A Winter Sabbatical (Books We Love holiday romance) by Cheryl Wright

She
needed to do this, get it out in the open. And he needed to hear it.
    Marissa walked away from the window,
dropping her half empty cup on the nearby side table. Travis closely watched,
but stood rooted to the spot. He expected Marissa to drop into a chair or onto
the sofa, but she quietly returned to his side, staring out of the window
again.
    The atmosphere was suddenly electric. She
finally trusted him enough to tell him what was bothering her.
    Travis looked at Marissa, wondering whether
to wait or urge her to speak. As he studied her face in the moonlight, he
noticed her tears roll slowly down her face. It was all he could do not to wrap
his arms around her and hug her tight.
    “Jeremy was my fiancée .
We were to be married about six months ago.” Just over four months before they met. Travis took her hand and held it.
    “We met at high school, senior year, and
were constant companions from then on. He was beautiful to look at, beautiful
to be with. When it... happened, we had been engaged about twelve months.”
    She turned and looked at him, her eyes
assessing him. Wondering at his reaction?
    “We’d been to a movie in the afternoon, and
decided to go to the park afterwards. We sat on the grass talking for awhile, then it was time to go home.” Marissa brushed at her cheeks,
and Travis was tempted to reach out and hold her. It was difficult, but he
restrained himself. He had to let her talk.
    “We headed for the pedestrian crossing – we
weren’t far from home, so we were on foot. Jeremy was always pretty laid-back,
and stopped in the middle of the footpath and kissed me...” Travis grimaced.
“As though he would never kiss me again, as though he would never touch me
again.” Marissa shivered, then wrapped her arms around
herself, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. “We stepped out onto the
crossing, and were nearly half way across when,” Marissa stopped and closed her
eyes, squeezing them tight.
    “Marissa?”
    “When Jeremy suddenly grabbed both my arms
and threw me hard against a parked car.”
    Travis felt his heartbeat quicken. What the hell?
    “The next thing I remember, I was in the
hospital.” She was calm, too calm, Travis decided. “Jeremy was there – in
another cubicle. They took me in to see him.” Marissa took a deep breath.
Travis waited. She would continue when she was ready.
    “He was a mess. Tubes coming out all over
the place, blood everywhere, and he had an oxygen mask.” Travis moved closer.
He could hardly hear her now. “He was barely alive.”
    Travis could feel his heart thumping in his
head. Why did he have to push her so much? Why couldn’t he let it be?
    “I told him,” Without a sound, Travis
watched as Marissa forced herself into composure. “I told him I loved him. I
held his hand, and told him I loved him. And then…”
    Travis swallowed.
    Marissa covered her face with her hands,
and cried into them. “And then he died.”
    Travis took her hand and squeezed it, but
Marissa wrenched it away. “And what did I do?” She laughed, an embittered laugh. “I fainted. Jeremy was dead, and I fainted. They wanted to
take me away from him, but I wouldn’t let them. I sat with him for hours – I
guess I was hoping it was all a dream, a nightmare, and I’d wake up and find it
wasn’t true.”
    Travis looked at her, at her tear-drenched
face. How could he make it all right again?
    Travis reached out and pulled Marissa to
him. He tried to comfort her, but knew he could never take away her pain. She
cried until her tears had all dried up.
    Marissa suddenly pulled away and turned her
back to him.
    “His voice, his screaming voice,” She
turned to face Travis again, looking directly into his eyes. “I hear it over
and over. His voice, it stops me... I can’t,” You can’t what Marissa? Tell me. Tell me!
    She swallowed hard, but said nothing.
Travis held both her hands, trying to give support, comfort. “You can’t what?”
he asked quietly.
    Marissa