Love Without You

of wine and went out to the patio.

Chapter 2 - Can Life Get Better?
    Jessica worked for a publishing house and was responsible for proof reading manuscripts and she had one that was due on Monday morning so she drug it out of her bag and sat at the table. After eating and reading for a couple of hours the sun was starting to do down. Jessica put the manuscript down and her thoughts went back to Ben. Where was he and what was he doing? Was he missing her as much as she missed him? Should she call him or would he call her? Ever again? Did she want him to call her?
    As she sat there looking over the water she saw Josh and Sassy walking along the shore and called to him. They both came running across the beach. Josh brought a smile that Jessica needed and Sassy brought a bone to chew on. She poured Josh a glass of wine and they talked and a good talk it was. For several hours they discussed what if’s in life and what went wrong and finally what was right. Josh said he thought it was important to list what she had to offer in a relationship and she knew what she wanted. This was what was lacking with Ben. He didn't seem to want the same things anymore. Years before they had the same dreams and were going in the same direction but lately as she looked back she could see where things had changed. The same was true with Josh and his girlfriend Sandra; they went their separate ways because they didn’t want the same things anymore. They sat and talked and shared until after midnight and finally Josh and Sassy went home leaving Jessica with much to think over. The things Josh had said made good sense to her but it still hurt knowing that the commitment was gone, and she was alone. She went to bed thinking she probably wouldn't sleep but she did and when she woke up the next morning the sun was shining and people were leading their normal lives.
    She got dressed and went to the grocery store to pick up a few things and when she came back Ben was waiting for her. He said he had come by to pick up some of his stuff. She made sure she got his key to the house and told him to get everything he needed now because he wasn’t welcomed back. She vowed she wouldn't cry and that lasted a good two minutes. It upset Ben and he tried to explain the reasons again but she already knew, she just didn't want to admit it. She knew about the intern that worked down the hall and the interest Ben had in her. She also knew about the connection she had with the president of the company that Ben worked for. Jessica had done her research to it just hurt that he would actually betray her and that she would be the other girl. This entire scene she knew to be true but she refused to let herself believe any of it was true. Well it was so she might as well get used to it. It didn't take Ben long to get his things together and by the time he left they were speaking civil to each other, as much as possible anyway.
    After he left she went for a long walk on the beach and thought about things. The way things were when they first met and how much they loved each other when they got engaged and how they clung to each other. But then all that was a farce so now she had to deal with reality. She went by Josh’s house and saw him lying out in the sun with Sassy close beside him with her bone. She went up and started to talk to him and found herself spending the afternoon. Josh decided that they should eat so he put on a couple of steaks on the grill and threw in some baked potatoes and they sat and drank wine and ate. The one thing they did that was so unexpected for her was that they laughed, a lot. More than she thought she had ever laughed before. She was supposed to be depressed but instead she was having a terrific time. Maybe it was the wine, but wherever it was it felt good and free. Josh walked her home that night and watched the moon over the ocean sparkle and dance on the water. It was breathtakingly beautiful and so peaceful. Jessica felt a peace that she hadn't felt in years and she knew then that Ben was gone and that she didn’t need him for her life to be complete. She could do it on her own.

Chapter 3 - Life Goes On!
    The weeks went by quickly and so did life and she didn't shrink up and die. The hurt she got over and it was replaced by a wall that Ben would never come in contact with again. It was three weeks before she ran into Josh again. He had been working out of town and she had been busy at work. Their paths just never met up. But