The scene at Metro was like standing behind the guard rail and watching two trains about to collide…you could either watch in some twisted curiosity, or stupidly jump in the middle as they both destroyed you and each other in the process.

Carly decided that she had been in the middle of Holden and Lily too much as it was…so she simply stayed back her breath lost somewhere between her stomach and her chest.

"You knew?" Lily spat at him the acid from her tongue striking him.

Meg tried to jump in with a few hushed words but Lily ignored her, those brown eyes locked on Holden, "You knew?" she asked again this time more forcefully.

His eyes looked past her for a second and found two blue ones. For a moment he held her gaze, then looked back to his wife, "I just thought…that with all of our problems…I didn't want Dusty to come between us" he tried to explain in hushed tones.

"So you decided that you wouldn't tell me…your wife…that her best friend…the person she mourned for months…that he was alive…because you were worried about him coming between us? You are a selfish bastard Holden Snyder"

She watched as every word hit him like a physical blow…but he stood there and took it. When she was done he reached his hand out to her, "Lily"

"Don't touch me…I'm going down to the station" she said pulling her arm away.

"Lily, please" he begged.

"Let go of me Holden…just let go" she screamed.

By now the crowd was shocked into stunned silence. Lucinda stepped over, "Lily" she said her tone pacifying.

Her eyes were lit with fury, "Don't…I told you, I am not fifteen…get out of my way" she said pushing past her and out the door.

Lucinda turned to Holden, "Aren't you going to go after her?" she asked.

Hands went up and stopped her, "I'm done" he said shaking his head.

After he turned around and walked out the door. Carly swallowed the emotion and came up stage, "Alright let's give it up for our special musical guest, Will Dailey" she told the crowd as the band started to strum another song.

By the second one everything had seemingly went back to normal. Her eyes lingered on the door…fighting the urge to go find him…just thinking about him out there the world on his shoulders made her ache.

If you asked him to explain how he came to the pond, he probably couldn't tell you. One moment Lily was yelling at him and the next minute he was sitting in his now wrinkled suit on a patch of dry grass. The moon reflected off the water casting the trees in a sort of surreal glow. He could smell the rain in the air, and he almost wished it would come and wash it all away.

It had been a mistake…and not just omitting the truth about Dusty to Lily…everything he did for the last month had been wrong…his handling of Ethan's accident…his immediate reconnection with Lily…it was a dream that had died…and going back to it was like trying to breathe new life into a wilted flower…some things were just better left hung out to dry and pressed in a book to preserve the memories they held.

He closed his eyes and tried to remember what it was like to be happy.

"Who knows…can't we just take it one day at a time and see where it goes from here?"

"I think we both know where it goes from here"

The memory flooded back to him, the warmth flowing through his entire body. He looked at his watch and felt bad for leaving…the benefit was for his family…for the farm that meant the world to them…and all he could think about was his pain.

Small droplets started to fall as he made his way to the car. By the time he came back to town it was a torrential downpour, flashes of light permeating the blackened sky. A bolt of thunder rumbled around him as he ran from the car to Metro's Door.

"Holden, what the hell are you doing here?" she asked as soon as he came running in soaked to the bone.

Looking around her realized that it was later then he had anticipated and the club was empty.

Turning to her he apologized, "So, I felt bad for leaving and thought…it's really late, I'm sorry"

"You okay?" she asked coming closer to him.

Shrugging he looked at the mess of a suit, "I've been better…what are you doing here so late?" he asked taking note of the clock on the wall.

Her hands came to his jacket, "You are going to catch your death Holden Snyder" she said stripping it off of him and hanging it over a barstool.

They both felt the murmur of electricity that sparked whenever they were in close proximity.

"I was waiting out the storm" she told him stepping back to try and avoid the connection.

He smiled at her, "That's a good idea…anyway, I don't want to keep you…I should go"

Before he could say another word a clap of thunder hit and the lights flicked off, on, and then the room went dark.

"Crap" he heard her mutter as she bumped into a table.

Hands reached out to steady her settling on the bare skin of her arms, "Are you okay"

She shuddered at the touch, "I'm good" she managed to sputter out before turning away, "I think I have some candles behind the bar" she said as he followed her.

Hot breath on her neck made her skin tingle with anticipation. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind and started to rummage through a couple of drawers.

"One" she groaned pulling out a solitary candle.

A bolt of lightening struck close and it lit up the darkened club. He smiled, "maybe one will do" he said as she lit it and he sat in on the bar.

The cold of the wet clothes hit his body causing his teeth to lightly chatter together.

"Oh my God, you must be freezing" she said starting to unbutton his shirt.

His hands caught hers as he looked into her eyes, "Carly"

Turning around she broke the connection but she couldn't stop the want for started to gnaw at her insides. Every moment he was in her presence was like the sweetest torture, agony in ecstasy.

"I think I have a blanket in the back, just give me a second" she said scrambling away from him.

For a moment he was going to go after her…instead he stripped out of the wet shirt, out of the pants, socks…until he was left in nothing but black boxer briefs. He went behind the bar and poured himself a shot of whiskey.

"Two blankets" she said coming out smiling.

When her eyes met his they dropped lowering tracing the naked flesh of his torso down to the tight underwear.

"Want a drink" he asked pouring another shot of whiskey for himself, "It warms you right up"

A smile formed on her beautiful mouth, "Pour me one stable boy" she said taking a seat on the top of a table and setting the blankets down.

He handed her the glass, "So what are we toasting to" she asked.

"How incredible you look tonight"

"Holden" she protested.

Instead of responding he clinked his glass to hers and then downed it.

Before he poured another he stared at her making a deep crimson blush rush up her neck, "What?" she asked.

And How Can I
Stand Here With You
And Not Be Moved By You

"You have the most perfect mouth" he said his finger reaching out to gently run along the bottom lip.

She grabbed his hand, "And you are drunk"

"No, I'm not" he said reaching his other hand to touch the softness of her hair.

Find Me Here
Speak To Me
I Want To Feel You
I Need To Hear You

Licking her lips she closed her eyes and tried to steady the rhythm of her heart. When she opened her eyes he was staring down at her, "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever met" he said leaning in.

"Holden" she said more as a plea for mercy.

His mouth came to hers soft and hungry and the same time, his tongue sliding through wet lips, the taste of the alcohol mixing with him started to make her forget all the reasons this was wrong.

Slowly she pulled away, "We should stop"

"I never should have let you go" he said pushing a tendril of hair out of her face, "Not when everything inside of me is screaming that it's you"

You Are The Light
That's Leading Me
To The Place
Where I Find Peace Again

Crystal blue eyes looked up to him and underneath the puddles he could see into her…he could see that as hard as she was trying to fight it…it was true for her to.

A hand cupped his cheek, "Oh Holden" she said as her last stand…her last half hearted try to stop this thing before it started.

In response his mouth crashed down upon hers again, her arms snaking around his neck, her hands fisted in his hair.

Would You Tell Me
How Could It Be
Any Better Than This

You Calm The Storms
You Give Me Rest
You Hold Me In Your Hands
You Won't Let Me Fall

As he pulled away she stood up…for a moment he thought she was going to run…and then her hands came to her body and she pulled the black dress over her head dropping it to the floor. Eyes feasted on the peaks and valleys of her flesh. Before he thought one taste would be enough to sate him but it only caused the hunger to grow…each time more then the last...she was like an addiction.

"Is the door locked?" he asked.

Turning around her walked over and turned the lock on the door, the lightening flashing outside illuminating the angles of her face.

You Still My Heart
And You Take My Breath Away
Would You Take Me In
Would You Take Me Deeper Now

The walk back to her was torture…and as soon as he was in arms reach he brought his hands to her skin, touching her abdomen, gently making a trail up to her breasts encased in black satin. Nimble fingers caught the snap in the middle and she poured out into his hands. Softly he rubbed them, massaging them, rolling her nipples in between his fingers. She arched to him as he lifted her back onto the table. He spread the blanket behind her and gently laid her back his tongue tracing her collarbone then down her chest cavity, between the valley in between her breasts, down her navel, to her hip bone before grabbing the satin thong between his teeth and pulling them down her leg.

Anticipation was going to eat her alive…and she was going to relish every moment of it. The storm raged on outside…but it was nothing compared to the one coursing through her veins.

He kissed back up her legs, taking times to languish long sweeping kisses across her thighs, his mouth coming to her sex…his tongue darting up to lap at the juices, probing her, suckling at her clit, causing her to wrap her legs around his neck in an attempt to pull him closer. If this was sin, she wanted to burn in hell.

She could feel the orgasm rise in her stomach, flooding the rest of her body with warm, until it finally reached the nerves at her core, and shook her whole body.

The orgasm tore through her and he kept going until she had ridden it out. Then he rose looking at the flush of her skin.

"I love the way you look after" he whispered.

A shy smile came to her face, "You say all the right things" she teased quietly.

Shaking his head, "I say all the true things"

Conflicting emotions came to her eyes and for a second he though it was regret until she looked up at him, "Make love to me Holden Snyder"

Stripping himself of his last article of clothing he leaned over her body, laying the sweetest of kisses on her mouth as he positioned himself to her. He pushed in tenderly, one long fluid sweep inside of her until he was buried to the hilt. Her legs wrapped around him and she encouraged him to start thrusting.

You Are All I Want
You Are All I Need
You Are Everything
Everything

Pumping in and out of her slowly at first their bodies fit together perfectly, the electricity building between them as he brought himself in and out, in and out…her body was humming with pleasure, his release building up inside of him.

You Are All I Want
You Are All I Need
You Are Everything
Everything

Their eyes met right before the culmination of it all…right before she clenched down on him and he buried himself in her one last time.

Gently he lie down next to her both of their breathings labored, "Wow" she whispered.

He brought his lips to her ear, "Every time"