Previously on Love Conflicted…

Read Part 6 HERE

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The sunlight casts a golden glow on Maggie’s bedroom, lighting up her face as it lay on Ricky’s chest. Ricky and Maggie lay in her bed, wrapped in each other’s arms. Maggie had dozed back off. Ricky is wide awake and can’t help but stare at Maggie. She’s the most beautiful she’s ever looked.

Ricky glances at the clock on her nightstand. His hour is almost up. He stares at Maggie, wanting to memorize every detail of her face.

How am I supposed to leave her? he thinks.

Ricky untangles himself from Maggie’s arms and makes his way out of bed. He grabs a pair of sweats and pulls them on, and heads into her kitchen for some coffee.

A few minutes later, Maggie wakes up. In a sleepy fog, she stretches her arms above her head, basking in the sunlight. She smiles to herself, looking to her side she notices the space near her is empty. She instantly feels sick. Her heart drops.

Maggie: No, no. (she whispers to herself, tears beginning to form, she covers her face with her hands and pulls her pillow into her chest, hugging it tightly, pulling her knees in.)

It was all a dream, she thinks.

Ricky walks in a few minutes later. He leans against the door frame.

Ricky: Hey gorgeous. (he takes a sip of his coffee)

Maggie’s head shoot up hearing his voice.

Ricky sees her face, and is instantly alarmed.

Ricky: Maggie, baby…what’s wrong? (he rushes over to her placing his coffee cup on her end table.)

Maggie shakes her head, Ricky sits next to her cupping her face, willing her to talk to him.

Ricky: Did you have a bad dream?

Maggie: Something like that.

Ricky: What was it? (he wipes her tears away with his thumbs.)

Maggie: I just thought…I just thought maybe I really did lose you. And maybe everything that happened earlier was just in my head. (she looks down)

Ricky: Hey. (he lifts up her chin, to face him) I’m so sorry.

Maggie: I know. (she kisses his hand as it cups her face)

Maggie stares at Ricky for a beat.

Ricky: What? (he pushes her hair behind her ear)

Maggie: Oh. (snapping out of her daze) I just can’t believe you’re really here with me.

Ricky: I know, I missed you so much. (he leans in and kisses her)

Maggie: So what happened…where have you been?

Ricky: I don’t want to waste time getting into specifics…

Maggie: Waste time-what do you….

Ricky looks at her with sad eyes, knowing very well she’s not going to like what he has to say.

Maggie: No.

Ricky: Baby-

Maggie: No! (she stands up abruptly, Ricky sighs not wanting her out of reach) No. I just got you back. And you’re gonna seriously try and sit here and tell me, you’re leaving somewhere again. Absolutely not!

Ricky:(reaching for her) I know that this is frustrating-

Maggie: Frustrating? FRUSTRATING? No. Ricky thinking you were dead this whole time has not been frustrating, it was debilitating. It was heartbreaking. It wrecked me! I fell apart.

Ricky: I know Maggie, baby, I know. (he takes her hands into his) It was wrecking me too. I hated being away from you. But it was the only way I knew I could keep you safe. With everything that happened I-

Maggie: Wait a minute. (starting to pull away from him) This was all your idea?

Ricky looks at her nervously, trying to pull her back to him.

Maggie: So you chose…to stay away from me? (she continues to distance herself) To make me think you were dead? This was all some elaborate story…

Ricky: Maggie…Maggie you have to understand, what I am up against, the kind of mind games and tricks this agency is all about.

Maggie: What happened? Just tell me what happened. Don’t I at least deserve that much?

Ricky: You deserve so much. You deserve to know the whole truth.

Maggie: And why do I get the feeling, that’s not going to happen here, (she says folding her arms.)

Ricky notices, he notices the sure fire sign, that she’s shutting down.

Ricky: Don’t do that. Don’t put your walls up, not now. And please stop walking away from me. Do you know how hard it’s been not having you in my arms. Now that you are, don’t pull away from me, please.

Maggie: Are you kidding me? I have a pretty good idea of what you’ve been going through. (she huffs and rolls her eyes) What do you want Ricky? How do you expect me to feel.

Ricky: God. I just wanna- (he walks over to her, cupping her face in his hands he pulls her into a kiss)Ricky didn’t have anything else on his mind, other than being with Maggie. All their past mishaps, and arguments, were of no interest to him. He just wanted Maggie.

Maggie: (she unfolds her arms, and wraps them around Ricky’s neck) Ricky. I love you. And I am so incredibly happy and thrilled and just overjoyed that you are here and that you are alive, but you do not get to pull this on me right now. My walls are up because yours are. That’s what this is. I can’t give you everything in me, if you don’t do the same.

Ricky: You have me. I’m here.

Maggie: Yea for how long?

Ricky: (glancing at the clock, he sighs) About 15 more minutes. (he winces)

Maggie: (shakes her head) I can’t believe this is happening. Why would you come here, only to leave again…why not just wait until you knew it was safe for us to be together?

Ricky: Maggie, baby trust me, ok if I could stay and still fix things from here, I would. But there’s a lot that needs to be dealt with before we can be together. Before we can both be safe.

Maggie: What does that mean? Are we not safe right now? (she looks around her bedroom nervously.)

Ricky: Well let’s just say you’re covered, but I have quite a pretty penny on my head right about now.

Maggie: What! Like a bounty hunter type of deal? Ricky! Nothing your saying is making sense right now. What’s going on? You’re scaring me.

Ricky: Shh. Stop. I don’t want you to be scared. You don’t need to be scared. The less you know the safer you’ll stay. But I’m not here for any of that.

Maggie: Then why are you here?

Ricky: Why do you think? (he kisses her.) And I’m sorry I wasn’t here…for you… with the baby…

Maggie looks at him, stunned.

Maggie: How do you know-

Ricky: I have my ways. (he smirks)

Maggie: Care to share?

Ricky: I had my partner, bug your living room. (he smiles sheepishly)

Maggie: You what? Who?

Ricky: Ian.

Maggie: Ian?

Maggie looks up at Ricky, she’s starting to connect the dots a bit.

Ricky: Ian’s a good guy. He’s the only friend I have helping me through this. He’s helping me clear this mess up. He’s also been the one looking out for you while I’ve been gone. He’s the only one I’d trust with your safety.

Maggie: Ok? And-

Ricky: Maggie. I’m so sorry about the baby. I wish I could have been here with you. I hate that I wasn’t here for you. I wish you would have told me. I understand why you didn’t. But-

Maggie: Well (walking away from his arms) it doesn’t really matter much, I’m not pregnant so-there is no baby.

Ricky: It matters to me. (he grabs her hand)

Maggie looks at him, her eyes tearing up.

Ricky: Will you talk to me about this, please?

Maggie: I’d rather not.

Ricky: Why?

Maggie. Because I don’t want to talk about it.

Ricky: Why?

Maggie: Because it hurts.

Ricky: Maggie you know that we can always try again, right? We can try until it happens. This isn’t over.

Maggie: That’s not the point Ricky? The point is that I didn’t know that. I sat here for a week thinking you were dead. Thinking that I missed my chance. And I prayed for it to be a mistake for that stupid negative to be false. I wanted it to positive, because then I’d always have a piece of you with me, whether you were dead or not, whether we were together or not, I just wanted something that would connect us always.

Ricky’s eyes begin to tear.

Maggie: But you knew. You knew you’d see me again. You had the truth to hold onto. I had memories and pain.

Ricky: I’m sorry.

Maggie: I don’t want you to be sorry. I may not like what you did. But I do know that you love me.

Ricky: Ain’t that the truth. (he smiles through his tear stained cheeks)

Maggie:(softens her gaze) And I know that you wouldn’t have done what you did, if you thought  there was any other way.

Ricky: I just want to keep you safe. You’re the love of my life Maggie. (he smiles, tears rolling down his cheeks)

Maggie: (crying) You’re the love of my life too. (they kiss) And I’m sorry I wasted any time making you question that. I knew how much I loved you, but with your job-I was just scared.

Ricky: Yea I got that. (he brushes her hair from her face)

Maggie: This past week has been hell, I went over every last thing I said to you. I hated the way I handled things. I’m sorry I ever let you leave without giving you the answer you deserved. Without letting you know how much I still wanted to be with you.

Ricky: I knew. (he cups her face, smiling at her) I’m sorry too. But none of that matters now.

Maggie kisses him. 

Ricky: When I heard about the pregnancy scare, I knew I had to see you.

Maggie: Well, I’m really glad you did. (she smiles through her tears)

Ricky smiles.

Maggie: I don’t wanna fight with you. Especially if  I only have you for (glances at the clock) 10 more minutes.

Ricky: Thank you. I love you so much.

Maggie: Come hold me until you have to leave.

Ricky smiles walking over to her and pulling her into a tight hug. He kisses her forehead. Maggie hugs him tighter, and looks up at him. He leans down and kisses her.

Maggie: You promise you’ll come back?

Ricky: I promise.

Maggie: You better. Because if you don’t I will hunt you down myself, and kick your ass. (she pushes him away, he smiles and pulls her into a kiss.)

Ricky: Trust me, nothing in this world, is going to keep me away from you.

Maggie smiles up at Ricky, and touches his face in adoration.

Maggie’s phone rings.

She picks it up, and walks back toward Ricky, who wraps her back in his arms.

Maggie: Hello?

Lily: Hey…how’s it going? How you feeling?

Ricky: (brings his finger to his lips, whispering) Shh.

Maggie: Better.

Lily: Yea?

Ricky smiles, kissing her neck, and pulling her closer.

Maggie: Yea. I’m much better.

Lily: That’s great. Do you want to meet up for lunch?

Maggie: Yea sure. I’ll call you back in a bit, ok?

Lily: Sure…

Maggie hangs up and kisses Ricky.

Lily hangs up too and looks at her phone surprised at Maggie’s sudden shift in mood.

Then returns her attention to the little kids running around her classroom, playing games and singing silly songs.

-<3-

* I do not take credit for any gifs, or any images used in my (crappy) edits or otherwise. *