DISCLAIMER: On First Chapter.
Make sure that you pay attention to the dates/times in this one. It has a two-day time jump after the first section! Hope you enjoy it! :D
May 23, 2011 (Tuesday)
Lynn's House
Lima, Ohio
9:14AM
It was a perfect day. The sun was shining, but it wasn't overly warm. The air was crisp and clean—it the best weather Jeff had seen in a long time.
He'd be damned if they all spent it inside the house.
"I think we should go outside and do something," he declared as he walked into the kitchen where Lynn was washing the breakfast dishes. She glanced over her shoulder at him—hazel eyes twinkling in amusement.
"Like what?" she asked. Jeff eyed the plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies on the counter next to her and figured that he could maybe snatch one. "Wha—hey! I don't think so!" Lynn slapped the top of his hand when he reached for the chocolate goodies.
Jeff pulled away with a pout and she laughed.
"I made those to go with lunch," she said sternly as she rinsed the last plate in the sink and put it into the dishwasher.
"It's after breakfast, so technically it's almost lunch time."
"It's nine in the morning and we ate breakfast like ten minutes ago!" Lynn replied with a sarcastic quirk of the lips. "I can't believe you're already thinking about the next meal."
"It's your fault for baking cookies right after breakfast," Jeff responded—watching as Lynn dried her hands on a towel.
"It's your fault that you have a bottomless pit for a stomach," Lynn told him as she lifted the plate of cookies and put them one-by-one into the cookie jar.
"Stop cooking so well and then maybe I wouldn't eat so much!"
"You'd eat anything I put in front of you," Lynn joked, "You're like a human garbage disposal. The only one worse is Sam!"
"Don't hate because the Evans' family likes to eat," he replied. Lynn snorted and put the lid on the cookie jar. She walked over to Jeff and handed him the empty plate.
"Lick the melted chocolate off if you'd like," Lynn told him and Jeff tried really hard not to take that as a double entendre. He'd like to lick the melted chocolate alright.
It was cruel and unusual to have her looking at him like that. Her short hair pinned back. Her hazel eyes alight with mischief and those darn pearl earrings in her ears again.
By golly, Lynn was a beautiful woman.
With a wink, Jeff took the plate from her hands and licked every spot of melted chocolate off the surface. He hoped that it wasn't his mind playing games when he saw her eyes darken. Jeff knew he needed to stop when she bit her bottom lip.
They were playing with fire—stepping back would be a good life choice.
But her eyes were so powerful and he would never get enough of looking into them—the looks they were sharing should be illegal. Jeff hadn't felt this hot and bothered in a long time.
It did not bode well for him.
Finished with his impromptu dessert, Jeff turned away from Lynn slowly—finally breaking eye contact when he moved to rinse the dish off. He heard Lynn's soft gasp from behind him and he had to take a moment to recover himself.
He was a married man. He was filing for a divorce, but he was still a married man—and he couldn't cheat. He would never stoop to that level.
Jeff put the dish in the dishwasher and as he made to turn back around—he spotted the cars in the driveway. They were filthy.
"What if we washed the cars?" he asked suddenly—completely removing the potential awkwardness from what had just happened by changing the subject.
"What?" Lynn questioned the look on her face bewildered.
"We can wash the cars today," Jeff replied—liking the idea more and more. "That way we'll be productive and we'll have some fun in the sun."
Lynn let out a laugh at that statement. "It sounds great, but can you please never say 'fun in the sun' ever again?"
"I thought that was the hip thing to say!" Jeff protested as he followed a snickering Lynn out of the kitchen.
"Yeah," Lynn tossed back over her shoulder, "If you're in a Mary-Kate and Ashley movie."
"That was just uncalled for!" Jeff said—his tone playfully indignant.
"True friends are honest with each other!"
"Oh, just go put on a bathing suit!"
He could hear Lynn laughing as she went all the way upstairs. He rolled his eyes in exasperation, before yelling, "Kids! Put on your swim suits! We're gonna have a carwash!"
There were twin shouts of joy and a hollered, "Okay!" from Sam that had Jeff chuckling. He made his way upstairs too—where were his swim trunks again?
"Lynn! Which drawer did you put my bathing suit in?" he asked as he walked into his room.
"How am I supposed to know?"
"You're the one who did all the laundry and put them away that first week we got here! I haven't exactly worn them since." Jeff stuck his head out of his door at the same moment that Lynn poked her head out of her doorway.
"Well, might I suggest you look in that thing called a dresser?" she sassed. "Good place to start."
"It's faster if you just tell me," Jeff said.
"It's better if you just look."
They stared each other down, before Jeff sighed. "You're going to make me look, aren't you?"
"Is my name Lynnette?" she asked—her tone teasing and amused.
Jeff stuck his tongue out at her and she laughed. Lynn sent him a wink before disappearing into her bedroom and shutting the door. Jeff chuckled under his breath and went on the hunt for his swim trunks.
By the time he was dressed in his dark blue board shorts, Sam, Stacey, and Stevie were already downstairs waiting. Stacey looked adorable in her floral print one piece with ruffles on the sides. Sam had on a pair of green and white board shirts whereas Stevie's were orange and black.
"You guys put on sunscreen?" Jeff asked as he lifted Stacey onto his hip.
"Yes, daddy!" she answered, her arms hanging loosely around his neck. "Where's Lynn?" she asked.
"Probably being a crazy lady and taking forever to get dressed," he replied, making Stacey giggle.
"I heard that Jeffrey!" Lynn called down the stairs. She didn't sound like she was in her room though. Sam laughed at the contrite expression that took over Jeff's face.
"We're going to go get started outside!" he yelled back to her, before motioning the kids outside. Stevie and Sam instantly walked towards the door—which ended up being a race, of course. They practically toppled over each other to get outside.
"Okay!" Lynn answered, "I'll be out in a minute."
"A real minute, right?" Jeff asked, "Not the minute that actually means a year?"
"Jeffrey!" Lynn replied—she sounded both amused and exasperated. Jeff and Stacey shared a laugh before he carried her outside into the sunshine. Sam and Stevie were already in the process of filling buckets for them to wash the cars with. He put Stacey down and she ran over to help the boys.
Jeff walked down the stairs, ready to go help them when the door opened behind him and Lynn walked out of the house—a stack of towels in front of her face.
Jeff thought it perverted, but Lynn was wearing a bikini and she was bending over to place the towels on the patio table—holy shit.
Her ass was perfection.
She was wearing a conservative bikini—boy shorts and a halter. They were lilac and had a soft shimmer to them that Jeff found ridiculously attractive. The fabric molded to her skin and Lynn had some sexy legs on her.
When she turned around—he wasn't sure that he could find anything that wasn't attractive. Her abs were lightly defined and her quads were just amazing. Her chest made it painfully hard to concentrate.
Was it even legal to be this attracted to someone?
He'd thought that lace dress she wore a couple of weeks ago was hot, but this—this was taking the cake. He could feel his face getting warm as he stared at her. It took everything within him to tear his eyes off her body.
Lynn was blushing too. Why she was blushing, he didn't know, but damn—he needed to wash some cars now.
"Uh," Jeff stammered, before clearing his throat. "I'm gonna go help the kids." He tried to walk away nonchalantly, but he tripped over his own feet. Jeff saw the amusement flare in her hazel eyes and he just made himself walk away—that was smooth.
He could've slapped himself.
When he glanced over at her again, she was taking pictures of them all; a soft smile on her face. He grinned at her and she gave him a look over the top of her camera. Jeff opened his mouth to say something when he was abruptly doused in ice cold water from three different directions.
The look on his face had to be priceless because Lynn snapped a picture before she burst out laughing.
"You're all going down for that!" Jeff cried, before picking up the hose and spraying all three of them. It turned into all out chaos not seconds later. Soapy sponges were thrown and there was a wrestling match for the hose.
"Lynn, help!" Stacey squealed as Jeff sprayed her down with a war cry.
Stevie was distracted by Sam tossing rapid fire soap rags in his direction. Jeff was feeling like a champ, before he was blindsided by Lynn leaping onto his back.
"Get the hose, Stacey!" she called and Stacey attacked. Jeff dropped the hose and focused on the woman clutching him with her legs and arms. He had to focus on anything and everything besides the feeling of her warm skin—slick and soft against his. So he spun them around in circles. Lynn screamed when he reached back to tickle her sides.
Stacey started spraying Jeff in the face and Lynn was laughing—her hair dripping wet and water was everywhere.
Lynn finally dropped off his back when the sprinklers turned on. "You forgot to turn off the sprinklers, Jeff?" she asked over the sound of water and his kids' laughter.
"I didn't think about it!" Jeff responded and Lynn threw her head back, laughing.
Their conversation ended when Lynn pulled a soaked sponge out of nowhere and tossed it right at Jeff's head. It hit him in the face and she shot him the biggest troll face he'd ever seen. But he still thought it was beautiful.
Lynn ran when he chased her with a sponge in hand. It was complete water war and no one was safe. Stacey turned against Lynn and Stevie teamed up with Sam against Jeff. The cars didn't get washed—it ended up being an hour of ridiculous antics between all five of them.
Lynn's short hair was stuck to her face and ringlets were forming. She was soaked and the water only highlighted every muscle on her body. She looked stunning when she lifted Stacey into her arms and they spun around in circles together under the sprinklers.
Somehow, Lynn started belting "You Keep Me Hangin' On" and it turned into a water dance party. Jeff couldn't help but lift her into his arms in a fireman's carry and twirl them around in a circle. She laughed the whole way around and laughed some more when he placed her back on the ground—her back to his chest.
They stood there for a moment—just watching Sam, Stevie, and Stacey play around with the hose and pour buckets of water onto each other.
Lynn looked up at him over her shoulder and the world stopped for a moment.
Everything important was in Lynn's dancing hazel eyes. Her long lashes with water droplets clinging to them just added to her beauty. She looked flawless—her skin smooth and soft and chocolate. Her hair was a mess of wet curls that stuck to her forehead and face and her neck.
He'd never wanted to kiss her more than he did in that moment.
Jeff dropped his forehead onto hers and let their eyes say everything that he couldn't. The understanding that blossomed in her irises set his heart on fire and he pulled her closer. Eyes closed, Jeff felt it when her hand reached up and cupped his cheek. Her fingers trailed behind his ear and along the line of his jaw.
Jeff would be lying if he said that he didn't press a lingering kiss to her fingertips when they brushed across his mouth. His face was warm and her touch left what felt like a trail of lightning across his skin.
He opened his eyes a moment later—his lips still pressed against her fingertips. Hazel met blue and Jeff smiled when a bright grin crossed her face. The wonder and love he saw in her eyes made his heart swell in joy.
For now though; it was all that he needed.
They parted and Lynn ran over to the kids again—swinging Stevie into her arms with a battle cry. Jeff laughed before joining them by grabbing Sam in a headlock. This led to another wrestling match, which Sam only won because the grass was slippery.
Their morning was full of laughter, screams, cold water and soap suds—in other words, they were all a soaked mess at the end, but Lynn set the timer on the camera and they all took a picture together. Stevie was on Sam's shoulders. Stacey was on Lynn's hip and Jeff stood in the middle.
They looked like a family. They were a family.
May 25, 2011 (Thursday)
Lynn's House
Lima, Ohio
10:27AM
Lynn had gone to work. Stevie and Stacey were spending the day at Delia's house and staying the night as well. Sam was at the Pizza Parlor—but he was only working until noon and then he said something about hanging out with Mercedes, Mike, Artie, and Tina at Mike's house. So he'd be gone for awhile as well.
Jeff had the house to himself for the foreseeable future. He'd purposely planned it to be that way. No matter how much he wanted it to be otherwise, he knew that he wasn't going to react well to this phone call.
The phone was taunting him by just sitting there—the number pad glowing and the screen lit. He'd been going back and forth between dialing numbers and then ending the call before it could even begin.
For a year, Jeff had lived with the misery that was his crumbling marriage. The disintegration had come so quickly that he hadn't had time to prepare for it or even realize what was happening.
And now he was on his last chance—the last leg he had to stand on. His wife had been gone for almost two months now, and the pain was like a festering wound; numb at times and then sometimes it was so agonizing that he had to fight to keep the tears at bay.
No one he'd called so far—practically everyone who'd been in their lives—had seen or heard from Elizabeth. They didn't know anything and with each day, that pit in the bottom of his stomach grew wider and wider. He'd known that this day would come. Of course, he prayed that he wouldn't have to do this, but Jeff had felt it the moment she disappeared.
He knew he was going to have to face him.
The man that had ruined his marriage, his life, his kids' lives, and Jeff knew that this day was rapidly approaching. And here he was—with no other choice left to him. The courts were still taking forever on approving his requests. Their family and friends were just as clueless as he was.
Now, Jeff would have to face his worst nightmare—the one person on the face of the planet that he couldn't bear to think about anymore. He was going to have to call him and ask for his help.
The twisting of his heart was already starting. He could feel that old hurt being dragged back to the surface—more powerful and poignant than ever. He'd avoided this for so long, and it was Elizabeth's fault that he was going to have to sacrifice his time, his emotions because she'd given him no other choice.
Jeff stared at the paper in his hand. His name was committed to memory. Every moment of friendship that they shared was tainted with a hatred and resentment so powerful that it made Jeff feel disgusting inside.
Christopher Wilkinson, the paper read. The name made his insides twist. But he had to do it. He had to find her so he could end this torment forever. And he'd have to go through Chris to get there.
Clenching his jaw, Jeff glanced at the picture on his desk and the tears rushed to his eyes before he could stop them. It was the picture of Sam, Stevie, and Stacey sleeping in that old motel bed. Remembering how heartbroken they'd been made him realize that he had to do this for them.
They didn't deserve to have that constant fear in the back of their minds. They needed closure. And if he had to hurt to stop them from feeling pain, then he would do it. His kids were his everything—they were his life.
The paper crumpled slightly in his hand as he leaned forward to grab the phone. Eyes fluttering closed briefly, Jeff sucked in a shaky breath before he dialed the number from memory. He didn't even have to look at the paper to know the digits—it had been called so many times before.
The phone rang once, then twice, and a third time—when it started on the fourth, Jeff almost hung up but then the line clicked and he heard, "Hello?"
His heart clenched in his chest. He knew that voice. He'd grown up with that voice—when it was squeaky as a child and crackly during puberty. He could identify that voice in every stage of life.
"Uh, is anyone there?" The man on the other end asked.
And Jeff shook himself out of his stupor. "Chris?" he asked, his voice gruff.
There was a heavy silence on the other end and Jeff knew that Chris recognized him. He just knew it with every fiber of his being.
"Jeff?" Chris questioned—the disbelief apparent in his tone. "Jeffrey Evans?"
"I'm surprised you remember me," Jeff said and he heard Chris swallow hard.
"We grew up together," Chris answered, "It's hard to forget about someone you've known your whole life." The rage was sudden. Chris had some nerve talking about how hard it was to forget someone. Where were those memories when he put his hands on Elizabeth?
"It's not hard to forget they're married when you fuck their wife though," Jeff snapped and Chris let out a sound of shocked discomfort.
Jeff felt like an asshole of the highest caliber. Chris deserved his anger. He deserved to feel the same kind of pain that he'd caused Jeff, but making Chris hurt didn't make Jeff feel better—it only made him feel dirty.
"Jeff—"Chris began, but Jeff let out an explosive breath.
"No,"Jeff said, "I shouldn't have said that."
"You had every right to blow up at me," Chris replied. "I did you wrong."
Jeff had been waiting to hear an admission like that for months. The actual thing felt hollow and it didn't sooth any of his anger. That fact was disquieting. Pressing his palms to his eyes, Jeff fought down his emotions.
"I don't want to talk about this," he said, "I just need to know one thing."
"Anything," Chris replied, his tone subdued and incredibly guilty.
"Do you have any idea of where Elizabeth is?" Jeff asked. He prayed for a negative answer. He begged God to have Chris respond with a no. But the thick silence on the other end of the line broke his heart all over again.
God, please don't let her have run to him. Just please.
"Yes," Chris said slowly. "She came here about three weeks ago—"
"She went back to you," Jeff whispered. His whole body felt heavy. He didn't know why he was surprised by this, but why? Why would she do that? "She left her kids alone in a motel room and went back to you?"
"God, Jeff," Chris responded, "I sent her packing as soon as she told me what had happened—"
"She still fucking went to you, Chris!" Jeff growled. His hand balled into a fist and he banged the top of the desk in a fit of enraged hurt. "She didn't want any more of me so she went to you! She abandoned our children in a motel room and went to you!"
Angrier than he'd ever been, Jeff tightened his hand around the phone. "Is she still there?"
"No!" Chris said immediately. "I kicked her out once she told me what she did—I swear."
"Your word doesn't mean much," Jeff said—his tone dripping with derision. "Your promises lost all value to me twelve or so months ago. Remember that? When you dicked around with my wife?"
"What do you want me to say, Jeff?" Chris asked. He sounded tired. Jeff was filled with animosity—Chris didn't have any right to feel tired. He hadn't lost anything.
What did he care that he'd torn apart his ex-best friend's life?
"Do you know where she is?" Jeff questioned.
"I wish I could tell you, but when I kicked her out; I didn't exactly ask any questions."
"Well this has been a great waste of my time," Jeff told him bitterly. "Thank you for nothing."
"I know it probably won't do you any good, Jeff," Chris said, "but I really am sorry for what I did."
The apology was something he'd wanted and just like Chris' other words—they did nothing to sooth the pain that was tearing at his insides.
"You're right," Jeff answered quietly; "It does me no good."
And then he clicked the end button on the phone.
Not that ending the phone call took away the rawness of his heart—in fact, it heightened it. A whole piece of his life—his history had just been ripped away in the most brutal way possible. He felt incomplete and tarnished.
His best friend—his brother had been the one to cheat with his wife.
How could he have done that?
Jeff didn't understand. He was past wanting to understand—he needed it. But he knew that it would probably never happen, because he couldn't get beyond the absolute rage he felt.
It crawled up his spine like a cancer—oozing and multiplying and filling him with hate. He detested feeling so angry, but it was so hard to let go. Rage was easier to deal with than pain, and the day that he broke apart—Jeff was going to shatter.
Furious, he stood out of his seat; the movement so harsh that he knocked over his chair. With a sound of uncontrolled rage, Jeff chucked his phone at the wall. It impacted with the hard surface and in a sudden explosion of splintered glass and hard plastic—it made a loud cracking sound as it fell to the floor.
Chest heaving and his heart pounding behind his ribcage, Jeff gripped his hair with both hands—trying to control everything he was feeling inside. It was too much. The pain of Elizabeth was enough to drive him to depression, but his feelings about Chris were close to the surface and it intensified every emotion he was experiencing.
He needed it to stop. He needed to do something that would take his mind away from the shit hole that his heart had fallen into. Mind made up, Jeff slammed out of his bedroom and went down to the kitchen.
He grabbed the bottle of Jack Daniels from the liquor cabinet and took a large swig straight from the bottle. The alcohol burned a trail of liquid fire across his tongue and throat, but he swallowed it anyway.
The tears filling his eyes was because the alcohol hurt—it wasn't because he felt like his soul was being torn apart.
It had absolutely nothing to do with the betrayal and worthlessness he was feeling. Absolutely nothing, he tried to convince himself before he lifted the bottle to his mouth and took another drink.
Absolutely nothing at all.
May 25, 2011 (Thursday)
The Hudson-Hummel House
Lima, Ohio
11:43AM
Mercedes didn't know what she was expecting when she pulled into the Hudson-Hummel driveway. All she knew was that she wanted to fix the broken bridge between her and Kurt. It had been almost a week since she'd talked to him.
She hadn't exactly received multiple calls from his end, but someone had to try and mend things. It would never be repaired if one of them didn't step up to the plate and make an attempt.
The only reason she'd actually worked up the courage to come over here was because Sam said that he was coming over here after he got off work to pick up his jacket from Finn. Apparently, he'd left it over here during one of the guy get-togethers they'd had the last couple of months of school.
So she agreed to meet him here, because she did need to talk to Kurt after all.
Maybe today hadn't been a good idea though. She had seen Blaine's car enough times to recognize it as the vehicle parked in the Hudson-Hummel parking lot behind Kurt's truck and beside Finn's pickup.
It looked like everyone was home, and Mercedes decided that it was now or never. She parked alongside the street and got out of her car. She made her way across the lawn—the soft grass tickling the tops of her feet over the straps of her bronze gladiator sandals.
She walked up the steps and took a moment to breathe before she pressed the doorbell. The sound of bells rang through the house and she heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming towards the door.
"I've got it, mom!" She knew it was Finn before he even opened the door. He blinked when he saw her standing there, but then he gave her a lopsided smile. "Mercy!" he said, opening his arms to her for a hug.
She was surprised, but she stepped into the friendly embrace. Finn let her inside and closed the door behind her. "Goddess, what are you doing here?" he questioned with a wink that just looked awkward. Mercedes laughed.
"Finn, I am not a goddess," she told him.
"You're my goddess," Finn corrected, "So you can't say that anymore."
She shook her head in his direction, but let it go. "Is Kurt here?" she asked and Finn nodded.
"Yeah," he said, "Let me go get him real quick."
Finn jogged down the hallway—his long arms moving by his side and Mercedes walked into the living room, placing her bag down on the chair. The Hudson-Hummel house was usually so warm and full of love. Coming here had been one of her favorite things to do before she and Kurt grew distant.
Now, it felt like she was out of place—as though she didn't belong.
Out of the corner of her eye, Mercedes spotted a picture of her and Kurt from sophomore year. They both had huge smiles on their faces and they were wearing their Cheerio uniforms. What had happened to that? She really missed her best friend.
Mercedes was distracted by Finn lumbering back into the room, Kurt on his heels and Blaine right behind him. She stared at him, then Blaine and then Finn, before she settled on Kurt's face.
He looked as nervous as she was, and she hoped that they could fix this. "Hi guys," Mercedes said with a half-hearted smile. She was taken aback when Blaine bounced forward and wrapped her up in a hug.
"Hi Mercedes!" he said, "It's lovely to see you again." His smile was genuine and he did seem happy to see her again. She hugged him back.
"You too, Blaine," she replied when he stepped away from her. The sudden silence in the room was awkward, and she could see Finn looking between them—a confused expression on his face.
"What's going on?" he asked slowly and Mercedes took a deep breath.
"Would you mind if I spoke to Kurt alone for a little while?" she questioned. Blaine shot her a concerned look, and gave another to his boyfriend. Finn looked even more confused but he nodded. Blaine practically dragged Finn out of the room after pecking Kurt on the cheek.
"Ugh, dude!" Finn complained, "Don't kiss my brother in front of me."
"That doesn't even count as a kiss, Finn," Blaine responded as they walked down the hallway and away from the living room.
"There was lip action going on," Finn replied, "It was kissing."
Their voices faded as they walked into the kitchen and Mercedes had to smile at their bickering. She turned her attention to Kurt though. He still hadn't said a word, and he was still on the opposite side of the room from her.
The distance between them felt like the Grand Canyon. But she shouldered forward—she wasn't going to leave their friendship in shambles like this.
"How are you?" she asked awkwardly. His silence was unnerving and he seemed just as uncomfortable as she was.
"I'm fine," he answered. "It's been nice not having to deal with school."
"Yeah," Mercedes said. The conversation died in the most awkward fashion—just like it had begun. They stared at each other, before Mercedes got fed up and threw her hands in the air.
"Are you going to even try and talk to me?" she asked. He hadn't made one move to repair their friendship—not one. But he thought he could stand there and make her emotionally grovel.
Hell to the no.
"What am I supposed to say?" Kurt retorted—an undercurrent of hostility in his voice. "You already said everything you needed to say at your party."
"What?" Mercedes asked incredulously. "I told you how I felt! I had every right to feel abandoned by you. The only difference is that this time—I didn't allow someone to stomp all over my feelings and then not make up for it."
Yet, somehow—she was the one over here; initiating the conversation. She was always the one who had to rebuild the damaged area. The only one who had stopped taking her for granted and apologized for her mistakes was Quinn.
Kurt's brow furrowed. "Your accusations were unreasonable. Why should I be responsible for apologizing?"
"Unreasonable?" Mercedes repeated, disbelieving. "I was wrong for bringing Blaine into the argument, yes, but nothing else I said was unreasonable."
"Everything you said was off kilter, "Kurt protested—stepping closer as his face turned red. Mercedes saw Blaine and Finn peek out of the kitchen doorway as their voices got louder. "I was asking you a question and you just blew up at me!"
"You think I didn't have a reason for getting mad?" Mercedes shot back—her voice crackling with anger.
By this point, Finn and Blaine had come back to the living room—the two of them looking worried and shocked by the argument going on in the room.
"Hey, maybe you guys should calm down," Finn suggested, but Kurt shot him a glare that made him shrink back momentarily.
"I have every reason for getting mad!" Mercedes told him. Her voice was hard enough to cut glass and she saw Blaine wince at the same time that Kurt's hands balled into a fist. Her heart was racing—she was so mad. "You treated our friendship like dollar store toilet paper—cheap enough to buy and discard whenever the hell you feel like it."
"I have not once said something like that," Kurt responded loudly.
"You didn't have to," Mercedes cracked—her arm motioning furiously in his direction. "Your actions said everything that I needed to hear."
"So what?" Kurt replied in exasperation—tossing his hands in the air. "We didn't hang out for a few days—"
"Days?" Mercedes said, "Try months! You came back from Dalton and seemed to forget all about me in the wake of Blaine's serenade—something that I helped put together for you!"
"What's going on in here?" Ms. Carol asked as she made her way into the living room; Burt not five feet behind her. Blaine and Finn looked at her helplessly, but Kurt and Mercedes were on a roll—the emotions that had been building between them was on the verge of exploding and there was nothing strong enough to bring her back from the edge.
"I've hung out with you in the past few months. What about the sleepover before prom?" Kurt asked.
"You barely acknowledged me, Kurt," Mercedes said, "You had lots of advice for the girls with boyfriends, yet you know well enough that I was the only one there not in a relationship. Which is why I sat there in silence and at the time, I wasn't speaking to Quinn either, but she was there too. So I don't agree that it counts as hanging out with me."
"Like I said—unreasonable!" Kurt retorted, "You tell me that I don't hang out with you, but group stuff doesn't count."
"You haven't spent one hour alone with me since you got back," Mercedes told him harshly. "Where were you when I needed you during prom week? Who did you traipse around New York with?"
"So I can't have other friends—"
"I don't give a crap about you having other friends! You ditched me for Rachel!" Mercedes snapped. "Rachel fucking Berry! The one person you claimed to detest for over a year! How am I supposed to just get over that?"
The anger in the room was palpable. Mercedes' eyes were full of tears, but she didn't take her eyes off Kurt. His cheeks were flushed and his whole body was tense. He looked just as pissed off as she felt.
"I think we should take a minute to calm down before someone says something that they'll regret—"Burt started speaking, but Kurt talked over him.
"People change, Mercedes. It wasn't fair of you to ignore that possibility!"
"No one is ignoring the fact that people can change, but Rachel has been just as insufferable this year as she was last year. The difference is that she has a powerful interest in walking all over people to get to New York and you seem to have adopted that same outlook."
"What are you talking about—"
"Guys, stop—"
"You used to be noble, Kurt! You used to have some type of standards, but now—you're just as selfish as she is!" Mercedes was fired up. "You've turned into this preachy, self-righteous, cry-baby who's so deluded by his own bullshit that you can't see what the hell you're doing to the people you call friends!"
"Excuse me? I'm preachy and self-righteous?"
"The things you've said to me have torn me apart and you don't give a damn! You still don't!" Mercedes retorted, "And have you even listened to half the crap that Rachel says to people?"
"She's just confident—"
"No! There's a difference between confidence and cockiness and she's long past that," Mercedes shot back, "There was a time when you knew what that difference was."
"I was a lonely teen back then."
"Kurt, you're a lonely teenager now," Mercedes said, "Who do you hang out with on a daily basis besides Rachel and Blaine? You're so consumed in her bullshit that you can't see how your attitude affects people. The two of you are always talking about Broadway—"
"That's what I want to do with my life!" Kurt responded heatedly. "And I hang out with my boyfriend because I love him. You would know what that felt like if you had anybody who was interested!"
His words were like a slap to the face. Ms. Carol's jaw dropped in shock and Finn's expression of upset disappeared. He'd been pissed at the badmouthing that was going on about Rachel, but as soon as Kurt's words registered—shock replaced the anger.
Blaine looked horrified as he stared at his boyfriend and Burt just looked supremely uncomfortable and disappointed.
Kurt froze as soon as he realized what he'd just said and his expression melted into contrition.
"Mercedes—"
"Don't," she told him—her voice was heavy with tears and her eyes were burning. The pain radiated from her heart and everything just felt—numb. "Just don't."
"I didn't mean that—"
"You don't mean a lot of things," she said—her voice sharp. "You didn't mean to ignore me. You didn't mean to hurt my feelings. You didn't mean to leave me behind. A lot of people claim that they don't mean something—but if you said it; some part of you has been thinking it."
"Merced—"
"Stop!" she shouted, "Just stop fucking talking! You've done quite enough." She grabbed her bag off the chair and turned to leave.
"So, you're just going to walk out?" Kurt asked, "You're going to drop two years of friendship?"
"You have some nerve!" she snapped, "I didn't drop anything! You're the one who conveniently forgot that I existed! I was wrong for not saying anything sooner, so this is partially my fault as well—"
"Finally, you admit that you were wrong too!"
The look of outraged disbelief Mercedes shot him made Kurt stop in his tracks. "You were waiting for me to admit that I was wrong so you'd have some point to argue with?"
Kurt's silence spoke volumes. The silence in the room was heavier than ever and Mercedes couldn't stop the tears from falling. She'd held them at bay this long, but he'd just broken the last of her strength.
The revulsion she felt was strong. She didn't even want to be friends with Kurt at this point. He'd changed into a male version of Rachel and she could barely handle one of those. Whatever they'd had two years ago was obviously over. Their bridge wasn't just broken—it felt collapsed on the ground and disintegrated.
The realization hit her like a solid punch to the gut. Kurt was never going to be her best friend again. Too much had been said—on both their parts—and that chasm between them wasn't going anywhere; anytime soon.
"You disgust me," Mercedes whispered before she opened the door and left—slamming it shut behind her.
She stormed down the steps; stumbling over the last one and cussing out loud when she fell. Tears all over her face, and gasping—she knew she looked a hot mess. When she heard the door open behind her, she scrambled to get herself off the ground.
She didn't want to talk to anyone right now.
"Mercedes, wait!" She heard Kurt's voice, but she ignored him as she stalked towards her car—digging around in her bag to find her keys. "Mercy, please stop!"
The sincerity and shame in his voice had her freezing. She let her bag drop to her side as she turned to face him.
"What do you want now?" she asked—her voice cracking. "Got something else you've been wanting to say?"
"No!" Kurt protested. She saw Blaine, Finn, Burt and Carol walk out of the house and stand on the porch—probably watching to make sure that they didn't get out of hand again. "I really didn't mean what I said. I was just so mad—"
Their conversation was interrupted by Sam's truck pulling up behind Mercedes' truck. He parked and hopped out. She saw it the moment he noticed something was wrong, because the smile on his face dropped and he hurried towards her.
Mercedes stepped away from Kurt to meet Sam and the concern in his green eyes soothed some of the hurt she was feeling.
"Sam—"
"Why are you crying?" he asked as his hand cupped her face. She felt it when his thumb brushed away part of the tear tracks on her cheek.
"I'm fine—"
"Obviously, you aren't," Sam replied, his voice hard. "Who made you cry—"Sam's sentence ended abruptly and she saw his gaze focus in on Kurt. The rage that flashed across his face startled her, and she barely had the sense of mind to grab him when he made a wild lunge at Kurt.
"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Sam growled as he made his way towards Kurt.
Eyes wide with shock, Mercedes clutched the fabric of his t-shirt as he tried to throw himself at the wide-eyed brunet standing not two feet away from Sam's fist.
"Sam! Calm down!" Mercedes yelled as she dragged him backwards, but she could barely move him. Her boyfriend was strong as hell. "Finn, help me!"
Finn and Blaine rushed over as soon as Sam broke free of Mercedes' grasp. "I don't know who you think you are, but nobody hurts Mercedes!"
"Dude, what the hell—"
"Sam, stop!"
"I will beat the shit out of you if you even think about touching my boyfriend!"
"—defended you to her the other day, but you're just going to make her cry?"
Finn had his arms clamped around Sam's waist, but the blond was still cussing up a storm. Mercedes didn't know what to do. She knew that Sam wouldn't be happy about her crying, but she hadn't expected his protective streak to rear its head like that.
Kurt looked pale and terrified as he stood behind Blaine, who was yelling right back at Sam. Blaine being angry just seemed to piss Sam off even more, and he managed to break free from Finn. Blaine shoved Sam, and Sam shoved him back hard.
"Blaine, stop!"
"Sam!"
Finn couldn't get a good grip on Sam again, and the blond boy was rushed by Blaine. He went down in the grass hard, and Mercedes screamed as Finn dragged her out of the way.
"Stop, guys, stop it!"
"Blaine, let him go!"
"Sam, don't hit him!"
Sam and Blaine were yelling before Sam pushed Blaine off him and reversed their positions. He was about to throw a punch before he was blindsided by Finn.
Finn literally tackled Sam into the grass and then the brawl really started. All five of them were yelling at each other. Mercedes was screaming at Finn and Sam to stop hitting each other. Kurt was hollering at Blaine about fighting and trying to tell Finn to let Sam go. It only stopped when Burt got into the middle of the fight and lifted Sam and Finn by the hair. Both of them winced in pain.
"I don't know what the hell is going on here," Burt said firmly, "but it ends right here and right now." He looked each of them in the eye before saying, "Take your asses into the house, and I don't want to hear a damn word out of any of you."
May 25, 2011 (Thursday)
The Hudson-Hummel House
Lima, Ohio
12:33PM
The atmosphere in the room was tense to say the least. Finn was pissed at Mercedes for badmouthing Rachel, and pissed at Kurt for talking to Mercedes the way he had. The bruise blossoming across his temple didn't help his demeanor much.
Blaine was mad as hell at Sam for trying to attack Kurt and he was angry at Kurt and Mercedes for yelling instead of talking. Sam was still spitting nails over the fact that Kurt made Mercedes cry and he was mad at Finn for blindsiding him.
He had a black eye—again—and he could feel a bruise growing along his side and across his back from where he'd hit the ground. Kurt was mad at himself for saying what he did to Mercedes and upset that Sam, Finn, and Blaine had gotten into a brawl.
Mercedes was pissed at them all—Blaine and Finn for getting involved where they had no place and at Sam for jumping into her personal battle with his fists swinging. She was ticked at Kurt because of the things he'd said, but she was also mad at herself, because she had been wrong with some of the things she'd said too.
Ms. Carol came into the room and handed an icepack to each boy with a bruise. The look on her face was disappointed as she handed Mercedes a damp cloth to wipe her face off. Mercedes took it with a grateful look.
She cleaned her face of tear tracks as Ms. Carol sat down on the loveseat next to Burt.
"Alright," Burt said, "We're going to work this out right now. Mercedes, start talking—and only Mercedes. I don't want to hear a word from anyone else until she's completely done. Do you understand me?"
There were various nods from around the room. Mercedes saw it when Sam winced as he gingerly put the icepack against the side of his eye. She put the cloth down in her lap and met Burt's eyes.
The whole story came spilling out. She explained about all of last year and how things had started falling apart with Karofsky and the constant bullying at McKinley. She told them all about how she felt when Quinn stopped talking to her and then Kurt just disappeared from her life. Every detail about how she'd felt abandoned and why came pouring out.
She was crying by the time she started talking about prom, and she was even more upset by the time she told them about New York and how it felt to have Kurt act like she didn't even exist.
Ms. Carol's eyes were watering and Kurt was crying by the time she was done. She couldn't even look at Sam, Finn, or Blaine—she could feel their concern without even glancing in their direction.
"Uh, Kurt—your turn, buddy," Burt told them once Mercedes finished. She had to wipe her face again by this point. And when Kurt opened up to them about the past year, she started crying again.
She'd known it was bad, but he had never told her all of it. By the time he finished, she was a mess, but she could understand more of what he'd done.
"Going to Dalton was like leaving hell and entering paradise," Kurt said, "I never meant to just drop you, Mercedes. I just got caught up in so much perfection that I forgot about what was important—not only to me, but to my family."
Kurt looked her dead in the eye. "Rachel was easy. She fit right into that puzzle of my newer, happier life. She didn't challenge me—she didn't force me to think for myself or value something more than what society calls great. And you do that—it's not always simple to befriend someone who makes you do what's right instead of what's easy."
"When I transferred back to McKinley, it was a wakeup call," Kurt told her. "One that I really didn't want. I'll admit that I clung to my friendship with Rachel because she was a piece of my puzzle while I was at Dalton, and I tried to hold onto the perfection I'd found there. Being your friend again—that would've been the end of a dream come true."
"So you avoided me?" Mercedes asked.
"It's hard to explain, but when you find happiness and peace—you never want to let it go."
"I understand, Kurt," Mercedes replied, "But happiness without true friendship is empty."
"I know," he responded, "I knew it then too. I just wasn't expecting you to open a can of whoop ass on me as soon as I tried to slip back into your life without apologizing for ignoring you."
"You took it too far," Mercedes said, "but so did I."
"I'm really sorry for those things I said, Mercy," Kurt told her—the tears in his eyes reflecting his sincerity and shame.
"I'm sorry too, Kurt."
They shared a weak smile and Burt nodded. "Blaine, you're up."
Blaine explained why he was so upset about Sam and how disappointed he was in Kurt for saying what he'd said to Mercedes. This succeeded in getting Sam's attention and the glare he shot Kurt could've burned through metal, but he didn't say a word.
Kurt shrunk back into his chair. Mercedes gave Sam the stink eye in response. When his eyes met hers, she shook her head at him. His jaw tightened but he sat back with an angry huff.
Sam didn't apologize just yet. He waited until after Finn had said his piece, before he started talking.
"I'm pissed at Kurt, because I know that he said something that hurt Mercedes. And I'm mad that I defended him to her after their first fight. No one makes my family cry and gets away with it," Sam said.
"Why do you get to go crazy over Mercedes, though?" Finn asked snidely, "She's my friend too, but you don't see me trying to punch some guy's lights out for making her cry."
"If someone made Rachel cry would you beat the shit out of him?"
"Yes," Finn replied. "But Rachel's my girlfriend. What does that have to do with you and Mercedes?"
The sharp look Mercedes shot Sam had him shutting his mouth abruptly. Mercedes glanced at Kurt from the corner of her eye and he mimed zipping his mouth shut. She gave him a grateful smile before looking away.
Sam sighed.
"Look, she's one of my closest friends. She was practically the main reason I got through everything going on with my family. Kurt helped, but not in the same way—and I'll do anything to protect my family."
Finn looked like Sam had grudgingly earned his forgiveness and respect with that statement. "Fine, but if you ever try to attack my brother again, I won't hold back."
"Like you were holding back anything this time, douche," Sam said. "Your punches are like love taps."
"Shut up," Finn replied as he shoved Sam's shoulder. Sam laughed as he fell over sideways on the couch. Finn cracked a smiled and held out a fist to the blond. "We cool?"
"We're cool," Sam said as they bumped fists. He winced when he sat up again and Mercedes shook her head in their direction. Boys!
It had taken them over two hours to talk everything out and apologize to everyone. They were forced into a group hug by Ms. Carol and Kurt hugged Mercedes tightly before she left with Sam.
As soon as the door shut behind them, Mercedes slapped Sam on the arm and walked down the stairs. He groaned loudly before following her to her vehicle.
"Oh, so you're mad at me now?"
"No, I've been mad at you since you showed up and threw yourself into a fight!"
"I'm not going to let someone hurt you and get away with it, Cede," Sam protested as she opened her truck door and tossed her bag into the passenger side of the vehicle. She swung around to face him and she could see the protective glint in Sam's green eyes.
"I'm not a damsel in distress, Sam," she told him, "I don't need you to fight my battles for me."
"I know you're not a damsel in distress," Sam replied, "but if you think for one second that I'm going to stand by while you get hurt—"
"People get hurt all the time—"
"I don't give a fuck about what other people do, Mercedes," Sam exclaimed. His expletive stunned her momentarily. His body was tense and his green eyes were snapping with emotion. The black eye he had didn't take away from his attractiveness at all. She could finally understand what Quinn meant when she said that it was kind of hot.
"If Finn can protect Rachel and Blaine can protect Kurt, then why can't I protect you?" Sam asked, "I don't even know why you'd expect me to do anything but protect you."
"I don't want our relationship to be nothing but you defending my honor," Mercedes replied. "I can save myself."
"Yes, you can," Sam admitted, "but if you think that I'm not going to be right there to fight for you—then you're mistaken."
Sam crowded her against the side of the vehicle. His hands gripped her waist and he pulled her hips into his torso. The sudden contact was electrifying. And the hard expression on Sam's face was doing things to her heart that should be illegal. She could tell that he meant every word.
"I was raised to protect what I care about, Mercedes," he whispered, "It's a huge part of what my father taught me about how to be a man. I will not let you be hurt if there's something I can do about it."
"Sam," she breathed as he leaned forward and nuzzled his face into the side of her neck.
"Be mad at me for doing wrong," he told her softly, "Don't get pissed at me because I'm doing something that shows I care."
Mercedes' heart was on cloud nine. She knew that Sam cared, but no one had ever shown her such devotion before.
"Damn it," she cussed, "How am I supposed to be mad at you after that?"
Sam smiled against her skin, before lifting his head again. They looked at each other for a long moment. "I don't want you leaping into every disagreement I have with your fists flying," Mercedes told him and Sam rolled his eyes. "I'm serious! I'm not used to having someone fight for me, and that's going to take time to get used to, but I'm going to need you to add some length to that fuse you've got or you're going to end up in jail."
She gave him a look full of sass that made Sam laugh. "And I don't date criminals," she teased, "Superheroes maybe, but definitely not criminals."
Sam smiled down at her, and Mercedes placed a hand on the back of his head to pull him down to her level. Their foreheads touched and Mercedes grinned at him.
"Forgive me?" he asked.
She didn't even answer verbally. She just pulled him into a sweet kiss—one that ended up being a lot hotter than she intended when Sam deepened their lip lock. Their lips moved together—their tongues twining. Sam's hands drifted from her waist and down to her hips. She felt her fingers tangle in the soft blond strands at the back of his head.
It was only when someone honked at them that they realized that they were getting a little bit X-rated in the middle of the street. Mercedes blushed furiously and hid her face in Sam's chest. Sam started laughing and waved to the car of college age boys as they drove past—whistling and catcalling. She glanced over his shoulder and laughed out of sheer embarrassment.
Sam looked down at her, his cheeks pink. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead. She smiled up at him, before rising up on her toes to kiss him again.
Sam stepped back, and Mercedes saw him wince lightly as his side hit the door.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah," he replied, "I'm just going to have quite the bruise."
"Let me see it," she told him and Sam shook his head.
"Cede, it's fine—"
"Samuel Evans!" she stated firmly and Sam sighed heavily.
He lifted the bottom of his shirt, and Mercedes had to force herself not to stare at his abs. She knew she'd been caught though because Sam was smirking at her. Rolling her eyes, Mercedes reached out and grasped his hips softly, before she made him turn to the side.
The area on his lower back and all along his left side was purpling in spots and the area looked slightly puffy and tender. He winced when she brushed her fingers across it.
"That looks painful," she told him and Sam shrugged as he dropped his shirt.
"I've had worse from football," Sam replied. "It'll be fine in a couple of days."
Mercedes was skeptical, but Sam didn't look too worried about it. "We should go," he told her. "We're already late for meeting up with Tina, Artie and Mike."
She had completely forgotten about that! She pulled Sam in for one last peck, before she climbed into her truck and buckled up.
"Meet you there?" she asked through the open window.
Sam nodded and walked towards his truck. Mercedes drove off down the street. When she pulled into Mike's driveway about fifteen minutes later, she got a text from Sam as he parked behind her.
I forgot my jacket again! Crap.
It was silly enough to make Mercedes' burst out laughing—especially when she glanced in her rearview mirror and saw Sam bang his head on the steering wheel of his truck.
May 25, 2011 (Thursday)
Lynn's House
Lima, Ohio
10:14PM
Hellishly long didn't even begin to describe Lynn's day. She'd been at the shop since six in the morning and had left not ten minutes ago. She'd been interviewing potential employees since seven o'clock that morning and her brain felt like it was going to fall out of her head from exhaustion.
From her initial notes, Lynn had a good idea about who she wanted on her staff, but she'd go over her notes a couple of more times before making any hasty decisions. She'd also like to get Jeff's input on some stuff, but not tonight.
Tonight she just wanted to shower and fall into bed, because tomorrow was going to be a day full of reviewing notes, sending out emails and filling out new hire paperwork. Just thinking about it gave her a headache.
She walked inside the house, dropping her keys onto a hook and kicking her sandals off by the door. "Jeff?" she called as she walked down the hall. The house was silent and she wondered if he was asleep.
Making her way into the kitchen, Lynn's brow furrowed when she noticed that the door to the liquor cabinet was partially open. A gnawing feeling appeared in the pit of her stomach, and she peeked inside the cabinet—blinking when she realized that the entire bottle of Jack Daniels was gone.
Worried, Lynn walked around the first floor of the house; trying to find Jeff. He only drank when something was wrong—she knew him well enough to know that. And Sam wouldn't dare take it—if he did then he knew that his father would go insane.
Lynn stopped in her tracks when she thought about the place where Jeff seemed to like going if he had a lot on his mind. She turned around and hustled out into the backyard.
Lynn was unsurprised when she found him sitting by the Oak tree in the backyard—the bottle of Jack in his fingers and his legs were sprawled out over the ground. Jeff's head was hung and Lynn's heart filled with worry.
She'd seen him down and depressed and angry, but she'd never seen him so defeated. He'd seemed that way when he was sure that he and his kids would be homeless, but his posture was crumpled. He looked like he'd given up on everything—including himself.
She hurried over to him. "Jeffrey?" she called as she knelt beside him. Lynn crawled on hands and knees to his side. She spotted Marley laying on Jeff's other side—the dog looked sad as could be.
"Darlin'," Lynn said softly, eyeing the bottle of Jack that was now three-fourths empty and the paleness of his face. "What's wrong? What happened?"
Jeff's eyes opened and Lynn had to choke down a gasp. They were red and puffy and his eyes looked dull. The pain she could see in his expression was crippling. She placed her hands on his cheeks as she moved closer to his side.
"Oh, Jeffrey," she whispered, before she took the bottle from his limp fingers. "What happened, sweetheart?"
"Lynn," Jeff said—his voice a wrecked croak. The sound was agonizing to Lynn's ears and even more detrimental to her heart. "What did—I do wrong?" he asked.
"What do you mean?" she replied, "You've done nothing wrong."
"'s not true!" Jeff exclaimed from his lax position. "'S not true."
"Why do you think you did something wrong?"
"'Cuz Liz-beth left me," he replied. "If I did nothin' wrong—why'd she leave? Why'd she take my heart and break it?"
Jeff lifted his arm and his hand fell on her wrist. His grip felt desperate and scared. "Why wasn't I enough, Lynn?" Jeff asked, "Why?"
"I don't know, darlin'," she admitted—her eyes filling with tears. Jeff stared at her for a moment, before his expression completely shattered. He tried to turn away from her, but Lynn wouldn't let him—she wouldn't let him suffer alone.
Jeff let out a sob when Lynn wouldn't let him go. She felt her heart break for him. He'd been holding this in for so long. Jeff had been wallowing in his anger for the past year and now that hurt had been thrown back into crystal clear focus. She was surprised that he hadn't broken before, but she wouldn't leave him.
She'd never leave him.
Lynn pulled Jeff into her embrace and just held him as he sobbed—finally letting go of all his anger and letting himself feel the pain. She cried with him. She cried for him. She cried for all the pain he'd been feeling. And she cried out to God, because more than anything she wanted him to know happiness and find peace.
She wanted it all to be over. She didn't know how long they'd been out there, but she knew that he needed a bed. Jeff had to be exhausted and he was going to have a horrendous hangover in the morning.
Lynn managed to coax him to his feet—Jeff's arm slung over her shoulders and her arm around his waist. "Come on, Marley girl," she whispered as she held the partially empty alcohol bottle in her free hand. Lynn tossed the bottle in the trashcan before she opened the back door—Marley running inside the house.
Lynn got him over the threshold and shut the door behind them with one hand. She locked it before leading him to the staircase. She walked him upstairs; something that took forever because he kept stumbling over his own feet.
Lynn was too tired to go all the way down the hall to Jeff's room so she made a detour to hers. She led him inside, kicking the door shut behind her. With tired muscles, Lynn helped Jeffrey lay down on the bed.
She took off his shoes and wrestled his belt and jeans off his legs. Lynn was blushing the whole time—and when she saw that Jeff wore form-fitting boxer briefs she had to avert her eyes for a moment. Lynn knew he slept shirtless, so she helped him pull off his t-shirt.
Eventually though, Jeff was tucked under the covers about as comfortably as he was going to get.
She tip-toed over to her dresser and grabbed a fresh camisole, underwear and some sleep shorts.
As quietly as possible, Lynn showered, brushed her teeth, and got dressed in her bathroom. She shut off the lights and tried to walk out of her bedroom quickly so she wouldn't wake Jeff up.
She was almost to the door when he called out her name. "Lynn, that you?" he asked, his voice a tired slur. Lynn sighed but she made her way over to check on him.
"It's me, darlin'," she replied as she stood by his side. Jeff reached out and grabbed her hand—tugging her towards the bed. "Jeff, what are you doing?" The panic seized her heart. He wasn't going to do anything stupid, was he?
"Stay wit me," he said drunkenly—his voice bordering on a whine.
"What?" she asked, "You need to rest, sweetheart."
"I know," Jeff replied, "but I—"
"You what?"
"I don't wanna be alone."
Her heart broke for him. The desperate need for comfort was shining in his green eyes and Lynn could never resist Jeff, especially not when she could see how much he was hurting. Knowing how much of her heart she was putting at stake here, Lynn let Jeff tug her into the bed.
She slid under the covers and was surprised when Jeff pulled her close—his arms wrapped around her waist. Lynn could feel his chest pressing warmly against her back. She could feel every heavy beat of his heart and she had to blink away fresh tears.
Laying here with him felt so right—she felt so secure and loved. It was heartbreaking, but perfectly so. Lynn placed her hand over Jeff's; their fingers entwining and she couldn't have imagined the kiss that he pressed to the back of her head.
She fell asleep in his arms—his soft breathing and steady heartbeat lulled her into a deep slumber. Neither of them had slept so contently in a long time.
REVIEW! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Until next time. :D
