Chapter Twenty-Seven

Victoria sat in her hotel room looking at the ceiling. Reid had disappeared after the last race and now no one knew where he was. She didn't know what to expect. Caleb had filled her in about the car ride and she felt so anxious she could barely breath. She didn't know what to do but she knew she didn't want to hurt either Reid or Pogue. But how could she leave Reid? When he had done nothing wrong? When he had changed his whole life for her? Let alone to be with one of his best friends?

Victoria sat up. That was a jump. She didn't even know if Pogue wanted to be with her. But if he felt anything like she did... There was no denying it now. She couldn't stop thinking about him. She felt when he was angry, she knew when he used. She knew when he looked at her and now she could hear him in her own mind? She couldn't fight it anymore. She loved Pogue. Whether it was fate or simply because they were doublegangers she didn't know but she couldn't fight it anymore. She had to admit it to herself just to keep her own sanity.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Victoria leapt up and crossed the room, she opened the door and Pogue was standing there. He looked up at her, and Victoria lost her breath, he really was perfect looking. Even compared to all the different ways she had seen him over their life times, this was her favourite. His hair, his build, it was all perfect. Right here and right now.

"I need to talk to you," Pogue said walking into her hotel room past her.

"Come on in," She mumbled closing the door behind him. She hadn't actually seen him all day. It would seem quite a few men in her life were now avoiding her. Pogue stood in the middle of the room, hands on his hips, back to Victoria. "Pogue, I-"

"No Victoria," he turned and his hazel eyes seemed to glow in her low lit hotel room, "I have to explain about today- on the ride home-"

Without thinking about it, Victoria crossed the room to stand in front of him, "Are you ok?"

He seemed caught of guard by the question, "Uh, yeah..."

Victoria shook her head, "Cause I felt you use this morning, and I was totally freaked that something terrible was going on." She crossed her arms looking at him.

"That's normal, we all can feel when one uses in a big way, kind of like a start." He said, looking reassuringly at her.

But Victoria knew it wasn't that. She shook her head, "No, it wasn't like that. I knew it was you. So, I'm gonna ask you one more time." She took anther step towards him closing the gap even more, "Are you ok?"

He looked down into her blue eyes and she felt her breathing start to catch in her chest like she suddenly couldn't get enough air. He shook his head, "Victoria, I'm -" He looked away, his eyes scanning the room as if looking for a life preserver to grab on to. Victoria knew he was uncomfortable; Pogue hated not being in control. He looked at her, running a hand through his hair. "I can't breath without you." Victoria felt her mouth open a little at the unexpected declaration, "I can't function. I can't think." He stepped forward closing the gap between them, taking her strongly by the arms, electricity shooting up both of their arms, "All I can think about is you, what you're doing, how your day is going. And I know I shouldn't be. I know it's not my place, but I don't care- I can't care anymore, because all I really care about is you."

"Pogue, I-" Victoria started but was glad when Pogue interrupted because she genuinely didn't know what she was even planning on saying.

He shook his head, "If there is even a chance..." Suddenly, he leaned forward, his lips came down on hers as he pulled her into his chest. It was like fireworks, going off inside her body. Victoria had never felt like this before. His lips were so warm and soft against hers, it was like they were simply melting into each other. Her arms desperately wrapped themselves around his neck as he pulled her against his chest, holding her tightly.

He pulled back slightly, she opened her eyes to look at him, but Pogue's were firmly shut, his long lashes fanning out over the tops of his cheeks. His breath matched hers, rapid and desperate. "I love you, Victoria." Victoria couldn't think about anything else other than the joy that swelled in her chest at his words, and she didn't want to think about it too much, complicate it, as so little in her life seemed easy or natural any more.

She pushed against his hold on her, rolling on to the balls of her feet and kissed him again, this time catching him off guard. His hand found her hair as he deepened the kiss and Victoria felt herself being carried off into oblivion, when-

Victoria's phone vibrated off the side table and clattered to the ground. Victoria jumped at the noise and Pogue froze.

When it stayed still on the ground Victoria knew it was simply an email notification but as the phone interrupted the kiss, breaking its spell, it also brought reality back to them both. Before letting his arms drop, Pogue gently kissed Victoria on the forehead, then let her go, stepping back from her. Victoria took a deep breath.

She looked at Pogue who seemed to be staring at her jet black pedicure pretty intently. Probably just as aware of the weight of the words he just said, as she was.

"I love you." She said it simply because there really wasn't anything else for her to say.

Pogue looked up at her suddenly, his eyes huge, "What?"

Victoria stared at him, shaking her head and not being able to keep from chuckling at his apparent shock, "Come on, was there really any doubt?" She shrugged.

"I just didn't- Everyone has been-" he stuttered.

Victoria stepped back to him, closing the gap once again, "I don't care about anyone else. People can think what they want, say what they want... It doesn't matter to me. Only you do." Pogue reached out and took her arms, she let her hands rest on his chest allowing the electricity to shoot through her fingers, revealing in the sensation as it explored her body rather than fighting it, "But,"

Pogue took a deep breath, leaning his forehead down on hers, "No... no, don't say but."

His hands moved up to her shoulders and Victoria put a hand on his cheek, letting her thumb brush over his cheekbone, revelling in the new found ability to touch him, "But before we do this, I need to talk to Reid."

Pogue stiffened like he didn't expect her to go there. Victoria found herself talking, as if she wanted to explain herself, letting her hand drop back onto his chest, her fingers worrying the worn cotton of his sleeveless t-shirt, "I just need to put an end to things with him first. He doesn't deserve to be-" she faltered, "This isn't his fault. The least I can do is go talk to him before anything..." She looked up at Pogue and his eyes seemed to be a whirlwind of emotions, but the one she saw the most was empathy. She found herself once again feeling breathless looking up at him. "Happens,"

"Can I do anything?" He asked her.

Victoria shook her head then looked up at him "Actually, could you... Could you stay here? Wait for me?"

Pogue blinked, "What, you're gonna talk to him now!?"

Victoria shrugged, "Why would I wait? Exams are done, state is done. I need to talk to him now, I can't go back to the way things were. It would feel like pretending."

Pogue looked at her, "You sure you want me to wait?"

She nodded, "Do you mind?"

He shook his head, "No," he looked like he wanted to kiss her but stopped himself, "I'll be here when you get back."

Victoria nodded, turned, grabbed her copy of Reid's room key and left Pogue standing alone in her hotel room.