Chapter 2 - You can't hide the truth

They were standing there for long minutes.

Jarod was embarrassed and afraid of what she would say. He was too afraid to ask anything. He was frightened of being turned away. He didn't know how he could cope with that. He had no idea what he would do. That answer would mean the end of his life - maybe even literally. He knew there was the risk that she caught him and brought him back. God knew what would happen next. He had to take that risk. She was too precious for him.

She was embarrassed too. She looked at him. His hair was messed up. His pullover was dank. From the expression of his face she could tell that he was frightened of her. He looked so vulnerable. The sight of him turned her stomach. The way he stood in her doorway was like he would have said 'Here I am. My life is in your hands. Love me or kill me.' She wanted to run away and avoid making the decision. She wasn't capable of making decisions like that. She hated him for bringing her to a situation like this. He hadn't even said anything and he told so many things at the same time.

She knew she had to break the silence. "Come in. It's good for noone if you get cold" He realized that he was already cold. He shivered a bit. He followed her to the living room.

"Sit down" She told him seriously.

"No, thanks I'd better stand" He was too nervous to sit down.

"OK Jarod, as you prefer." She kept a bit silence then carried on. "I want you to understand that we could never be together."

"But" He tried to interrupt her but it had no use.

"I don't want to lead a life like that we could have with eachother. "

"I love you." He looked straight in her eyes with his chocolate-brown eyes.

"You shouldn't have come here."

He looked at her in a way that made her feel very uncomfortable. Like he couldn't understand what she had said. He stepped right before her. She couldn't shun his gaze. They ogled for a while. The air was in fire around them. Neither of them blinked. He raised his hands to her head. She didn't protest. All she could do was to melt in his icecold hands. He smoothed softly her face. Her skin was so warm, so delicious. His hands were trembling a bit. Not from the cold but from the fear and excitement. He leaned towards her. Their face was very close. He felt her breathing. He looked at her lips. They were asking to meet his. He would have died thousand times just to get that kiss from her.

She felt the same. At the moment there was just he and her. The whole world seemed not to exist. She didn't think of losing him. She didn't care about what she should have done. What they expected her to do. What they expected her to be. At that moment she was a woman who needed care. She needed to feel being loved. She felt how weak she could be. It frightened her a bit.

Between their lips there were only centimetres when the doorbell rang.

They moved away from eachother.

"It must be Lyle. He phoned just before you arrived. He wants to give me a letter."

"Where is your bathroom?"

"The second door on the left." Her heart was beating heavily. She didn't want Lyle to find Jarod. She wanted to make the decision herself. Nomatter what it would be. She was still not sure what to do with Jarod. She was too afraid to depend on him. She wouldn't have had fear if he weren't Jarod. But he was.

She answered the door. Lyle stood there with an umberella and a brief-case in his hands.

"Hello" She tried to sound very-very sleepy.

"Hi, Sis" He was very awake in spite of the late point of time.

"Give me the envelope, it's late and I'm tired." She talked to him like teachers talk to their pupils who didn't know what to do in everyday sitations.

"Won't you let me in? As you see it's pouring." She knew he had right but it would be the first step and then an other would come and she couldn't let it happen.

"It's not the perfect occasion for it."

"Have you noticed that we don't even speak with eachother?"

'What has gone to these guys? Is it full moon or what? Why do they want to solve their problems tonight?' She thought.

"Please, let us discuss it tomorrow." She said in a wairy voice.

"The only thing I want is a drink" There was no ridicule in his voice. Maybe this would be the chance to bury the hatchet. She knew she had to resist due to Jarod. At that thought she became nervous.

"Please give me that letter and go away!" This time he hadn't earned her rudeness but it didn't matter for her.

"OK-OK if you insist on. Would you hold it for a moment?" He gave her his umbrella, searched his brief-case and took out a letter. He began smirking.

"Is anyone with you?"

"Don't play with me PLEASE. Gimme that." He closed his bag and hid the letter behind his back.

"No, I won't give it to you till you don't tell me who there is."

"Nobody, Lyle, You're getting paranoid."

"Then let me check it."

"No" she tried to close the door but he was stronger and pushed her aside. He looked in the rooms. There was no sign of a stranger in the livingroom nor in the bedroom. The kitchen was empty too. He went to check the toilet and the bathroom. The two doors on the left. She stood before him to prevent him from getting in.

"Sis, I would never thought you were the kind of woman that hid man in her bathroom."

"You fucking bastard. Why do you always have to meddle in my life? Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"Why can't you just introduce me to him?"

'There's no need to introduce. You know him very well.' She thought but instead she said:

"There's nobody to introduce!"

"Then let me in." She realized she could do nothing more and acquisced in what was coming. She calmed herself down that it was what she would have done anyway. He just made it easier. She didn't have to blame herself for anything.

He went in.