"What is it Linda? Whatever it is, it can't be that bad." Vanessa stated quietly. She was beginning to think the worse.

Linda hesitated for a few more minutes, finally turning in her seat so she could watch her sisters' face as Vanessa drove.

"Mark and his wife are getting a divorce." She announced quickly.

Vanessa tensed marginally knowing her sister was watching her. "It that what you waited all afternoon to tell me? Good grief . . . I though you'd killed someone or something." Vanessa answered lightly.

"Is that all you have to say?!" Linda asked.

Vanessa only shrugged, "I'm sorry for Mark." She finally replied. "Are you going to call him?" Linda asked.

"Mark and I haven't talked to each other in a long time. I doubt he'd want to hear from me in the middle of a divorce." Nessa state wryly.

"He needs his friends right now. Apparently his wife is saying a lot of trash to get a better settlement." Linda informed her.

Vanessa only shook her head. She knew Mark's career as a wrestler had really taken off and he was incredibly popular. She'd even seen the shows a couple of times when she remembered. In her daydream she nearly missed the exit and snapped back before Linda could say anything.

"I think you should call him." Linda suggested. Nessa shook her head again, "That's not a good idea." Vanessa answered. "Mark made his decision." She mumbled as she pulled into her sisters' driveway.

"Mark needs his friends." Linda insisted. "Then I know you and Jacob will be there for him." Vanessa replied quietly. Nessa wasn't sure she even qualified as one of Mark's friends anymore.

Part II

Jessica?! Jessica!" Nessa shouted into the phone, trying to interrupt her assistant.

"I have a flight in less than two hours. Whatever it is will have to wait till I get back." Vanessa decided. "Make sure the final draft arrived at the New York office." Nessa grumbled as the doorbell rang.

"I have to go. The car's early. I'll call you when I get to New York." Nessa rattled as she hurried toward the door.

She hung up the cordless and answered the door at the same time.

"Hello Vanessa."

Vanessa's heart nearly stopped when she saw him. He was wearing dark jeans, a leather sleeveless shirt. His dark shades hid his eyes. His hair was pulled back in a tight braid. His lip curved slightly when she didn't respond immediately.

"Hey." She finally managed. "How are you?" she asked regaining her composure.

"Can I come in?" he asked. "For a minute, I'm actually on my way out." Vanessa rambled as she opened the door wide. "I'm on my way to New York." She mentioned. Vanessa stopped suddenly, "How did you know where to find me?"

Marked moved to the center of the room and turned to face her. Her heart caught in her throat. She had nearly forgotten how gorgeous he was. She'd made herself forget; it hurt too much to remember.

"Linda told me the name of your publisher. I contacted your assistant. She told me you'd be home this morning." ‘Mental note, fire Jessica.' Vanessa though. ‘That girl has the discretion of the National Enquirer.' "It's been a long time. I know you're in a hurry, but don't you have some time for an old friend?" Vanessa laughed without humor. "I could ask you the same thing." She mentioned. Mark shuffled his feet a bit; "Yeah . . .we haven't really talked in a while." "Yeah, it's been a while." She agreed. "I really have a flight to catch."

Mark smiled, "You did it. You're a writer." He mentioned. Nessa couldn't stop the smile that ran across her lips. "Yeah, my first book is being published before the end of the year. I'm on my way to New York for some meetings." "Jacob talks about it constantly." Mark continued. "He's your biggest fan." "He talks about you as well. He says you're very popular. That's great. Congratulations." Vanessa remarked.

"I've missed you." Mark stated simply.

Vanessa tossed the phone to the couch, and then shoved her hands into her pockets when she felt them start to tremble. Whatever she wanted to say simply wouldn't come out of her mouth.

"I really can't do this right now." She mumbled. She moved toward the door again when she heard the doorbell.

The car service driver entered, "Take those to the car please." Pointing to her luggage, "I'll be down in a minute." She instructed him.

When the driver left she closed the door, taking a deep breath and turned back to Mark. "I have a flight to catch. She restated.

"I want to talk to you." Mark asked heatedly. It was so much easier to switch to anger than the emotions swirling in her heart.

"Well unfortunately I can't drop everything because you decided to drop by for chat after 5 years." She snapped. "I have to be somewhere right now. I don't have time to discuss. I can't stop my life right this second."

"I'm not asking you to. I'm asking for a few minutes. You don't have a few minutes for an old friend?" Mark asked.

"Don't you dare try that one with me, okay. ‘Friends'?" she asked sarcasm evident in her tone. "You haven't exactly been making my phone ring off the hook. But I'm supposed to stop what I'm doing because you decided to come by." She asked.

Mark took off his shades hanging them on his open shirt. Nessa ignored the sadness she saw.

"Nessa . . ." Mark began. "No." Nessa interrupted. "You walk in here and expect me to drop everything. We'll I've got news for you. I haven't been sitting around waiting to see if you'd ever call. You decided we wouldn't or couldn't be friends anymore. You stopped calling and you shut me out." She rambled.

Vanessa began to pace the room. "Do you realized the position we put our friends in? Nobody even mentioned your name in my presence. I got tired of being treated like the tragic ex. You think I moved out here for the scenery?" She asked.

"I never meant for any of that to happen. Mark replied quietly.

Nessa laughed, "What did you think was going to happen? For who knows how long everyone thought we were together. In everyone's mind we broke up. Wouldn't everyone be shocked to know you never even cared?" she snapped.

Taking a step toward her, "That's not true. You've always been . . .important to me." Mark objected.

"Whatever." She replied, waving her hand. "I guess that's why you walked way from our friendship without a backward glance."

"Nessa . . .I know a lot of things have happened. A lot of time has passed. But I've thought about you everyday." Mark tried.

"Kind of inconvenient when you're married." She interrupted.

Mark sighed heavily, "We never should have gotten married. I thought she reminded me of you." Mark admitted. "After Jennifer and I broke up I wanted . . .needed to talk to someone. I needed you. I realized I loved you. More than anything in the world. I needed you back in my life." Mark confessed as he walked toward her.

Vanessa stepped back, her heart aching to hear his admission of love. She took 3 careful breaths before she spoke.

"There was a time when that would have meant everything to me." She admitted in a whisper. "When we stopped talking . . .it hurt. A lot.

You were my best friend and then I had no one. You walked away from our friendship; you took it away without saying a word. But that time is over. I learned to live without you. I won't go backwards." She explained.

"Bit." Mark began, "You need to give us a chance." "Don't call me that! And I don't need to do anything." She snapped. "I won't be anyone's second choice." Vanessa stated.

Mark walked and stood directly in front of her. "You're not a second choice, but I need a second chance. Nessa, tell me you don't love me, and I'll go away."

"Just go away. You did it once before. You're very good at it." Nessa reminded him "Tell me you don't love me." Mark asked. "I don't need you." Vanessa snapped. "Tell me you don't love me." Mark demanded, his voice rising. "Just go!" Vanessa shouted.

Mark reached out and buried his hand in her hair pulling her to him. He lowered his head to her.

"Tell me." He whispered against her lips. Mark slid his other hand along her waist; he pressed his lips to hers. Gently at first, when he felt her resist, he held her tighter and deepened the kiss, crushing her lips to his.

Vanessa was startled when Mark lowered his head. When his voiced dropped and he whispered, she'd nearly fainted.

When she felt his lips against hers, she'd resisted at first but when he held her tighter she melted into his chest. Her mind swirling, looking for a reason to say no. Her brain finally clicked to reality. Vanessa's fist plowed firmly into his midsection, making him gasp and stagger back.

"You egotistical, arrogant, obnoxious bastard!" she yelled. "I said LEAVE!" "Tell me you don't love me. That you don't want to give us a chance." Mark demanded, when he regained his wind.

"Are you hard of hearing? One too many shots to the head? GET OUT! I don't love you! I don't need you! GO AWAY!!" She yelled.

Mark reached out, laying his fingers on her cheek, he ran his thumb along her still swollen lips, "Now who's being hard-headed?" he asked.

Vanessa slapped his hand away, holding her temper by a thread.

"I'm not going to go away." Mark informed her. "I'm off work to deal with the divorce and some injuries. I'm not going to give up on us."

"There is no ‘us'." She snapped.

"There will be." Mark assured her. "I love you ‘Bit. I always have. I was a fool to let you go years ago. I'm older and wiser now. I won't make that mistake again. You love me and I have faith that you'll stop being stubborn long enough to let me back in." Before she could stop him he lowered his head again and kissed her soundly.

"Have a good trip. I'll be here when you get back." Mark walked toward the door and opened it to leave.

Vanessa sighed, "Well, you've made yourself perfectly clear. Allow me to do the same. There is no 'us'. There won't be. We had a past. And that's exactly what it is and where it will stay. In THE PAST.

I've lived without you for a long time. I plan to continue doing so." Vanessa announced. Before Mark could respond she slammed the door shut.

Part III

Vanessa's knees' buckled and she sat down heavily on the coffee table. ‘Damn that man knows how to get to me.' She thought viciously. ‘How dare he just waltz back in here and expect me to drop everything for him. He probably thought I've been waiting patiently for him to show up.

Screw him. Dammit he's been out of my life for almost five years and I sure as hell didn't need him now.'

Vanessa' s fingers unconsciously went to her mouth, her lips still slightly swollen.

‘Damn he knows how to kiss.' She shook her head, shaking the memory of lips pressed to hers form her head.

"Oh who the hell am I kidding?" She asked out loud, dropped her head on her hands.

From the minute she'd opened the door she'd been a goner. The short glimpses she'd seen of him had not done him justice. He'd changed a little over the years. His arms were now adorned with tattoos. And his hair was little darker. He'd put on muscle in all the right places. The tattoos gave him a reckless air. The mustache he now wore made that damn sexy smile even sexier. The few times she'd seen him on television had been difficult. It was too hard to watch him and know she couldn't pick up the phone. To tell him how great he was doing. Or ask if he was okay when he went down hurt.

"I can't do this again." She mumbled. "He's getting out of a bad marriage. I won't be the rebound chick."

Nessa stood angrily, "So he's decided it's time for us. To hell with him. I don't run my life by his time schedule. I'm just supposed to fall in line cause he snaps his damn fingers. I don't think so."

Nessa walked down to the car, ordering the driver to rush so she didn't miss her flight.

Nessa angled her head to the side when she heard the song on the radio.

"Turn that off." Nessa snapped. Then closed her eyes as the song continued to play in her head.

Vanessa stared out the window; wiping the tear that slid down her cheek, wondering if she'd made a mistake.

"Believe Me Baby (I Lied)"
Kim Richey, Larry Gottlieb, Angelo
If there ever was a time
That I could use your trust in me
And if there ever was a reason
For me to get down on my knees
And if there's any way (if there's any way)
That you could love me anyhow
If you ever had much faith in me
I could use a little now
When I said it would suit me fine
If you were out of sight and out of mind
That wasn't me talking
That was my wounded pride
When I said I didn't want your love
And you were no one I was thinking of
Believe me baby I lied
Well I got no good excuses
But I got plenty of regrets
And I wish this was some bad dream
I could wake up and forget
'Cause you're the only one (you're the only one)
That I could never stand to lose
You're all I've ever wanted
Baby that's the truth
When I said it would suit me fine
If you were out of sight and out of mind
That wasn't me talking
That was my wounded pride
When I said I didn't want your love
And you were no one I was thinking of
Believe me baby I lied
Hey!
When I said it would suit me fine
If you were out of sight and out of mind
That wasn't me talking
That was my wounded pride
When I said I didn't want your love
And you were no one I was thinking of
Believe me baby I lied
Believe me baby I lied

Part 4

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