New Year, New Beginning
John was on his way back to Llanview after meeting
with a witness in a murder case on Llantano mountain
and he was trying to beat the worst snowstorm of
the year back to town..
The further he drove the worse the storm got.Suddenly
he turned a curve and got his car stuck in a snowbank.
"Damnit."he said banging his hands on the steering
wheel.
He climbed out of the car and tried to push it out
of the snowbank but it was no use.
Just then he spotted another car coming and flagged
it down.
Evangeline was coming home after visiting her friend
Beatrice Talley who had just moved to Pine Valley.
She was trying to beat the storm back but wasn't having any luck.
She was driving through the worst part of it when
she noticed someone up ahead of her trying to
flag her down.She slowed down and stopped.
When she rolled down the window she was surprised
to see that it was John.
"John what are you doing up here in this weather?"she asked
John climbed in the car and said."I was interviewing
a witness in the Campbell case and I thought I could
beat the storm back but my car had other ideas."He said looking toward his car.Then he looked at her and
said."Same question.What are you doing up here
in this weather?"
"I was visiting an old friend in Pine Valley.I thought
I could be the storm back but I was obviously wrong."
Evangeline said looking out the window at the worsening storm.
"We better find shelter until this passes over."John
said."Here switch places with me."
"You don't think I can handle driving in this?Why is
it that men always assume they can handle a car
better than a woman?"Evangeline asked
"That's simple.Men are just naturally better drivers."
John answered.
"Ok let me ask you this.Who plowed who's car into
a snowbank?"
"Touche."John said laughing."Let's just drive and
see if we can find a cabin before we freeze to death."
A few minutes later they spotted a cabin and stopped.
They walked up to it and Evangeline said."Ok how
do we get in?"
John looked around for a key and when he didn't
find one he said."Do you have a hairclip?"
"Yeah."she said taking it out of her hair.
John straightened the clip then he pulled out his
pocket knife and two minutes later he had the
door open and they were inside.
They looked around and Evangeline said."It's not
much but it will keep us warm and dry until the
storm passes."
John nodded and said."Give me a few minutes and
I'll have a fire roaring in that fireplace."
As promised a few minutes later John had a warm
toasty fire going.
When he was done they sat on the couch and watched
the flames for a while in a very uncomfortable silence.
Finally John stood up and said."I think I'll look around
and see if there's any food in this place.I haven't
eaten since breakfast."
Evangeline looked up and said."Wait anything you
find here is probably old.There are some cheeseburgers in the front seat of my car.They're cold but at least it's food."
John smiled and said."ok stay here and I'll go get
them."
"Ok."she said."Oh wait there's also a thermos of
hot cocoa in the front floorboard and some plastic
cups."
"Ok I'll be right back."John said heading for the
door.
John came back in a few minutes later with the burgers thermos and cups and saw Evangeline walking over to the fireplace with a cast-iron skillet and said."Are you planning to hit me over the head with that?"
Evangeline smiled and thought to herself."I hadn't
thought about it but it's a good idea.Maybe it'll
knock some sense into you about a certain redhead."
John noticed the smile on her face and said."Evangeline did you hear me?"
She looked up and said."Huh?No I wasn't going to
hit you with it.I thought we could heat the burgers
up over the fire."
"Oh that's a great idea."John said handing her the
burgers.
A few minutes later they sat down to eat and John
said."Can we talk?"
"Sure about what?"Evangeline asked curiously.
John hesitated and then said."How are things with
you and Cris?"
"Cris and I broke up.John I don't know how to tell
you this but he and Natalie have been sleeping
together."
John smiled sadly and said."I know.I just didn't know
you knew."
"Believe it or not I walked into my apartment and
they were having sex on my couch."Evangeline
said disgusted with the image of it.
John laughed and said."Same here.If I had had my
gun I would've shot them both."
They both laughed and then he said."You know
it's New Year's Eve.What do you say we make
a fresh start?"
"What do you mean?"Evangeline asked
"I mean I love you and I want to try again.Only
this time I want to do it right.I want you and the
rest of the world to know that I love you and I
always have."John said hopeful that she would
give him a chance to prove his love to her.
Evangeline looked at him in shocked anger and
said."You love me.Why couldn't you tell me that
almost 19 months ago?"
"Evangeline you have to understand.Before my
accident I hated myself.I didn't think I was worthy
of the love of an amazing woman like you."
Evangeline glared at him and yelled."That's bull John.You were just a coward."
"You're right.I was a coward but while we're at it, so
were you."
"What?"Evangeline said getting angrier by the second.
"You heard me.You were a coward.Do you remember.
saying to me 'I'll stick with you forever.And me asking
you not to give up on me because we were worth
fighting for.So why is it that the minute something
happened that shook you up you bailed."
"John you told Natalie that you loved her.Something
that you couldn't or wouldn't say to me."Evangeline said
"I didn't tell Natalie that I loved her.What I told Natalie
was that I couldn't lose another person that I loved.But
for your information I did try to tell you that I was falling
in love with you but you had fallen asleep.Besides
didn't I once hear you tell Nora that you would never
get involved with another man who has been linked to
Natalie?"
"I may have said that but what does that
have to do with anything?"She screamed
John blew out a heated breath and said."Hello, Cristian Vega is Natalie's ex-husband.You can't get any more involved then that."
"Ok, ok I know.Wait what do you mean you tried to
tell me that you were falling in love with me but I
fell asleep.When did that happen?"She asked confused.
"Remember my birthday.I was rubbing your back and
you fell asleep.I started to tell you that I was falling in
love with you but then I heard you snoring."
"So you're blaming your inability to tell me you love me
on me?Unbelievable."
"No, no damnit.It was my fault.Our break-up was my
fault because I was stupid and cowardice.I'm just
asking for another chance to prove that I really do
love you.I love everything about you.From your beautiful
mind all the way down to that cute little snore of yours."
"John stop this.We've been over for a long time.Let's
just get through this and then move on as friends."
"I don't want to be your friend.I love you damnit.And
whether you want to admit it or not.You love me too."
"John please."Evangeline said exasperated.
"Look at me.Tell me to my face that you don't love me.
That you don't think of me.That you don't still feel us
and what we had.Tell me that and I'll leave you alone."
John said grabbing her face so she would have to look
at him
"John I..I..."she stuttered
"See you can't do it.You can't tell me that you don't love
me because you love me as much as I love you."John
said still holding her face.
Evangeline pushed his hands away and turned toward
the fireplace."Yes John I still love you but that doesn't
mean I want to jump back into bed with you."
"I know I don't want that either.I want it to be different
this time.I want us to take things slow.I want to go out
on dates.Cuddle on the couch.I want to walk down the
street and in the park holding hands.You know what
a real couple does.Please say you'll give us a chance."
John said hopeful for the first time that night.
Evangeline couldn't deny it any more she wanted what
he wanted."Yes John I'll give us a chance but when we
get home can you help me do something?"
"What?"John asked smiling.
"Can you help me burn our couches?"Evangeline said
smiling back at him.
"I think I can do that."John said laughing.
Evangeline looked at her watch and said."Hey it's almost midnight.5,4,3,2,1.Happy New Year John."
"Happy New Year Evangeline"John said leaning in for
a kiss.
Six months later they married in an quite and beautiful
wedding at St.James church with family and a few
friends in attendence.
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