"Tell everyone that I'm going out. I have to find her," Howie said to Nurse Roberts.

"Don't you think that someone . . ."

"Listen to me. I don't have time to hear any lectures. I will be the one to find her. What if she's in danger," Howie said interrupting her before she could finish speaking.

"But, I think it would be better if we left this up to the authorities," Micayla said.

"Well, love makes you do crazy things," Howie said grabbing his jacket from the nearby chair and storming out of the waiting room. Everyone else sat staring at the now empty doorway.

"What was that all about?" Marissa asked everyone else as Micayla stormed the opposite direction out of the waiting room leaving the door swinging from the force.

--Natasha--

She felt another tear fall down her cheek as she took one last look at the watery grave that lay below her. Pushing a strand of her blond hair away from her face, she prepared to climb over the edge.

"Don't!"

She heard someone scream from behind her. "Huh?" she exclaimed turning around coming face to face with Howie.

"Give me your hand," he said with hopeful eyes.

Looking questionably at him she waited a second until she placed her shaky hand in his. "How did you find me?" she asked.

"I was meant to. I went to visit your room and noticed you had left and then went walking hoping I would find you nearby. I knew you couldn't have gone far," Howie said with a smile. "Please tell me you weren't thinking of committing suicide," he said looking at the edge of the bridge she had been crawling over.

"I . . .I . . .thought you wouldn't want me back," she said her teeth chattering from the cold.

"Here," Howie said placing his coat on her. "Why would you think I wouldn't want you back?"

"Because, the way I treated you."

"You know that you had every right to question me and Marie. If it had been you and some other guy. I would have gotten upset too," Howie said hugging her tightly in his arms.

Natasha started to cry as she wrapped her arms around him tightly in return. Taking her by surprise Howie started to sing to her still holding her tight.

"I never thought that I would lose my mind that I could control this
never thought that I'd be left behind
that I was stronger than you, baby
Girl if I only knew what I've done
You know, so why don't you tell me
And I, I would bring down the moon and the sun
To show how much I care . . .
Don't wanna lose you now
Baby, I know we can win this
Don't wanna lose you now
No no, or ever again
I've got this feeling you're not gonna stay
It's burning within me
The fear of losing
Of slipping away
It just keeps getting closer, baby
Whatever reason to leave that I've had
My place was always beside you
And I wish that I didn't need you so bad
Your face just won't go away . . .
Don't want to lose to loneliness
Girl I know we can win
Don't want to lose to emptiness, oh no
Never again . . ."

"Do you really mean that?" Natasha asked looking up into his eyes.

"What I sang?" Howie asked. "Of course I do. With all my heart," he smiled kissing her softly for the first time in what seemed like years.

Chapter Nineteen
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