"I just don't know if I can handle being cooped up on some small island in the middle of nowhere with AJ for a month," Kyndall said as she and Howie drove towards the theatre.
"Oh whatever, Kyn," Howie grinned over at her. "You know he'd be busy chasing around all the half-naked women the beaches over there have."
She laughed softly. "Maybe that's something I don't want to see either," she said.
"Please?" he begged. Kyndall looked over at Howie as he batted his eyelashes at her. She started laughing, amused by his pathetic expression. "What?" he asked turning his attention back to the road.
"You," she said between giggles. "You look so silly when you do that."
"Hmph," he pouted.
"Howie darlin, I'd love to come with ya'll. But only if Catlyn comes. And I don't know if she will or not," she replied.
"Why wouldn't she? Doesn't she like us anymore?" he asked pulling into a parking spot.
"It's not that," she said as he opened her door and helped her out of the car. "It's just…Nick is really starting to bother her."
"Nick?" Howie asked as they walked inside.
Kyndall nodded. "Long story," she said. As they got in line and bought their tickets, she relayed to him everything that she had noticed going on between Nick and Catlyn.
"WHAT?!?" Catlyn screeched at AJ.
"Shhh," he said looking around the quiet restaurant. "I want you to come with us to the Virgin Islands."
"You think by taking her to some remote, beautiful, vacation spot in the Caribbean that she's just going to bow down and worship the ground you walk on?"
AJ sighed and looked down at his plate. "Why can't you just try to trust me?"
"Umm…because you haven't really given me any reason to," Catlyn stated. She looked away from the table, and then back at AJ. "Are the other girls going?"
"Huh?" He looked up at her. "Other girls? You mean Shawna, Leigh and Crys?" Catlyn nodded. "I think so. I know Leigh will, and there is no way that Crystal would let Nick out her sight for that long."
"Good," Catlyn mumbled. AJ looked at her funny, but she just shook her head. She stared at him thoughtfully; watching him fidget with his napkin, push his food around on his plate, then resume playing with the napkin. "Can I ask you a question?"
AJ's eyes met hers. She was taken back by the mysterious depths of his dark eyes. It was rare that one was privileged enough to see his eyes, let alone get a look at the emotions that were held within. Looking away for a moment, regaining her train of thought, she smiled softly. "Why are you so determined to get her back?"
AJ gave a short laugh. Looking down at the napkin that he was once again toying with he smiled softly. "Because she is everything to me."
"But you don't even know her," Catlyn said setting her fork down on her plate. Leaning towards him, her arms crossed on the table, she shook her head. "You can't honestly tell me that you know you love her enough to forsake everything and everyone for her."
"Why not? I've known her long enough," he defended himself.
Catlyn smirked. "I hardly think that three months or whatever it has been is long enough to declare undying love for someone."
"Just because you have no ability to feel it doesn't mean the world is ignorant to the emotion."
Catlyn's face drained of all color. White as the starched tablecloth that covered their table, her dark blue-green eyes, stood out in sharp contrast as they widened in shock of what he just said to her. "You…you don't know anything about me," she stammered, trying to regain her composure.
Confused by the effect his statement had taken on her, he reached out a hand and touched her arm gently. "I'm sorry, Cat," he said. She looked down at it like it was diseased, so he slowly pulled it away, holding it up in a gesture of peace. "You're right," he sighed. "I don't know anything about you. But I do know that I love Kyndall. I don't know how or why. And I know that it happened faster than seems possible. But is there really a time limit or set of guidelines one must follow when falling in love?"
Looking down at the table, the color slowly returning to her face, she sighed. "I'm sorry, J," she whispered. "I know you love her," she looked up at him, and he could see the tears in her eyes. "And of course I'll come along on ya'll's trip. I want her happy. And the only way she's going to be happy is with you," she smiled up at him.
They finished their dinner in relative silence. Making small talk about the trip, Catlyn's web pages, and anything except their previous discussion. But AJ wondered what it was that she kept hidden away. He wondered what it was that kept her from showing her emotions to people. And why it was that Kyndall seemed to be the only person in the world that knew what went on inside Catlyn's mind. But he decided against asking or probing, mostly because he didn't think she'd tell him being that it was really none of his business.
Howie looked over at Kyndall as she watched the movie. He smiled softly to himself as she laughed at something being said on screen. He wondered briefly what she would do if he kissed her, but knew he'd never be able to bring himself to do it. His eyes roamed down her arm to her hand that was resting lightly on the seat arm that was in between them. He wanted so badly to take it in his, to curl his fingers around hers tightly. His eyes moved back up to her hair that was hanging loosely down her back and the back of the seat. He wanted desperately to reach out and touch it, running his fingers through the silkiness of it. His fingers itched to trace the soft curve of her cheek, the length of her neck.
Howie closed his eyes tightly, swallowing hard, and taking a deep breath. He couldn't let himself think that way. At least not when he was with her. When he was alone, he could do all the thinking and dreaming he wanted. But not when he was with her. He might end up doing something that he'd regret and losing her forever. Even if she is in his life as only a friend.
"Hey," Kyndall whispered, her hand on his knee. "You okay?"
"What?" he asked hoarsely.
Kyndall looked at him, his eyes full of something that she couldn't quite place. "Are you okay?" she repeated.
"Umm…yeah. I'm fine," he said looking away quickly.
"Hmm," she said turning back to the movie. She glanced sideways at him to find him pinching the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes again as if in pain. She didn't understand these moments. Not that they were common, but when they happened, they left her confused and unsure if she was the cause of them. And he'd never tell her what was wrong. He would just look away and pretend like nothing was going on. But she knew there was something going on behind those dark eyes. Something he was for some reason afraid to tell her.
