Kyndall stopped walking, but refused to turn around as AJ grabbed her arm. "What?" she asked through clenched teeth.
"Look, I'm sorry," he said turning her around slowly to face him.
"For what?" she inquired. "For telling me how you really feel? For letting out all the frustrations that you've kept locked up inside you for the last few months?" Kyndall closed her eyes, suddenly drained of all her energy. "Look, AJ, I'm tired of fighting with you. I'm tired of trying to stop feeling for you. I'm just tired. I don't want to deal with this anymore."
"Please," he said lifting her chin gently with his fingertips. "Please give me another chance."
"What is it with you?" she asked. "Are you just afraid of actually being defeated for once? Is that what this ridiculous pursuit is all about?"
"It's not about winning or losing Kyndall. It's about being in love with someone and possibly losing any chance that I have of being with them."
Kyndall rolled her eyes. "You don't know any more about loving someone that I do AJ," she said pulling away from him and getting on the elevator. AJ tried to catch it, but the doors closed before he got there.
"Dammit," he grumbled. Pushing the button, he waited for the next one. Tapping his foot impatiently, what was only a few seconds seemed like several minutes before the doors opened. Praying desperately that he'd catch her before she got to her room, he paced the small area of the elevator. Pushing is way out the doors before they were completely opened; he caught a glimpse of her turning the corner. Jogging after her, it didn't take him long to catch up with her, silently cheering his luck as he stopped her in front of his room.
"AJ!" she exclaimed. Frowning, she looked down at his hand on her arm. "Why can't you let me be?"
"Why? Because I love you and I'm not going to let you just walk out of my life without a fight. And I know that I've screwed up. I know that I haven't been the best at showing you all I feel. I know that I've done a lot of things that say the opposite of what I tell you. But I love you, I need you, and I want you in my life. I don't know what it is that you want me to do to prove it," he sighed, dropping his hand to his side. "Will you please come inside?"
Kyndall looked from him to his door and then back. "I…I don't think that it's such a good idea," she shook her head.
"I promise you, nothing will happen until you tell me you want it to." He reached out slowly, playing with a few fallen tendrils of hair. The sadness and longing in his eyes were almost her undoing. She wanted nothing more than to reach out and pull him close, promising him that all would be fine. That they could make it. That she'd give him every chance he needed and more. But part of her was afraid. Part of her was tired of hurting, tired of dreaming of something that seemed impossible for her to have. She didn't want to live her life looking over her shoulder, looking over his shoulder, afraid that Miranda was going to show up and steal him away. AJ looked into her eyes, surprised by the war of emotions and thoughts that was going on inside her.
Kyndall returned his gaze, knowing that by doing so, she was going to give in to him. But she couldn't help it. She'd gone too long without his touch, without his kiss, without him. She wanted him, needed him, and loved him more than he could ever possibly know. More than she'd ever had before. She closed her eyes as the tears threatened to fall again. "I'll give you one hour," she whispered holding up a finger. "One hour to try and prove to me that I shouldn't just turn around and walk away from you, forgetting that I had ever heard of you."
AJ's face lit up with a grin. "You got it darlin," he said clapping his hands and opening the door. "Go on in and sit down. I'll be right back," he smiled kissing her on top of the head.
Kyndall walked into the room, looking at him funny. He winked at her as he shut the door behind him, leaving her alone. "Okay. This definitely isn't what I had in mind when I said to convince me to say," she murmured, looking around for the remote. She spied it on the table on the far side of the room. Walking over, she picked it up turning on the TV and sitting down on the bed. She flipped through the channels aimlessly, her mind on AJ and his whereabouts.
AJ ran down the hall towards the elevator. "Dammit," he said watching the doors close before he got halfway there. Sighing, he pushed the button and looked around. Spying the door to the stairs, he looked back at the lighted box above the elevators, impatiently watching it move slowly to the ground level. He jogged over to the door, opening it up and running downstairs.
Making it to the lobby the same time as the elevator reached his floor, AJ headed towards the lounge. Walking to the bar, he sat down and waited for the bartender to make his way over to him. Smiling as he noticed AJ at the bar, he walked over and sat a napkin down in front of him. "What can I get for ya?"
"Actually, I was…I was wondering if ya'll had any, like, champagne or anything like that."
"Champagne? For what?" the guy asked with a strange expression on his face.
"Umm…what do people usually want champagne for?" AJ asked sarcastically. "Look. I don't have much time. What do you got?"
"Well," the guy turned around and looked at the drinks lined up. "I think I have a bottle of Dom Perignon in the kitchen."
"Sweet," AJ grinned. The bartender nodded and headed off towards the kitchen. He returned a few minutes later with a bottle.
"Here ya go," he said handing it to AJ. He filled out the bill, which AJ signed before walking towards the door.
"Bucket, ice," AJ mumbled walking back over to the bar. "Do uhh…do ya have a bucket and ice or something?"
"Yeah," the bartender said scooping some ice into a bucket he had on the shelf. "Hope it's worth all the trouble."
"It is. Believe me, it is," AJ nodded. As he left the lounge area, he spotted something else that he thought would add to the special moment that he wanted to share with Kyndall.
