Learning to Live Again: 6/?
by Emilie Eden
Disclaimer: See part one and all that.
Notes: Well, this part did not go as I had originally planned. Maybe the next one will explain everything, but I can't promise anything. Sorry if there are any errors -- I didn't have a chance to beta it -- but I wanted to get it out so that I can *hopefully* get my IAHB site up and running. One day, after I finish this series, I'll go through and correct all of those annoying typos. So, anyway, enjoy...I hope.
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"You did not kill Brooke." Jamie stated in a serious tone of voice. "Do not think that. Ever."
Val looked up at him, her eyes gleaming with tears. "How can I not think that, Jamie? It's my fault. I could have..."
"Could have what?" He challenged. "Could have changed her mind? Could have stopped her?"
"I could have done something! I'm her sister!" She exclaimed, furiously brushing the tears off of her cheeks. "I was her sister," she corrected.
"You couldn't have done anything."
"No. No, you're wrong, Jamie. You're wrong!" Val screamed, untangling herself from the bed sheets and climbing out of the bed. She headed for the door, but Jamie reached out a grabbed her. "Let me go!"
Jamie shook his head. "I don't think so."
"Jamie. Let. Me. Go." Val stated slowly, her eyes flashing with anger.
Jamie's refusal to let go of her was rewarded with Val's fist colliding with his jaw.
"What the hell was that for?!" Jamie exclaimed, gently rubbing at his jaw with his free hand.
The only reply he recieved was a smirk, as Val turned and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Jamie stared at the door in bewilderment, wondering what had come over her. After a minute, the door opened slowly, revealing Caitie.
"Hey," she greeted, her hand sliding against the wall until she came in contact with the light switch. "I heard screaming...and door slamming."
Jamie squinted as the room filled with light. "Val is a woman possessed," he said in all seriousness.
"Yeah," Caitie rolled her eyes, "right."
Jamie crossed the room until he was standing directly in front of Caitie. "You see this?" He pointed to his jaw. "She has one hell of a right hook."
"Ouch," she winced. "Poor baby. Want some ice?"
Jamie gave her an irritated look. "Yes, go ahead, mock me. It wouldn't be the first time."
Caitie laughed and lead him out of the room, heading towards the kitchen. "Where did Val go?"
"Not a clue." Jamie took a seat at the bar and watched Caitie walk over to the freezer.
"Well, why did she hit you?" Caitie glanced over her shoulder. "I mean, Val isn't a violent person..."
"I wouldn't let go of her arm, so she slugged me."
"That doesn't make any sense." Caitie paused for a moment. "What were you doing in there, anyway?"
"Calming her down," he replied.
Caitie held out the ice pack she had fixed for him as she took a seat on a stool beside him. "Start from the beginning, James."
----------
Val glanced at her watch. 6:30. She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest as she walked. She didn't know where she was going, but she had to clear her thoughts. Going for a walk or jog had always helped her to clear her mind and relax.
Relax.
She took a deep breath and exhaled, willing herself to calm down.
Val continued walking, trying her hardest to ignore everything. She ignored the fact that she was still dressed in the sweats and tank top she had slept in. She ignored the chill from the morning breeze, the pounding in her head, the painful throb radiating from her right hand.
She momentarily glanced down at her hand and examined it, realizing she should go back to Caitie's and apologize. Val turned, took a step, then stopped. She thought for a minute, before turning back around and continuing her walk.
The apology could wait.
----------
"Let me get this straight, Jamie." Caitie held up her hand and began ticking off the facts Jamie had given her. "Val has a nightmare about what happened to Brooke. She blames herself and says she killed her sister. Then, she punches you, leaving a really nasty bruise, by the way." She reached out and ran her index finger across the bruise, shaking her head in disbelief.
Jamie swatted her hand away in annoyance. "Yeah, that's what happened."
"And you let her leave?!" Caitie popped the back of his head as she began pacing back and forth. "God only knows where she's at now!"
"What did you expect me to do? I tried to stop her, but you know how that turned out!" Jamie shrugged helplessly. "I didn't know what to do."
"I'm just worried about her." Caitie let out a sigh as she began pulling on her coat. "I'm going for a drive. Maybe I'll find her."
Jamie stood up. "I'll come with you."
Caitie shook her head. "Someone has to stay with Lexi." She took her keys out of her purse and turned to Jamie. "She's used to waking up with one of us here."
"Right," Jamie nodded.
"Make sure she gets breakfast," Caitie added, giving him a stern look. "No junk food."
He rolled his eyes. "Of course."
"I mean it, Jamie." Caitie shook her head and walked out the door. "Oh!" She leaned back inside. "Call over at Tyler's and see if she's there."
"Got it," Jamie replied as she left the house. He let out a sigh and picked up the phone, dialing Tyler's number.
----------
Heather walked in the living room, where she found Tyler reading the newspaper. "Tyler Bear! You're still here?!"
"It appears that way," he replied, not bothering to glance up at her.
"This ruins everything!" She cried, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead dramatically. "Why does everything happen to me?"
"I don't know, honey." Tyler rolled his eyes from behind the paper.
"Can you like, leave or something?" Heather asked, falling down into the couch beside him. "Please?" She batted her eyelashes at him.
Tyler glanced over at her. "Why? I live here."
"Because, I have plans!" Heather huffed. "My friends are coming over so that we can finish up the final wedding arrangements! You can't be here because --"
Tyler interrupted her. "Becuase I'm not in the wedding?" He asked hopefully.
"What is that supposed to mean?!" She exclaimed, her eyes full of anger.
"Nothing," Tyler replied, smiling. "Just a joke." He leaned over and kissed her cheek, before standing up. "I'll leave."
Heather jumped off the couch and threw her arms around Tyler. "Thank you, Tyler Bear!" She kissed him, before pulling back and beaming. "When we're married, we'll make up for all the time we lost!"
"Right," Tyler agreed, unwrapping himself from her embrace. "I'll just go change and then leave."
Heather watched him leave the room, before looking around the living room in search of the phone. After she located it, she sat down on the couch, placing the phone on the table beside her. She briefly acknowledged that Tyler's address book was open, but the name on the page caught her eye.
"Caitie Roth," Heather mused to herself. "Oh, yeah, that weird lawyer." She frowned suddenly. "Why would he be calling her?" She then remembered how he had left their bed in the middle of the night, and how she had heard him talking to someone in a hushed voice. She knew for a fact that she had heard him say something very clearly. "You know that I'm here for you," she repeated to herself.
Heather leaned back on the couch, chewing on her lower lip as she tried to figure it all out. Val was gone, so she was no competition, not that she had ever been any, of course. Tyler had left the bed and told somone that he was there for them. His address book was open to Caitie's number...
"But what does it all mean?!" She asked herself, letting out a sigh.
"I'm leaving!" Tyler called to Heather as he headed out the door, but Heather quickly sprinted over to him.
"Where are you going?" She asked suspiciously.
"Out," he shrugged. "You said you wanted me to leave."
Heather stared at him blankly, before it hit her. "Oh, yeah, I forgot. Ok, where can I reach you? In case of an emergency?"
"My cell phone." Tyler gave her a funny look. "What's with you today?"
"Nothing," Heather shook her head. "What if the cell doesn't work?"
"Then I don't know," he replied. "I guess I'll probably be at Hank's or Caitie's or something."
"Caitie!" Heather shrieked, before trying to appear calm. "Ok. Have fun."
Tyler raised his eyebrow. "You're sure you're okay?"
"Fine," she smiled. "Now go, because I'm expecting company. Darby, Sarah, Tina, Ashley..."
"I can take a hint," Tyler informed her, before rushing out the door. Heather slammed the door behind him and stalked into the living room, shuddering over what she had just discovered.
"I can't believe he's cheating on me with Caitie Roth! Eww!" She exclaimed to herself, right as the phone rang. Heather checked the Caller I.D. before she answered and let out a scream. "How dare that hussy call over here!"
----------
As Jamie waited for someone to pick up the phone, he walked down the hallway and stuck his head into his daughter's room. She was still sound asleep, looking like an angel, which brought a smile to his face. As he was walking back to the living room, he suddenly heard Heather on the other line.
"Listen here, you little...little...creature!" Heather yelled in a high pitched voice. "Tyler Bear is mine, not yours, so like, stop calling over here and don't sleep with him! Because I am prettier than you! And Caitie is a dumb name! So there!"
"Uh, Heather?" Jamie asked, trying his hardest not to laugh. "This is Jamie."
"Oh! Hi Jamie," she said flirtaciously. "How are you?"
"Fine," he replied, rolling his eyes. "Is Tyler there?"
"Oh. You want to talk to Tyler." Instantly, she went from flirty to bored. "You just missed him. He said he's going to Hank's or Caitie's place. Did you know he is having an affair with her? Ugh!"
Jamie laughed. "Who? Tyler and Caitie?"
"Yes! I am like, so mortified..." Heather let out a depressed sigh. "Maybe you can come over and cheer me up."
"Oh, I'd love to," he lied, "but I'm here with my daughter, so..."
Jamie suddenly heard the sound of Heather choking. "You have a kid!" She shrieked.
"That's right," Jamie confirmed, grinning to himself. "You didn't know that?"
"No," Heather scoffed. "Well, Tyler isn't here, so bye." She hung up.
"Thank God," Jamie muttered to himself, turning off the phone. "I should have said that months ago..."
by Emilie Eden
Disclaimer: See part one and all that.
Notes: Well, this part did not go as I had originally planned. Maybe the next one will explain everything, but I can't promise anything. Sorry if there are any errors -- I didn't have a chance to beta it -- but I wanted to get it out so that I can *hopefully* get my IAHB site up and running. One day, after I finish this series, I'll go through and correct all of those annoying typos. So, anyway, enjoy...I hope.
----------
"You did not kill Brooke." Jamie stated in a serious tone of voice. "Do not think that. Ever."
Val looked up at him, her eyes gleaming with tears. "How can I not think that, Jamie? It's my fault. I could have..."
"Could have what?" He challenged. "Could have changed her mind? Could have stopped her?"
"I could have done something! I'm her sister!" She exclaimed, furiously brushing the tears off of her cheeks. "I was her sister," she corrected.
"You couldn't have done anything."
"No. No, you're wrong, Jamie. You're wrong!" Val screamed, untangling herself from the bed sheets and climbing out of the bed. She headed for the door, but Jamie reached out a grabbed her. "Let me go!"
Jamie shook his head. "I don't think so."
"Jamie. Let. Me. Go." Val stated slowly, her eyes flashing with anger.
Jamie's refusal to let go of her was rewarded with Val's fist colliding with his jaw.
"What the hell was that for?!" Jamie exclaimed, gently rubbing at his jaw with his free hand.
The only reply he recieved was a smirk, as Val turned and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Jamie stared at the door in bewilderment, wondering what had come over her. After a minute, the door opened slowly, revealing Caitie.
"Hey," she greeted, her hand sliding against the wall until she came in contact with the light switch. "I heard screaming...and door slamming."
Jamie squinted as the room filled with light. "Val is a woman possessed," he said in all seriousness.
"Yeah," Caitie rolled her eyes, "right."
Jamie crossed the room until he was standing directly in front of Caitie. "You see this?" He pointed to his jaw. "She has one hell of a right hook."
"Ouch," she winced. "Poor baby. Want some ice?"
Jamie gave her an irritated look. "Yes, go ahead, mock me. It wouldn't be the first time."
Caitie laughed and lead him out of the room, heading towards the kitchen. "Where did Val go?"
"Not a clue." Jamie took a seat at the bar and watched Caitie walk over to the freezer.
"Well, why did she hit you?" Caitie glanced over her shoulder. "I mean, Val isn't a violent person..."
"I wouldn't let go of her arm, so she slugged me."
"That doesn't make any sense." Caitie paused for a moment. "What were you doing in there, anyway?"
"Calming her down," he replied.
Caitie held out the ice pack she had fixed for him as she took a seat on a stool beside him. "Start from the beginning, James."
----------
Val glanced at her watch. 6:30. She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest as she walked. She didn't know where she was going, but she had to clear her thoughts. Going for a walk or jog had always helped her to clear her mind and relax.
Relax.
She took a deep breath and exhaled, willing herself to calm down.
Val continued walking, trying her hardest to ignore everything. She ignored the fact that she was still dressed in the sweats and tank top she had slept in. She ignored the chill from the morning breeze, the pounding in her head, the painful throb radiating from her right hand.
She momentarily glanced down at her hand and examined it, realizing she should go back to Caitie's and apologize. Val turned, took a step, then stopped. She thought for a minute, before turning back around and continuing her walk.
The apology could wait.
----------
"Let me get this straight, Jamie." Caitie held up her hand and began ticking off the facts Jamie had given her. "Val has a nightmare about what happened to Brooke. She blames herself and says she killed her sister. Then, she punches you, leaving a really nasty bruise, by the way." She reached out and ran her index finger across the bruise, shaking her head in disbelief.
Jamie swatted her hand away in annoyance. "Yeah, that's what happened."
"And you let her leave?!" Caitie popped the back of his head as she began pacing back and forth. "God only knows where she's at now!"
"What did you expect me to do? I tried to stop her, but you know how that turned out!" Jamie shrugged helplessly. "I didn't know what to do."
"I'm just worried about her." Caitie let out a sigh as she began pulling on her coat. "I'm going for a drive. Maybe I'll find her."
Jamie stood up. "I'll come with you."
Caitie shook her head. "Someone has to stay with Lexi." She took her keys out of her purse and turned to Jamie. "She's used to waking up with one of us here."
"Right," Jamie nodded.
"Make sure she gets breakfast," Caitie added, giving him a stern look. "No junk food."
He rolled his eyes. "Of course."
"I mean it, Jamie." Caitie shook her head and walked out the door. "Oh!" She leaned back inside. "Call over at Tyler's and see if she's there."
"Got it," Jamie replied as she left the house. He let out a sigh and picked up the phone, dialing Tyler's number.
----------
Heather walked in the living room, where she found Tyler reading the newspaper. "Tyler Bear! You're still here?!"
"It appears that way," he replied, not bothering to glance up at her.
"This ruins everything!" She cried, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead dramatically. "Why does everything happen to me?"
"I don't know, honey." Tyler rolled his eyes from behind the paper.
"Can you like, leave or something?" Heather asked, falling down into the couch beside him. "Please?" She batted her eyelashes at him.
Tyler glanced over at her. "Why? I live here."
"Because, I have plans!" Heather huffed. "My friends are coming over so that we can finish up the final wedding arrangements! You can't be here because --"
Tyler interrupted her. "Becuase I'm not in the wedding?" He asked hopefully.
"What is that supposed to mean?!" She exclaimed, her eyes full of anger.
"Nothing," Tyler replied, smiling. "Just a joke." He leaned over and kissed her cheek, before standing up. "I'll leave."
Heather jumped off the couch and threw her arms around Tyler. "Thank you, Tyler Bear!" She kissed him, before pulling back and beaming. "When we're married, we'll make up for all the time we lost!"
"Right," Tyler agreed, unwrapping himself from her embrace. "I'll just go change and then leave."
Heather watched him leave the room, before looking around the living room in search of the phone. After she located it, she sat down on the couch, placing the phone on the table beside her. She briefly acknowledged that Tyler's address book was open, but the name on the page caught her eye.
"Caitie Roth," Heather mused to herself. "Oh, yeah, that weird lawyer." She frowned suddenly. "Why would he be calling her?" She then remembered how he had left their bed in the middle of the night, and how she had heard him talking to someone in a hushed voice. She knew for a fact that she had heard him say something very clearly. "You know that I'm here for you," she repeated to herself.
Heather leaned back on the couch, chewing on her lower lip as she tried to figure it all out. Val was gone, so she was no competition, not that she had ever been any, of course. Tyler had left the bed and told somone that he was there for them. His address book was open to Caitie's number...
"But what does it all mean?!" She asked herself, letting out a sigh.
"I'm leaving!" Tyler called to Heather as he headed out the door, but Heather quickly sprinted over to him.
"Where are you going?" She asked suspiciously.
"Out," he shrugged. "You said you wanted me to leave."
Heather stared at him blankly, before it hit her. "Oh, yeah, I forgot. Ok, where can I reach you? In case of an emergency?"
"My cell phone." Tyler gave her a funny look. "What's with you today?"
"Nothing," Heather shook her head. "What if the cell doesn't work?"
"Then I don't know," he replied. "I guess I'll probably be at Hank's or Caitie's or something."
"Caitie!" Heather shrieked, before trying to appear calm. "Ok. Have fun."
Tyler raised his eyebrow. "You're sure you're okay?"
"Fine," she smiled. "Now go, because I'm expecting company. Darby, Sarah, Tina, Ashley..."
"I can take a hint," Tyler informed her, before rushing out the door. Heather slammed the door behind him and stalked into the living room, shuddering over what she had just discovered.
"I can't believe he's cheating on me with Caitie Roth! Eww!" She exclaimed to herself, right as the phone rang. Heather checked the Caller I.D. before she answered and let out a scream. "How dare that hussy call over here!"
----------
As Jamie waited for someone to pick up the phone, he walked down the hallway and stuck his head into his daughter's room. She was still sound asleep, looking like an angel, which brought a smile to his face. As he was walking back to the living room, he suddenly heard Heather on the other line.
"Listen here, you little...little...creature!" Heather yelled in a high pitched voice. "Tyler Bear is mine, not yours, so like, stop calling over here and don't sleep with him! Because I am prettier than you! And Caitie is a dumb name! So there!"
"Uh, Heather?" Jamie asked, trying his hardest not to laugh. "This is Jamie."
"Oh! Hi Jamie," she said flirtaciously. "How are you?"
"Fine," he replied, rolling his eyes. "Is Tyler there?"
"Oh. You want to talk to Tyler." Instantly, she went from flirty to bored. "You just missed him. He said he's going to Hank's or Caitie's place. Did you know he is having an affair with her? Ugh!"
Jamie laughed. "Who? Tyler and Caitie?"
"Yes! I am like, so mortified..." Heather let out a depressed sigh. "Maybe you can come over and cheer me up."
"Oh, I'd love to," he lied, "but I'm here with my daughter, so..."
Jamie suddenly heard the sound of Heather choking. "You have a kid!" She shrieked.
"That's right," Jamie confirmed, grinning to himself. "You didn't know that?"
"No," Heather scoffed. "Well, Tyler isn't here, so bye." She hung up.
"Thank God," Jamie muttered to himself, turning off the phone. "I should have said that months ago..."