It's Never Too Late

Chapter 19

            Next day came and David’s wedding was going to be over the top, Terry made sure of that! David was not in love with Terry, he never lied, but knew that past her jealousy, there was a good person inside.

            He was angry, jealous of Emily when he asked Terry to marry him in front of everyone. His father was fixing his tie. “David, are you sure you want to go through with this? You still have time.”

            “I don’t want to,” David confessed.

            “Then why are you? You’ll end up destroying your life if you don’t stop, it’s better to stay single and find the right one,” Mr. Emerson explained.

            “Dad! I already lost her and Theresa is really a good person, she knows I don’t love her but I could end up loving her.” He wished he could believe his own words, but he didn’t. “Dad, I’ve already lost Emily, I don’t want to be alone.” David explained.

            “You have only lost her if you let it be. Listen to me if you don’t want to lose her she gave up on loving you because she thinks you love Terry.” Mr. Emerson explained.

            David was shocked he turned pale, “what are you saying?”

            “I am saying you still have a chance, take the jet and catch up to her, tell her how you feel,” there was a knock on the door and Mr. Emerson opened it. “Jimmy? What happened?” Mr. Emerson asked.

            Jimmy was David’s best man and he wasn’t ready, David went to see what was going on. Jimmy whispered something and Mr. Emerson left them alone.

            “David I can’t keep her secret, she left something for you to get after your wedding. The reason she couldn’t be here, there is something you have to know.” Jimmy was nervous, “I can’t let you go through this, it’s unfair, for you both.”

            David took the disc from his hands, “what’s this? Jimmy you better explain this to me, I don’t understand. What’s going on with Emily that you aren’t telling me?”

            “Watch it first, then I can answer any questions you have, listen to her own words. She made this for you the day you proposed to Terry,” Jimmy played the disc for David to watch and sat next to him.

            David’s eyes filled with tears, “I already lost her Jimmy, it’s too late. Emily’s never coming back. I don’t know where in New York she is. I was an i***t to not even be able to know.”

            There was a knock at the door, “the bride is ready, she is asking for you, the wedding is about to start, you have to come.” It was Terry’s father.

            “I want to speak to Terry before the wedding, I can’t go through with this, she knows I don’t love her I never did, she preferred to go through with it!” David said decisively.

            “My daughter is already at the altar.” He glared.

            David was nervous he looked at Jimmy, “how long have you known about this?”

            “That doesn’t matter. What matters is, what are you going to do about it? Are you going through with it or are you going after her? I’m with you whatever you decide. You have to decide now, what is it gonna be?” Jimmy asked.

            David went to the door, to Terry’s father and said, “I’m on my way!”

            Jimmy was shocked, he couldn’t believe David was still going through with this. Did he not love Emily as much as he said he did? No matter, he was still his friend and he was standing by his side.

            David turned to him like reading his mind, “it’s the only way she’ll listen, I will meet you outside.” Jimmy was relieved and went to wait outside.

            Helen saw Jimmy standing on the church exit and went to ask him what happened. “David knows about Emily, he wants to tell her. He is not getting married and asked me to wait for him here,” Jimmy was happy.

            “Jimmy, are you sure? Wait a minute you didn’t tell him, did you? Emily is going to be so mad! But, I love you, I’m coming I know how she thinks, I’ll call Emily to see where she’s at.” Helen said.

            Jimmy laughed at her sudden enthusiasm, “ok.”

***************

            David called Theresa to him, but she signaled him to hurry. Mrs. Emerson took David’s arm, “sweety, I hope you know what you’re doing.”

            David leaned over to her, “mom I’m not going through with this, I love Emily, I always did, Theresa won’t listen!” They got to the end of the aisle and he stood next to Theresa.

            “David, what’s going on? You look pale!” Theresa whispered, “you’re not giving up on me, are you?” She whispered angrily.

            David stood in front of her, took both of her hands and looked deep into her eyes hoping to get through to her. “Theresa listen to me, I never lied to you, I can’t marry you, I’m sorry.” Theresa turned pale.

            David let go of her slowly, all the stares were on him, the guests gasped shocked and Theresa’s father was angry. David took a few steps back, turned away and ran. Terry tried following but Mr. Emerson stopped her. Terry was furious, he kept walking out the door and now all the stares were on her.

            Jimmy and Helen were in the car, “Helen? I thought you were mad at me?” Helen turned to him happy.

            Helen sighed, “I was but I wouldn’t miss this for the world, you were about to make the biggest mistake of your life, you know that? If you married Terry, I was going to tell Jimmy not to show you that video, in my opinion it wouldn’t have changed anything.”

            “Which is why I decided to show it to him before the wedding,” Jimmy explained with a victorious smile.

            “I was trying to convince Emily not to go through with this, she thinks David loves Terry, she made her feel like she was after you and had the nerve to tell her ‘she’d die alone.’” Helen said angrily.

            Helen saw that it was a mistake, David looked maddened, “WHAT?!” Jimmy almost lost control of the car, “what did you just say?”

            “I thought you knew, that’s why Emily didn’t want you to worry. She hated the fact that you worried and tried to act like-oh you didn’t know?” Helen sighed. “Terry was jealous, Emily didn’t know why.”

            “Jimmy, was that the reason you asked me, if I told her about Emily being an orphan? I had to explain why I was in love with my ‘sister.’ I never imagined she’d do something like that,” David said.

            Jimmy remembered Christmas when Terry was saying things about Helen, he knew that if they had been alone he wouldn’t have taken that. “I know how you feel David, you have to relax, we’re here!” Jimmy was thankful they arrived, he didn’t want to explain what Terry had said about Helen.

            David ran inside to talk to the lady on the counter, while Helen went around to meet Jimmy, “what did you mean by that? Terry said something to you?”

            Jimmy sighed feeling uncomfortable and wishing David were there, Helen was waiting for an answer.

            “I trust you, you know that,” Helen looked at him, crossed her arms over her chest, wanting to know, “she warned me to be careful about you, that you might be like your sister. I told her to leave us alone and to stop—”

            Helen stopped him with a kiss, “I love you Jimmy, I love you even more after knowing this. Thank you for trusting me.”

            Jimmy looked at her tenderly and kissed her and embraced her, “of course I trust you, why wouldn’t I?”

            Helen hugged him, “I just hope I never see Terry again!”

            Jimmy took her hand and walked to where David was, “where were you guys? I’ve been looking for you!”

            Neither Jimmy nor Helen spoke they looked into each other’s eyes and giggled as if they had some secret joke.

            David was surprised, “what happened you guys? You are like teenagers in love.”

            They looked at him and Jimmy looked back at Helen, “right now I am” he cleared his throat nervously, “in love I mean.”

            David turned to the man who was saying that the jet was ready for them, “are they coming with you?”

            “Yes, they both are.” David said while looking at them strangely.

            They followed, “since you guys didn’t bring luggage stay with me, in case security wants to know, you still have to walk through the x-ray machine.” They did as he told them and went through without problems.

***********

            Meanwhile, Emily was in her office she wasn’t going to start working yet, but she was there to talk to her new boss, Mrs. Charleston and to meet new co-workers.

            Mrs. Charleston walked her over to an office, it was nice. She would soon start working in that office. Emily loved the view, but missed her old office. She missed David and her friends.

            Emily was looking over at some documents when her phone rang, the number was unknown, she answered, “hello?”

            “You!” Terry’s booming voice came angrily from the other end, “it’s all your fault! Where’s David? He married me and left! He left because he loves you, he told me but, he’s mine! He married me! He’s my husband now!” Terry sounded drunk, “Where is he? You slut!”

            Emily felt sad, I left San Francisco to get away from everything and even New York didn’t seem far enough!

            She was angry that Terry was calling her, after she was trying to forget David, “I don’t know where he is! And, how did you get my number?”

            Terry hiccupped, “I will find David, he’s mine because he married me!”

            Emily felt her blood boil, “David is married to you, it’s what you wanted. So, stop calling me you got what you deserved!”

            Mrs. Charleston overheard her conversation when she was walking into the office, but stopped short until she hung up.

            She walked in and sat across from her, “Ms. McAllister, you can go home now, but I expect you back next week.”

            Emily smiled and shook her hand, “thank you.”

            She left, her backseat in her car had boxes. She still needed to get settled in her new apartment. She sighed thinking of all the boxes she had to carry upstairs. She wished David were here, again! Will I ever stop thinking about him? Will I ever stop missing him?

            She thought about the call from Terry and wondered if Jimmy gave him the disc. Nothing could be done now, because David was married she would have to learn to move on. She thought it silly that Terry thought David was there when he didn’t even know her address, or her new number. He didn’t know where she was.

            She liked New York, but not the fact that there was too much traffic, still she had nothing else to do, besides getting home and settling in before the next week.

***************

            When they arrived to New York, Helen called Emily. “Hi sis, guess what? I’m in town and I wanted to come see you,” she had it on speaker.

            “Wait, I’ll come get you, are you at the airport?” Emily asked excitedly.

            “Jimmy rented a car, we want to look around as we’re coming to you.” Helen thought quickly.

            “I’m at work, I can give you the address to my apartment, ask the security for the key, I’ll tell him I have visitors and he’ll let you in. I’ll be there in a few.”

            “Ok,” Helen said excitedly.

            “Helen? Do you know if Jimmy gave David the disc?” Emily asked after a moment of silence.

            “He did,” Helen said. She wrote the address, the apartment was beautiful, Jimmy and Helen waited in the living room.

                David walked from side to side in the foyer, “when is she coming back?”

            The door knob started to sound, Helen and David went towards her, she handed David a large box which was large enough to cover his face and he took it.

            “I’m sorry Jimmy, thanks you guys, what happened? I knew something happened when you called.” Emily sounded worried.

            “Where do you want the box?” Helen asked taking another box from her.

            “That’s going in the living room I got some frames, I’m putting our family pictures there,” she was taking her jacket off and turned to Jimmy, walking to her.

            David came up behind her and helped her with her jacket. “Thank you Helen.”

            “For what?” Helen asked coming into the room.

            Emily’s face went pale, she turned to see David staring down at her, her heart stopped and then beat very fast. Am I dreaming? Could this be real?

            His eyes shined when he looked at her and they were silent for a moment, “Emily.”

             “David!?” Her question was more of a shocked remark, “Helen what’s going on here?” she turned back to David. “I thought I told you, I never wanted to see you again! Jimmy did you give him the disc?”

            “Emily! Damn it shut up, I came to talk to you about that, I want you to listen to me, so let me speak.” David said while taking her shoulders.

            “NO! I- isn’t it enough? I don’t need your sympathy, go!” Emily freed herself angrily and started to walk away from him.

            Helen was starting to get mad at her sister, “Emily! Listen, will you? There is a reason, I- we brought him here and we aren’t leaving!”

            Emily was mad, “Helen I’ll talk to you later, David thinks he can come and make it harder on me? I don’t think so! David go back to your wife. Terry called she’s looking for you, tell her never to—”

            David kissed her passionately, she felt her knees betray her she was falling. He caught her in his arms and kept kissing her.

            He looked into her eyes and for a moment they forgot they were in a room with Jimmy and Helen who were astonished.

            David kept looking into her eyes, “I didn’t know how to tell you. I ran hoping to stop you and that you’d turn back and stay. The truth is Emily I always loved you. I don’t know why Terry called, but I never married her. I’m not in love with her.” His whole body shook as he was saying this.

            Emily was speechless, Helen and Jimmy stood behind David. Helen had tears streaming down her cheeks, they were tears of joy she noticed, Jimmy was silent, astonished that David would do that.

            Emily didn’t know what to say, David was waiting for an answer, “I’m sorry David, but—”

            David looked disappointed, his hopes were shattered, he placed her down and he turned away. “That was not the answer I was expecting,” he sighed and looked at her, “I understand.” He walked towards the door.

            Emily blocked his way with a sly look in her eyes, “I’m sorry David if you think you’re getting away from me that easily your wrong,” she pulled him from his tie, and kissed him.

            David laughed, “ok you guys, let’s go Emily I can fax the resignation letter for you, they’ll understand,” Helen said.

            David and Emily turned to her, “what?” they said in unison.

            “They need you to sign some papers,” Jimmy silenced her, she saw Emily and David kissing again, “how cute, they can grow up so fast, huh?”

            They laughed at her comment, “You’re still my little sister.” Emily told Helen. She blushed and shrugged her shoulders.

            They packed Emily’s things and left to the airport, David held onto her hand. He felt right, something he never felt with Terry.

            Jimmy and Helen were walking behind them hand in hand. David finally understood why his friend acted so silly before.

            David didn’t let go of her hand but Emily had to admit she felt safe and she liked that. David pulled her to the counter, “come here, I won’t let you go.”

            David was going to say something after speaking to the lady on the counter, but were interrupted they had to take their flight back home.

            He thought of his parents who were on their way to their honeymoon, they wouldn’t be back until next week.

            He turned to Emily who sat beside him with her head leaning on his shoulder, he thought she was asleep and kissed the top of her head and she looked up smiling at him.

**************

            A week later, Mr. and now Mrs. Emerson were back from their honey moon. They were happy, to see David and Helen downstairs. Emily hid in her room.

            David welcomed them home, “Mom, Dad I want to introduce my girlfriend to you guys,” Mr. Emerson looked at David and back at Helen with astonishment.

            David went upstairs to get Emily, while Mr. and Mrs. Emerson waited with Helen, “So it’s not you, right?”

            “Of course not! I love Jimmy,” Helen said. They looked at each other silently, wondering who could it be.

            David appeared in the door way, “this is my girlfriend,” Emily walked from behind him and went to Mr. and Mrs. Emerson who hugged her nonstop.

            Emily sighed, “I missed you guys, now can I ask you a question Mr. Emerson?” They were shocked at the same time they couldn’t believe it, she’s here, it’s her!

            “Of course, anything,” Mr. Emerson said smiling.

            “Can I come back to work?” They all laughed, at her question, “I really missed you guys,” Emily said with a smile.

            Mr. Emerson and Mrs. Emerson were looking at each other in disbelief, “who told who? I mean we know David didn’t get married, but how—?” They looked confused, last time they acted like total strangers.

            “I was working when I got a call from Terry saying David went missing, she thought I had something to do with it. Minutes later, I get a call from Helen saying she’s there, I thought something happened. I wanted to pick her up but we met her at my apartment insteead.”

            Helen continued, “I got her address and David was so nervous when we got there. You should have seen, he was making Jimmy and me nervous, he wouldn’t stop walking from side to side. Ha, ha, ha I still remember when she got there.”

            David sighed, “I helped her carry some boxes filled with stuff for the living room, she handed to me and I couldn’t see. Helen asked where she wanted it, when I put the box down I saw her talking to Jimmy. She was trying to take her jacket off and I helped her, that’s when she finally noticed.”

            Mr. and Mrs. Emerson weren’t expecting it, “I’m glad.”

            David still had a question, “were you really never coming back? Was that true or was it the anger talking there?”

            Emily turned to him, “you have to understand that I had to get over you. I thought the only way was to never see you. Let’s just say that probably wouldn’t have worked I know Helen was right but I couldn’t stay either.”

            David hugged her, “I promise, I won’t let you get away from me, never again, I can’t lose you again.”

            Mrs. Emerson had a bag in her hands “I brought presents for everyone one for Jimmy. Helen if you want you can give it to Jimmy, tomorrow during lunch, or when you meet after work.”

            “They’ve called me?” Helen was overjoyed.

            “Yes, you will work alongside with doctors until graduation, let’s say someone put a good word for you, down where she works and they wanted you.” Mr. Emerson said.

            Mrs. Emerson looked back at Mr. Emerson, “I told you not to tell her. They want to see your work to hire you as a doctor after graduation, but you'll have to be learning first, so what do you say?”

            “I’m sorry hon I got too excited I had to tell her.” Mr. Emerson smiled.

            “I can’t believe it, when do I start? Did they say?” Helen said excitedly.

            “Tomorrow, they need you as soon as possible, the doctor heard about your job in Nashville and he wants you to be a doctor there, as soon as you graduate.” Mrs. Emerson said. “What do you think?”

            Helen was happy, my dreams are coming true!

                Emily went back to work as an anchor for Emerson News. Jimmy saw Helen every day, they started going out more often.

            Jacob came to visit her one day, “hey I heard you were back in town!” He sounded happy for her.

                David was coming out of Mr. Emerson’s office and caught Jacob kissing Emily, he felt anger take over.

            He was going to go towards them, but Mr. Emerson grabbed his arm, “calm down! I won’t have you fight in here!” He whispered angrily.

            “Fine! I’ll take it outside,” David said.

            Mr. Emerson tried to stop him but David opened the door to the office and saw Jacob talking to Emily and another woman by his side.

            His anger vanished, Emily looked happy, “what’s going on here?” David asked confused. Mr. Emerson was just as confused.

            Jacob answered before Emily had a chance, “this is Amy, the love of my life. I wanted to bring her for Mr. Emerson’s wedding so she could meet my friends, but she couldn’t make it that day.”

            David walked over to Emily and put a protective arm around her, “I’m glad.”

            Jacob looked confused, “are you two—?”

            “David and I started going out, he never married Terry,” Emily explained.

            “I’m glad,” Jacob said earnestly, he looked over at Amy, “I have to go, I have a lunch date.”

            Mr. Emerson left satisfied that everything had been a misunderstanding, Emily looked at David when they were alone in the office. “David, I love you and you don’t need to be jealous.”

            David looked stunned, “why do you say that?”

            Emily hugged him, “because, you don’t have to be jealous, because I’ll never give you a reason to be.” David hugged her and he was happy again.

            The weeks went by and things were calm, until Terry showed up she went to see David in the office and Emily wasn’t there.

            She had gone to follow a lead with Jimmy. Terry was arguing with David, she didn’t know Emily was back from New York. “Don’t you see? Emily is never coming back! We were never meant to be, we could’ve been happy!”

             David looked annoyed, he was getting bored of her arguing, “Emily is back! And for your information I’m very happy with her. I know you told her that we were married, but your lies didn’t work. Now, I want you out!”

            Terry looked shocked, “no, she-she loves Stanley, can’t you see?”

            Emily and Jimmy walked into the building and overheard the argument from the office. “Terry! Get out and leave my boyfriend alone! You heard what David said, get out!” David walked over to her he liked that she defended him.

            Terry looked disappointed that David was defending her, “what a joke! Emily? The orphan? Do you feel sorry for her? That must be it!”

            David grabbed her arm and pulled her outside, “get out! Don’t say that about her, I love her too much to feel sorry for her. You always knew that I loved her. Get out of my life!” David said between clenched teeth, Terry left angrily.

            More time went by and things were back to normal, Terry hadn’t gone back after that argument.

            Mr. Emerson would meet his wife for lunch every day, he had been learning to take it easy and he was enjoying it.

            Jimmy and Helen would always meet after work and go out somewhere. Helen loved working at the hospital.

*************

            About a year past after David had gone by since he went after Emily to New York, and now there was a wedding to be celebrated.

            Jimmy was the best man while Helen was the maid of Honor. Mr. Emerson walked Emily down the aisle, “your father would’ve been proud as I am,” Emily smiled at him.

            David looked at his bride, a smile spread across his face seeing Emily. When he gave her to David, Emily hugged him and kissed his cheek before standing next to David.

            The ‘I do’ moments came and they were looking into each other’s eyes. When they kissed they knew their love would last forever.

            After the ceremony everyone went to the reception. Everyone was having fun dancing and enjoying the party.

            When Emily was ready to throw the bouquet, all the women stood behind her, except Helen.

            “It's silly to think you’ll be the next bride, if you catch the bouquet.” They fought and laughed when it landed on Helen’s lap, she was shocked and she laughed with them.

THE END…