Do You Believe Me Now

There is no sex in this story. It's a tale of a man that fought for love and a woman that didn't.

John was sitting in a booth at the diner when Kelly walked in and sat down.

"Thanks for coming Kelly." John said.

"Well John...you said it was really important...from the way you said it...I figured that I'd see what it was. So what's going on?" Kelly asked.

"I've got a question for you." John said.

"A question? A question? You could ask me a question over the phone John. Instead I drove all the way across town on my lunch hour. I don't believe this." Kelly said.

Kelly slapped the table in frustration.

"This isn't just a normal question Kelly. It's the kind of question that has to be asked face to face." John said.

"Well fine...I'm here...so ask your question." Kelly said.

"Do you believe me now?" John asked.

"Believe you about what?" Kelly asked.

"About Eric." John said.

"About Eric? John what the hell are you talking about?" Kelly asked.

"About 3 months before we broke up I noticed the way he was looking at you and the way he was flirting with you. I told you that I didn't like it and I told him that I didn't like it. You said I was imagining things, and even got mad at me for not trusting you. Over the last 3 months of our relationship it just got worse and worse. He was openly hitting on you in front of everyone and you were letting him do it. I told you that I didn't like it and you told me that you didn't believe that he was doing anything wrong and got mad at me again. Then came the day when I came home and found you gone. You'd moved out while I was at work and hadn't even left a note explaining it. I was heartbroken and confused until about a week later I heard that you were living with him. I understood what had happened then. So do you believe me now?" John asked.

"John...Eric had nothing to do with what happened between you and me." Kelly said.

"Oh really? Then tell me Kelly...why do I have this?" John asked.

He pulled a small ring box out of his pocket and put on the table between them. Kelly was surprised to see it...she started trembling.

"What's that?" Kelly asked.

"I think you know exactly what that is. I bought this a few days before I first noticed you and Eric flirting at that party...the first time I told you that I didn't like it. We'd been so insanely happy together...or at least I had been and it seemed like you had been as well. When I saw him flirting with you and you told me it was nothing I was angry...so I put this off until I calmed down. I never got the chance to calm down...things just got worse and worse until the day that you were gone Kelly. You said that Eric had nothing to do with what happened between us. Then explain to me Kelly how I went from wanting to give you this...to being heartbroken and hating you in just 3 months. Explain that to me Kelly." John said.

John opened the ring box and slid it over in front of Kelly. Kelly knew what was in the box, but seeing the sparkle of the diamond on the engagement ring finally broke Kelly's resolve. She broke down crying. John just sat there watching her for several minutes.

"Do you believe me now Kelly?" John asked.

Kelly couldn't bring herself to respond. She just looked at John with tears in her eyes and then got up from the table, ran out to her car, and drove away. John was left sitting at the table. He closed the ring box and put it back in his pocket.

John was confused when an old man slid into the side of the booth that Kelly had just vacated.

"Hey...what do you think you're doing?" John asked.

"I couldn't help over hearing your conversation with the young lady. You were a little harsh don't you think?" Edward asked.

"No...I don't...we were together for 3 years...hell we bought a house together...a house that I'm now paying for myself. She never gave any sign that she wasn't as happy as I was...not until I saw her at that party flirting with him. She let it happen, but he was the aggressor. I told her it was happening...she denied it even right up to the end. Now she's living with that son of a bitch. I asked her to meet me today to see if she believed me now that he had destroyed our relationship. I wanted to show her just how much I had loved her and how much I wanted to be with her...the ring in my pocket got the message across pretty clear. Now I've hurt her the way she hurt me." John said.

"Maybe if you had spent more time taking care of Kelly and less time being jealous my son wouldn't have been able to steal her away from you." Edward said.

"Your son? Eric is your son?" John asked.

"Yes." Edward said.

John stood up from the table, grabbed the old man, pulled him to his feet and punched him as hard as he could in the face sending the old man tumbling to the floor. Edward was cowering and holding his arms up to protect his face as John leaned down and looked him in the eye.

"That was for raising a low down woman stealing son of a bitch." John said.

John threw money on the table for his food and walked out of the diner.

A few hours later...across town Eric came home and immediately knew that something wasn't right. Kelly's things were gone. He dialed her cell phone.

"Hello." Kelly said.

"Kelly...baby...what's going on? Where are you?" Eric asked.

"I can't...I can't be with you anymore Eric." Kelly sobbed.

"What? Why not? Kelly you aren't making any sense." Eric said.

"He was right...he was right...he was right all along." Kelly sobbed.

"Who was right? What are you talking about Kelly?" Eric asked.

"John...he was right...you stole me away from him. I let it happen, but you stole me away." Kelly said.

"Kelly...you left him willingly." Eric said.

"You made me willing...I shouldn't have let you...I shouldn't have let you get that close. John and I were happy for 3 years before you started hitting on me. He told me what you were doing...I didn't believe him. He was right. God damn you Eric." Kelly said.

"Kelly...don't be that way...if John let it happen that's his problem." Eric said.

"No...it's my problem...he warned me...he tried to stop me...I wouldn't listen." Kelly said.

"Kelly...baby...what about us?" Eric asked.

"There is no more us...there never should have been an us." Kelly said.

"So you're going back to him? Is that it Kelly...you're going back to John?" Eric asked.

"No...John would never take me back now after what I've done." Kelly said.

"Then why are you leaving me?" Eric asked.

"I owe it to John...I owe it to him to realize the mistake I made and put it right as much as I can." Kelly said.

"Mistake...Kelly I was not a mistake." Eric said.

"Yes you were. John was going to propose to me...he showed me the ring. He was so angry that first time that I told him that you flirting with me was no big deal that he decided to wait until he calmed down. Three months later I'd left him...I let you destroy 3 years of happiness in just 3 months. I was a fool. I hate you Eric and I don't ever want to see you or hear from you again." Kelly said.

"Kelly...wait." Eric said.

Kelly had hung up on him. Eric stared at his phone for a moment, then clenched his fists in anger.

"That mother fucker is going to pay for this." Eric said.

Eric got in his car and drove over to John's house...the house where his seduction of Kelly had begun. He ran to the door and started banging on it with angry fists. John had a very good idea who was at the door. He had no idea what Kelly had done after she left the diner, but he figured Eric would come looking for revenge for his dad. John was ready when he opened the door. Eric threw the first punch but John dodged out of the way before delivering a punch of his own that knocked Eric backwards and tumbling into the yard.

"Pathetic...like father like son...at least he had the excuse of being old. Did he send you over here or did you come all by yourself?" John asked.

"What are you talking about you son of a bitch?" Eric asked as he stood back up.

"You mean your dad didn't call you and tell you about how I punched him in the face at the diner and left him cowering on the floor like a little child?" John asked.

"What? You hit my dad?" Eric asked.

"I had to...he eavesdropped on the conversation I had with Kelly and then came to your defense. He deserved it for raising a woman stealing fuck like you." John said.

"You son of a bitch. What did you say to Kelly?" Eric asked.

"What the hell do you care?" John asked.

"I care because when I got home from work all of her stuff had been taken out of my apartment and she was long gone. I called her and she said that she didn't want anything to do with me anymore. So you tell me...you tell me what the fuck you said to her." Eric said.

"Go talk to your dad...he heard the whole conversation...and get off of my property before I give you a few broken ribs to go with that black eye." John said.

Eric looked at John and realized that running over there to challenge him to a fight had been a mistake. He backed away and then turned and hurried to his car and drove away.

As John turned to go back into the house there were tears in his eyes.

"I guess she finally believes me." John said.

He closed the door.