"So, she's doing it again." Kylie shook her head as Rhiannon grabbed a couple of drinks out of the fridge and passed one to her friend, who was shaking her head in disgust.
"The thing is, I'm beginning to wonder whether she really does know what she's doing to these poor guys." Rhian whispered in reply, making sure that Kiara couldn't hear her.
As it was Friday night, Kylie had come over to watch some movies. She and Rhian were currently in the kitchen discussing Jeff Hardy's impromptu visit to their work that morning and Kiara was in the den watching a tape of Smackdown! hoping to get a glimpse of her mother before they settled down to watch a movie.
"Of course she does, Rhiannon. God, she's always known what she's doing. You just haven't wanted to see it because she's your sister." Kylie replied with contempt and Rhiannon rolled her eyes, knowing how much Kylie disliked her sister. "So what are you going to do?" She asked, ignoring the silent rebuke and Rhian just shrugged her shoulders helplessly.
"I don't know. My head's telling me to stay out of it..." Rhiannon sighed and Kylie gave her friend a knowing look.
"I can sense a 'but' coming on Rhian. What are you thinking?" After a few moments thought, Rhiannon just shook her head.
"I don't know, I guess I feel a bit sorry for Jeff is all." Rhiannon sighed sadly. "I just hope his relationship with his brother doesn't suffer too much. He was so sad though. And he was a bit of a sweetie, once he got over his cockiness, I suppose." She admitted and Kylie chuckled.
"And he was kinda cute, for all his weirdness." They both grinned as Kiara came barreling into the kitchen.
"Rhian, Kylie, come and watch Mom on the Wrestling." Rhiannon gave Kylie a resigned look and they moved into the den to watch Smackdown!
"She's wrestling with Matt Hardy tonight. I'd like to meet him, but I'd love to meet Jeff more." Kiara sighed, resting her chin on the back of her hands. Rhiannon and Kylie exchanged looks as they both bit back laughs, but Rhiannon placed a finger to her lips, warning Ky not to say anything.
Rhiannon leaned back as she watched her elder sister walking down the ramp accompanied by a darker, stockier version of the man who'd come to see her today.
"Well, I can certainly see why Imogen enjoys her job so much." Kylie remarked as the doorbell rang. Rhiannon didn't reply as she rose to see who was visiting at nine-thirty at night. Opening the door, she was faced with a sheepish looking Jeff Hardy. Her amusement was tainted by a slight annoyance and she decided to toy with him a little.
"You are aware that stalking is a crime?" She inquired, blocking the door so that Jeff couldn't get in. An injured looked crossed his face and she had to hide the smile which tugged at the corners of her mouth. Jeff noticed this and decided to play along.
"I'm not stalking, I just need to talk. Please Rhiannon, just let me in. I'm cold and hungry and depressed." He pleaded and Kylie called out from her position in the den.
"Will you just let the boy in and hurry up so I can watch this damn movie." Rhiannon rolled her eyes and took a step backward to let Jeff through.
"Thank you." He smiled and followed her to the den. He raised an eyebrow as he noticed what they were watching. "Well, that's a surprise. I wouldn't have picked you for a wrestling fan."
"Appearances can be deceiving." She watched Imogen on the television for a moment before deciding to put the girls out of their misery. "Kiara, Kylie, this is Jeff. Jeff, this is my friend Kylie, you remember her from the café? And my niece, Imogen's daughter, Kiara."
"Nice to meet you both." He smiled widely at Kiara, who had near fallen off the chair and was observing Jeff open-mouthed.
"You too sugar. Now, why don't you tell us what you're doing here?" Kylie smiled sweetly and Jeff had to laugh.
"Actually, I need to speak to Rhiannon alone." He admitted, and Kylie smirked as she raised an eyebrow.
"Come on then. Why don't you two start the movie without me." Rhiannon shot Kylie a warning look as she took Jeff out to the back porch. She curled up on the futon that overlooked the large, overgrown backyard and motioned for Jeff to take a seat next to her. "So, what's up Jeff?"
"I wanted to apologise again for today. I know I probably shouldn't have come to you complaining about my problems and I just wanted to thank you for listening and for your advice." Rhiannon leaned her head back against the back of the couch as she regarded him with a wary expression.
"But?"
"Well, it's not really a "but". I just don't know if my brother and I are ever going to have the same relationship that we had before and there's no one I can talk to about it. Since my brother and I have pretty much the same circle of friends, you're the only person I've told about all this. Although, Amy's guessed that something's not quite right."
"But you still feel guilty about bringing this to me, huh?"
"Yeah..." He sighed, looking out at the night sky, which was clouding over fast, signaling that a storm was imminent. "But I felt like I was going crazy! I didn't know what else to do, I need my brother, Rhiannon and I can feel that I'm losing him." Rhiannon shook her head as she took his hand, almost moved to tears by his admission.
"No, Jeff. You won't. If you still want my help, I'll do my best help you make things right. But I can't promise anything." She warned and Jeff laughed bitterly.
"Rhian, you were right the first time. There's no way that you'd be able to do anything. My brother's so stubborn, he won't listen to anyone else. And I'm sure that Imogen won't have any answers for my questions, either. I appreciate the support, though."
They sat silently, hand in hand for a few moments, before Rhiannon suddenly stood up, pulling Jeff to his feet too.
"Well, if I can't help you fix things, at least let me help you take your mind off them for a while." She smiled cheekily and he raised his eyebrows, wondering what she had in mind. "I don't know about you, but I need another drink if I'm going to get through all these chick flicks tonight. Would you like to join us?" She asked warmly and Jeff chuckled slightly.
"Yeah, I'd love to."
"The thing is, I'm beginning to wonder whether she really does know what she's doing to these poor guys." Rhian whispered in reply, making sure that Kiara couldn't hear her.
As it was Friday night, Kylie had come over to watch some movies. She and Rhian were currently in the kitchen discussing Jeff Hardy's impromptu visit to their work that morning and Kiara was in the den watching a tape of Smackdown! hoping to get a glimpse of her mother before they settled down to watch a movie.
"Of course she does, Rhiannon. God, she's always known what she's doing. You just haven't wanted to see it because she's your sister." Kylie replied with contempt and Rhiannon rolled her eyes, knowing how much Kylie disliked her sister. "So what are you going to do?" She asked, ignoring the silent rebuke and Rhian just shrugged her shoulders helplessly.
"I don't know. My head's telling me to stay out of it..." Rhiannon sighed and Kylie gave her friend a knowing look.
"I can sense a 'but' coming on Rhian. What are you thinking?" After a few moments thought, Rhiannon just shook her head.
"I don't know, I guess I feel a bit sorry for Jeff is all." Rhiannon sighed sadly. "I just hope his relationship with his brother doesn't suffer too much. He was so sad though. And he was a bit of a sweetie, once he got over his cockiness, I suppose." She admitted and Kylie chuckled.
"And he was kinda cute, for all his weirdness." They both grinned as Kiara came barreling into the kitchen.
"Rhian, Kylie, come and watch Mom on the Wrestling." Rhiannon gave Kylie a resigned look and they moved into the den to watch Smackdown!
"She's wrestling with Matt Hardy tonight. I'd like to meet him, but I'd love to meet Jeff more." Kiara sighed, resting her chin on the back of her hands. Rhiannon and Kylie exchanged looks as they both bit back laughs, but Rhiannon placed a finger to her lips, warning Ky not to say anything.
Rhiannon leaned back as she watched her elder sister walking down the ramp accompanied by a darker, stockier version of the man who'd come to see her today.
"Well, I can certainly see why Imogen enjoys her job so much." Kylie remarked as the doorbell rang. Rhiannon didn't reply as she rose to see who was visiting at nine-thirty at night. Opening the door, she was faced with a sheepish looking Jeff Hardy. Her amusement was tainted by a slight annoyance and she decided to toy with him a little.
"You are aware that stalking is a crime?" She inquired, blocking the door so that Jeff couldn't get in. An injured looked crossed his face and she had to hide the smile which tugged at the corners of her mouth. Jeff noticed this and decided to play along.
"I'm not stalking, I just need to talk. Please Rhiannon, just let me in. I'm cold and hungry and depressed." He pleaded and Kylie called out from her position in the den.
"Will you just let the boy in and hurry up so I can watch this damn movie." Rhiannon rolled her eyes and took a step backward to let Jeff through.
"Thank you." He smiled and followed her to the den. He raised an eyebrow as he noticed what they were watching. "Well, that's a surprise. I wouldn't have picked you for a wrestling fan."
"Appearances can be deceiving." She watched Imogen on the television for a moment before deciding to put the girls out of their misery. "Kiara, Kylie, this is Jeff. Jeff, this is my friend Kylie, you remember her from the café? And my niece, Imogen's daughter, Kiara."
"Nice to meet you both." He smiled widely at Kiara, who had near fallen off the chair and was observing Jeff open-mouthed.
"You too sugar. Now, why don't you tell us what you're doing here?" Kylie smiled sweetly and Jeff had to laugh.
"Actually, I need to speak to Rhiannon alone." He admitted, and Kylie smirked as she raised an eyebrow.
"Come on then. Why don't you two start the movie without me." Rhiannon shot Kylie a warning look as she took Jeff out to the back porch. She curled up on the futon that overlooked the large, overgrown backyard and motioned for Jeff to take a seat next to her. "So, what's up Jeff?"
"I wanted to apologise again for today. I know I probably shouldn't have come to you complaining about my problems and I just wanted to thank you for listening and for your advice." Rhiannon leaned her head back against the back of the couch as she regarded him with a wary expression.
"But?"
"Well, it's not really a "but". I just don't know if my brother and I are ever going to have the same relationship that we had before and there's no one I can talk to about it. Since my brother and I have pretty much the same circle of friends, you're the only person I've told about all this. Although, Amy's guessed that something's not quite right."
"But you still feel guilty about bringing this to me, huh?"
"Yeah..." He sighed, looking out at the night sky, which was clouding over fast, signaling that a storm was imminent. "But I felt like I was going crazy! I didn't know what else to do, I need my brother, Rhiannon and I can feel that I'm losing him." Rhiannon shook her head as she took his hand, almost moved to tears by his admission.
"No, Jeff. You won't. If you still want my help, I'll do my best help you make things right. But I can't promise anything." She warned and Jeff laughed bitterly.
"Rhian, you were right the first time. There's no way that you'd be able to do anything. My brother's so stubborn, he won't listen to anyone else. And I'm sure that Imogen won't have any answers for my questions, either. I appreciate the support, though."
They sat silently, hand in hand for a few moments, before Rhiannon suddenly stood up, pulling Jeff to his feet too.
"Well, if I can't help you fix things, at least let me help you take your mind off them for a while." She smiled cheekily and he raised his eyebrows, wondering what she had in mind. "I don't know about you, but I need another drink if I'm going to get through all these chick flicks tonight. Would you like to join us?" She asked warmly and Jeff chuckled slightly.
"Yeah, I'd love to."