Their Forbidden Love Ch. 02

"Carmen, are you okay?"

The voice made me jump to my feet. "Yeah, I'm fine," I answered, wiping the tears. I looked at Mr. Atkins as he stood in the doorway.

"Did you find your purse yet?"

I let out a hard sigh and looked behind me. "No not yet."

"Here, I'll help you." He walked in when I nodded my head.

I looked around Jonathan's desk, but the only thing I saw was a picture of us taped to the post it board. I pulled off the picture and looked at it, feeling the tears return. Looking at the picture made me wonder how it could have been bullshit. We looked so happy, he looked so happy.

"I found it," he piped up, holding my black purse in his hand. He walked toward me and looked at the picture. "Man, he is an ass." He looked at me and wiped the stream of tears from my cheek. "I'm really sorry, Carmen."

"Did you know?" I asked, still looking at the picture.

He stepped back a little. "No, I had no idea. I don't know if you noticed, but I'm not his favorite person. I guess it's the age difference."

I sat on the bed staring at the picture. "I just don't get it."

He sat on the bed next to me. "I don't either. He really said he didn't care about you?"

"He didn't say much of anything after he told me."

"Man, that's fucked up even for him. I know what you're going through, Carmen. Finding out someone you really cared about wasn't what they seem can be hard."

"Is that what happened to you?" I asked remembering Jonathan telling me he was moving back home after his ex-wife cleaned him out. I looked at him, holding the picture in my lap as he lowered his head.

"Yeah. My divorce hit me hard. Michelle was my life, my high school sweetheart. I thought we would be together forever, but I was wrong."

"And now you're a thirty year old living with your parents."

"Wow," he said, shaking his head. "Thirty? That's how old you think I am?"

I shrugged my shoulders. I didn't really know how old he was. He didn't look old, but he was a divorced teacher, so I assumed he was. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"I'm not offended. I'm more shocked. I didn't realize I looked older."

"So, what's the real number?"

"Twenty six," he answered, leaning forward a little. "So you just added four years to my life. Thanks a lot," he grinned. God, he had a beautiful smile.

I smiled for the first time since leaving the party. "Well, being older isn't all that bad."

He smiled back and looked at me. "You say that now. You're young and beautiful, Carmen. There's someone out there better than Jonathan."

There it was again, the sadness. I looked away as the tears fell and being in Jonathan's bedroom was just more of a reminder. "I have to get out of here," I whispered, crumbling the picture in my hand.

"Hey," he whispered his voice soft and comforting. "Don't let him make you cry." I looked at him and he wiped away a tear with his thumb. "You'll see that there are better things out there."

I looked at the crumbled picture, pulling at the edges to fix it. "But I don't want anything else. I wanted Jonathan."

He put his hand on my cheek, forcing me to look at him. "You deserve better than Jonathan." He stared at me, making my heart race. He slowly moved closer to me and took the picture out of my hands and tossed it in the trashcan behind him. "You'll find someone that will appreciate you." We looked at each other, sitting there silent. What was happening? "Um..." He quickly stood up, giving me his back. "I should go downstairs. My food is getting cold." He left the room before I could react.

I picked up my purse and looked through it for my keys. I stood up and looked at the picture in the trashcan. Darrel was right though. I had to get over Jonathan. I picked up the picture and ripped it in half before going downstairs. I stood at the bottom of the stairs looking at Darrel sitting at the dining room table with his head in his hands. "Um, I'm going to go now."

He turned and looked at me. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

I slowly walked to him, pulling the strap of my purse over my shoulder. "You're sorry for what?"

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I have something to con-" He was interrupted when the front door opened. We both looked at Jonathan as he stared at me.

"Carmen," Jonathan whispered, slowly closing the door.

"Thanks for the ride, Darrel," I said ignoring Jonathan.

"Carmen, let me explain," Jonathan said, walking toward me.

I shook my head wanting so much to punch him. "Don't bother, Jonathan. You've said enough!" I tried to walk by him, but he grabbed my arm, triggering a reaction from Darrel.

"Let go of her!" Darrel yelled out.

We both looked at Darrel as he walked toward us. "Stay out of this, Darrel!" Jonathan looked at me, gently bringing me closer to him. "We need to talk, Carmen."

"There's nothing to talk about. You wanted to get back at Ethan and you did. You win," I cried.

"It's not like that."

"Just leave me alone, Jonathan."

Darrel pushed Jonathan. "Stay away from her!" he yelled, getting in Jonathan's face.

Jonathan looked at me and then at Darrel. "This isn't over, bro!" He stormed upstairs and the sound of a door slamming followed a few seconds later.

"Thanks, Darrel," I whispered.

"Are you okay?" He looked at my arm where Jonathan grabbed me.

"I'm fine." I was physically fine. But emotionally, I was a wreck. "I should go."

"I'll walk you out."

I opened the door and shook my head. "You don't have to do that."

"I want to." He followed behind me to my car. "Thank you so much, Darrel, for everything." I turned around to see him standing close enough for me to smell his cologne.

He locked his lips together tight before letting out a hard breath, taking my hand in his. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I just want to get out of here and forget this night ever happened."

"It may not seem like it now, but you'll get over him." The way he looked at me made my heart melt and my knees weak. He looked at me without saying a word. He just stood there looking in my eyes and I looked in his. His eyes were so beautiful, a bright blue unlike Jonathan's. Jonathan, I thought still struggling to believe that this was nothing more than a nightmare.

"Thanks, I know you're trying to help, but it's..." I looked down and shook my head. "If only I would have done my homework this wouldn't have happened."

"This isn't your fault, it's his." I could hear the sincerity in his voice and knew he was just trying to help, but I couldn't stand to be there anymore.

"I have to go," I said, reaching back for the door handle. "Thanks for the ride." He stepped back, holding the door for me. I took in a deep breath and looked up at the house. I don't know why, but there he was, Jonathan staring at me from his parents' bedroom. For a second it looked as if he was hurt, as upset as I was. How could he be hurting? I wondered, shaking my head as I sat down in the seat, still able to see him.

"Let me know if there's anything you need, okay?" said Darrel, leaning forward as I started the car.

"Thanks." I pulled out if the driveway after he closed the door. He waved from the driveway when I reached the street. As soon as I was out of view the tears fell and they fell hard, leaving trails of my sorrow on the fabric of my top. As I came to a red light the only thing that popped in my head was what we were told in driver's ed about not driving while angry or upset. If my instructor could see me now I'm sure he would take points off. "Ugh! Damn it, Jonathan," I yelled, hitting my hands on the steering wheel. I wanted so much to hate him, to tell him I never wanted to see him again, tell him I didn't care about him, but I couldn't. The truth was, despite finding out that our relationship was bullshit I still loved him. I loved him so much it hurt. Oh God my first real heartache. No wonder people stay single.