Sorry it has taken me so long to put this up here. I've been busy with school and homework and trying to find a job that I never took the time to post it.
But here I am and hopefully it was worth the wait 
Happy Reading!
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PART FIVE—Present
Her world continued to tilt on its axis until she felt herself completely upside down. Reaching for the granite counter, Lana held herself steady, preventing herself from falling over. It was a shock to her system to see Charlie again. It had been over six years since she had seen him, but he seemed to be recovering better than she was, this eyes slowly returning to normal. “Hey, Lana. Long time, no see, eh?” he asked with a coy wink, his smile spreading across his rugged face. She just now noticed the five-o-clock shadow darkening his jaw and the deep, toasty-brown color that dusted his skin. His hair was darker, almost black, highlighting his eyes even more.
Lana looked away, unsettled, but manage to say, “Yeah, right,” before her parents led them into the dinning hall.
The seating arrangement was easy enough to control; Lana sat between her parents while Charlie sat between his. It was the fact that his knee was inches from hers beneath the table that left her shifting anxiously in her seat. Lana would forever forget the food she ate, and the conversation her parents had with the Boon’s because her only focus was Charlie.
He was the same way. It was more than a surprise to enter the Louise’s household and see Lana standing there in the middle of the kitchen. He had to admit, she looked better than he had remembered. She was still tall, blonde, and golden-eyed. But there was something about her, a modesty, a hidden sorrow, that made his heart want to reach out to her. He wondered if she still wore strawberry Chaptstick…
He turned away, taking a bite of the casserole. He knew that there were barely three inches from her knee to his and he had the sudden urge to press his into hers, to feel her warmth, to feel her touch. It had been too long since he had seen her. It was at their high school graduation that they had last seen each other, St. Joseph’s and Ridley’s having it together. She had looked so sophisticated in her black strapless dress and her hair up in a slick pony that he had wanted to take her right then and there and run away together. But they had both agreed to let their relationship go. They were going to different colleges, different careers. They no longer had anything in common.
“So, Charlie, what do you do now?” They question by Mrs. Louise caught both of them off guard, both jerking upwards in their seats.
“Ah, I am in architecture design.”
“Oh, so like houses and buildings, right?”
“Yes, that’s right, Mrs. Louise.”
“That’s wonderful, dear. A very successful job.”
“Thank you.”
“I still wish Lana would have gone into something like that, but no…” her mother trailed off, smiling sweetly at her daughter before turning back to her plate.
Lana felt the color rise in her cheeks, and she opened her mouth to defend herself. “I’m a photographer.”
“Oh,” the Boon’s all uttered in unison.
Lana frowned. “I work for the Princeton Post.”
Mr. Boon perked up then. “Really? You do what there?”
“Sports events, parades, politics. Anything really. I’m basically freelance.” Lana smiled warmly at him, her confidence seeping back.
“Interesting.” Mr. Boon nodded his approval before talk returned back to neutral ground, such as cooking or the local gossip. As it turned out, Tiffany Snider was married, divorced, remarried again, and had three beautiful girls. Lana resisted the urge to roll her eyes. So typical of Tiffany. She also learned that Harry Simon was also married, one boy and another one on the way. He now worked as a Real Estate Agent in the next town over. Lana perked up at this. She had always seen Harry as a sensible, successful man. Nothing like the one across from her, reckless to the bone.
After dinner, they all retreated out into the porch for a glass of champagne and to enjoy the warm, summer air. Lana chose the wicker rocking chair in the corner, away from her parents and the Boon’s, who were all crowded around the steps up to the house. She sipped her champagne, loosing herself in the bubbly liquid. It felt good on her tongue, slipping down her throat to ease her troubled mind and slightly unsettled stomach. Lana was so caught up in her thoughts and the champagne that she didn’t notice when her parents and the Boon’s retreated back inside.
“Everyone went back inside.” She glanced up slowly, daring to look him in the eye. They were still those mysterious forest-colored eyes that had stunned her from day one. His face was all seriousness, his jaw clenched tightly.
“Yeah.” Lana nodded, gazing around to notify what he said.
“It’s kind of chilly. You sure you don’t want to go inside?”
“Positive. But thanks for asking,” she mumbled, finishing off her glass. Charlie cocked his head to one side, and Lana lifted her eyebrows at him. “What?”
“You’re different,” he said simply, sitting on the rocker beside her.
“Yes, most people do change after high school, Charlie.” They both froze after she uttered his name for the first time since their graduation. Waves of feeling flowed through both their veins, but Charlie played it off with a grin.
“I guess. I haven’t, though.”
“No, I think you will always be a little boy at heart,” Lana teased, easing comfortably back into the rocker.
Charlie laughed, and Lana’s ears perked up, filing away the sound in her memory bank. It was still deep, husky, alluring. Everything about him was. Alluring, that is. “Still that crazy firecracker, I see,” he noted with twinkling eyes. Lana chose not to reply, staring down into the deep recesses of her cup and wishing she had more champagne. Charlie seemed to read her mind and removed himself to get some more for her.
After both their glasses were full, silence settled around them. It was uncomfortable at first, and Lana wished she could think of something clever to say. But then, it slowly turned to back to the way it used to be—sitting under the stars, looking up into the heavens. “I heard you were in the hospital, Lana.”
“You heard right.”
“Was it serious?”
“Not really. Only the flu.”
“The flu? Is this about—“
“Yes, Charlie, it is,” Lana snapped, taking a huge gulp of her champagne.
He glowered. “Don’t get so defensive. I was just asking.”
“Sorry, I just…when people ask about it, they look so disgusted, as if it were worse than an STD or something.”
“Well, it is an STD, Lana.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t get it from messing around, Charlie. I was born with it,” she practically shouted, as if she needed to explain herself to him.
“It’s okay, Lana. I know that.”
There was a short pause, then, “Do you remember the day I found out?” She heard a deep sigh come from him, and she spun her head around to face him. His expression was troubled, his brow pinched as if the memory caused him real pain.
“How could I forget that, Lana?” he asked softly, turning to meet her eyes.
“Was it really that scary for you?”
“Of course it was! One minute, you were this healthy, beautiful woman and the next, you were this sick, almost dying person in a hospital bed. I barely recognized you, Lana.” His voice broke at the end and he had to turn away. Lana was surprised to realize that this was still hard for him, even after all these years.
“I kept telling you to go home—“
“But I never did.” His eyes returned to hers.
“No, you didn’t.” Lana swallowed, her mouth suddenly as dry as the Sahara. “I wish…I wish…” Lana trailed off. What did she wish? That they were still together? That they had never broken it off? That he was still her boyfriend? Lana shook her head. She didn’t know what she wanted anymore.
“You wish what?” His voice was so soft, so persuasive, that Lana caved.
“I wish that things could go back to the way they were, Charlie. Back to the way before that day in the hospital. We never had the life we should have had because I was so sick. After the doctor diagnosed me with AIDS, I was in and out of the hospital all the time. Out senior year was so hectic, I barely saw you except in my hospital room after another episode as simple as a bad cold.” Lana cut off, unable to continue for she felt that familiar tingling feeling in the back of her throat and she knew that the tears weren’t far behind.
“Sometimes, I wish the same thing, Lana.” Her eyes flew to his, her heart jumping into her throat. “But other times, I think that what we did was the best possible solution. We weren’t happy, always fighting and arguing because you couldn’t go out anymore with our friends. You can’t say that it wasn’t like that, because it was. Yeah, we had some good times…great times.” He laughed softly. “But those are over, Lana. You just gotta let it go.”
“Let it go? Let it go!” She jumped to her feet, disbelief written all over her face. “How can I, Charlie? How can I because even after all these years, I still care about you, dammit! I still love you, Charlie!” Instantly, after those fateful words left her lips, she clapped her hands over her mouth and slowly backed away from him. Charlie looked stunned, caught between feeling ill and immense joy. Wait, why was he happy? Because he still loved Lana too? He looked up at her, let his eyes take in every bit of her, and that’s when he came to realize that yes, he did love Lana. But it wasn’t enough. He couldn’t give her the life she needed, the constant care she deserved. He couldn’t live with that heavy cloud over their heads; any moment, her life could be ripped form his hands…like it almost had those years ago. He didn’t think his heart could withstand another blow like that.
“Lana,” He slowly stood to his feet. “I love you too.”
She rushed to him and gripped his shoulders in her grasp. “Then why, Charlie? Why did you let me go?”
“Because I had to. Lana, I’m not strong enough. I can’t support you. You need a man to care for you, to live through all your struggles. I don’t think I could handle if anything ever…if you ever—“ he cut off, slowly removing her hands from his shoulders. Lana looked as though she had been punched repeatedly in the stomach. Slowly, her face tightened into an expression of forced calm. Charlie, however, could see the fury boiling just below the surface.
“You left me because you were afraid I would die?” she asked in exasperation, her voice breaking.
Charlie felt sick. The way she said it made it sound so much worse. “I’m sorry, Lana. I just—“
“No, don’t say anymore. I knew before that you weren’t the bravest man in the world, but I had never thought you a coward! Everyone dies, Charlie. Even you will. But when that day comes, I won’t be at your side.” And with that, she raced down the steps to her car, cursing and swearing with a ferocity that made even Charlie’s eyes go wide. But she didn’t care. She was through with Charlie Boon.
Forever.
