CHAPTER 6 – THERES A CHILL IN THE AIR


Tara awoke in the early hours of the morning, as her body clock usually did, she seemed to have a habit of waking up around 2 in the morning, and even after moving half way around the world, she still found the same thing happened. She yawned slightly, still hearing the sound of rain on the roof above her. She breathed in quietly, and then looked across the bed. A sudden realization of things came flooding at her as she found Brian fast asleep beside her.

“Brian” she whispered shaking him a little
It took hardly any effort to arouse him from his sleep. He looked around, a tad confused, then looked at Tara.
“Um, I think we fell asleep” she said softly
“Shit” Brian muttered under his breath, leaping off the bed
“I uh, mean sorry” he quickly retorted, “I should um, probably go” he added worriedly
“Yeah, you probably should” Tara agreed as he walked towards the door
“Um Brian” she called softly as he opened the door
“Yeah?” Brian responded
“Thanks” Tara smiled
“No Problem” Brian mouthed as he walked out of the door, closing it softly behind him

He was pretty sure Leigh Anne wouldn’t have woken up, and even if she did, he knew she wouldn’t have gone looking for him. He opened the door to their room and peeked in, as he suspected she was fast asleep on the bed, dressed in her nightgown with a half empty bottle and tipped over glass beside the bed. He walked over to where she lay and gently pulled the blankets from underneath her, and laid them across her. She sighed quietly but didn’t open her eyes at all. He brushed her hair back from her face and looked down at her softly – he did love her, despite everything, he knew he really did.

~ 7.00 AM THAT MORNING ~

Nick rolled over, his back facing Alicia as his eyes slowly opened. The day was dreary, the sun nowhere in sight. He’d promised to fly up and see his mother today, but he in reality really couldn’t be bothered. He’d just ring her and tell her something came up, she’d probably be a little disappointed but he found it hard to relate to her anymore, it was like they had drifted apart since his parents were separated. Robert Carter had moved out, claiming that the two of them just didn’t see things eye to eye anymore and moved up to Ontario, Canada, he hadn’t seen him since the separation 6 months ago, and he didn’t really in all honesty care. He’d always envisioned his parents as been together forever, now they were miles away and not even bothering to sort things out – so, in Nick’s reasoning, why should he bother either?

He slipped out of the bed, and looked down at Alicia her lay peacefully asleep. He smiled at the very thought of her. It had, over the past, annoyed him that he never really got over her, but he now was quite happy with that, because that meant he still had the same feeling, if not more, for her now than he did before. He had long ago pushed the memory of his sudden departure to the back of his mind. It was quite strange really, he just woke up one morning and decided he couldn’t handle a relationship, deep down he knew he was simply scared, she was more than he imagined, and his heart kept pushing him to a place where his head didn’t want to be, the world of commitment, so much like his father, he ran away.

“Fate bought us back together Ally, I promise I wont do that again” he whispered

~ AN HOUR LATER ~

Eve removed her jacket hanging it up on the stand beside the door.

“You want a coffee or something?” Howie inquired walking around from the kitchen
“I should get going work and all” Eve smiled, hoping Howie wouldn’t dwell too much on exactly where she was last night
She told him she had to stay at a friends house because of the weather, he inquired who the friend was as she simply rattled a name off saying she went to the same dance class. Eve hated lying to him, after everything he’d done for her, but he probably would freak if he knew the truth – she’d quit dancing 2 months ago to take an extra shift at the Restaurant and then spend the rest of the day with Luke.

“Okay well I just made a pot so if you want some” Howie smiled walking up to her, downed in his bathrobe
“You’re too nice to me” Eve winked kissing his cheek quickly
“I’d do anything for you baby” He smiled touching the side of her face
“I know” she replied wishing she could actually believe that

~ AT THE SAME TIME ~
Jasmine tapped her foot impatiently as she waited on AJ’s front step. He smiled at her through the peephole, enjoying the annoyed look on her face. He opened the door and gestured for her to come in.

“Well I'm here, so are you gonna humor me first or head straight to the trying to grope me” Jasmine questioned her chocolate eyes darting around the house
“You’re all class you know that” AJ laughed, “I actually wasn’t even intending on trying the groping thing till at last our fifth meeting,” he added with a smile
“Alright McLean, what’s the deal?” Jasmine inquired, subconsciously tightening her thick ponytail
“What deal? Jasmine you read too much into this, I own a record label, you sing, I liked your voice that’s it”
“That’s it?” Jasmine repeated her eyes shifting nervously
“Honest, no bad intent, well intended”
“So you got a studio in here?”
“Uhuh”
“Well are you going to show me?”
“Right this way”

~ AT THE SAME TIME ~

“Tara, wake up” Sam announced tugging on her arm
Tara’s eyes flickered open, as Sam stood before her his young face beaming with child-like vigor.
“Come on, I wanna play” he laughed pulling back the blankets
Tara smiled as she pulled herself out of the bed and gestured for Sam to sit on her lap. He clambered up on the bed and plunked himself beside her, half on half off her lap.
“Did you have a good sleep?” Tara inquired
“Uhuh” he laughed clambering over to her back
He positioned himself on her back.
“I want a piggy back down stairs” he laughed wrapping his arms around her neck

She wandered downstairs Sam firmly on her back. The voices were faint but coming from the Kitchen.

“….you should apologize, you know that” Brian sighed leaning up against the bench
“God fine, if it’ll make you shut up, I’ll say sorry, but she shouldn’t go putting her nose in where it didn’t belong”
“Uncle Brian!” Sam called from outside the kitchen
Tara smiled and walked in acting liked she’d heard nothing of the conversation.

“Morning” she smiled looking around the kitchen
“How’s the head?” Brian inquired taking a sip of the coffee in his hands
“Its fine, nothing a bit of make up won’t cure” Tara replied leaning up against the wall
“Its still raining, the phones over there for you to ring Kevin, I'm sure he’ll pick you up,” Leigh Anne said as she opened the fridge and peered inside.
“Thanks” Tara mumbled as she walked over to where the phone was
“You could at least be nice” Brian whispered leaning over the bench
“Don’t start with me Brian” Leigh Anne sighed annoyingly “You sound like my mother but worse” she added with a quick smile

“He said that’s fine, he’ll be around in about 10 minutes to pick Sam and I up” Tara said strolling back over to the other side of the room.
“Such a strange accent you have” Leigh Anne smiled sweetly, though it was obvious the venom was leaking off her tongue
Tara smiled stiffly in response.
Brian shot Leigh Anne an annoyed glare, gesturing for her to apologize. She sighed frustrated and turned to face Tara.
“Sorry about yesterday and all, it really was an accident,” she announced smiling softly
“No problem really, thank you for allowing me to stay here” Tara responded, sensing the chill in the air
“I should go gather my things” Tara added, smiling across the bench at Brian, before heading out of the room.

She wandered back upstairs after checking that Sam was still playing happily in the Living room, and walked into the room she’d stayed in. Slowly she made the bed, straightening the sheets and getting rid of any sign she had stayed there.

“You seem like a nice enough girl,” a voice said from the doorway
Tara spun around to see Leigh Anne standing propped up against the framing
“Thank you” Tara replied turning back around
“Just don’t go fucking with things that don’t concern you okay?”
“And by that you would mean?”
The two met eye to eye.
“I mean stay away from him. He’s taken”
“You have some jealously issues”
“Just a word of warning, that’s all” Leigh Anne smiled as she walked back out of the room
“Physco” Tara mumbled under her breath as she threw the pillow back onto the bed and grabbed up her bag. The chill of Leigh Anne’s persona still lingering in the air.

Chapter Seven

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