Chapter 7

She smiled at the kindly bartender as he removed her glass and got right to work making her another, then she turned back to Tommy and released the deep breath she'd sucked in a moment before.

"Kim, wait. I didn't mean… I'm sorry… We were having such a good time…"

"No, Tommy, really. It's a very valid question, and you deserve a better answer than the one I'm about to give you." Her lips curved in a half-hearted smile, setting Tommy's nerves somewhat.

"Okay, at least let me clarify a little." He reached forward and took one of her hands in his as Marty delivered her drink. "I'm asking out of sheer curiosity. I was hurt, at first, but we were kids. Kids break up all the time. And while I realize tonight that I've missed your company, it's not like I've been curled in a ball crying for the last ten years. I've been happy. I've had some amazing experiences. It was a dumb question…"

"It wasn't a dumb question."

"…and I don't blame you for anything. No grudges. So that means no apologies. Got it?"

She smiled sincerely. "Got it." But her eyes betrayed her, and Tommy could see where this conversation was headed.

"I'm serious. No apologies. In my heart you were forgiven a long time ago."

"Deal." While she still didn't relish the idea of digging into this piece of history, she felt that Tommy's forgiveness lifted a heavy weight from her chest. And it didn't hurt that he was still holding her hand. "You're right. We were kids. But with everything we'd been through by the time we were sixteen, I think we were both pretty mature for our age. And I think that made our relationship feel a lot more… grown up."

"Despite the lack of sex."

She laughed at his devilish grin and playfully swatted at his chest. "Yes, except for the sex thing, we had a very adult relationship. We were kids, but I think what we felt for each other was way deeper than typical teenage puppy love."

"You've got no argument here."

"And so here I was, just turning seventeen, involved in a relationship that most married couples would envy, making decisions that would affect the fate of the world, and being offered the opportunity to move across the country and pursue my lifelong dream."

Tommy nodded, but felt a twinge of sadness at the remorseful tone of her voice. He still wasn't sure where she was going with all this, but he didn't dare interrupt her.

"It was wonderful, though. I was so happy. It killed me to leave you and go to Florida, and even though I agree that I haven't laid around and cried about it, barely a week goes by without me thinking about how life would be different if I hadn't gone."

"Kim..."

She halted him by pressing two fingers to his lips and casting him a cautionary smile. "I don't regret going to Florida. I just think about it. I'm curious," she said with a sly smile, echoing his words from earlier. He laughed gently.

"So I got to Florida. And I was happy. At first. But it was like I was suddenly on the outside of my life looking in, and when I thought about it, REALLY thought about it… It was all just too much." She paused briefly and picked at the hem of her dress nervously before continuing. "Pretty soon, all I wanted was to be was a flighty, irresponsible, valley girl teenager again. I wanted to run to the mall as fast as I could, where the only decision I had to make was between the black pumps and the pink wedges."

Tommy's face broke into a knowing smile and she reciprocated with a nervous grin of her own. "Alright, let's get one thing straight. You were never a flighty, irresponsible valley girl."

She laughed and shook her head. "Anyway… What I was getting at was… The pressure just got to be too much."

"I'm sorry, Kim. I would have gladly given you all the space you needed."

She shook her head and wagged her finger in Tommy's direction. "No apologies, remember?" He conceded and motioned for her to continue.

"Remember when I came home at Christmas?"

"Of course."

She laughed playfully. "Alright, anytime someone asks you if you remember something, your answer should not be 'of course.'"

"So I pay you a compliment and you respond by insulting me. That's nice, Kim, real nice," he replied facetiously.

"No one said I was nice." He watched as she took another slow sip, then nearly lost his mind when her tongue slipped out and dragged along her lower lip to capture an escaping droplet. She paused to take him in briefly, then continued. "So, when I was home at Christmas, you and I went shopping."

He nodded. "Yep, I remember that too."

"Do you remember the jewelry store?"

"I wanted you to pick yourself out something."

She nodded. "And I did. That gorgeous white gold heart pendant with the diamond in the center… I still have it. It's one of my favorites."

He wasn't sure how to respond, so he was content to bask in the warmth of her favoring grin.

"Do you remember standing in front of the rings?"

He froze. It wasn't the pained expression on her face, even though her eyes suddenly left him feeling cold. It was the minor fact that she'd finally struck upon something he couldn't remember. He had no recollection of this particular part of that day. Maybe his mind had simply pushed it away, trying to preserve the incredibly blissful memory of his last day with Kim. The only way he was going to get his answers, though, was to be completely honest, so he took a deep breath and spoke. "Honestly, Kim? No, I don't remember."

She smiled reassuringly, but sadness was still reflected in her eyes. "It's alright, Tommy. I don't know if you even knew you were doing it. We were just wandering around the store, and you kind of stopped in front of the rings case. I came up behind you, and you wrapped your arm around me… And then, we moved on to look at bracelets."

He nodded, but furrowed his brow in confusion. "I don't understand."

She sighed. "On the way back to Florida, all I could think about was, 'Oh my God, what if Tommy proposes? What would I say? What would I do? Am I ready for that?' I mean, I saw everything my mom went through with my dad, and the thought of marriage was just… terrifying. So I obsessed, and I dwelled on it for weeks. I just drowned in uncertainty, and I was already feeling restless, and tied down…" her voice quickened, echoing her anxiety.

"Kim, if you had just told me…"

"And then I met Mark."

Tommy's stomach did a back flip, and suddenly he was wondering why on earth he had initiated this conversation. He was perfectly content not knowing the answers. He was thrilled to have spent this incredible evening with this incredible woman, and he was sure this particular discussion would be the kiss of death to an otherwise amazing night. He reached for his drink and took a long, needful gulp as she continued.

"But I lied to you about him, Tommy. Because he wasn't just like you. No one would ever be just like you. You would have hated him. He was a total partier, with no real direction. All he cared about was having fun, living in the moment… He was completely carefree, a little wild, and he was exactly what I thought I needed at the time."

"But you were happy?" he asked softly, his rapid heartbeat slowing slightly.

"Momentarily."

"Good." A warm feeling of relief washed over him, until another thought crossed his mind, and while he wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer, he had to ask the question. "Was he, um… one of your three?"

"Oh, God no," she answered quickly, with a dismissive wave of her hand. "He didn't stick around that long, and that was TOTALLY fine with me." She leaned over and gave his knee a reassuring squeeze. "Tommy, I don't know what happened. I don't know why I freaked out like I did. But I know you deserved better than that. You deserved better than what I could have given you, and that's why I hoped things would work out with you and Kat."

He shook his head and took her hand in his own. "I hate that you were so scared. I didn't mean to…"

"It wasn't your fault, Tommy. I think we just stumbled upon each other and into this incredibly deep relationship before we were ready for it. Or, at least before I was ready for it. I behaved like a child, and I'm so sorry…"

"Hey!" he cut her off firmly. "You promised! None of that. No apologies. It's in the past. And if you think you behaved like a child, it's because we were children."

"I know, but looking back as an adult, it was such an immature way to handle things…"

"Enough. Besides, it's my turn." His face had softened, much to Kimberly's relief. He did not wear tension well.

"No way! That was your question. It's my turn."

"No, no. My turn to talk. You haven't shut up in the last twenty minutes," he said lightheartedly, with a playful wink. His face grew serious again, but his smile didn't fade. He had successfully worked through his near-panic attack at the mention of whats-his-name and was ready to reply. "Kim, I wasn't planning to propose. At least, not in such concrete terms." He gave her hand a quick squeeze. "But that doesn't mean I hadn't thought about forever, and I had planned on you being part of that forever."

"Tommy, I'm so s– "

"That's two! I won't warn you again," he cut her off in a sharp tone that she remembered from the many times she had followed him into battle. Despite his scolding words, his tone set her ablaze again, making her hormones run rampant. It was enough to shut her up.

He sighed and smiled apologetically, completely unaware that the delicate way she shifted in her chair and bit her lower lip was a result of being incredibly turned on. "I wasn't thinking about marriage, but I would have happily settled down with you in a heartbeat, given the chance. I was completely in love with you, but I did so much more than love you. I cherished you, I worshipped you… I obsessed over you." He averted his eyes as he shook his head lightly. "And it was all incredibly unhealthy."

Kim smiled and reached for his hand again, unable to speak as she was devoting all of her strength to keep the tears welling up in her eyes safely trapped there.

"I could not believe how lucky I was to have you. You were so much more than just my girlfriend – you were my lifeline. You took a dorky, loner teenager and pulled me into the greatest group of friends anyone could ask for. I knew that I didn't deserve you, and so every day I spent with you was like borrowed time."

"Tommy, you know that's not true," she protested indignantly, an angry red color flooding over her cheeks.

"Well that's how I felt, especially back then. And while it knocked me on my ass when you sent me that letter, I can't say it was a surprise."

She swatted at a tear slipping down her cheek. This was worse than her own confession. "That's never how I thought about us…"

He laughed gently and used his thumb to wipe another tear from her cheek. "Kim, you're missing the point here. I'm not telling you all this to make you sad. I'm telling you this so you can understand that… that breaking up was the best thing for us." He turned in his seat so he was facing her completely, then took both of her arms firmly and swiveled her to face him. "If we had stayed together, neither of us would have grown into the people we are today. You'd be restless and unhappy, always wondering if the grass would be greener on the other side. I'd be walking on eggshells, waiting for you to drop a bombshell on me every day. We needed to break up to grow up. You did the right thing."

Kimberly could not believe this man's capacity for compassion. She had wounded him badly, burned him for no good reason, and here he was comforting her. Unable to control the giddy smile spreading across her face, she turned away and buried her face in her hands. "You don't have to let me off the hook, you know."

"That hook has been around since we were seventeen. By now it's rusted and falling apart, and you can get down all on your own."

Marty interrupted apologetically. "Hey, guys, it's last call. Anything else I can get you?"

Kim shook her head, and Tommy turned to him. "No, Marty, thanks. We're ready to cash out." When he heard his own words, a jolt of terror shot through him. The night was quickly drawing to an end. He needed to make sure this was not the last time he'd see her.

"Tommy? You okay?"

He shook himself from his daze. "Yeah, sorry. You were saying?"

"I was saying that you're being too good to me by pretending I've done nothing wrong."

"And I was saying there's nothing wrong with being slightly commitment-phobic," he retorted with a satisfied smirk. "I just never saw it in you before."

"Alright," she replied, finding the strength she needed to continue. "But I need to say it. I know you don't want to hear it, and you've removed a huge weight from my shoulders, but for my own peace of mind, I need to say it."

His lips curved sweetly over his bright white teeth in a charming smile that threatened to bring her to her knees. "Say what, Kim?"

She sighed. "I'm sorry. For hurting you. I was never too good for you, and you made me happier than anyone else ever has. You've given me way too much credit, and you didn't deserve to feel the way you did. For that, I'm so sorry."

Keeping his dark eyes trained on her, he leaned back again with a thoughtful expression and just the hint of a smile. He appreciated her for just a moment, allowing his eyes to wander up her shapely legs, toned body and finally to her glowing, beautiful face. With a shaky breath he pulled himself to his feet, relying on liquid courage to keep him on course.

Towering over her, he cupped her cheek in one hand and raised her chin so her eyes would meet his. "Fine. Be sorry. But then you have to know that I'm sorry too."

Her brow wrinkled in confusion. "For what?"

Another deep breath. Another second to convince himself he was doing the right thing. "I'm sorry I made you feel tied down. I'm sorry I didn't try to talk to you about any of this before now. I'm sorry I made you sad tonight. I'm really sorry I didn't make love to you at the lake before you left. And I'm especially sorry that I didn't do this earlier."

Before she could respond with all of the arguments ready to burst off her tongue, he had captured her sweet lips with his own. His mouth skimmed gently against hers, following the gentle curves he'd fantasized about all night. She tasted as succulent as he'd remembered and then some, and suddenly he didn't know how he'd lived so long without this particular addiction.

The kiss caught her off guard, and while she didn't pull away, it took her a brief second to respond. However, as soon as her mind processed the breathtaking feeling she countered by pressing her lips firmly back against his. She was endlessly grateful for his very existence. Her tongue darted out, nearly of its own accord and brushed innocently against his lower lip as his fingers curled around the back of her jaw.

As long-awaited as this kiss was for both of its participants, they both knew they were only tempering the flame that had been growing inside each of them all night. She moaned against his lips as his hot breath swept across hers and ignited something deep inside of her. When they reluctantly parted she felt as though she might actually combust.

Tommy wasn't sure how much longer his legs would support him, and he sank slowly back into the barstool, never taking his eyes away from her. Her eyes were half-closed, her lips parted in the sexiest of smiles. He nervously awaited her reaction, but she remained frozen for what seemed like forever.

Finally, she appeared to burst through her haze, but she did not speak. Instead she twisted quickly back toward the bar, lifted her glass to her lips and swiftly finished it off. Then she eased off the barstool, gathered her purse and finally turned back to face Tommy.

"Thank you for the drinks, Tommy." She flashed him a bright, cordial smile and began to walk away on shaky legs.

Dumbfounded, Tommy remained frozen in his chair. When he was finally able to will himself to speak, his voice quivered ever so slightly. "Kim? You're leaving?!?"

She turned back to him, having almost reached the door leading her back into the hotel's vast lobby. "You know, Tommy, I thought you were hot in high school. But you're so much more confident now, and my God, I cannot tell you how sexy that makes you." She tilted her head and favored him with a slight, flirtatious smile. "Sometimes I wish you knew just how wonderful you really are." She winked as she turned back toward the door, then flipped her hair over her shoulder and disappeared from sight.

Tommy sat speechless and motionless a few moments later as Marty appeared with his bar tab. He took the small slip, taking note of the very large dollar amount printed there, then added in a generous tip for the attentive bartender. He barely registered the buzzing of his cell phone against his leg as he signed his name, authorizing the substantial charge to his room bill.

Running was not the reaction he'd expected from Kimberly when he'd kissed her. In an ideal world she would have confessed her undying love for him, but he wasn't even expecting that. Perhaps a cute, nervous giggle accompanied by a blush. Knowing Kimberly, fainting wasn't out of the question. Even if she had pushed him away, at least he would have an idea that he'd done something wrong.

But kissing him back like that, smiling like that afterwards… and then just walking away with hardly a word? He just couldn't process it.

His phone buzzed again as he reached the door, and he paused to reach into his pocket, refusing to allow himself to feel hopeful.

You haven't chased me yet.

"You have got to be freaking kidding me," he muttered to no one in particular as he punched in his reply.

You want me to chase you through the streets of LA?

He hit send and pushed through the door into the lobby. He didn't wait long for a reply.

I'm not in the streets of LA. Did you really think I could just leave?

He halted mid-stride and looked around the lobby like prey being stalked by a hungry predator. Once again, he was stuck right in the center of one of Kimberly's games. Despite his slight annoyance at being played, though, he was loving every minute of it.

His mind immediately began analyzing the situation, working to recall every detail he possibly could. He had earned victory in battle many times over the years simply by outwitting his enemy, but he wasn't sure outwitting Kimberly was a possibility.

Something wasn't sitting right in his memory, and he fought through the rum's haze to replay the moment she'd walked away in his head. He stood, facing the hotel's massive entryway leading out to the lane of taxis, shuttle busses and limousines trying to picture where she had headed. Then it struck him, and he spun to face the opposite side of the lobby. She hadn't gone toward the exit at all! She had moved in the completely opposite direction when she left the lounge.

His face broke into a wide smile as his phone buzzed again, having obviously taken too long to respond.

I didn't think I could control the flames after that kiss. I thought we should head somewhere where the fire can burn freely.

This message caught the attention of his groin, and he decided to end the game by going for the direct approach.

Tell me where you are.

He remained frozen in place in the hotel's grand lobby until his phone buzzed again.

Where do you want me to be?

He sucked in a deep breath, trying desperately to control his caveman-like urges.

My room. My bed.

Hell, at this point it could be the backseat of his car.

Sounds good to me. Maybe I just got a head start.

His legs started moving before his brain could catch up with them. He headed for the cluster of elevators in the back corner of the lobby, trying to suck in deep, cooling breaths as he moved.

His breathing stopped completely when the elevators came into view. There in the elaborately decorated vestibule was Kimberly, standing resolutely as if she owned the damn place. She was like a goddess there before him, her lips curved in an enticing smile with one hand on her hip and the other holding her phone.

He didn't even notice he'd stopped moving until he felt his phone buzz again.

I didn't want to make it too easy for you.

He laughed disbelievingly at her reference and shook his head, slowly dragging his eyes away from her as he responded.

You never do.

The 'ding' of the elevator broke her trance and caught Tommy's attention. Kimberly cocked her head to one side with a tempting smirk, urging him to join her as she stepped into the elevator.

Thank you for staying with me on this story, and thanks for all the reviews! I'm planning on wrapping it up in one more chapter, but once I get going there's a very good chance it'll end up being two more.