Disclaimer: What? Stealing? No! I'd never! I'm just... borrowing them.
A/N: This should be the last chapter. I hope you folks liked it. Not to worry, though! I have another story in progress, and the first chapter is ready to be uploaded! I think I like the new one better than this one... it's a little differently formatted, but it should be a good one. So look for it! Until then, enjoy the ending to Between the Lines.
IN THE HOTEL ROOM
Sleep was hard to come by last night. Tommy lay in the sheets of his bed, staring at the chair next to the small side table in the corner of the room. The clock on the surface read 7:48 a.m. and Tommy didn't see any reason to lay down anymore, if sleep wasn't going to come. Sitting himself up in the edge, he rubbed his bare chest and gave a yawn. He began to think again about the events of last night, and how Kimberly had broken his heart a second time. Supporting his elbows on his knees, he rubbed his face in his hands, and then let out a deep sigh of frustration.
'How could she fall for such an ass?'
He only half jumped at the knock on his door, and made his way over to see who it was. Squinting an eye through the peephole, he saw Kimberly standing on the other side, looking around her as if she was being watched. He grumbled as he unlocked the door, but did not open it. Sitting back on his bed, he grabbed a white tank top and put it on, contrasting his black boxers.
After only a moment, Kimberly opened the room door and stepped in, closing it behind her. She looked around the room and finally landed her eyes on Tommy, who was making no effort to look at her. "I hope I didn't wake you. I told you I'd meet you -"
"Yeah, well, I'm not in the mood for a talk, right now."
Kim rolled her eyes and shifted her weight to one leg. Crossing her arms over her chest, she responded. "Wether you're in the mood or not, we both need this. I've got things to explain, and you need answers. Just give me a chance to tell you my side, and then you can go back home."
Tommy snorted and stood up, his long hair hanging over his shoulders. He began to make the bed as if she wasn't there, but acknowledged her with a sour, "Start talking then. The sooner I get out of here, the better."
Kim winced a bit, and then took in a breath. "First of all, I want to tell you that I broke up with Trevor last night -"
"Well, I hope you don't expect me to beg you to take me back, because I'm far from it... "
"No, I don't. Just let me finish!" He turned around, a little surprised at her tone, and finally sat on the corner of the bed closest to her. She took a seat in the chair by the side table and went on. "He was a complete jerk for the way he acted last night -" Tommy chuckled, as if to mean 'duh,' and fell silent at toe scowl Kim gave him. "... and he shouldn't have said the things he did."
"Then why did he?"
"Because that's just how he is! He gets off on making other people jealous about what he has, and he exaggerates about everything -"
"So you didn't sleep with him, then?" Tommy mentally smacked his forehead. 'Aw, where did that come from?'
Kim tried to hide her smile. 'Maybe he does still care... ' She looked him in the eyes. "No, I didn't."
Tommy tried his best not to sound desperate. He still cared for her, but he just couldn't let her see how much. "Well, that's good. At least you still have morals..." 'Oops... '
Kim raised an eyebrow and sat up straighter. "What was that supposed to mean?"
Tommy cleared his throat. "Uh, only that you, um... I just meant... " He let out a deep breath. "You left me like I meant nothing more than a brother to you, only to date some horny scumbag... "
"That doesn't answer my question."
Tommy shrugged. "I'm sorry. It just came out wrong. To be honest, I'm relieved you didn't sleep with him because... well, because I can't stand the thought of someone else touching you in a way I never have... " He swallowed hard. 'Damnit! I'm letting my guard down... but now that I know the truth... and she's so beautiful... '
Kim was surprised. She hadn't expected so much honesty with him so soon. 'Wow... ' She bit her lip and looked at the floor. With a small smile, she told him, "I was never really in love with him, Tommy. You should know that. I guess you could say I sort of used him, as a shoulder to lean on, you know? Although, he wasn't the softest shoulder in the world... " She gave a chuckle.
Tommy could feel his nostrils flare for a second with the tears that threatened his eyes, but he swallowed them and summoned up all of his courage. "Then why did you let me go, Kim? Why did you have to lie to me?"
Her smile quickly faded and she too felt the tears push their way forward. "There's no good reason. I don't even know myself."
He nodded and shrugged. His hands had found each other and were clasped together, with their fingers interloping, resting between his half- bare legs. "Then, what now? I mean, what are we supposed to do?"
Kim realized that her feelings weren't ever going to forgive her if she didn't try to make things right. She sucked in the dull air of the room through her nose and admitted to him. "Tommy, I don't know how to apologize to you for what I did, or for what happened last night... but truthfully, I never stopped loving you, and if you give me a second chance, I will spend the rest of my making you glad that you did." Her glossy eyes searched his face. He stared down at his hands, giving no sign of a response. She nodded and went on. "I don't blame you for hating me. I brought this all upon myself. I broke your trust of me, and all for nothing. I'm only sorry I had to break your heart in the process... " She waited a second longer, and when he closed his eyes, she took it as her cue to leave. With a faint smile but no tears yet, she got up out of the chair and walked toward the door.
"I can accept that," he said hastily before she could turn the knob.
Kim turned around slowly. "Wh... what?"
Tommy stood to his feet and walked up to her, looking down into her eyes. "I can accept that. It doesn't really give me any answers, but to be honest right now, I don't care. As long as you never really loved that guy, I know that you've always loved me and you're willing to prove it still. I can accept that, and I'll take your offer." He took her hand in his and rubbed her knuckles with his thumb.
Kim couldn't believe it. She didn't know what to say. Opening her mouth to speak, a laugh of surprise was all she was able to let escape, and a tear slid down her cheek. "Oh, God, Tommy... I screwed up -"
"Just don't worry about it anymore. True, you can't fix what you did, but we'll work on letting it go. I came here for you, and I intend on keeping you with me for as long as we live."
"So, I'm getting a second chance?"
"Yeah. We'll start over - Give ourselves a clean slate. And this time, it will be perfect... " he smiled at her.
All she could do was pull herself into his embrace and nuzzle her nose on his chest. His heart beat calmed her shock, and she felt as though the world would stop so she could enjoy this moment forever. "I think we should celebrate," she decided out loud, and pulled away from his body.
He looked at her and nodded. "Alright, where have you got to eat around here? I'm starving." He draped an arm around her shoulder and began to open the door.
She stopped him and cleared her throat. "Well, Florida's got a variety of restaurants, but, they've all got this 'No pants, no service' policy."
Tommy looked down at her indication of his boxers and he moaned, "Aw, man." With that, pulled on a pair of pants and an over shirt, and rejoined Kim at the door. They stepped out into the world, and held hands as they walked together down the street, enjoying their new start at a relationship.
A/N: Really short, I know. I hope the ending didn't suck too bad. Review and let me know.
A/N#2: I've got a question for you: How do you make the font bold and italic for posting? Because in my next story, there are some parts that need to be italicized, preferably, and when I upload stories, the italics doesn't show up. Share your knowledge with me, if you can! I'll thank you in my authors note for that story!
A/N: This should be the last chapter. I hope you folks liked it. Not to worry, though! I have another story in progress, and the first chapter is ready to be uploaded! I think I like the new one better than this one... it's a little differently formatted, but it should be a good one. So look for it! Until then, enjoy the ending to Between the Lines.
IN THE HOTEL ROOM
Sleep was hard to come by last night. Tommy lay in the sheets of his bed, staring at the chair next to the small side table in the corner of the room. The clock on the surface read 7:48 a.m. and Tommy didn't see any reason to lay down anymore, if sleep wasn't going to come. Sitting himself up in the edge, he rubbed his bare chest and gave a yawn. He began to think again about the events of last night, and how Kimberly had broken his heart a second time. Supporting his elbows on his knees, he rubbed his face in his hands, and then let out a deep sigh of frustration.
'How could she fall for such an ass?'
He only half jumped at the knock on his door, and made his way over to see who it was. Squinting an eye through the peephole, he saw Kimberly standing on the other side, looking around her as if she was being watched. He grumbled as he unlocked the door, but did not open it. Sitting back on his bed, he grabbed a white tank top and put it on, contrasting his black boxers.
After only a moment, Kimberly opened the room door and stepped in, closing it behind her. She looked around the room and finally landed her eyes on Tommy, who was making no effort to look at her. "I hope I didn't wake you. I told you I'd meet you -"
"Yeah, well, I'm not in the mood for a talk, right now."
Kim rolled her eyes and shifted her weight to one leg. Crossing her arms over her chest, she responded. "Wether you're in the mood or not, we both need this. I've got things to explain, and you need answers. Just give me a chance to tell you my side, and then you can go back home."
Tommy snorted and stood up, his long hair hanging over his shoulders. He began to make the bed as if she wasn't there, but acknowledged her with a sour, "Start talking then. The sooner I get out of here, the better."
Kim winced a bit, and then took in a breath. "First of all, I want to tell you that I broke up with Trevor last night -"
"Well, I hope you don't expect me to beg you to take me back, because I'm far from it... "
"No, I don't. Just let me finish!" He turned around, a little surprised at her tone, and finally sat on the corner of the bed closest to her. She took a seat in the chair by the side table and went on. "He was a complete jerk for the way he acted last night -" Tommy chuckled, as if to mean 'duh,' and fell silent at toe scowl Kim gave him. "... and he shouldn't have said the things he did."
"Then why did he?"
"Because that's just how he is! He gets off on making other people jealous about what he has, and he exaggerates about everything -"
"So you didn't sleep with him, then?" Tommy mentally smacked his forehead. 'Aw, where did that come from?'
Kim tried to hide her smile. 'Maybe he does still care... ' She looked him in the eyes. "No, I didn't."
Tommy tried his best not to sound desperate. He still cared for her, but he just couldn't let her see how much. "Well, that's good. At least you still have morals..." 'Oops... '
Kim raised an eyebrow and sat up straighter. "What was that supposed to mean?"
Tommy cleared his throat. "Uh, only that you, um... I just meant... " He let out a deep breath. "You left me like I meant nothing more than a brother to you, only to date some horny scumbag... "
"That doesn't answer my question."
Tommy shrugged. "I'm sorry. It just came out wrong. To be honest, I'm relieved you didn't sleep with him because... well, because I can't stand the thought of someone else touching you in a way I never have... " He swallowed hard. 'Damnit! I'm letting my guard down... but now that I know the truth... and she's so beautiful... '
Kim was surprised. She hadn't expected so much honesty with him so soon. 'Wow... ' She bit her lip and looked at the floor. With a small smile, she told him, "I was never really in love with him, Tommy. You should know that. I guess you could say I sort of used him, as a shoulder to lean on, you know? Although, he wasn't the softest shoulder in the world... " She gave a chuckle.
Tommy could feel his nostrils flare for a second with the tears that threatened his eyes, but he swallowed them and summoned up all of his courage. "Then why did you let me go, Kim? Why did you have to lie to me?"
Her smile quickly faded and she too felt the tears push their way forward. "There's no good reason. I don't even know myself."
He nodded and shrugged. His hands had found each other and were clasped together, with their fingers interloping, resting between his half- bare legs. "Then, what now? I mean, what are we supposed to do?"
Kim realized that her feelings weren't ever going to forgive her if she didn't try to make things right. She sucked in the dull air of the room through her nose and admitted to him. "Tommy, I don't know how to apologize to you for what I did, or for what happened last night... but truthfully, I never stopped loving you, and if you give me a second chance, I will spend the rest of my making you glad that you did." Her glossy eyes searched his face. He stared down at his hands, giving no sign of a response. She nodded and went on. "I don't blame you for hating me. I brought this all upon myself. I broke your trust of me, and all for nothing. I'm only sorry I had to break your heart in the process... " She waited a second longer, and when he closed his eyes, she took it as her cue to leave. With a faint smile but no tears yet, she got up out of the chair and walked toward the door.
"I can accept that," he said hastily before she could turn the knob.
Kim turned around slowly. "Wh... what?"
Tommy stood to his feet and walked up to her, looking down into her eyes. "I can accept that. It doesn't really give me any answers, but to be honest right now, I don't care. As long as you never really loved that guy, I know that you've always loved me and you're willing to prove it still. I can accept that, and I'll take your offer." He took her hand in his and rubbed her knuckles with his thumb.
Kim couldn't believe it. She didn't know what to say. Opening her mouth to speak, a laugh of surprise was all she was able to let escape, and a tear slid down her cheek. "Oh, God, Tommy... I screwed up -"
"Just don't worry about it anymore. True, you can't fix what you did, but we'll work on letting it go. I came here for you, and I intend on keeping you with me for as long as we live."
"So, I'm getting a second chance?"
"Yeah. We'll start over - Give ourselves a clean slate. And this time, it will be perfect... " he smiled at her.
All she could do was pull herself into his embrace and nuzzle her nose on his chest. His heart beat calmed her shock, and she felt as though the world would stop so she could enjoy this moment forever. "I think we should celebrate," she decided out loud, and pulled away from his body.
He looked at her and nodded. "Alright, where have you got to eat around here? I'm starving." He draped an arm around her shoulder and began to open the door.
She stopped him and cleared her throat. "Well, Florida's got a variety of restaurants, but, they've all got this 'No pants, no service' policy."
Tommy looked down at her indication of his boxers and he moaned, "Aw, man." With that, pulled on a pair of pants and an over shirt, and rejoined Kim at the door. They stepped out into the world, and held hands as they walked together down the street, enjoying their new start at a relationship.
A/N: Really short, I know. I hope the ending didn't suck too bad. Review and let me know.
A/N#2: I've got a question for you: How do you make the font bold and italic for posting? Because in my next story, there are some parts that need to be italicized, preferably, and when I upload stories, the italics doesn't show up. Share your knowledge with me, if you can! I'll thank you in my authors note for that story!