A/N: Thanks for all the reviews guys, I'm so glad you're enjoying the
story. :)
~
Chris walked into the house, his arms laden with bags. He had gone to the store today, and picked up a bunch of things that they needed. He closed the door with his foot, and Dungy came bounding into the room as soon as he heard the door.
"Hey there boy, I got you some treats," Chris said. The dog's ears perked up as he heard the word "treat."
Chris walked into the kitchen, and set the bags down. He made another trip to the car for the rest of the bags, and put them in the kitchen as well. He started to put everything away when he noticed that he hadn't seen Stephanie around.
He walked into the living room, but she wasn't there. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen her at all that day. He furrowed his brow thinking of where she could possibly be. She might be in the dark room, but she said that she didn't have anything to develop as of right now.
"Stephanie!" he called out, wondering if she was in the house somewhere.
He didn't get an answer so he called out again. The only response he got was Dungy looking up at him from his spot on the couch. Chris wondered where in God's name Stephanie could be.
He went upstairs and looked in her room, which was empty. He didn't see the sign Stephanie put up on the dark room door, so she wasn't in there. Chris was starting to get a little worried about her.
He walked downstairs, and out onto the back porch. She wasn't out there either. Could she have taken a ride on Ophelia? Ophelia was now officially Stephanie's horse, just as much as Othello was his. He walked to the stable and saw that Ophelia was indeed missing and figured that Stephanie had gone out for a ride.
Wondering if she wanted company, Chris saddled up Othello, and rode off. He rode around for a while, before he spotted Ophelia and Stephanie. Ophelia was standing next to Stephanie who was sitting on a rather large rock. She looked to be thinking, and Chris rode over to her.
"Hey Stephanie, you had me worried sick."
"Hi Chris," she said, sullenly.
"What's the matter?" he asked, instantly picking up on her mood.
"Chris, can I be alone?"
"Are you ok Steph? Is something wrong? You can tell me if there is," he said worriedly.
"I'm fine, I just...I need to be alone right now."
"Ok...are you going to come back for dinner?"
"Yeah."
"Ok, I'll see you later then."
"Yeah," she said again, her gaze off in the distance.
Chris rode away slowly, taking one last glance at Stephanie. She looked so forlorn sitting there, and he wondered what was the matter with her. He had never seen her look so sad before. Not even when she was discussing Hunter. He wanted to find out what was upsetting her.
Just as Chris was putting the finishing touches on dinner, Stephanie walked in through the back door. She still looked sad, and Chris felt sympathy for her, though he didn't know what was wrong with her. She sat down, and ate silently. Chris didn't try to make her talk, seeing as how she looked liked she didn't want to anyways.
After they ate, Stephanie silently washed her dish, and went upstairs. Chris put on a fire, and grabbed a book from the bookcase. He turned on some music as he heard the shower running. He got so lost in the book, he didn't notice Stephanie come back down in her pajamas and just sit on the floor in front of the fire.
"He died two years ago today," Stephanie said quietly.
Chris looked up from his book, "Did you say something Stephanie?"
"Hunter, today is the anniversary of his death."
Chris felt a wave of sympathy come over him. He set the book down, before getting off the couch. He made his way over to Stephanie, and sat down next to her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders comfortingly, as she leaned against him.
"I'm so sorry Steph."
"I know. It just hurts, you know," she said, tears falling from her eyes, "I miss him so much."
"Shh, it's ok, I know. You're going to be ok Steph. Look at how far you've come since he died, you're still going strong."
"But I still feel so empty without him in my life."
"That feeling will subside over time I promise. And when that day comes, we'll have a huge party."
Stephanie laughed through her tears, "Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"We'll have a party when you get over Jessica."
"Ok. I'll be sure to tell you when that day comes."
"Why did he have to leave Chris, why couldn't he have waited just a few minutes more to come home?"
"Because God works in mysterious ways."
"But why him? What did I ever do to deserve this?"
"You didn't do anything Steph," Chris said, turning to look at her.
"But maybe if I had asked him to pick up something before he drove home, he wouldn't have been in that accident."
"Steph, there's nothing you could have done."
"Of course there is, why couldn't it have been me? I can't live without him."
"Yes you can, look at you, you're strong, and you're still going."
"But I shouldn't, it's so hard sometimes, sometimes I feel like I'll never be happy again."
"You will, I promise you that."
"How?" she asked imploringly, as she looked up into his eyes.
Chris did something that he didn't expect. He did something that he never would have thought he'd be able to do. He kissed Stephanie. And not a friendly type kiss, he really kissed Stephanie.
He hadn't dated, or even thought about dating someone else since Jessica. He still loved her with everything in him. But here he was kissing his best friend. And suddenly he realized that Stephanie was kissing him back. It was comforting, and it was something they both needed.
Stephanie wrapped her arms around Chris and they lowered themselves to the ground. Chris ran his fingers through her hair, and she moaned into his mouth. Pretty soon, clothes were being taken off at a rapid pace, and then there weren't any clothes between them. They made love in front of the fire.
Sometime later, Stephanie found herself wrapped in Chris's arms. Her head was lying on his muscular chest, and she sighed. She hadn't meant to get so caught up in the kiss, but as soon as his lips touched hers, she was gone.
"Steph, what just happened?"
"I think we made love," she said, not looking up at him.
"How did that happen?"
"You kissed me," she finally looked up at him, "I think we both just needed someone right now."
"Yeah, it was...comforting."
They both knew this wasn't about love. Sure, they loved each other as friends, but that was it and they both knew it. Chris was still in love with Jessica, and Stephanie was still in love with Hunter. But they needed each other, they needed to be there for each other, and tonight, this was what they both needed.
So they stayed in each other's arms all night.
~
Chris walked into the house, his arms laden with bags. He had gone to the store today, and picked up a bunch of things that they needed. He closed the door with his foot, and Dungy came bounding into the room as soon as he heard the door.
"Hey there boy, I got you some treats," Chris said. The dog's ears perked up as he heard the word "treat."
Chris walked into the kitchen, and set the bags down. He made another trip to the car for the rest of the bags, and put them in the kitchen as well. He started to put everything away when he noticed that he hadn't seen Stephanie around.
He walked into the living room, but she wasn't there. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen her at all that day. He furrowed his brow thinking of where she could possibly be. She might be in the dark room, but she said that she didn't have anything to develop as of right now.
"Stephanie!" he called out, wondering if she was in the house somewhere.
He didn't get an answer so he called out again. The only response he got was Dungy looking up at him from his spot on the couch. Chris wondered where in God's name Stephanie could be.
He went upstairs and looked in her room, which was empty. He didn't see the sign Stephanie put up on the dark room door, so she wasn't in there. Chris was starting to get a little worried about her.
He walked downstairs, and out onto the back porch. She wasn't out there either. Could she have taken a ride on Ophelia? Ophelia was now officially Stephanie's horse, just as much as Othello was his. He walked to the stable and saw that Ophelia was indeed missing and figured that Stephanie had gone out for a ride.
Wondering if she wanted company, Chris saddled up Othello, and rode off. He rode around for a while, before he spotted Ophelia and Stephanie. Ophelia was standing next to Stephanie who was sitting on a rather large rock. She looked to be thinking, and Chris rode over to her.
"Hey Stephanie, you had me worried sick."
"Hi Chris," she said, sullenly.
"What's the matter?" he asked, instantly picking up on her mood.
"Chris, can I be alone?"
"Are you ok Steph? Is something wrong? You can tell me if there is," he said worriedly.
"I'm fine, I just...I need to be alone right now."
"Ok...are you going to come back for dinner?"
"Yeah."
"Ok, I'll see you later then."
"Yeah," she said again, her gaze off in the distance.
Chris rode away slowly, taking one last glance at Stephanie. She looked so forlorn sitting there, and he wondered what was the matter with her. He had never seen her look so sad before. Not even when she was discussing Hunter. He wanted to find out what was upsetting her.
Just as Chris was putting the finishing touches on dinner, Stephanie walked in through the back door. She still looked sad, and Chris felt sympathy for her, though he didn't know what was wrong with her. She sat down, and ate silently. Chris didn't try to make her talk, seeing as how she looked liked she didn't want to anyways.
After they ate, Stephanie silently washed her dish, and went upstairs. Chris put on a fire, and grabbed a book from the bookcase. He turned on some music as he heard the shower running. He got so lost in the book, he didn't notice Stephanie come back down in her pajamas and just sit on the floor in front of the fire.
"He died two years ago today," Stephanie said quietly.
Chris looked up from his book, "Did you say something Stephanie?"
"Hunter, today is the anniversary of his death."
Chris felt a wave of sympathy come over him. He set the book down, before getting off the couch. He made his way over to Stephanie, and sat down next to her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders comfortingly, as she leaned against him.
"I'm so sorry Steph."
"I know. It just hurts, you know," she said, tears falling from her eyes, "I miss him so much."
"Shh, it's ok, I know. You're going to be ok Steph. Look at how far you've come since he died, you're still going strong."
"But I still feel so empty without him in my life."
"That feeling will subside over time I promise. And when that day comes, we'll have a huge party."
Stephanie laughed through her tears, "Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"We'll have a party when you get over Jessica."
"Ok. I'll be sure to tell you when that day comes."
"Why did he have to leave Chris, why couldn't he have waited just a few minutes more to come home?"
"Because God works in mysterious ways."
"But why him? What did I ever do to deserve this?"
"You didn't do anything Steph," Chris said, turning to look at her.
"But maybe if I had asked him to pick up something before he drove home, he wouldn't have been in that accident."
"Steph, there's nothing you could have done."
"Of course there is, why couldn't it have been me? I can't live without him."
"Yes you can, look at you, you're strong, and you're still going."
"But I shouldn't, it's so hard sometimes, sometimes I feel like I'll never be happy again."
"You will, I promise you that."
"How?" she asked imploringly, as she looked up into his eyes.
Chris did something that he didn't expect. He did something that he never would have thought he'd be able to do. He kissed Stephanie. And not a friendly type kiss, he really kissed Stephanie.
He hadn't dated, or even thought about dating someone else since Jessica. He still loved her with everything in him. But here he was kissing his best friend. And suddenly he realized that Stephanie was kissing him back. It was comforting, and it was something they both needed.
Stephanie wrapped her arms around Chris and they lowered themselves to the ground. Chris ran his fingers through her hair, and she moaned into his mouth. Pretty soon, clothes were being taken off at a rapid pace, and then there weren't any clothes between them. They made love in front of the fire.
Sometime later, Stephanie found herself wrapped in Chris's arms. Her head was lying on his muscular chest, and she sighed. She hadn't meant to get so caught up in the kiss, but as soon as his lips touched hers, she was gone.
"Steph, what just happened?"
"I think we made love," she said, not looking up at him.
"How did that happen?"
"You kissed me," she finally looked up at him, "I think we both just needed someone right now."
"Yeah, it was...comforting."
They both knew this wasn't about love. Sure, they loved each other as friends, but that was it and they both knew it. Chris was still in love with Jessica, and Stephanie was still in love with Hunter. But they needed each other, they needed to be there for each other, and tonight, this was what they both needed.
So they stayed in each other's arms all night.
