The strap on her bag, dug into her shoulder, as she made her way up the two flights of stairs. Pausing at the top, long enough to switch the bag to her other shoulder, she took her keys out of the side pocket and slid the key into the door of her condo. This week had been an especially hectic one. She had a match every single night, two promotional appearances, and a photo shoot. And to top it all off, out of the blue, her boyfriend had broken up with her. Now, all Melony wanted to do was take a hot shower, slip into some comfortable clothes and lounge around. With only two days off, she desperately needed to relax and clear her mind.

    She flung the door open and stepped inside, letting the heavy bag fall to the floor. Strolling over to the refrigerator, she silently cursed as she stared at the pictures. The whole damn fridge was covered in photos of them. Pictures of them on vacation, holidays, and countless road trips. Melony snatched the door open and took out a bottle of wine. She rummaged through a nearby drawer for a corkscrew, and chipped a perfectly manicured nail in the process. Kicking the bottom cabinet in anger, she bit her lip, as the pain ricochet through her leg. She finally managed to uncork the bottle and poured herself a level full glass, downed it and poured another. She kicked off her heels, grabbed the bottle of wine and padded over to the sofa. Rain pounded against the window, as Mel sat down, tucking her legs under her. She absently rubbed her aching foot with one hand and held the glass of wine to her lips with her other hand. She downed the glass and traded it for the half full bottle. The steady sound of the falling rain soothed her, and only then, in the comfort and privacy of her own home, was she able to begin the process of figuring out what went wrong. The events of last week began to unfold in her mind. She gazed out the window, watching raindrops splatter against the window, much like her heart did, almost two weeks ago.

                                   ~Flash Back~

    Mel had just finished her match and was on her way to the locker room, when she saw Luther sitting on one of the utility trunks backstage. He had a blank look on his face and she knew that usually meant he was in deep thought. Although they had been dating for about ten months, she still felt a need to be cautious around him. His life was practically normal now, but he had a very troubled past. His life hadn’t always been so great. He was the type that kept everything bottled up inside and Mel knew one day it, rather he, would explode. But he had always been kind and gentle with her and they were in love. That’s all that mattered. Smiling softly, she walked over and sat down beside him. "Hey, what’s on your mind?"

    Luther looked at her with his piercing eyes. Eyes that held many secrets and gave away glimpses into his tortured soul. He knew he was about to break her heart, destroy the one thing in his life that was pure and genuine. He loved her too much to hurt her, but it was best this way. "We need to talk Mel." He put his hand behind her neck and pulled her in for one last breathtaking kiss. His heart was wrenching into knots. Sweat trickled down his forehead, his mouth dry as he spoke. "You deserve better Mel. You deserve much more than I can give. I’ve got too many issues that need to be resolved before I can be the man that you need. I’m sorry. You know I ... I love you, but, I just need to be alone right now."

    Mel was stunned. She just couldn’t be hearing this. Not after everything she had put into this relationship. She looked past the whispers and rumors. She looked beyond his dark and troubled past and gave him a chance. And this is how it would end?

"What do you mean, you need to be alone? This is absurd Luther. What’s going on with you?"

    Luther shook his head, trying to shake the images that haunted him. He hated to do this to her. He would sooner die than hurt her. She was the most precious thing in his life. But he couldn’t let go of his past. He wasn’t capable of loving her completely until he tied up lose ends from his past. He wasn’t the man she thought he was. He stood up towering over her, he reached into his pocket and returned the key to her condo. Mel shook her head, refusing to take the key, refusing to let him just walk away. She stood up, placing both hands on his massive chest. "No Luther. You can’t just walk away. Are you that much of a coward, that you would just turn your back and walk out on me, on us? We can work through this. Whatever is troubling you, let me help."

    Luther laid the key down on the trunk and stepped around her. His outward appearance giving no sign of his heart breaking into a million, non-repairable pieces. "It’s just easier this way. I need to deal with some things, find some answers from my past. I have to do this on my own."

    Mel grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks. He didn’t turn to face her, so she stepped in front of him, trying to force him to look at her. He averted his eyes, not wanting to meet her gaze. Her blue-gray eyes were a window to her soul, emitting every emotion she was feeling. The pain of walking out on her was unbearable.

"Luther, you don’t have to go through this alone. I’m here, willing to help you but you keep pushing me away. I’m in the dark about everything. Tell me what’s going on! I can’t fix things, unless you tell me what’s broken."

    Luther hesitantly looked into her eyes, fearing the pain he might see there. His own eyes burned, as he inwardly fought with his demons. "I’m broken."

                                    ~End Flash Back~

    The phone rang, startling Mel out of her thoughts. She jumped off the sofa and ran to the phone. Hoping it was him she yanked the phone off the cradle, "Hello?"

"Congratulations! This is ACS travel. You have just won an all expense........"

    She threw the phone against the wall, shattering it into pieces. She leaned against the counter staring at the framed photo. It was taken on their recent trip to Manchester, England. Luther’s tall form engulfed her, as he wrapped his arms around her. He leaned as far down as he could, placing his stubbly cheek against hers, and whispered, ‘I love you’, before the camera flashed. She couldn’t help but worry about him now. Where was he and what was he doing? His cell phone was turned off and she had filled up his voice mailbox with messages. She opened a fresh bottle of wine and poured herself a glass. Lightening flashed and a loud pop of thunder followed. Chills ran up her spine. She just couldn’t shake the thoughts of Luther. Was he somewhere waking from his sleep in a cold sweat, shivering, with a distant look in his eyes? That’s how usual nights with him went. His past still haunted him, and she knew only bits and pieces of things. He had served time in prison for armed robbery and had came close to losing his life. His mysterious past wasn’t of consequence to her, it never had been. All she wanted to do was love him and help him. But he kept her secluded from his past life, probably for her own protection. Although she wasn’t very religious, she still prayed for him, for his safety and for the answers he was searching for. The rain continued to pound against the window, and Mel closed her eyes wishing she could feel his arms around her once more.

    The rumbling thunder woke Melony from a peaceful sleep. Lightening lit up the sky like fireworks. The rain was unrelenting, as the electricity flickered, threatening to go out. She stumbled over to the bookcase and lit a candle just in case. The clock read three a.m. She picked up the warm bottle of wine and took a drink. Settling back down on the sofa, she flicked on the tv to the weather channel. There was a flash flood warning for her county but she was more concerned about Luther. Where could he be? She longed for him, she needed him. It was like a piece of her heart was missing. She pulled the soft, cashmere throw around her shoulders, recalling how Luther always wrapped his arms around her protectively as they cuddled on this very sofa. The throw still held the scent of his cologne. She inhaled deeply, savoring the scent that she longed to smell again. She just needed to hear from him, know that he was safe. If she could just hear his voice. Mel laid her head on the arm of the sofa, pain shooting through her temple. She had to face the reality that she couldn’t force him to open the gates of his past. All she wanted was to repair the damage that had been done to him. All she wanted was a chance to love him for the man that he is.

    The rain continued to pelt against the window, thunder rumbled in the distance. Mel dozed on the couch, completely oblivious to the man that stood on the side walk under her second story condo. He stood eerily still, as the rain beat down on him, soaking him through. Rain drops masked his tears, as they fell in rhythm with the rainfall. His heart was slowly dying. All he wanted, was to storm up those two short flights of stairs, take her into his arms and never let her go again. He wished he could be the man she needed. But all he could be was who he was. A simple man, with a haunting past. His love for her was greater than anything he had ever felt before. His love for her, outweighed all the pain, anger and hurt from his past. Yet, he was convinced that she would never understand. He couldn’t give her all the answers that she needed and he didn’t expect her to be as patient as she had been. She had called him a coward, maybe she was right. What kind of man walked away from such an exquisite woman? He thought he was protecting her, but it seemed as if he was protecting himself. Selfishly refusing to give love a chance, for fear of being hurt. His fear was a concoction of his mind, deep down he knew she would never hurt him. Their love was real, everlasting love. He realized how wrong he was for walking away from Mel the way he did. She blindly gave him her love, without fully knowing of his past. And instead of welcoming her support, he pushed her away. Now he was afraid that he lad lost her forever. He couldn’t just knock on her door and admit his mistake, could he? Could she let him back into her life after the idiot he had been? He looked to the sky, the cool rain splashing against his face. All he needed was a sign. His heart was telling him to go to her, his mind telling him he was a jerk for even showing up there. His heart raced, as he searched for a sign. He watched the lightening dance across the sky. The rain made him shiver, as he thought about the bastard he had been. He glanced one last time at her window, deciding to once again walk away. He stuck his hands in his jacket pocket and tried to shrug off the emotions that threatened to overtake him. He felt a cool, metal object in the right pocket. He stopped mid-stride and removed a silver key, the key to Mel’s condo. He clenched it tightly in his hand, looking once again to the sky, he grinned.

    Mel snuggled into the sofa, burying her face into the throw that was now under her head. The scent of Luther’s cologne was almost overwhelming, as she dreamed she was laying next to him. His powerful arms wrapped around her, as her head lay on his chest. She could almost hear his heartbeat. She could almost hear him whispering ‘I love you’. Her eyes flew open and she realized she wasn’t quiet dreaming. Luther was walking towards her, a soaking wet mess. Not bothering with an explanation, he scooped her up into his arms and kissed her with passion and warmth. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tightly. He felt the drop of her tears against his neck and could no longer hold back his own. Tears spilled forth, as he wept for joy, wept for the pain he had caused her, and wept for his own pain. No words were needed, or expected. Through his tears, he brushed kisses down her cheek until he came to her soft lips, pausing slightly, he whispered, "I love you Mel, with all that is me, I love you." The past few days, weeks and years didn’t matter. What mattered now was the future.