5.
Alex groaned, not a loud macho groan - more like an injured soldiers groan, one that Claire didn't hear.
Alex opened his eyes. He saw an orange sky, and then Claire's head resting on his chest. He could hear her sobbing - something he'd never heard her do before. He lay with his eyes open. He didn't want to frighten her, so he took a deep breath. Claire looked at him, and he closed and opened his eyes again. "Alex?" Claire's voice was croaky "Can you hear me?"
"Mm, yea Claire."
"Oh My God Alex! I thought you'd die! I'm so sorry for what happened today, I was angry and I don't know what I was thinking!"
"It's ok Claire." Alex tried to sit up, but he felt dizzy so he lay back down. Claire shifted herself so Alex could lay his head on her lap. "I was real scared you know. I promise I wont leave you again." Claire was getting all emotional and almost burst into tears. Alex raised his arm and brushed her hair back off her face. She looked down at him and smiled, she still had watery eyes. Alex just smiled back at her. They were locked in a glance and Claire leaned forward, she held her hair out of the way with one hand, and put her other hand on his hip. She moved her lips towards his and looked into his beautiful eyes. She would remember this forever. Alex pushed his head up and they locked lips. The kiss wasn't a kiss - it was MORE than a kiss! Sparks were flying and the couple's minds were whizzing, the whole world was blocked out except for Claire and Alex. All he could think about was Claire. All she could think about was Alex. There was nothing that could separate them now. This was what they had been waiting for.
After what seemed like eternity, they parted and Alex had a grin on his face. He could no longer feel any pain. He pulled himself into a sitting position and Claire rested her chin on his shoulder. Claire whispered in his ear "I'm sorry Alex. Ive always wanted it though - I mean, for us - to be together."
"Me too Claire, I cant see why you hid it. You don't have to be brave and strong all the time. Look at me! I fell off Phoenix! How strong is that?"
"But you were pretty brave."
"Not really Claire."
"Can I ask you something?" Claire paused thinking about how she would word herself. She didn't want to make herself sound desperate or stupid.
"Sure. What? Just don't ask me to race you again!" Alex joked as he pulled his leg up and rubbed it where it was scratched and bruised. "I think it's broken."
"Alex, do you want to, um stay at Drovers for awhile?"
"Gee, it's a big step for a little girl like you! What happens if Nick gets lonely?" Alex laughed but he realized Claire was being serious, and he decided to stop making a joke out of everything. I'd love to. What will Tess think though?"
"Who cares."?
"Yea who cares?" Tess said making Claire and Alex jump. She'd brought Nick and Dave with her, as well as Becky and Jodi. Claire and Alex were so wrapped up in their conversation that they didn't even hear them approach from behind.
"Oh Alex, that looks bad!" Becky winced when she saw Alex's bruised leg.
"Nah, doesn't hurt, but I feel a bit dizzy though."
"Nick I think u should ring the Ambulance."
"Right - o"
"Claire are you OK?" Tess asked.
"Uh yea, I'm fine." But Tess could see she had been crying, so when the ambulance arrived, Tess pulled Claire aside.
"Claire, you and Alex? It's real isn't it?"
"Uh, yea I guess." Claire was shaking and probably in shock.
"Look, I think you should go for it! I mean, I have tones of relationships, but hardly any were as strong as I know you and Alex feel for each other! Just accept it Claire."
"I already have." Claire smiled and she went to see how Alex was going. "You OK?"
"Yea I think so. Leg's a bit bruised."
"A bit? What do you mean a 'BIT"? It sure looks disgusting to me!"
"Yea thanks for the compliment Claire!"
"You're welcome."
Claire sat next to Alex when the ambulance arrived. It took them awhile to drive through the paddocks to where they had Alex sitting, and Claire insisted on staying with Alex in the Ambo on the way to the hospital.
Alex groaned, not a loud macho groan - more like an injured soldiers groan, one that Claire didn't hear.
Alex opened his eyes. He saw an orange sky, and then Claire's head resting on his chest. He could hear her sobbing - something he'd never heard her do before. He lay with his eyes open. He didn't want to frighten her, so he took a deep breath. Claire looked at him, and he closed and opened his eyes again. "Alex?" Claire's voice was croaky "Can you hear me?"
"Mm, yea Claire."
"Oh My God Alex! I thought you'd die! I'm so sorry for what happened today, I was angry and I don't know what I was thinking!"
"It's ok Claire." Alex tried to sit up, but he felt dizzy so he lay back down. Claire shifted herself so Alex could lay his head on her lap. "I was real scared you know. I promise I wont leave you again." Claire was getting all emotional and almost burst into tears. Alex raised his arm and brushed her hair back off her face. She looked down at him and smiled, she still had watery eyes. Alex just smiled back at her. They were locked in a glance and Claire leaned forward, she held her hair out of the way with one hand, and put her other hand on his hip. She moved her lips towards his and looked into his beautiful eyes. She would remember this forever. Alex pushed his head up and they locked lips. The kiss wasn't a kiss - it was MORE than a kiss! Sparks were flying and the couple's minds were whizzing, the whole world was blocked out except for Claire and Alex. All he could think about was Claire. All she could think about was Alex. There was nothing that could separate them now. This was what they had been waiting for.
After what seemed like eternity, they parted and Alex had a grin on his face. He could no longer feel any pain. He pulled himself into a sitting position and Claire rested her chin on his shoulder. Claire whispered in his ear "I'm sorry Alex. Ive always wanted it though - I mean, for us - to be together."
"Me too Claire, I cant see why you hid it. You don't have to be brave and strong all the time. Look at me! I fell off Phoenix! How strong is that?"
"But you were pretty brave."
"Not really Claire."
"Can I ask you something?" Claire paused thinking about how she would word herself. She didn't want to make herself sound desperate or stupid.
"Sure. What? Just don't ask me to race you again!" Alex joked as he pulled his leg up and rubbed it where it was scratched and bruised. "I think it's broken."
"Alex, do you want to, um stay at Drovers for awhile?"
"Gee, it's a big step for a little girl like you! What happens if Nick gets lonely?" Alex laughed but he realized Claire was being serious, and he decided to stop making a joke out of everything. I'd love to. What will Tess think though?"
"Who cares."?
"Yea who cares?" Tess said making Claire and Alex jump. She'd brought Nick and Dave with her, as well as Becky and Jodi. Claire and Alex were so wrapped up in their conversation that they didn't even hear them approach from behind.
"Oh Alex, that looks bad!" Becky winced when she saw Alex's bruised leg.
"Nah, doesn't hurt, but I feel a bit dizzy though."
"Nick I think u should ring the Ambulance."
"Right - o"
"Claire are you OK?" Tess asked.
"Uh yea, I'm fine." But Tess could see she had been crying, so when the ambulance arrived, Tess pulled Claire aside.
"Claire, you and Alex? It's real isn't it?"
"Uh, yea I guess." Claire was shaking and probably in shock.
"Look, I think you should go for it! I mean, I have tones of relationships, but hardly any were as strong as I know you and Alex feel for each other! Just accept it Claire."
"I already have." Claire smiled and she went to see how Alex was going. "You OK?"
"Yea I think so. Leg's a bit bruised."
"A bit? What do you mean a 'BIT"? It sure looks disgusting to me!"
"Yea thanks for the compliment Claire!"
"You're welcome."
Claire sat next to Alex when the ambulance arrived. It took them awhile to drive through the paddocks to where they had Alex sitting, and Claire insisted on staying with Alex in the Ambo on the way to the hospital.
