Disclaimers: All names, characters, or anything else are the property of MIOBI and ABC Famliy. I own nothing.
Author's Note: This story takes place after episode 2x06, specifically Austin and Kaylie's kiss. Later chapters may or may not follow the plot of the new episodes of the show. This is my first fanfic, so any help, advice, comments, etc. would be greatly appreciated!
Despite her attempt at a swift, discrete exit from the party, she could feel him behind her, quickly gaining with his long, powerful strides. She knew it would only be a matter of seconds until he caught up to her, giving him the perfect opportunity to ridicule her about the reason she came to his party. As if she hadn't already been mocked enough for failing to display her kegger antics of last year, now she looked like a manic dictator trying to control everything and everyone around her. Regardless of the fact that she gave little credence to his opinion of her, she couldn't help feeling embarrassed that he probably now thought of her as an uptight loser with control issues.
Hearing him begin to speak behind her, she quickly turned, ready for whatever he might say. Shocked when he simply asked if she was alright, she egged him on, hoping that he would just say what he wanted to and then leave her alone.
But it never came. The manner in which he talked to her was starkly different than the tone of an egotistical ass that he usually emitted, even bordering on being genuinely concerned. And for some reason she couldn't help but open up to him, letting everything that had been brimming at the surface spill out.
Maybe it was simply because he seemed to care, because instead of criticizing he had comforted her. Maybe it was the way he smiled, the way his eyes seemed to light up, the way his face looked bright, happy, free of all worries. Or maybe it was just because, for once, he had actually surpassed her expectations, instead of failing to meet them and letting her down like everyone else in her life had.
Then, before she could stop them, it was her tears that began to spill out along with her emotions. How could she act like this, so flustered, so upset, when he, who was under as just as much, if not more, pressure than she could be so calm and collected? Thinking about this only served to further upset her, making her want to leave so she could suffer in her embarrassment alone.
Yet something about him - his eyes, his voice, maybe his smile - kept her there, kept her listening to him unwaveringly. This seemed so unlike him. So with every second that continued to pass between the two, she kept waiting for him to drop this kind and compassionate act, this persona so completely opposite of his typical demeanor towards her.
But the act never faded. Whether it was a mask he wore extremely well or the true personality hidden beneath his nonchalant, party-boy exterior, she didn't know. But what she did know was that right at this very moment, despite the tears trickling down her face and the emotions running rampant within her, she felt better than she had in a while. For once, someone seemed to care about her, genuinely, as a person rather than only a gymnast.
Which is why, after vaguely recognizing that he was telling her to just let go, she didn't flinch as he closed the distance between them, slowly dipping down his head and lifting her chin up so that her lips could meet his.
The instance they touched, she suddenly felt her thoughts, her worries, her frustrations all slip away. All she could feel was the soft, tender presence of the man she confessed to hate against her lips. Eyes closed, it was as if the entire world had melted away, nothing on her mind but this given moment. No gymnastics, no coaches pressuring her, no fighting parents, no backstabbing best friend, just right now. And in this moment of right here, right now, everything was okay.
Too bad that wonderful feeling of total freedom and complete calm in her vanished the second they separated.
Damn you Austin Tucker.
Slowly waking from her rather stressful night of sleep, Kaylie Cruz couldn't stop repeating this phrase over and over again in head.
Why did he even have to come to the Rock in the first place? If he had just kept his little arrogant ass back wherever he had come from she wouldn't be having these problems.
It was bad enough that he was always taunting her in the gym, throwing those cocky, yet ever-so-charming, smiles and winks at her, trying to get under her skin and disrupt her focus in his delusion attempt to either flirt or mess with her. She really couldn't tell the difference with him. But then he had to go and throw that stupid party. And he conveniently happened to have it the one time they didn't have to practice the next day. Of course.
And as if it hadn't already been embarrassing enough to be reminded by everyone that she had exchanged fun-loving Keg-stand Kaylie for a controlling dork that only came to a party to check up on her teammate, he couldn't just let her leave. No, he had to be all nice and compassionate and caring, like he actually gave a damn about her life and her problems. And then he had to go and kiss her. Which wouldn't have been so bad if she didn't enjoy it so much.
It wasn't so much the kiss as the way she felt. Granted, the kiss was still good. Really good, great actually. He was confident, strong, sure, while still being gentle. Those few seconds she shared with him had been better than any make-out session she had had with Carter. But she should have expected that. He was Austin Tucker after all. His reputation obviously came from somewhere.
What she hadn't expected was the ability to feel so comfortable and safe in his presence. During the brief time in which their lips had connected, she felt completely at ease, like nothing or no one could ever hurt her, like no matter what happened she would be okay. In that moment she had let all her worries fall away, feeling amazingly free, no need to impress or please anyone, not even herself. It was the most incredible feeling she had every experienced. Unfortunately, it was gone the instance his lips left hers.
Which is exactly why she so mad at him.
Because he had simultaneously exposed her to a magnificent new world and made it impossible for her to ever return to it, as the only way she could was if she kissed him again. Which everyone knew wasn't going to happen, considering no one knew they had even kissed once. And she planned on keeping it that way.
No matter how good the kiss or how good the feeling, Kaylie Cruz had sworn off boys and intended to keep her promise. Just because her promise ring now sat at the bottom of that lake didn't mean that she wouldn't hold true to it anymore. If she was going to win Worlds, she needed her focus to be solely on gymnastics. Screw what Austin had said about letting going and just forgetting for a little while. If that meant having to kiss him or, god forbid, having some sort of relationship with him, she would take stressed, control-freak, dorky Kaylie any day. She wasn't about to become another one of his one night stands. Getting involved with him would only result in his letting her down and hurting her.
Like Lauren had when she slept with her boyfriend.
Like Carter had when he had cheated on her.
Like her mom had when she had an affair with her coach and her dad had when he refused to even move back into the house. Like both of them had when they chose to break up her family instead of trying to work out their issues with each other.
And Kaylie couldn't handle anymore hurt. If one more person she thought she could trust ended up hurting her, she was certain she would break.
So she resolved not to trust Austin, not to let him in again and expose herself like she so foolishly had done yesterday. In fact, she would pretend that yesterday hadn't even happened. The kiss, the kind and caring Austin, anything else that had took place between the two of them was strictly a part of her memory. She would come to the Rock tomorrow and treat it like any other day, treat him like she normally would have any other day. And hopefully he would get the message.
She had a career to concentrate on. Right now there were so many uncertainties as it is. She didn't even know if she was going to make the world team, and if she did how she would do. It would only be that much harder if she was chasing after some guy. She would have plenty of time to worry about boys after the Olympics. And when she did, she wouldn't waste her time worrying about guys like Austin. She wouldn't waste her time on a someone who she could never share a real relationship with.
Of that she was certain.