That was it….I had my fill…..I had enough……I nearly ran to the door trying to get to Tina before she left…I swung it open just as she was getting in her car. “Wait” I yelled as I ran down the steps and to her car. Pulling the door open, I screamed….. “That is it Tina. You are not going to run away this time, I am tired of that shit…..Now listen to me…” I began. She looked straight ahead through the windshield as though she weren’t listening to a word I was saying. “If you want this relationship to work, and I know that you do….then you have to quit this…..you need help baby…..Your anger has gotten worse………I love you, and I want us to be together. But, you have to do something about this…..I can’t handle it……”

“Look, I just want to go now…..I am not so sure that I can take a chance of falling more in love with you for you to do to me what you did to Helena…” Tina cried…… “I don’t want to get hurt any more than I have already..”

“Baby, just give me a chance to explain everything….come back inside….we can sit and talk this thru…..” I pleaded…… Boy this is another change I have noticed of myself….I never ever pleaded with someone before …..if they wanted to leave, then Poof…..they were gone……I never held them back……….

“Please?” I gave my final plead……..it was up to her now……

Tina turned the car off, took the key out of the ignition, and leaned back in her seat……she lifted her hand to wipe the sweat off of her forehead when I grabbed it before she could……. “Well?” I asked……

“Ok….Fine……I will come back in……but you have a lot of explaining to do where Helena is concerned….”

“Fair.” I said as I extended my arm for her to take my hand. She did and I helped to lift her out of the car….we walked back to my front door hand in hand. Once inside, we took a seat in the den…..opposite ends of the sofa…….

“I want you to know Tina that I would never do to you what I did to Helena……”

“And how am I supposed to believe that? You told her everything you told me….almost word for word…..how does that make me feel?”