CHAPTER 16 (Last One)
Anya and Kiley were sitting in a couple of chairs on the floor of the arena watching the guys warm up. They hadn't paid much attention to what the guys were doing, they were too busy playing with Emma. She was now old enough to sit on Anya's lap with little help. Both girls were making her laugh when they heard the guys stop singing.
"Hey, I think we need to practice another song. What do you guys want to do?" JC asked.
Before anyone could answer, "how about 'I Need Love' dance routine and all." Anya yelled from where she was sitting.
All eyes looked at her and then turned to Justin. "I knew I should have burned that Germany tape of hers." He gave her an evil look, then spoke into his microphone. "No, I was thinking more along the lines of this…"
Her and Kiley were laughing too hard to hear the start of the music, but when Justin began to sing, Anya stopped immediately. The song was one of her favorites and she smiled when she realized he had remembered.
When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I would offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love
When evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love
I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
There's no doubt in my mind where you belong
I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawling down the avenue
There ain't nothin' that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love
The storms are raging on a rolling sea
Down the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
But you ain't seen nothin' like me yet
There ain't nothin' that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the earth for you
Make you happy make your dreams come true
To make you feel my love
(Garth Brooks, To Make You Feel My Love from Fresh Horses album)
When he finished singing, he looked to where Anya was sitting and noticed tears in her eyes. She didn't say anything at first. She handed Emma to Kiley and made her way up to the stage. She walked right up to him, not even glancing at the others that were watching her. As she spoke, he wiped the tears that had fallen down her cheek. "There's just one problem with that song." She put her arms around his waist. "I HAVE made up my mind and it's you that I want…forever." She pulled him down to bring his lips to hers. They immediately got hoots and hollers from the others but didn't pull apart until they were ready.
Anya rested her head on Justin's shoulder and smiled to herself. She had come so far in such a short time. It hadn't been long since she had moved to Florida to escape her past. She had given herself time away from the nightmares that haunted her and had found a few close friends along the way. She had searched for the answers and thought she had found them when she met Justin. He was her lifeline, her sanity, her friend, and her love. He gave her so much but she had come to realize that the past can hurt if she didn't face it. She had tried to block it out and begin again but it took her trip back to where everything started, for her to come to terms with the past so she could have a future…with Justin.
When she returned, part of her worried that Justin wouldn't want her back. She had hurt him by leaving but to her surprise, he welcomed her with open arms. The words of the song still rang in her ears. She knew that he would do anything to make her feel his love and he had done that. Everyday he did that for her. After all this time, she realized that she was finally where she belonged. She was…home.
THE END