Be My Valentine Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Just how many bad guys are after Stephanie Plum? The firemen and the uniform cops shake their heads in disbelief and silently sigh. They all know and like Stephanie Plum. She's friendly, different and fun. They have learned to respect her choice and sort of admire her courage to lead an unconventional life. But sometimes they can't help wishing she can consider changing her job. The fire in the apartment is finally put out. The small bedroom is totally ruined. Everything inside is burned to a crisp, just like the sizzling smoking relic of the car down in the parking lot. The landlord and the superintendent have been informed. Luckily no one was inside the building at the time of the fire. Stephanie will have to buy new furniture and new clothes, and find herself a new place to live.

And it seems this time she is not going to move into Joe Morelli's small two-story house.

What's Stephanie going to say to him? Joe Morelli wonders to himself. "Joe, I'm sorry"? "Joe, it's over"? "Joe, it's not going to work between us"? "Joe, I will always love you, but I can't love you the way you deserve to be loved"? Or "Joe, I love you, but I'm not in love with you"? Will she cut the crap and simply say, "Joe, I'm leaving you for Ranger's money and cars"? And what the fucking Hell does "I love you but I'm not in love with you" mean exactly? Has she ever loved him? Has he ever loved her? Have they ever been in love with each other? Or were they just being too tired and too lazy and thus settled for someone familiar and easy to make everybody happy?

He looks into Stephanie's ocean blue eyes, confirms his assumption and eerily wants to bark out a laugh. The brave and skilled firemen and his fellow brothers in blue are watching, but he doesn't care. All the lies they said. All the excuses they made. All the charades. All the games. All the pizzas. All the beer. All the yelling. All the arm-waving. All the accusing. All the make-up sex. No. It's not about love. It's about loneliness. It's about needs. It's about desires. It's about lust. Somehow love is never involved.

Morelli knows what he has to do. He has no other choice. He hates being a loser. He always wants to be a winner. He has to say goodbye, turn around and walk away. He has to leave the stage with dignity and grace. He has to be the one who breaks away. But a part of him wants to fight. A part of him want to stay. A part of him wants things to stay the same. A part of him wants to feel her soft warm body next to him in his bed. He opens his mouth to speak, but Stephanie's tiny shaky yet crystal clear voice has already sounded.

"I love you, Carlos Manoso."

Stephanie Plum turns to face the man she loves and says. Everything becomes quiet. Everything becomes still. She can't even hear her own heart beat or the blood rushing through her veins. She feels the heat of Ranger's body. She inhales the scent of his Bvlgari. She sees the sudden intensity in his darkened eyes. She gives him a weak timid smile. She has said what she wanted to say. Now she can only wait.