ASPEN- Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine- C
"Jack?" I called from my end of the tent we were putting up.
"Yes?"
"I don't know about this..." I stopped.
"What do you mean?" he asked as he glanced over the tarp at me.
"I'm... I'm scared."
"Don't be. It's an exciting new adventure," he smiled.
"That's easy for you to say. What are you leaving behind? Who in this world and time cares about you? More importantly, who do you care about?"
"My clients," his smile was gone, "and right now, that's Aspen. I need to go where she is and bring her home to her family."
"You've got a strong sense of duty," I murmered.
"I suppose you could say that. But what about you? What is your duty and who in this world do you care for?"
"I guess my duty is to find Aspen, too. And she's my best friend, but I'm still afraid. I don't want to do this! It's going against everything, my mind, my better judgement."
"Perhaps, but what about your heart?"
"Not that," I frowned, "but Woods, what if she doesn't want to come home? What if she's fine where she is?"
"I highly doubt that, Caroline. Even if that is the case, we will never know unless we find her."
"I guess," I thought about who I was leaving, perhaps forever, "and, as you were saying before, I'll miss my mom and dad, brother, and my boyfriend."
"Oh, tell me about them. No matter how painful it is, you need to keep reminding yourself of why you want to come back. Who you are coming back for. Once we are there (wherever there is) and need to return, will power will be our main force besides the science and math we have already applied. Tell me what you like about them."
"My mom and dad are very caring. I mean, yeah, we get in fights sometimes, but everyone does, right?"
"True. All have quarelles in their days, even with those they love, but few have true love which helps them forgive."
"That sounds like it came straight from a famous author like Shakespeare or Austen," I said, smiling. He had gotten me in a slightly better mood.
"Nope, that is pure Jack Woods. You may quote me if you'd like," he grinned, "But we keep straying from the point. Tell me more about your family."
"Oh, right. Like I said, my parents are caring and they give me and my brother the best they can. My brother is eighteen, two years older than me. He teases me a lot, but I know it's just because he loves me. And my boyfriend. His name is Zack. He's an artist, and he's drawn loads of pictures. They're pretty good. And then there's Aspen..." I paused, taking a long shuddering breath. "She's been such a great friend for the longest time. I just miss her," he came over and gave me a hug.
"It'll be all right. We'll go and get her and bring her home. You'll see."
"I just hate not knowing where she is," I sobbed.
"I know."
"But you don't!" I pulled away. "You don't know what it's like. You yourself said that you never really had any long-lasting, serious relationships with anyone."
"Who do you think ended all of the small, short relationships I did have? Not me! I loved and was crushed and loved again until I had no more love to give. Caroline, just because I seem like a man who had no life and no love to you, that doesn't mean I was always that way. I did love. I did care. I did know. So don't you dare judge me," he strode off quickly, leaving me dumbfounded.
"That is Jane Austen," I muttered.