John took his seat in the theater with Marlena on his right and Kristen on his left. He could smell Marlena's perfume and it was driving him crazy. He wanted to reach out and grab her, but there Roman was sitting to the right of her. John closed his eyes trying to hide the pain he felt.
"I hear this play is pretty good." Roman informed them looking at his program. "It's supposed to be a love story between two star crossed lovers."
"Gee, that sounds really good." Kristen agreed wrapping her arm inside of John's arm. "Don't you think so honey?"
"Sure Kristen." he said faking a smile.
"I know how much you love romance Doc." Roman smiled kissing her hand as he leaned closer to her. "I want you show you that I can still be romantic."
"I think that the play is starting." she nervously breathed as the lights began to dim.
"Okay." Roman smiled looking at the stage.
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"How was your first day at work Jenny?" Eric asked as the two of them walked along the pier.
"It was great." she informed him. "My boss is really sweet. Her fiancee and her two children came into work today Eric, and they seemed like the perfect family."
"It's nice to see a family together." Eric said looking out into the water.
"Eric, why do you look so sad?" Jenny asked looking at him.
"My family is so messed up." Eric explained to her. "It's so hard to explain. Sometimes I wish that I would've just stayed in Colorado."
"I thought that you wanted to come here to be with your family." Jenny said puzzled. "I thought that came back to be with your mom and your sisters at your mom's wedding."
"Well, you see, it's really complicated, my sisters hate each other and my dad is still alive." Eric explained to her.
"I'm sorry to hear about you sisters. Also, I thought that your dad died a while ago in some military accident." Jenny began confused.
"Well, that's what we all thought, but he wasn't dead and he returned on my mom's wedding day, so my mom didn't end up getting married." Eric explained looking at her.
"Wow, that's amazing." Jenny gasped pondering the thought. "Your poor mother."
"Yeah, well, my poor dad was deathly ill when he was brought back to Salem." Eric explained to her. "There's been a lot that has happened since that day, and now my father thinks that he's going to get back together with my mother."
"What about the guy she was supposed to marry?" Jenny asked shivering.
"Well, he's still around, but it would be better if he wasn't." Eric explained looking at her. "If he was gone, then my family could be together again."
"You know Eric," Jenny began taking in a breath, "I know that it isn't any of my business, but didn't you say that your mother's fiancee raised you when both your parents weren't around?"
"Well yes, but..." Eric trailed off thinking about his childhood. "...it would just be better if he backed off from my mom."
"Eric, how does you mother feel about all of this?" Jenny asked him.
"She thinks that she loves her fiancee, but I know that if she tries hard enough, she will fall in love with my dad again." Eric explaine
d with tears in his eyes. "I know that we can all be happy again."
"You know Eric, I'm not an expert or anything, but I think that maybe you should quit worrying about your mother's problems." Jenny said touching his face as a tear ran down his cheek. "I think that you should worry about Eric for a change."
"It's not the time to worry about me." he insisted looking away from her blue eyes. "I need to help my family."
"Eric," she said turning his face to hers, "if things are meant to be, then they will work out somehow."
"I just want to be happy for once in my life. I've spend most of my life isolated from everyone that I cared about." he said as a few more tears escaped from his eyes. "For once, I would like to go for a day feeling like my life is filled with love and happiness."
"Eric, maybe you're just looking for it in the wrong place." she whispered pulling her lips to meet his as they shared a passionate embrace in the darkness.
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Marlena sat watching the couple on the stage being torn apart from evil and felt that the story on stage paralleled her own life. She glanced to her left and saw Kristen trying to touch John's arm. She could feel her blood boil as she thought of all the things that the Dimera family had done to keep her from John. She could feel tears forming in her eyes when she suddenly felt a warm grip on her left hand. She turned and looked at John who was staring intensely at her.
"I love you." he whispered so faintly that she barely heard him.
"I love you too." she mouthed back to him as tears fell from her eyes.
Roman noticed that Marlena was crying and he decided that it was time for him to make his move. He grabbed her right hand and squeezed it. He suddenly felt her body tense up.
"What's wrong Doc?" Roman asked whispering into her right ear.
"Nothing." Marlena insisted realizing that both Roman and John were holding her hands.
"I love you Doc." Roman whispered softly kissing her right ear.
"I'll be right back." Marlena announced quickly jumping up from her seat. "I have to use the ladies room."
"What's with her?" Kristen whispered smugly to a confused John. "Maybe she didn't want you to hold her hand."
"I'll be right back." John informed Roman.
"Where are you going?" Roman asked wondering why everyone was leaving.
"My pager just went off. I have to take this in case Abe has a lead on Jack or Peter." John lied standing up.
"Let me go with you." Roman insisted to him.
"No. Please stay with Kristen until I get back." John urged him as he walked out into the lobby.
John walked out into the empty lobby and noticed a staircase on the far left side. He was suddenly filled with the urge to climb up the stairs and discover what was up there. He traveled up the winding staircase and saw Marlena looking out of a window at the top.
"Hey, what are you doing up here?" John asked walking behind her.
"I can't take this anymore." she said looking out into the night. "This lying is tearing me apart."
"I know baby." he said wrapping his arms around her as she leaned back into him. "It'll all be over soon."
"When?" she asked turning to look at him. "When will it be over?"
"Soon." he repeated looking into her eyes. "We have to believe that."
"John, I can't do this anymore. This hurts too much." she explained looking away from him. "I can't stand pretending to be in love with Roman while Kristen sits there and puts her hands all over you. I hate acting like I'm not in love with you while Kristen pretends to be your wife."
"Doc, if you're worried about Kristen, then just get that thought out of your head." he insisted boldly. "She will never come between us again."
"I know that." she sighed turning to look out of the window. "I just can't go back in there right now. I can't take being here."
"Then why don't we just sit here for a few minutes?" John suggested to her.
"Roman will get suspicious." she explained to him.
"No, he thinks that I got a page from Abe and that you're in the bathroom. Besides, intermission is in about ten minutes, so why don't we just stay here for a little while and enjoy this time alone together?" he suggested turning her to face him. "What do you say Doc?"
"I love you." she said looking into his deep blue eyes. "I really do."
"I know that." he smiled wiping a tear from her cheek. He pulled her tightly to him as she buried her head in his chest. He kissed the top of her head as he looked out into the night and thanked God for giving them these few moments alone. "I love you too."