"Does it really matter what color my furniture is? I don't think anyone is going to really give a shit if it's not all the same color."
Christian's eyes roamed over the large assortment of furniture that surrounded him in every direction of the large Ikea retail warehouse. He and Amy were two itty bitty people lost in a sea of leather sofas, hard-wood tables and chairs, twin to king-sized beds, and other domestic things such as rugs, lamps, and carpet of every shade imaginable. There was furniture of every size, color, and material. As they traipsed up and down the numerous long and winding aisles, she flopped down onto various beds, sofas, and chairs, testing them out to see if they were comfortable enough, and if they were to her liking. Although he was getting irritable with her indeciveness, he couldn't help but smile to himself that she was just as materialistic as he was. She certainly was a Troy from the get go...last name or not. They simply had to have the best of everything. No matter what the case may be.
A weary sigh escaped his lips. "Well, you certainly don't want your condo looking like a circus. If I were you, I'd decide on a few solid colors and stick with that." To be honest, he wouldn't be surprised if she told him she wanted the same colors for her condo as his was. Like father like daughter, right?
"I think I'll go with the same colors as my bedding. Brown, black, and teal blue." She nodded her head in regard as she plopped down on a brown, polyurethane sofa. Sinking down into the cushions, she leaned her head back and stared up at the ceiling. She turned her head, taking notice of the sofa she was resting on with an observant eye. "You know what? I like this sofa, it's really comfy..." She reached an arm over the side and grasped the tag, looking it over and cringing, "and really expensive. Seven hundred and fourty nine dollars."
He looked down at her intently, "we already discussed this. Don't worry about the price sweetheart." He brought one of his hands up to his chest, emphasizing his next words, "I'm paying for it." Again.
She exhaled sharply, sitting up and staring at him blankly, uttering words he had been half-surprised to hear. "Look, I know you said that I shouldn't worry about you buying me things, but I can't continue to depend on you like this. It's not right. This isn't the way it should be. I'm supposed to be independent now, aren't I? I should be paying you back for all this stuff...assuming I ever get a job where I can earn this much money." Her gaze dropped to the floor, slumping her shoulders in defeat.
He lowered his frame into the space beside her, turning himself towards her once he was seated and sighing deeply. "That job offer at Troy/McNamara is still on the table. You're free to take it whenever you wish. No application or interview needed." A smirk crossed his face. If she wanted a job so badly, why hadn't she taken the offer to begin with? He didn't quite understand the way her mind worked.
For a long moment, she didn't say anything, and he actually thought she might be having a change of heart and tell him she would take the job. She rested her forearms on her knees, looking back down at the floor. "Let me think about it a little more." She replied finally. After another pause, she continued, "but if I took the job to pay you back for all the stuff you've bought me, I wouldn't actually be paying you back because it would be your own money."
"Technically, but it would also be Sean's money. As you know, I don't run the business all on my own. Look, you really don't have to pay me back one penny. As soon as you take the job, you can pay for your own rent along with your car insurance. If it helps, just think of the furniture and all the other things I've bought you in the past as gifts." Tipping his head to one side, he chuckled softly, "nineteen years of birthday and christmas gifts." A warm smile appeared on his face. That might have been a lame way of putting it, but he didn't have the heart to ask for the money back.
She returned his smile with one of her own, slipping her right arm through his left and clasping her hand over his elbow before resting her head on his shoulder. "Thank you. For everything you've done for me so far. This means so much to me."
Christian bit down on his bottom lip, a warm sensation filling his heart. He turned his head and placed a kiss to the top of her head, his arm slipping around her shoulders. "My pleasure. All I want is to see you happy sweetheart." And he did. Seeing her happy initially made him happy. He rested his cheek on top of her head as the two of them sat there quietly, oblivious to anything else but the closeness of one another.
"Amy!" A familiar and slightly cheerful voice broke through the sentimental moment that had taken over the pair. He knew that voice far too well, but everytime he heard it, it still managed to cause his heart to flutter.
Together, both he and Amy turned their heads in the direction of the voice. Clad in a slinky and short black dress that came mid-way down her thighs, Kimber strutted in their direction. "Well this is a pleasant surprise!" The woman beamed, quickening her pace.
He exchanged a look with his daughter, who looked just as bewildered as he did, before looking up at Kimber. What the hell was she doing here? Well, besides the fact that it was a public place for shopping. Was she still clinging to false hope? He felt a twinge in the pit of his stomach. Not again. The bright smile that Kimber had on her face seemed to fade when she noticed him sitting there. Maybe he was wrong about her intentions this time around. Maybe she'd finally moved on.
"Oh, hi Christian." He knew that tone of Kimber's and he knew it well. She wasn't too pleased to see him, but she was trying her hardest to be nice anyway. A tight smile crossed her face. "Long time no see."
Christian met Kimber's gaze. As much as he wanted to be terse with her, he knew he couldn't. Especially since his own daughter was friends with her now. A smug smile crossed his face. "Kimber. How are you since the last time we saw each other? Clean, I assume?" He arched his brows expectantly.
Kimber's eyes narrowed slightly at his choice of words before turning her head away, looking off to her right. "As a matter of fact, I'm great Christian. Thanks for asking." She brought her eyes back to his face. "How have you been? Clearly too busy to return a single one of my phone calls."
He exchanged another look with Amy before turning his focus back on Kimber. "It's called a job sweetheart, we all have them. Well, at least some of us do." He stole a glance at his daughter who shot him a glare. All right, bad choice of words. God damn it! Why couldn't he ever think before speaking? Exhaling sharply, he looked back at Kimber. "Was there something you wanted Kimber?"
She rolled her eyes, "not from you Christian. I think you made your point the last time we talked, don't you?" Her eyes shifted towards Amy, "I just came by to do some shopping and then I saw Amy, so I thought I'd come over and say 'hello.' We met in your office a few days ago." The young girl looked up at Kimber who smiled a friendly smile at her, "hi."
Amy smirked at her, hesitating before uttering a soft, "hi."
Christian's jaw tightened at the way Kimber wrote him off as if he were nothing. He was used to it by now, and not just by her, but by most of the women he'd screwed in the past. He took in a breath to calm himself, struggling to keep his growing aggitation at bay.
An awkward silence suddenly fell over the three of them.
He looked between his daughter and Kimber, expecting one of them to say something. Neither of them did, but he did notice something strange. While Kimber was eyeing Amy, her brown eyes also shifted in his direction, almost as if she were expecting him to leave. Why the hell she would want him to leave was beyond him, but there had to be something going on in her head. Kimber wasn't exactly the type of person who just came over and said "hello," unless of course she wanted something. And, considering the determined look in her eye as she observed his daughter, he had a nagging feeling that Amy had something to do with it. A frustrated sigh escaped him as he pushed himself up to his feet, looking from Kimber to Amy. "Well, now that that's done, are you ready to go sweetheart? We've been here long enough as it is."
Amy had been staring at Kimber just as expectantly as Christian. It took her a moment to realize he was even talking to her. Her brows furrowed in bafflement when she turned to look up at him. "Huh? Oh. Um..." She looked back at Kimber as her voice trailed off.
Kimber took a step towards Amy, setting a hand on her shoulder and looking over at Christian. "Actually, would you mind if I borrowed Amy for just a minute or two?"
Borrowed his daughter? Kimber Henry, former coke addict turned porn star wanted to "borrow" his daughter? That nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach gripped him, and along with it, he felt a hollowness in his chest. What was she up to now? He cocked a brow her way in challenge, holding Kimber's gaze. He exuded a weary sigh, stealing a glance down at a baffled looking Amy. "What the hell is this about Kimber?"
Kimber's eyes narrowed once again. Her voice rising in pitch with her next words, "what business is it of yours, Christian?" She looked down at the young girl before her, "I just thought it would be nice if Amy and I could speak in private without you breathing down her neck. Is that too much to ask?" She shot him another glare.
Christian exhaled sharply, his gaze turning cold just as hers had. "I'm not breathing down anyone's neck, much less hers." He paused for a moment, not quite sure if Amy had broken the news to her when they'd met or not. Even if she hadn't, he knew the truth would come out sooner or later so he might as well say it. "Whether you believe it or not, Amy is my daughter so there's no logical reason why I'd be breathing down her neck. I'm simply watching out for her better judgement which, I'm sorry to say sweetheart, doesn't include getting involved in the dysfunctional lifestyle you've built for yourself."
She scoffed, "need I remind you that this dysfunctional lifestyle was because of your influence, Christian."
"That's bullshit! It wasn't my influence that got you addicted to coke, nor was it my influence that sent you on a downward spiral. You brought that on yourself, sweetheart. Deny it all you want, but I know you better than you think I do."
"You don't know shit about me."
He took a step towards Kimber, planting his hands firmly on his hips. "Things didn't work out between us, and now you're looking for a playmate. What other reason would you have for borrowing my daughter? It's clear you're just waiting for the opportunity to get her alone to do God knows what." His tone turned grave as did his expression, "well she won't be any part of it. Not if I can help it."
Amy waved her hands in the air. "Hey! Hey! I'm still here, you know?" She looked incredulously at the pair before her, her eyes fixing themselves on him. "Christian..." She sprang up to her feet, stealing a glance in Kimber's direction before placing herself in front of him, gazing up at him even though his gaze was still clearly directed at Kimber. She called to him again, more intently this time. Finally, he brought his eyes down to her. "Do you think Kimber and I could talk for a few minutes? Please?"
He exchanged another look with Kimber, not so intent on the idea of leaving her alone with Amy, if only for a few minutes. God knew how much his ex-girlfriend had already corrupted his daughter's mind. Looking back down at Amy, he sighed softly before gently nodded his head. "Sure. I'll go pay for the furniture and make sure it's shipped to your doorstep." He turned to walk away but paused mid-step, turning back to her and lowering his voice to a tone that only she would hear, "you remember what I told you? About Kimber?"
She looked down at her hands, fiddling absentmindedly with a ring on the thumb of her right hand. There was a brief hesitation before she exhaled sharply, nodding her head in regard. "Yeah, I remember, but...it's not like she's done anything to me."
He brought his hand up, placing two fingers beneath her chin and lifting it until she was looking him in the eye. "And I don't want her to. Don't drop your guard. If you think she's always sugar and spice, she's not. She can turn on you without a moments notice. You can't trust her."
She sighed wearily with a roll of her eyes. "Fine, whatever, but she's still my friend."
The way she rolled her eyes slightly aggravated him, but he didn't show it. "I'm just warning you, father to daughter."
"I know."
His eyes darted back to an impatient looking Kimber, the vexation still apparent in his gaze. He took one last look at Amy before turning and heading off in the opposite direction. As much as he wanted to take his daughter home and tell Kimber to leave the two of them alone, he knew that that might create more problems for himself. It would put both relationships in jeopardy. Not only with Kimber, but also with his daughter. Frankly, he could careless what Kimber thought of him at this point, but if she was using Amy simply to get to him, that was another story. If it had been Gina who had be-friended his daughter, he would have forbidden her contact with the bitch a long time ago.
Not that Kimber was any different from Gina, but a part of Christian was still attracted to her. In a way. He could deny his feelings countless times, but they were still hidden deep inside him just waiting to make themselves known at any moment. As irresponsible and idiotic as Kimber could be at times, she wasn't half as bad as Gina was, and she wasn't nearly as stubborn either. He was still in love with Kimber and deep down inside, still cared for her, but it was the better part of her that attracted him to begin with. The amazing sex that came with it was only the icing on the cake. While she might be trying to reconcile with him, he simply didn't have time for her at the moment. He was a father again, and this time, he was going to do a hell of better job than he had with Wilbur. If Kimber wanted to be with him, using Amy wasn't the way, but she was up to something. He knew that for a fact.
"God, I thought he'd never leave."
"Uh, Kimber?" Amy stopped just outside the door to the women's restroom, her brows furrowing in bewilderment as Kimber turned back to her expectantly. "What are we...what I mean is, why did you want to talk to me?"
Kimber tossed her head back, her thick blonde curls bouncing as she did so. She stole a glance around the area, almost as if she thought someone was spying on them. Slipping the strap of her purse off her shoulder, she opened it up, revealing to her a familiar white powdery substance in a small envelope that was wedged inside. "I thought you might need a little pick me up, after what happened in Vegas with Christian."
More coke? Amy bit down on her bottom lip anxiously. Not that the stuff hadn't taken her mind off her problems previously, but part of her was hoping that Kimber hadn't wanted to speak to her for this particular reason. She raised her eyes from the coke to the blonde before her, her brows stitching together inquisitively. Before she had a chance to utter a response, Kimber closed her purse back up, grabbed her hand and urged her inside the restroom.
Kimber set her purse down on the sink counter. Leaning her hip against it, she turned back to look over at Amy. "How are things going between you and Christian?" She inquired.
She smirked. "Pretty good. I finally moved out of my mom's house and he bought me my own place."
There was not a trace of surprise on Kimber's face, but she did manage to give her a small smile. "Well that was nice of him." Tilting her head to one side, she looked intently at her, "has he said anything about me?"
Amy knew exactly where Kimber was going with that question. She wanted to know if he had said anything bad about her. Acting as if she didn't know what she was talking about, she averted her eyes to something else. Crossing her arms over her chest, she brought her right hand up to her mouth, chewing on her thumb. "Like what?"
"Well, all I'm trying to do is help you to get rid of your problems, you know that, don't you honey?" Bending down, Kimber's eyes searched the bottom of the few stalls in the bathroom. Clearly checking to see if anyone was in there besides the two of them. She came back up a moment later, tossing her head back and looking once again at Amy. She brought one of her hands up, placing it on her hip.
She wondered if Kimber was referring to the coke or the state of their friendship, but she still went on to nod her head in regard, making it appear as if she understood what she was saying, even if she didn't.
"I'm just wondering if Christian has said anything that would make you think otherwise." Kimber sighed irritably. "He tends to think he knows everything, but in fact, he doesn't. He hasn't said anything about his past with me, has he?"
She looked down at her feet anxiously, her heart beginning to pound in her chest. Suddenly, her father's words were beginning to echo in her head. "She can turn on you without a moments notice. You can't trust her." Beads of sweat broke out at her temples. Bringing her hand up, she brushed a few strands of hair off of her neck. She shook her head. "No. Well...maybe a couple things." Her shoulders rose and fell in a shrug.
Kimber's eyes narrowed in consideration, staring intently at the young girl. "Did he tell you I'm nothing but a coke whore?"
She sighed deeply, slowly raising her eyes back up to the blonde. This was just too nerve-wracking to deal with at the moment. She couldn't tell her the absolute truth, for fear of losing her friendship, but she also couldn't lie to her either. If she did that, she could end up feeling whatever wrath Kimber held when double-crossed, and she really didn't want to find out what she was like when that time came. All of a sudden, in an attempt to change the subject, she found herself uttering words she never thought she'd hear herself say. She stole a glance over at Kimber's purse. "So, are you going to give me some of that stuff or not?"
Kimber didn't look the slightest bit surprised by her request, but she didn't make a move to grab her purse either. "Before that happens, I want to know. When he brought up my name, did he refer to me as a coke whore?"
She knew there was no getting out of this one. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she slowly nodded her head. "Yeah, but I don't really believe it...if that means anything."
Kimber shook her head in disbelief, pushing herself away from the counter and turning towards her purse, opening it up and fishing out a small white envelope. "He's such a selfish asshole. It's obvious what he's trying to do."
Amy shot her a glare at the insult she gave her father, and although she wanted to defend him, she was more curious about the words that followed. "What do you mean? What's he trying to do?"
After retrieving a razor blade and a short plastic straw from her purse, Kimber shook out a small amount of the white powdery substance onto the counter, using the razor blade to arrange it into two straight lines, one on top of the other. She stole a glance at Amy, exhaling sharply. "Oh please, he's just looking for an excuse to keep you away from me."
She stepped closer to the sink counter, leaning her back against the wall and watching as Kimber arranged the coke. "Yeah, I kind of noticed that, but just because he's my dad doesn't mean he can tell me who I can't be friends with. He even told me himself that he wouldn't do that. I don't really care what he says about you. I'm not going to stop talking to you or hanging around you because of it."
Kimber looked up at her with a small smile. "Well I'm glad you know how to hold your own, honey, because when you're around Christian, you're going to need it. You can't trust a word he says. He's definitely not the type to keep his promises. It's just a weak attempt to get what he wants." She finished arranging the drug, setting the blade down and leaning over the counter. Holding the straw to one nostril, she took a quick inhalation, the first line of powder disappearing as she did so. Straightening herself up, she passed the straw to Amy. "In fact, he's not capable of loving anything besides himself."
Amy felt her heart involuntarily constrict in her chest. She took in a breath to calm herself, trying mercilessly to keep the flood gates from opening once again. "I thought...you told me there was a better man underneath all that. I've even seen it so he's not always like that, right?" Her voice broke with her last words. As much as she didn't want to believe Kimber's words, the truth of the matter was, Kimber knew her father much longer than she had. She knew his true nature. Her eyes were already welling up in tears, but she refused to let them fall. Suddenly, she couldn't wait to take a hit of that coke. If only to get rid of all the pain. "Give me that damn thing." She snatched the straw out of Kimber's hand, leaned over the counter and held it to her right nostril, taking a sharp inhalation. The second line of powder disappeared in a matter of seconds.
"No, he's not entirely an asshole. If he was, believe me, I would have moved on from him a long time ago." She leaned her hip against the counter once again, tipping her head to one side. "There are times when he can actually be sweet, and kind, and especially affectionate, but it's the other part of him that you have to watch out for. I'm just giving you a friendly warning, sweetie."
Kimber's words were almost entirely drowned out by the "high" that swirled around Amy's head. She arched her head back and shut her eyes. A strong feeling of dizziness swept over her. Wavering on her heels, she reached out to grab a hold of the wall to keep herself from falling over. Her heart rate increased in her chest. She exhaled sharply and opened her eyes, but the room was spinning so much she had to shut them again. Beads of sweat broke out at her temples as a stronger feeling of nausea spread throughout her belly. She thought she heard Kimber ask if she was okay, but she couldn't be sure. "Y-yeah. I'm...f-fine."
After another minute, she felt a little better and slowly opened her eyes. Kimber was gazing at her expectantly.
"How do you feel honey? Was it better than your first?"
Amy laughed lightly. Suddenly, she didn't have a single thought in her head. Not a care in the world. All she felt was excitement, and more energy than she could possibly know what to do with. She was great. Life was great. Not a thing in the world could harm her, not physically nor mentally. She could handle anything that was thrown her way. She was free. This drug was a miracle worker from all the depression and worry she had built up inside her, and she wanted more. She had to have more. "Definitely! I feel great! I feel like I can do anything. Like maybe I should go out dancing and party the night away." She pointed at the envelope Kimber was tucking away into her purse. "That stuff is so amazing! Where do you get it anyway?"
Kimber chuckled, stealing a glance at her and smirking, almost pleased with herself. "I have connections. It's amazing what one hit of this stuff can do for you, huh? It's sure gotten me through many tough times."
She leaned her back against the wall, tilting her head to one side. "Do you think you could...you know, get me some? I have to have more." If she hadn't been under the effects of the coke right now, she probably wouldn't have even had the guts to ask that question, but suddenly, "guts" didn't seem to matter.
Turning her head back to her, Kimber held her gaze. For a brief moment, she didn't say anything. It was almost as if she were contemplating the thought. Then, to Amy's surprise, she reached back inside her purse and came out with the white envelope, thrusting it towards her. "Here, you can have the rest of this." There was enough substance within the small envelope to last her a good week, depending on how many times she used it.
Amy didn't know what to say, but she was definitely tempted. So tempted that before she knew what she was doing, she reached out and took the envelope from her, tucking it quickly into her own purse. She looked back up at Kimber inquisitively. "What about..." She started.
"Oh, don't worry about it. I can get more, I always do."
She laughed. "Oh okay, well thanks. This is great. Life is great!" She pushed herself away from the wall, feeling a burst of energy. "I want to go and do something. Anything, I don't care what. I just want something!"
"Just make sure Christian doesn't see it. If he does, he'll know I gave it to you."
She shook her head, blinking back the excess dizziness she still felt swirling around her. "He won't. No way. I'll hide it somewhere where he'll never find it. Besides, it's not like I'm still staying at his place. I have my own now." She smirked.
Kimber returned the small smile, a weary sigh escaping her. "Well, you should probably get back to Christian, before he comes to find you himself. He's probably pissed as it is that I've kept you as long as I have."
Suddenly, she seemed to have forgotten that Christian was even waiting for her. Not only that, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out what she was even doing here. She nodded her head. "Right. Yeah, I guess I should, but its not like he owns me or anything. I'm my own woman now." Once she and Kimber turned and walked out of the restroom, she noticed her surroundings and the memory came rushing back to her.
"You know, I'm not trying to offend you honey, but have you ever considered going bigger?"
Her brows furrowed in bafflement at Kimber's choice of words. "Huh? What do you mean?"
Kimber chuckled, leaning in and lowering her voice as they walked alongside each other, both of them striding along the winding path -- that ran through the middle of the store -- as quickly as the other. "I mean your breasts."
Amy scowled, stealing a glance down at her chest. "No, why?"
"Well, I just think you'd feel so much better about yourself if you went up a cup size, or made some other kind of physical adjustment. I mean, you're gorgeous sweetie, but I remember you telling me that you weren't happy with how you look. If you really want to feel better, the best way to do it is with plastic surgery. I know that when I got my breasts done, it changed my life more than I thought it would and suddenly, I was a ten."
She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I could consider it. I mean, right now, I feel great, so why not? Yeah, definitely. I'll do it!"
A bright smile came over Kimber's face. "Trust me, it's worth it." Her smile faded and an irritable sigh escaped her. "Christian fixed my breasts, why don't you ask him? I'm sure he'd give it to you for free. I mean, you are his daughter."
She shrugged her shoulders. In the back of her mind, she wasn't sure that she would want her own father to give her a boob job. It would be far too weird for her. "I guess we'll just have to see what happens. Knowing him, he'd probably freak out about it." Suddenly, Kimber halted her steps, her gaze fixated on something in front of her. Amy couldn't fathom the reason why she'd stopped until she turned her head, and came face-to-face with none other than Christian himself. His hands were firmly planted on his hips, and there was a look of vexation on his face. If she hadn't stopped walking shortly after Kimber had, she was sure she would have slammed right into him. "Oh, hi Christian. Sorry it took so long. I was talking to Kimber and then I kind of lost track of time I guess. Did you pay for the furniture? I thought you'd be waiting in the car."
The moment she began talking in a rapid succession, Christian's gaze darted from Kimber to her. His brows stitched together inquisitively. He hesitated before finally uttering a reply. "The furniture has already been paid for, but considering how long you were gone, I probably should have waited outside for you." He looked from her to Kimber and then back to her, looking down at her intently. "Are you all right sweetheart?"
She exchanged a look with Kimber before giving him a vigorous nod of her head. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Peachy keen. Why? I just want to go home so I can finish un-packing, but I'm fine. Really."
Christian stood there for a long moment, his eyes shifting back and forth between her and Kimber. Finally, his attention settled on his daughter. Slipping his hand into one of the pockets on his grey suit jacket, he fished out his car keys, handing them over to Amy. He brought his free hand up and gently touched her arm. "Why don't you go wait for me out in the car? I'll be there in a few minutes."
She didn't quite know why he wanted her to wait for him, but didn't look it as such a big deal. Snatching the keys from his hand, she nodded her head in regard. "Okay, I will. See you guys later!" She gave both Kimber and Christian a quick glance before scurrying past her father, and making her way out of the store to his car.
Christian fixed his cold and calculating eyes on Kimber, who, stood there staring at him expectantly and a bit perturbed. He advanced on her until he was looming over her, hands firmly planted on his hips. There was no way he was letting her slip past him. Not this time. Something was going on. "What the hell did you do to her?"
Kimber narrowed her eyes incriminatingly. "Excuse me?"
He exhaled sharply. "Oh, don't act like you don't know what the hell I'm talking about, Kimber. You must have done something to her or you wouldn't have taken so damn long, and she wouldn't suddenly seem so jumpy."
"What kind of a person do you think I am, Christian? Do you really think I'm nothing but a coke whore? That the only thing I'm trying to do is screw her up? Well, newsflash asshole, I don't get off destroying people's lives. Have you given it any thought that I might actually be trying to help her?"
He supressed the laugh that wanted to escape him, his features remaining stone cold. His tone of voice grew louder with his next words, "help her? By doing what? Forcing her into snorting an ounce of coke, giving her the reassurance that it'll take all her pain away?" He leaned in a little closer to her, his tone turning grave. "If I find out that your frequent coke abuse has rubbed off on her, I'll personally make sure that little career of yours is in the ground, along with your reputation."
"Be careful Christian, you wouldn't want to find another one of your precious cars vandalized." Kimber averted her eyes away from his face, "and for your information, I'm clean now. I haven't touched an ounce of the stuff since my surgery."
"Bullshit!" He had repaired her nose about two weeks ago, rebuilding her septum gratis. The result of her incessant coke abuse, had created a hole in her nose, the size of a quarter. Giving her the sugery had actually worked in his advantage. At the time, he'd been facing a nasty custody hearing with Wilbur, and Gina had managed to get Kimber on her side and go against Christian. However, Christian managed to make a deal with Kimber. He'd fix her nose and she wouldn't take the stand. "If you're so clean then look me in the eye and I'll decide for myself."
Kimber slipped the strap of her purse off her shoulder, shoving it against his chest. "You don't believe me, fine, search my purse. You won't find a damn thing!"
Christian didn't have the patience to go through all of the shit in her purse. If he knew her well enough, and he did, she was clever at concealing it. It could be anywhere for all he knew, but he didn't have the time to look for it, nor did he care. All she had to do was look him in the eye and he'd know. Regardless of that fact, he opened up the purse anyway and took a brief peek inside. He didn't see any traces of it or even a small white envelope or ziplock bag that would give it away. With an irritable sigh, he handed her purse back to her. "I don't need to look through your God damn purse to know you're high. Why the hell can't you look me in the eye, hmm?"
She didn't bother answering his question, nor follow through with his request.
"Look me in the eye and tell me you're clean," he pressed. "God damn it! Look at me." He brought his free hand up to her chin, intent on getting her to look at him, but she swatted his hand away before he could even touch her.
Kimber snatched her purse out of Christian's hand, finally raising her eyes up to his. "I don't have a God damn thing to prove to you!" Before he had a chance to take a good look at her pupils, she brushed past him, nearly knocking him down on her way by as she strode towards the front of the store. The soles of her open-toed, two-inch heeled black sandals clicking smartly against the white linolieum floor.
Christian whirled around on his heels, watching her depart. His jaw tightened up, taking in a breath to calm himself before he snapped. He knew it would probably be useless to try and chase after her, but since he was on his way out as well, he took the liberty of trailing behind her. In a vain attempt to catch up to her, he quickened his pace. She might have been moving fast, but not so fast that he couldn't reach her. In a matter of seconds, he was a mere two feet behind her. He fell in step beside her, his eyes fixing themselves on her somber features. "I just want you to know, if you're screwing with my daughter in any way, I'll find out. One way or another."
She shot him a glare. "I'm trying to be her friend, Christian. Why can't you get that through your God damn head?" She faced forward once again. "My friendship obviously isn't appreciated by you, seeing as how you don't seem to give a shit about me anymore."
He'd tried to hold back the feelings he held for Kimber deep inside, but as she uttered those last words, he could feel the walls he'd built up around himself begin to crumble. Why did she always have a way of making him vunerable, powerless and out of control? A weary sigh escaped him, the vexation in his eyes and in his voice gradually evaporating. "That's not true."
"Oh bullshit Christian!" She snapped, stealing a quick glance in his direction. "If you cared even the slightest bit about me, you would have found the time to return my calls. I hadn't heard a word from you since the day I was discharged for my surgery. You didn't even bother calling to check up on me."
He looked over at her with a scowl. It might have just been his imagination, but he could have sworn there were tears in her eyes. She was right though. He hadn't bothered calling her after the surgery, nor had he returned a single one of her calls over the past week. "I'm sorry Kimber. I probably should have called you, but I've been dealing with a hell of a lot lately. I've become a father again, and I'm sorry to say it, but I can't fall back into old patterns with you sweetheart. This is who I am now."
Kimber's steps slowed until she finally came to a halt, a mere five feet from the front doors of the store. He stopped walking shortly after she had, turning towards her and cocking his head to see her face. She looked to be barely holding it together, and when she finally raised her eyes up to him, he saw the tears in her eyes. "I don't even know why I bother anymore." She sighed softly, looking down at her feet.
"Kimber--" Christian began but was shortly cut off.
She lifted her chin, meeting his gaze once again. Her eyes narrowed on his form. "You know what Christian? Just forget it." Without giving him the chance to debate with her, she turned on her heels and walked quickly through the automatic doors, not bothering to look back.
He stood there, watching with a slightly dumbfounded look on his face, as she departed for the second time. Although he had made an attempt to prove her theory wrong, in all honesty, he didn't know what more there was left to say. He'd made his point clear, much in the same way he had in the past when he'd been devoting his time to raising Wilbur. As much as he still cared about Kimber, she simply didn't seem to understand his need to be a father. Amy had spent so many years suffering the abuse of a man who didn't know shit about fatherhood. Well, he'd been through it himself, and no way in hell was he going to let it happen to his own child.
A deep sigh escaped him. At the time, he should have been contemplating Kimber's potentially bad influence on Amy, but instead, he was beginning to feel guilty for his recent behavior towards her. He hadn't gotten a good look at her pupils to put his coke assumptions to rest, but come to think of it, she hadn't been acting much out of the ordinary as it was. It was a hell of a longshot, but maybe she had been truthful with him. She might be clean after all. Well, whether she was or wasn't, he couldn't dwell on it anymore. He had a daughter to tend to.