Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely

Chapter: 6

A/N: Good Lord it's been about 8 months since I've done this and I'm sure you all hate me by now, but I have returned and with any luck I will be posting my ass off in the next few weeks so if anyone is still around please read and review.

Alexus

Kaitlyn's stomach was in knots. "Why am I doing this?" She asked herself. "Because Ryan, you're insane." Came the reply from her conscience. She had told Jeff that she was going to drive her own car but somehow she ended up in the front seat of Jeff's Corvette anyway.

"What are you thinking about?" Jeff asked after watching her for a few minutes.

"Nuthin. Where are we going anyway?"

"What are you in the mood for?"

"A big ol' juicy steak sounds nice to me."

"Well then a big old juicy steak it is." Jeff said with a smile.

"Jeff, I wanted to apologies for today…"

"It's in the past." Jeff interrupted.

"Let me do this ok?"

"Sorry."

"I was wrong for going off on you it's just I'm not use to people giving a damn about me.

"I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have laid that kiss on you, although I'm not really sorry that I did it. It was one hell of a kiss.

"Yes it was." Kaitlyn said under her breath.

"What was that?" Jeff asked even though he had heard her the first time.

"Oh you heard me." Kaitlyn said blushing. "I've never been kissed like that before. In fact I've never been kissed at all. I can't believe I just said that." Kaitlyn said hiding her face.

"You've never been kissed? I don't believe that."

"Well believe it." Kaitlyn said as Jeff pulled into a parking space at Outback.

"Hungry?"

"Starved." Kaitlyn said happy that Jeff changed the subject.

"Thank-you."

"For what?" Kaitlyn asked confused.

"Agreeing to have dinner with me."

"Jeff…"

"Don't worry I'm not expecting anything to come from this, but I won't be disappointed if something does." Jeff said cockily.

"Do you have a nickname?" Kaitlyn asked out of the blue.

"Not really, where'd that come from anyway?"

"Well I just thought of one for you."

"Oh really? Will I like it?"

"Probably."

"Well… what is it?" Jeff asked in anticipation.

"Silk."

"Silk?" Jeff asked quizzically.

"Yeah I mean it's only natural seeing that every word out of your mouth is 'Smooth as Silk'. Get it?"

"Oh I see. I like it." Jeff smiled.

"I thought you would. " Kaitlyn said walking into the restaurant.

"Welcome to Outback. Will it be just the two of you tonight?"

"Yes it will." Jeff answered.

"Ok follow me and I'll seat you. Your waitress tonight will be Andrea and she'll be with in a just a minute."

"Thank-you." Jeff and Kaitlyn said in unison.

"You are very welcome. Enjoy your dinner."

"What are you having besides the steak?" Jeff asked just to make conversation.

"A big fat baked-potato and a salad, with tons of Ranch dressing."

"Such a big appetite on such a little girl."

"Just don't tell Bella, he'd flip."

"Your secret is safe with me my dear."

"So Hardy what's your story?"

"What's yours?"

"I asked you first."

"Ok. I was born and raised in Cameron. I have an older brother and of course there is Elyssa. I love animals and I'm a huge fan of motocross."

"Oh come on you gotta do better than that."

"What exactly do you wanna know?"

"I don't know."

"Fine. My mom died of cancer when I was little and when I was 15 my dad announced that his girlfriend was pregnant. Me and Matt, that's my brother, we didn't take it very well. It wasn't until Elyssa was five months old that Errika, her mom, decided that she wasn't ready to be a mother and so she bolted. Dad did the best he could with Elyssa but he wasn't in any shape to raise her so I gave up my wrestling to take care of her full time."

"Wrestling?"

"Yeah I was in the WWE for a few years me and my brother were very popular."

"Does he still wrestle?"

"Yeah he and his girlfriend both do."

"Wow. I would have never taken you for a wrestler."

"Why not?"

"You just don't look the type."

"Maybe if you ever decide to give me a chance I'll show you some of my moves."

"You pig!" Kaitlyn said trying hard not to smile.

"Oink, oink baby."

"I should have known you were like any other man."

"There's where you're wrong sweetheart. I'm not like any other man I'm in a league all my own."

"Let's just change the subject before you make me regret this."

"Alright. Then why don't you tell me about you. What is the story of Kaitlyn Ryan?"

"Well it's no fairy tale."

"That's great. I hate fairy tale's unless it's my happily ever after on the line."

"Yeah well I was born in Detroit. My dad was a police officer and my mom was a high school Anatomy teacher. Things were great until one night we got that call,Routine traffic stop my ass. My dad and his partner pulled over a guy with a broken tail light. But the guy had a huge stash of drugs on him and he decided that he wasn't going back to jail, so he pulled a gun. My dad never saw it coming. One close range to the chest, dad was dead before he ever hit the ground. His partner was also hit but it wasn't serious. He actually killed the driver as he tried to flee the scene."

"That's terrible."

"Yeah but that's not even the worst part. Mom took it really hard, as you can imagine. She stopped eating and sleeping and she became a shell of herself. It got so bad that she lost her job, but she didn't care. One night I couldn't sleep so I went to crawl into bed with her. I knew something wasn't right as soon as I walked in the room. It smelled funny, but I got into bed anyway. Her body was so, so cold. I thought she was playing so I started to shake her and then I felt something wet on my hands. I turned on the light and there was blood everywhere. She had slit her rest and downed a whole bottle of sleeping pills with some vodka."

"Kaitlyn you don't have to continue…"

"No it's ok. For some reason I feel comfortable sharing this with you. Anyway. After the funeral I was put in foster care, and was bounced from one foster home to the next. When I was nine I thought I had finally been put with a family that wanted me, NOT! The Lewis' were great for a while until Mr. Lewis started coming into my room at night. At first he just touched me so I told his wife but she didn't believe me instead she beat me black and blue for lying. It only got worse from there and the night before my tenth birthday Mr. Lewis decided I was old enough to "go all the way" for lack of better words. When he tried to stick his…his, thing in me I freaked and I grabbed the lamp off the nigh stand and knocked him senseless. Mrs. Lewis came in and tried to grab me but I shoved her into the door and ran. I didn't have anything not even a pair of shoes to cover my feet but I didn't care. I ran for my life and never looked back. I was on the streets for almost three years before Bella found me hiding out behind Karoli's Kids. I thought he would make me leave but instead he gave me a place to stay and I've been with him every since. And that Mr. Hardy is the brother's Grim version of my 'Fairy Tale'."

"Now I see what Bella meant today."

"What are you talking about?"

"He said that you loved differently because of what you'd been through in your life but I never thought that it was so graphic."

"Well now that you know every sorted detail, do you still want to be my friend?"

"No."

"I knew it. Run, run like all the others. I don't blame you."

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what exactly did you mean?"

"I don't want to be your friend Kaitlyn, I want to be more than that. You just have to let me be." Jeff said taking Kaitlyn by the hand.

"I think it's time for me to go home. Will you drive me back to Spike's?"

"Sure. Whatever you want, but remember what I just said. You don't have to be so afraid to let me in. I won't hurt you."

"I wish I could believe that, but I just can't right now. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry Kaitlyn, because I'll be around to help you realize just how much you want me in your life." Jeff said as he and Kaitlyn walked to his car.

The ride back to Spike's was quiet except for the music that filled the car. Kaitlyn kept hearing Jeff's words over and over in her head and it freaked her out. She didn't even know this guy why should she trust him with the one thing that she had always kept under lock and key…her heart.

"I had a good time tonight." Kaitlyn said as Jeff walked her to her car.

"So did I. Maybe we'll do it again soon."

"Maybe."

"So how do we end this? A handshake, hug…kiss?" Jeff asked hopefully.

"Let's try a hug. A handshake is too informal and a kiss is out of the question, at least for now." Kaitlyn said the later under her breath.

"You sure? I can make your toes curl."

"There you go again…Silk."

"I could listen to you call me that all night."

"In your dreams."

"Exactly." Jeff smirked.

"You're incorrigible."

"Kaitlyn…"

"Yes Jeff."

"Can I call you?"

"Why?"

"Just so I can hear your voice."

"Aww Silk, you are a smooth one. I'll tell you what. If you can get my number, then you can use it."

"But how am I supposed to get it, are you listed?"

"Nope!"

"You're not making this easy."

"What's the fun in that?" Kaitlyn asked before driving off. "Be careful Kaitlyn you don't know what this guy's capable of…but man would I love to find out." She thought as she drove down the highway towards home.