself. “I’m sorry …” Before either of them could say another word, a speeding car pulled behind them, honking its horn. Both turned around, and nearly fainted when they saw the driver get out. “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”
Frances slowly nodded her head, watching the person’s long legs run up to her window. They knocked and she rolled the window down, her mouth hanging open.
“I know you’re running late, but I need to talk to you, Frankie,” John rushed, sounding breathless.
“Sure,” Frances said, still looking like a deer caught in headlights. “I’ll be back,” she told Amelia before getting out of the car.
John wasted no time in cradling her face between his hands, looking straight into her eyes. “Please just let me say what I have to say,” he pleaded. She nodded her head. “I’ve spent the last three years of my life feeling completely numb to everyone and everything around me. When Jana died, I felt as if my life ended, too. I never wanted to smile or laugh again. I never wanted to sing or go back on the road. I never wanted to think about, or even look at another girl. And then you started coming around. Frankie, I’ve known you since I was eighteen years old, but it wasn’t until that day when you came over to my house, that I saw you; really saw you. You are so beautiful, and so … so fucking amazing and I didn’t know how to deal with that.
A part of me will always love Jana, because she was once a big part of my life. But I look at you – I look at you, Frankie, and I feel everything so much more stronger, and I can’t lose out on that. I can’t! I’m scared to death because you’re leaving and I’m scared that I might get my heart broken again, but a part of living is taking chances, and so that’s what I’m doing. I’m putting myself out there and I’m willing to take the risk if you are, Frankie,” he finished, his eyes glazed with tears.
Frances had listened to every word John spoke. She’d let the words swirl around and settle in her brain. Her heart was racing and she had tears steadily streaming down her cheeks, but she couldn’t deny the way she felt. She loved John. She’d loved him since the moment Garrett first invited him over to the house.
“I’m willing to take the risk,” she finally whispered, smiling.
A smile fanned across John’s face as well, and he leaned in to kiss her. It was a short, sweet kiss, but it spoke volumes. However, before either could get too lost in the moment, a loud honk startled the both of them.
“If you still want to make Chicago, we’ve gotta go now, Frankie!” Amelia yelled.
Frances sighed and looked back at John. “I’ll call you when I land,” she promised, giving him another quick peck on the lips.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Sometimes the things you want the most don't happen and what you least expect happens. You meet thousands of people and none of them really touch you. And then you meet one person and your life is changed forever.
Life is funny that way.
She began glancing around her room, seeing their clothes strewn about on the floor and an opened Trojan wrapper lying on her nightstand. Suddenly, her stomach was turning and her heart was racing.
“What the fuck did we do!?” she whisper-yelled to herself, panicking. “Oh my God, Oh my God,” she repeated, picking up John’s white v-neck from the floor to put it on. She ran to her bathroom, and began pacing in front of the sink. “Fuck!” she cursed, tugging at her hair.
She heard her phone vibrating and quietly opened her bathroom door, checking to see if John had woken up. When she saw him still sleeping quietly, she tip-toed over to where her jeans were, grabbing her phone from the back pocket. She ran back into her bathroom, answering the call.
“Hello?”
“Frances, you finally answer!” Amelia, her best friend, yelled. “We have less than three hours to get to the airport! Are you ready yet?”
“Oh my God, the airport!” Frances screamed, panicking even more now. “How far away are you?”
“I’m ten minutes from your house! Frances, please tell me my phone call was not what woke you up!”
“It wasn’t!” she said, but the guilt in her voice gave her away.
“Oh my God, Frances! You’ve been reminding me of today for the last two weeks, and now you’re-“
“I know, I know, I know!” Frances rushed, cutting her off. “I’ll just have to hurry! If I’m not done by the time you’re here, just wait for me in the driveway!”
Amelia sighed. “Alright. I’ll see you, Frankie.”
“See ya!” She hung up the phone and rushed to get a start on brushing her teeth and washing her face.
Although she felt completely disgusted with herself, she didn’t have any time to shower. She threw her dark brown hair up in a messy bun, and shrugged on a pair of jean shorts, and an oversized grey tee shirt. She grabbed her phone charger from the wall and threw it into her purse, before throwing the bag over her shoulder. She grabbed her two suitcases, and after taking one last long look at John’s face, she hurriedly left her room. Descending the stairs had been another hard battle, but at last her feet landed on flat ground.
“Hey, Frankie, have you seen John?” Garrett asked her, walking into the living room.
She shook her head, hoping the look on her face didn’t give her away. “No, not since last night. Look, I’m already running late and Lia’s here …”
Her brother nodded his head, giving her a hug. “I’ll miss you, kid.”
She laughed, giving him a squeeze. “I’ll miss you, too, Gare.”
“I put a picture of me in your suitcase already, just so you can always see my sexy face whenever you want,” Trey told her before pulling her into another hug.
She rolled her eyes playfully. “Oh, you didn’t have to do that,” she said dramatically, making him laugh.
“Remember to call, and don’t talk to strangers!” her mother stated, tears already running down her cheeks.
Frances struggled to hold her own back. “I will and I promise not to,” she said.
“We’re proud of you, Frankie,” her father told her, giving her a strong hug.
“Thanks, dad.” After pulling away, she grabbed her suitcases and headed for the door. Before stepping out, though, she glanced over her shoulder. “I love you,” she told them, smiling.
After haphazardly tossing her luggage into Amelia’s trunk, Frances buckled herself into the passenger seat. Amelia wasted no time in backing out of the driveway and speeding like a madwoman down the street.
“Something happened,” she said, breaking Frances’ train of thought.
“What?”
“Something happened last night. What was it?”
Frances sighed, rubbing her forehead. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, Lia.”
“Try me.”
Frances looked at her. “I slept with John last night.”
Amelia slammed her foot down on the brake, and Frances thanked God that there was no one driving behind them. “You what!? Oh my God, Frankie!”
Frances covered her hands with her face. “I’ve never felt so horrible in my entire life.”
“Why in the hell do you feel horrible? Frances, you’ve been in love with John since you were sixteen! You had your first wet dream about the man, and now that you’ve finally gotten the real thing, you feel bad about it!?”
“Of course I feel bad about it, Lia!” Frances yelled, pulling her hands away from her face. “I slept with a man whose still in love with his dead wife!”
Amelia’s face fell. “Well … when you put it that way …” her voice trailed off, which only made Frances feel worse.
Tears began hoarding her eyes and she felt her bottom lip tremble. “All that I wanted was one last measly night in Tempe with no problems before starting over in Chicago. Instead, I ended up sleeping with someone who will never feel for me, the way I feel for him.”
“Oh, Frankie,” Amelia cooed, on the brink of crying herself. “I’m sorry …” Before either of them could say another word, a speeding car pulled behind them, honking its horn. Both turned around, and nearly fainted when they saw the driver get out. “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”
Frances slowly nodded her head, watching the person’s long legs run up to her window. They knocked and she rolled the window down, her mouth hanging open.
“I know you’re running late, but I need to talk to you, Frankie,” John rushed, sounding breathless.
“Sure,” Frances said, still looking like a deer caught in headlights. “I’ll be back,” she told Amelia before getting out of the car.
John wasted no time in cradling her face between his hands, looking straight into her eyes. “Please just let me say what I have to say,” he pleaded. She nodded her head. “I’ve spent the last three years of my life feeling completely numb to everyone and everything around me. When Jana died, I felt as if my life ended, too. I never wanted to smile or laugh again. I never wanted to sing or go back on the road. I never wanted to think about, or even look at another girl. And then you started coming around. Frankie, I’ve known you since I was eighteen years old, but it wasn’t until that day when you came over to my house, that I saw you; really saw you. You are so beautiful, and so … so fucking amazing and I didn’t know how to deal with that.
A part of me will always love Jana, because she was once a big part of my life. But I look at you – I look at you, Frankie, and I feel everything so much more stronger, and I can’t lose out on that. I can’t! I’m scared to death because you’re leaving and I’m scared that I might get my heart broken again, but a part of living is taking chances, and so that’s what I’m doing. I’m putting myself out there and I’m willing to take the risk if you are, Frankie,” he finished, his eyes glazed with tears.
Frances had listened to every word John spoke. She’d let the words swirl around and settle in her brain. Her heart was racing and she had tears steadily streaming down her cheeks, but she couldn’t deny the way she felt. She loved John. She’d loved him since the moment Garrett first invited him over to the house.
“I’m willing to take the risk,” she finally whispered, smiling.
A smile fanned across John’s face as well, and he leaned in to kiss her. It was a short, sweet kiss, but it spoke volumes. However, before either could get too lost in the moment, a loud honk startled the both of them.
“If you still want to make Chicago, we’ve gotta go now, Frankie!” Amelia yelled.
Frances sighed and looked back at John. “I’ll call you when I land,” she promised, giving him another quick peck on the lips.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Sometimes the things you want the most don't happen and what you least expect happens. You meet thousands of people and none of them really touch you. And then you meet one person and your life is changed forever.
Life is funny that way.