DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but Kelsey!
"So, Sly calls you and you come running," she said, trying to hide the bitterness in her voice.
"I thought you might need me," he said.
"Well, thanks for the concern, but I have Jake and Mark. That's all I need," she said.
"Kel, come on. You have to know I never wanted to hurt you. I never wanted things to end the way they did. It was the dumbest thing I ever did, leaving you like I did. I thought…it doesn't matter what I thought, I didn't want to hurt you. I love you way too much for that," Matt said.
"You love me? Was it love that caused you to be so wonderful to me the last night we spent together? Or was it love that caused you to have sex with me and then leave town two days later without telling me you were leaving. You knew you had to move for SIX weeks. SIX! Do you know how much I blamed myself for you leaving? How much I thought of our last night together and wondered what I did to make you leave? Do you know how badly I want to share something that wonderful with Mark, but I'm afraid he's going to leave after he gets it from me," she said.
"Mark loves you. He wouldn't do that to you," Matt said.
Kelsey looked him in the eye. "You loved me too. Didn't stop you," she said, before turning her head. She was determined not to let him see the tears that were threatening to fall down her face.
"Kelsey, if I could change things, I would. Believe me. I just didn't want to see the pain in your eyes when I told you I was leaving. I thought that by not telling you, I'd spare you," he said.
"So you thought you could get some farewell sex and be out the door," she asked, bitterness lacing every word.
"I didn't plan on sleeping with you that night. I didn't plan on sleeping with you at all. I thought about it, but we had agreed not to complicate things by throwing sex into the mix. I don't regret sleeping with you that night. Everything I felt for you was real. I don't think I'll ever feel that way about anyone else," he said.
"You know, I hadn't thought about it either, but I guess we did get caught up in the moment and for the 36 hours that you were still in town, I didn't regret it. In hindsight, I wouldn't have done it. Sleeping with you wasn't something I planned. I didn't even know I wanted it until it was happening. But, if I had to do it over again, even if you weren't leaving, I wouldn't do it. I'd have waited," she said. She started picking at an imaginary piece of lint on the bed sheet. "When Mark and I started dating I knew I liked him. Loving him happened when I wasn't looking. Goodness knows it was the last thing I wanted to have happen. I was so scared of getting hurt. I was afraid to put myself out there. But Mark, as shy as he is, won me over. He never pushed me and he was considerate. He reminded me a lot of you when we were first dating. The fact that you went out of your way to make me happy, even if everyone else thought you were being stupid or acting like a fool. When I realized I loved him, I nearly broke up with him because I was scared to admit it," she said.
"When did you realize you loved him," Matt asked, despite knowing the answer might break his own heart, all over again.
"When he sang 'Must Be Love' for the first time after you had left. Jake had tried to come up with new songs that wouldn't remind me of you, but everyone liked that one, so he snuck it in a gig one night. I wasn't singing with them because I was late coming back from the cheerleading competition. I walked in during the start of second song and was going to wait until they started the third one before I went on stage when Mark caught my eye. When I realized what song it was, I nearly ran out of the place. Mark knew I was having trouble and he came down and grabbed my hands and, suddenly, we were the only two people in the room. I knew it then. Then he wrote 'Born to Love You' and that was it. I was a goner," she said, smiling at the memory and wiping the tears from her face.
"Guess that was tough, hearing the songs I wrote for you. I'm sorry you almost gave up singing," he said.
"You didn't write that one for me. Jake wrote it for Jenny. You just sang it," she said.
"I did write songs for you. 'If You Lean On Me' and 'If It Wasn't For You,' were just for you," he said.
"And don't forget 'Everybody's Got Someone.' Then there was 'If You Only Knew.' I know Jake and Tiffani did that one, we sang it. Mark and I have done it once since he joined the band," she said.
Matt looked at Kelsey. "Well, those songs reminded me of you. Everything reminded me of you. If I could have dumped my friends, I probably would have. I was hurting for a long time. If I could have, I would have killed Sly," she said.
"He wanted to tell you as soon as I found out. He said I was being stupid for not telling you the truth as soon as I found out," Matt said.
"Why are you here talking to me about this," she asked.
"Because I thought we should talk, clear the air," he said.
"Well, you nearly ruined my ability to have a relationship with anyone that meant anything. You ruined my appreciation of music. You made me scared and timid. I didn't recognize myself. Jake didn't know me. No one knew who I had become after what happened. Mark helped me with that because he showed me that he liked me for being Kelsey. I didn't have to pretend I wasn't hurting over you. He respected that. He'd been stomped on by a girl he'd been dating before he moved and he was still trying to pick up the pieces," she said.
"Guess it's good you two found each other," Matt said.
"Yeah," Kelsey said, watching him. "What else is on your mind."
"You can still read me, eh," he asked.
Kelsey shrugged her shoulders. "Old habits die hard," she said.
"They found a donor for you," he said.
"Really! That's wonderful. Wait! Why are you giving me this information," she asked.
"Because I'm the donor," he said, watching Kelsey's reaction.
The disbelief on her face was evident.
"Wow. That wasn't what I was expecting to hear from you," she said.
"I wasn't expecting Mark to tell everyone that I was the donor, but there it is," he said.
"Are you going to do it," she asked.
"Of course. Without question," he said.
"Even if I told you I hated you and to get the hell out of my room and my life," she asked.
"Even then. I love you. I care about you. You might not love me any more, but if I were in your place and you could help me, wouldn't you do it? Even if I called you names and told you to leave me alone," he asked.
"I suppose I would," she said, trying to stifle the yawn she felt coming.
Matt sensed that she was worn out.
"Why don't I go and get those tests so we can get you better," Matt said.
"Sounds good to me," she said, closing her eyes.
Matt kissed the top of her head, as best as he could through the mask and went back into the waiting room.
Jack was pulling on a gown and mask and gloves.
"Did you tell her," he asked Matt.
"Just that I'm the donor. I don't know how she's going to take you being her brother," Matt said.
Jake didn't say anything and, instead, entered the room.