Chapter Seventeen
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Sydney sighed as she hung up the phone after trying to get a hold of Kiara for the third time since she'd awakened the next morning. Along with everything else that had happened the night before, Kiara had been acting very strange. She’d been quiet and subdued, especially toward herself. She spoke pretty much only when spoken to and her answers were short and sharp. Sydney had been hoping to talk to Kiara before she got to the track, but it looked like Kiara had her cell phone turned off and she wouldn’t get the chance.
Sighing once again, Sydney got out of bed and headed for the shower. As much as she was looking forward to the excitement of the upcoming race, she wasn’t really looking forward to the rest of the day. She and Dale would still have to go through the charade of them being a couple because Kevin, Carl, and Jeff would be there, but at least Brett wouldn’t be there.
“Hopefully.” Sydney muttered as she stepped into the shower and under the warm spray of water. Hopefully there wouldn’t be any surprises like there had been the day before and Brett wouldn’t show up.
******
Kiara groaned as she rubbed her temples in an effort to ward off the headache that was steadily building. She had just sent Delana in her place to pick Sydney up from the hotel because in all honesty, she couldn’t handle facing Sydney at the moment.
All night long her dreams had been filled with visions of Dale and Sydney together…them wrapped in each other’s arms and kissing. Even though Kiara told herself over and over again that Dale and Sydney were not really together…it was all an act, she still could not prevent the jealousy that ripped through her every time she thought about it.
“What the hell is wrong with me?” Kiara nearly screamed, her frustration and confusion weighing heavy on her mind. Why in the hell did she care if Dale and Sydney were together…act or not? She was being utterly ridiculous in her behavior and she knew it. Avoiding Sydney, who’d been her best friend for years all because she was jealous of something that didn’t even exist…And for that matter, something that she shouldn’t care if it existed or not.
”Stupid.” Kiara mumbled to herself, wishing she knew why she was feeling the way she was.
*****
Sydney had just arrived at the track and was heading toward the motor coach, where Delana had said she would find Kiara. She froze in her tracks when she heard the voice behind her calling her name. She turned around, her eyes glowing with fire.
“What the hell do you want, Brett?” She demanded to know. She couldn’t believe that after what he pulled the night before, he had the audacity to show up there that day.
Brett remained silent for a moment as he looked at her, easily seeing the anger she felt directed toward him. He didn't blame her…not one bit. Hell, he was just as angry at himself.
“Syd, I just need to talk to you for a moment and then I’ll leave you be, I promise.” Brett told her, hoping that she would at least listen to him. He may have hurt her, and he knew that there was no way he could take that back…he wished he could. But he wasn’t going to stand by and let Dale take advantage of her; not when he could prevent it.
Sydney let out an exasperated sigh, but motioned for Brett to continue, knowing that when he’d said what he needed to, he’d be gone.
“First of all, I wanted to apologize for my behavior last night. I like to think that I’ve matured over the years, but I guess I need a little more work on controlling my temper and jealousy.” Brett laughed humorlessly as he raked his fingers through his hair.
Sydney kept her expression indifferent to his words, but on the inside she was nearly bursting with satisfaction. Brett was jealous of her and Dale. At least that part of the plan had worked out.
“Secondly, I don’t think that Dale is the right man for you.” Brett forced the words out in a rush, knowing that if he hesitated for even an instant, he’d lose his courage to tell Sydney this. He knew that it was going to hurt her to hear this about Dale, but better that she found out before things were too serious in their relationship.
Sydney’s eyes narrowed in anger at Brett’s words. “Who the hell gave you the right to decide that?” Sydney snapped, her temper nearly gone. “You gave up that right the instant you decided that there were other things more important in your life than me.”
Brett chose to ignore her statement for the time being although he knew how completely right she was.
“I don’t know how you don’t see it, Sydney because it was plain as day to me, and even Carl, Jeff, and Kevin noticed it too.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Sydney questioned, not seeing at all where Brett was going with this.
“It was pretty obvious that Dale had other interests besides you last night. He couldn’t keep his eyes off of your best friend.” Brett told her, knowing that there was no simple way to tell her and straight out would be the best. “He’s a bastard. You deserve better, Syd.”
Sydney was stunned silent for a moment. She’d been so busy trying to keep up the act that she honestly hadn’t noticed. She knew at that moment that she had to tell Brett the truth. She couldn’t let him leave there thinking that Dale was a jerk when he was anything but. The only thing he was guilty of was being her friend and trying to help her out of a difficult situation.
“There are a few things that you need to know, Brett.” Sydney began, pausing to take a deep breath.
Brett’s eyes widen in surprise at the sudden change in her tone of voice…in her whole demeanor. She wasn’t angry anymore. She seemed…defeated almost, and he didn’t like that one bit either. Before he was able to say anything though, Sydney spoke again.
“First, you haven’t known Dale long enough to make any kind of character judgement. I will not put up with you referring to him as a bastard. As for Dale and I being together…it’s not true. It is all an act.” Sydney confessed, feeling terrible about the lie.
This time it was Brett’s turn to be shocked silent. It was completely unlike the Sydney that he knew to do anything like that. But at the same time, he had a pretty good idea why she would do something like that.
“I know you’re wondering why.” Sydney stated before Brett could ask. “It’s pretty easy really…I just didn’t want you know how bad you had hurt me. I didn’t want you to know that since I last saw you, you’ve been on my mind almost constantly. I wanted you to think that I easily got on with my life, but I haven’t. They say that you never get over your first love and it couldn’t be truer.” Sydney ended, sighing as she lowered her eyes to hide the threatening tears.
Before he realized what he was doing, Brett pulled her into his arms, holding her tight against him. He was surprised when she made no move to get away from him. In fact, the only move she made was to get closer.
"I'm so sorry, Syd. So sorry for everything." Brett whispered, his voice gruff. After a few moments he pulled back and gazed down at her, framing her face in his hands as he gently brushed the tears off her cheeks with his thumbs. When she raised her eyes and met his, he was instantly lost and before either of them could comprehend what was happening, he lowered his head, his lips finding hers in a kiss that was hesitant at first, but quickly deepened.
Sydney was unable to stop the soft moan that escaped her, nor was she able to pull back as she was suddenly thrust seven years into the past. All of the heat and passion that had once flowed between them came back in a rush that left her breathless.
As quickly as it happened, it ended as Brett moved away, ending the kiss. "I'm sorry." Brett apologized for letting himself get out of hand. It wasn't a hard thing to do around her though.
"It's okay." Sydney replied. She sighed inwardly, her lips still tingling from their kiss. She stared up at him for several moments before she spoke again.
"Good-bye, Brett." She said to him before she turned and began walking away. It was one of the hardest tings she'd ever had to do, but she knew it was what she had to do. She knew she could easily fall in love with him again. Hell, she still loved him. But she'd be damned if she was going to let him hurt her again like he had so many years ago. And the only way to make sure that didn't happen, was to walk away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Eighteen
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“Geez, she looks miserable.” Michael said softly to Kiara, who turned to see who he was referring too, frowning when she saw Sydney walking towards her. She did indeed look miserable, and Kiara immediately felt like a heel for the way she’d been acting.
She hurried over to her friend. “Syd, are you okay?” she asked, although it was obvious she wasn’t. Sydney shrugged as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
“I did it.” She whispered.
“Did what?”
“I got the closure I needed.” Kiara continued to look confused.
“I’m lost.” She said. “Last night gave you closure?”
“No, just now. I just saw Brett.” Sydney clarified.
“Oh. My. And?” she asked, putting an arm comfortingly around Sydney’s shoulders.
“Well, first he told me that Dale wasn’t right for me and started going off on that…” she trailed off and wondered if she should say anything. She knew if Kiara had any interest in Dale, or if she knew he was interested in her, Kiara would have told her. She thought it better to keep that little bit of information to her self, at least until she could talk to Dale.
“I told him that Dale and I were just an act and that we’re not a couple. I told him why too.” She smiled weakly, her eyes meeting Kiara’s. “He apologized again, we shared one last kiss, and I walked away.” She sniffled.
“Oh, Syd, I’m so sorry. I know that had to be hard.” Kiara gave her a tight hug.
Sydney nodded but then straightened and wiped the tears off her face, putting on a smile. “But that’s what I came here to do right? Now, I’ve done it, and it’s time for me to move on, starting now!”
“Good for you!” Kiara exclaimed. She knew this wasn’t going to be easy for Sydney, but if there was anyone who could accomplish anything when putting their mind to it, it was her best friend. She only hoped Brett stayed away to allow her to move one, otherwise all her good efforts could very well be in vain.
***
Dale was dosing in his motor coach, his hat pulled down low over his eyes, sprawled on the couch, when there was a knock on the door. With a few low muttered curses, he pushed his hat back on his head and sat up, looking at the clock. His eyes narrowed when he saw he still had forty-five minutes before the driver’s meeting. Everyone knew to leave him alone until then.
“Someone is dead.” He grumbled as he stalked over to the door and yanked it open, his bad mood immediately hitting the dangerous level when he saw who was on the other side.
“You really don’t want to be here right now.” He warned, his voice low and dangerous, and anyone who really knew him would have backed away immediately.
Brett fidgeted slightly as he looked away. He’d heard Jeff talking about the Earnhardt’s and their tempter…and that glare, which had him a little nervous at the moment.
Under normal circumstances, he’d probably just walk away, but he wasn’t exactly thinking clearly. What happened with Sydney was still playing in his mind.
“Uh, sorry to disturb you, but I was hoping we could talk.” Brett said, taking a deep breath.
The glare didn’t lessen up any, in fact it only seemed to intensify. “I have nothing to say to you, so fuck off.” Dale snapped then went to shut the door, but Brett’s hand stopped it.
“I know I’m probably gambling with my life at the moment, but I wanted to apologize for last night.” He said in a rush when Dale turned back around, the look in his eyes surely would have had any lesser man running screaming for mercy.
Dale didn’t say anything for a moment, but then he uncrossed his arms and opened the door wider, signaling for Brett to come in. Once they were in, Dale offered him something to drink, although his tone was still clipped.
“Uh, got any beer?” Brett asked. Dale stopped in mid step and burst out laughing.
“Do I have any beer?” he repeated, laughing harder. “Do you happen to know who my sponsor is?” he asked as he threw open the fridge, showing off the cases upon cases of Budweiser. Brett grinned sheepishly.
“So, I guess you have beer.”
Dale chuckled as he grabbed one for Brett, and water for himself, since the race started in a couple hours, and NASCAR tended to frown upon drinking alcoholic beverages before a race.
“Stupid rules.” He muttered to himself as he watched Brett take a long swig of his beer. After swallowing, Brett looked at Dale.
“I talked to Sydney today.” He held up his hand when he saw the fire back in Dale’s eyes. “She told me everything, that it was all just an act.” Dale immediately relaxed and sat back down on the couch.
“Oh. Well, that’s good…I guess.” He said eyeing the other man.
“I’m not angry, if that’s what you’re thinking. I mean, I can perfectly understand why she felt the need to lie to me. It’s not like I gave her much of a choice.” Brett sighed, running his hands through his hair.
Dale nodded. “So, did you tell her you’re still in love with her?” he asked, smirking when Brett sat upright, shock going through his entire body. Before he could even try to deny it, he gave in.
“No, I didn’t. I’ve hurt her too badly in the past, and I’d be too afraid I’d do it again…even if she did take me back.” Bret mumbled.
Dale shrugged. “You never know until you try.” He suggested.
“Yeah, well, aside from here, I have no way of getting a hold of her. I mean, I can’t very well call her parents and ask for her number, and I highly doubt she’s listed.” He said, knowing her family simply wouldn’t ‘allow’ for their names and numbers to be published in the telephone book, and even if Sydney didn’t have a problem with it, her parent’s would have put a stop to it.
Dale nodded. “Yeah, but maybe you know someone who has her number.” He grinned, and in that instant, Brett knew he had found a new friend. They might have gotten off on a shaky foot, but things were turning around.
“Maybe.” Brett answered, taking another drink, then looked Dale in the eyes and smiled knowingly. “So…tell me about Kiara.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Nineteen
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Sydney hadn’t been home ten minutes when she heard her doorbell ringing. “Damn.” She muttered, already knowing that it would be her mom on the other side of the door. She’d been looking forward to spending the night alone taking a hot bath and relaxing after the muddled weekend she’d just had and had been telling herself that she needed to hide her car and take the phone of the hook so people would not know that she was back yet.
Sighing deeply with annoyance, Sydney threw down the bag that she’d been getting her dirty clothes out of, getting them ready for washing. She walked to the door, already knowing what they’re conversation would entail. Her mom would want to know all about her weekend…or more specifically if she saw Brett.
“Hello Mother.” Sydney greeted as she opened the door, her voice tinged with aggravation.
“Hello dear.” Mrs. Hudson breathed as she brushed past Sydney into her apartment.
“Gee, come on in.” Sydney mumbled sarcastically as she closed the door and turned to her mom, who was once again looking around her apartment with obvious distaste.
“Did you just get in? I just happened to drive by and saw your car in the driveway. I was surprised to see you back.”
Sydney just rolled her eyes. It would not surprise her one bit if her mom had been parked across the street just waiting for her to get back.
“I was about ready to take a nap.” Sydney said after a few moments, hoping her mom would take the hint, but she knew she wouldn't.
"You do look dreadfully tired." Mrs. Hudson looked at her daughter with faked sympathy. "Well, I won't keep you long.. I just wanted to drop in and see how your weekend went."
Sydney sighed tiredly. "It was fine, mom." Sydney responded, not going into detail. "I'll tell you more about it later. I'm really tired now." She said when she saw that her mom was going to question her further.
Finally taking the hint, Sydney's mom headed for the door. After walking through, she turned back around just as Sydney was about to close the door. "Oh, by the way, your father and I want you out to the house for dinner tomorrow night. We're having some very important guests and there is someone that we'd really like for you to meet."
"I don't think so, mom." Sydney replied, knowing that this was just another one of parent's attempt to set her up with a man that they thought suitable for her. She wished her parents would just give it up. It never worked in the past, and she was certain that this time wouldn't be any different.
"On second thought," Sydney said an instant later, stopping her mom. Maybe the reason why the dates had never worked before was because she'd been to busy pining over Brett. But that wasn't the case anymore. She was going to get on with her life. "What time should I be there?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Twenty
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Dale turned down the volume on his TV when the phone rang, and reached over to grab his cordless.
“Yeah.” He answered absently, his attention still on the movie he was currently watching.
“You always answer your phone like that?” The voice on the other end asked. Dale was quiet for a second, then sat back when he realized who was on the other end.
“No, only to people who try to start shit with me the bar.” Dale replied with a smirk. Brett chuckled.
“I’m not gonna live that down, am I?” he asked, although he already know the answer.
“Nope, now what’s up?” Dale asked. “You’re bothering me.”
“Yeah right, you’re most likely crashed on your couch watching some shit movie.” Brett threw back. From the time they got everything straight between them, they’d instantly become pretty good friends.
“Are you trying to piss me off?” Dale asked as he turned off the TV.
“Ha, it’s not that scary. I’ve had you pissed at me, and I survived unscathed.” Brett laughed.
“Barely.” Dale chuckles. “So, have you thought any more about calling Sydney?” he asked.
“Have you thought anymore about taking to Kiara?” Brett asked a question of his own. He heard Dale sigh on the other end, and grinned, knowing all to well how the other man felt. It was frustrating as hell.
“Actually I haven’t talked to her at all since the race. I’ve left a couple messages on her voice mail.”
“Since the race? That was Sunday, this is Wednesday. Man, you gotta get on it! Doesn’t she work at DEI?” he asked.
“Yeah, but she was away with Michel until yesterday, promoting something. But I’m headed over to Kevin and De’s in a little while, and I’m sure she’ll be there, so I’ll talk to her then.” He said, looking forward to seeing her.
“Uh huh, and what are you going to talk about?” Brett asked.
“Awful interested in my personal life all of a sudden aren’t ya?” Dale laughed.
“So basically you’re going to be a puss and not tell her how you feel.”
Dale sighed. “Basically.” He knew if he ever planned on getting a full night’s sleep again, he was going to have to talk to her, but damn it, he was scared. “I’m working up the courage.” He told him, remember when he’d told his uncle the same thing.
“And what about you? Called Sydney yet?” Dale asked, turning it around. He briefly wondered if he should have given out Sydney’s number without her knowledge, but quickly pushed that thought away. After talking that day in his motor home, he knew Brett was sincere in his feelings for Sydney, and he wanted to help any way he could. Besides, he just wanted to see Sydney happy, and he knew deep down Brett was the man to do that.
“I’ve picked up the phone many different times, and hung up just as fast.” Brett admitted, running a hand over his face. He desperately wanted to make the call, but he didn’t want to cause her any more pain, and that’s what he was afraid he would do. However unintentional. Yet he couldn’t get that last kiss out of his mind.
That kiss had confirmed when he had been feeling ever since seeing her again after all those years. He still loved her, he’d never stopped. Now, he just wanted a chance to really get to know the woman she had become.
The question was, would she let him back in?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Twenty One
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dale glanced over his shoulder for the tenth time in about two minutes, watching Kiara as she bent over the table, writing what was most likely some kind of press release for Michael. She’d hardly said more than two words since he’d gotten there. And it wasn’t as if she was ignoring him, she didn’t have much to say to her brother or Delana either.
He looked back over at Kevin and Delana, his eyebrows raised in question, and both of them shrugged, not knowing what was going on with Kiara. She’d been distant, standoffish, and down right bitchy ever since returning home from the race weekend. They had thought her mood would change after going away a couple days with Michael, and although since returning she had been more bearable to be around, she still wasn’t quite herself. That was one of the main reasons they’d invited Dale over for dinner, hoping maybe he could help either figure out what was wrong, or snap her out of it.
They had really known something was up when Sydney called the night before, and Kiara hadn’t had much to say to her, ending the call rather quickly. It just was completely out of character for her.
Dale got up and walked over to where she was sitting. “Hey,” he said, sitting down across from her. She barely even spared him a glance.
“Hi.” She responded without much emotion, focusing her attention back to her work.
Dale’s eyes narrowed as he watched her. He decided to try again. “How’s it going?”
“Fine.”
“How’s Sydney?” he asked, trying to get some kind of reaction for her. She hadn’t even looked up to answer his other question.
She shrugged. “Fine I guess.” She jumped and looked up when his hand came down on the table with a loud thud.
“Finally.” He muttered as she looked at him as if he were crazy.
“What did you do that for?” she demanded.
“Oh hell, I don’t know, maybe to get your attention.” He threw back sarcastically. Kiara rolled her eyes.
“If you didn’t notice, I’m a little busy.” She pointed out.
“That doesn’t mean you have to be so antisocial.” He grumbled. Kiara dropped her pen and rubbed her temples.
“Look Dale, I’m sorry I’m not my normal cheerful, happy go lucky self. I’ve just got a lot on my mind right now, okay?”
“Fine, I was just curious as to why you haven’t returned any of my phone calls.” He asked, tilting his head a little.
“I’ve been busy. Jesus, my whole life doesn’t revolve around you!” she snapped, instantly feeling horrible when she saw the flash of hurt in his eyes. She dropped her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that.” She said softly.
He took a deep breath then reached across the table to lay a hand over hers. “I’ve just missed talking to my friend, that’s all.” He told her. She gave him a small smile, but he didn’t miss the way it didn’t reach her eyes. He also didn’t miss the way she pulled her hand out of his grasp quickly as she started gathering together the papers around her.
“What did you want to talk about?” she asked, keeping her tone light.
“Well, I need your advice on something.” He grinned crookedly. She raised an eyebrow.
“Oh really?”
He nodded. “Yeah…it has to do with Sydney.” He knew that if there was anyone who would be able to give him advice on how to help Brett with Sydney, it would he her. He’d wanted to talk to her sooner, but with her being out of town, then so busy as she claimed, he’d been going on his own advice. And he couldn’t even help himself out, much less someone else.
Kiara’s head snapped up, her eyes clashing with his automatically assuming that he was referring to when she had told him he should ask Sydney out. She had been more than grateful when Michael had told her he wanted to go to New York for some promoting and wanted her to go with him, because it got her away, and allowed her the chance to sort out her feelings. Or so she thought.
The mere thought of them being together brought everything rushing back, and it was something she wasn’t ready to deal with . Much less ‘help’ him out with.
Kiara slammed her book shut as she stood up quickly, surprising him with her sudden change in behavior. “You know what?” she snapped. “I’m not your fucking matchmaker! And personally, I really don’t care what you and Sydney do, one way or the other!” With that she spun around on her heel and stalked out of the room, leaving Dale staring after her, his mouth open in stunned silence.
An instant later they heard the front door slam, signaling that she had left and gone home to her own place, which was across the yard from Kevin and Delana’s house. When they had bought the house, they had fixed up the guest cottage with Kiara in mind, who had instantly fallen in love with it.
After a moment, Dale stood up and turned to look at Kevin and Delana who hadn’t moved, their eyes wide with shock.
“What the fuck was that?” Dale demanded, his temper rearing its head.
Kevin shook his head, still stunned. “Dale, man, I’m sorry. She’s been moody all week, but she hasn’t lashed out at anyone like that.”
“I’ll go talk to her,” Delana offered, starting to the door, but Dale stopped her.
“No, I’ll talk to her.” He said firmly, his voice determined as he stomped out of the room.
*** Kiara slammed her front door behind her and leaned against it, angrily brushing away the tears that had streamed down her face. She took a couple deep breaths, but they didn’t help. What she wanted to do was scream at the top of her lungs.
“I’m loosing my mind.” She said out loud. If she was acting like this with Dale and Sydney only pretending to be a couple, what in the hell was she going to do if they actually were one?
She slid down the door until she was sitting, pulling her legs up so she could rest her head against her knees, trying desperately to get her wayward emotions under control.
She groaned when the pounding started on her door, knowing full well who was on the other side.
“I can’t do this!” she cried to herself, the looked skyward. “Lord, give me strength!” she prayed.
“Kiara, open the god damn door!” Dale yelled, causing her to wince, knowing from the tone of his voice that he was beyond pissed off, which he had ever right to be. But he would want an explanation, and she wasn’t sure she could give one.
She got to her feet, wiped her eyes, and smoothed down her shirt, taking a deep breath, hoping she did a better job than she thought she did at composing herself, then opened the door. Dale immediately pushed his way in, causing her to back up in the process. She jumped slightly when he slammed the door behind him, then just glared at her.
“Alright, alright!” she exclaimed, hating it when he did that. “I’m sorry, I was out of line, and I didn’t mean it. I’m just…look, I’m really sorry. You didn’t deserve that back there. I’m just being bitchy.” She muttered looking down.
The closer he studied her, the more he saw that something was indeed going on with her, although he didn’t have the slightest clue as to what. There were dark circles under her eyes, like she hadn’t been sleeping well lately, and there was something in her eyes that was different. Maybe it was the way she kept avoiding looking at him.
“Okay, apology accepted.” Dale sighed. “But only if you tell me what’s going on with you.”
She turned away and shook her head. “I can’t.” she whispered.
“Why the hell not?” he demanded. “You obviously need to talk to someone, so talk to me!”
“I just…can’t, okay?” she looked back at him, begging with her eyes for him not to push her.
Dale took a deep breath, then nodded. “Fine, but if you don’t talk to me, you need to talk to somebody. Please.”
She nodded. “I know, and I will. I promise.” She added when she caught his disbelieving look.
With a sigh, knowing he wasn’t going to get anymore out of her, he turned to walk out, but her voice stopped him.
“I really am sorry.” She said softly, feeling horrible for the way she’d talked to him. He smiled as he looked over his shoulder at her, knowing he’d never be able to stay mad at her. But it was tearing him up that something was going on with her and she wasn’t allowing him in to help.
“I know.” He said then opened the door and stepped out. When the door shut behind him, Kiara let out the breath she had been unaware she’d been holding.
She rubbed her eyes, then buried her head in her hands, groaning in frustration. “You better get it together girl.” She scolded herself. “Keep it up and you won’t have to worry about your new feelings pushing him away…”
She turned to the window and watched him climb in his truck. “I’m doing a damn good job of pushing him away on my own.” She said miserably.
She stood unmoving at the widow for a few minutes, then suddenly turned and grabbed her keys. Dale was right, she did need to talk to someone, and there was only one person in the world she could trust to help her with this.
She needed her brother.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Twenty Two
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Sydney closed her apartment door behind her and leaned against it, groaning softly at the pain throbbing between her temples. She'd just gotten back from her parents' and to say the evening hadn't gone well was an understatement and she wondered if she'd been briefly out of her mind when she'd accepted the invitation from her mom. They'd thrown an all out dinner party with all of the area's most important people in attendance...doctors, lawyers, politicians...the works. She honestly could only think of one or two other times in her life when she'd been more miserable.
She'd been correct about her parents' intentions of setting her up with someone who they felt was qualified to be her boyfriend. And once again, she'd been thoroughly disappointed in her parents' choice. Sure, he came from the right neighborhood, his parents, who were also good friends of her parents, had all kinds of money, he had recently graduated with high honors from one of the most prestigious medical schools in the country...
"Blah, blah, blah..." Sydney mumbled to herself as she walked across the room and sat down heavily in one of the chairs. None of those things were important to her. The guy had absolutely no personality. She was certain she could have had a more entertaining conversation with a brick wall. And as much as she was determined to get on with her life, she wasn't desperate.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Sydney glanced at the small table beside the chair and saw the phone lying on it, reminding her that she wanted to call Kiara. After the conversation that she'd had with her friend the previous night, she was more than a little concerned. She picked up the phone and was about to turn it on when it suddenly started ringing, nearly scaring her enough to make her jump through the ceiling.
Sydney thought about ignoring it, figuring it would be her mom wanting to chastise her for leaving so early and not giving their chosen man a chance, but she decided to answer it when she glanced at the caller id and saw a number that she didn't quite recognize.
"Hello." She said into the phone, wincing when her voice came out barely. She laughed as she placed her hand over her heart, which was still pounding after being startled by the phone.
"Syd?" She heard the voice on the other end ask, not sounding too sure if it was her or not.
Sydney gasped, a huge smile spreading across her face when she realized who was calling. She'd given his her number before she'd left for home on Sunday night, but she hadn't really thought that he'd call.
"Kevin!" She exclaimed, happy to hear from him. They'd always been close when she and Brett were together and she'd really missed him over the last several years. "Sorry about that. When the phone rang, it scared the crap out of me and my voice wouldn't work there for a second."
Kevin laughed, imagining the scene. "I'm glad I got a hold of you. Did you have a good flight home? How are you doing?"
"Yeah, it wasn't bad. I slept most of the way." Sydney answered. "I'm doing pretty good. Still tired from the weekend though. How about you?"
"It was pretty good. As good as any flight could be, I guess." Kevin answered. It was no secret between them that he didn't like flying and avoided it whenever he could.
"Listen, the reason I'm calling is because this weekend is my parent's fortieth anniversary and we're throwing them a big ol' bash. I'd like you to come with me." With his parents still living in Memphis, it was a perfect idea since he would be in town anyway. He wanted to spend more time with her, hoping the could form back the bond they once had.
Sydney nearly jumped out of her seat with excitement. "I'd love to!" She told him, already planning to go shopping the next day to find the perfect outfit to wear. They talked a little while longer, just catching up a little bit and making plans to get in touch the next day to finalize their plans for the coming weekend.
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Chapter Twenty Three
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Kiara bit her lip as she hesitated just outside the doorway leading into the sitting room where her brother was currently watching a college basket ball game. She shifted from foot to foot nervously as she tried to go over her speech in her head.
Sensing another presence, Kevin turned his head and smiled when he saw his little sister standing there. “Hey you,” he greeted, motioning for her to come join him on the couch.
“Hey.” She smiled weakly as she walked over. Kevin studied her closely. He’d had the feeling something was off with her the past couple days, but today it was even more obvious with the way she bit Dale’s head off. He hadn’t bugged her about it, knowing she would talk about it when she was ready, but looking at her expression right then was just too much.
He picked up the remote and flipped the TV off and turned his full attention to Kiara who was busy studying her nails. He sighed as he leaned back against the cushions.
“Why don’t you go ahead and tell me, you’ll feel much better.” He said, biting back the grin at her shocked expression which quickly turned into a scowl for how well he knew her.
Taking a deep breath she fumbled to find the words, her perfectly practiced speech having gone out the window the instant she sat down. “Well, there’s this guy.” She started stopping when Kevin grinned.
“Say no more, I already know.” He grinned. Kiara’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open.
“Huh?” she asked dumbly.
“You don’t have to explain a thing to me, I already know. And I know you were probably worried about how I would react with him being in NASCAR as well, but honestly, I don’t have a problem with it. I think he’s a wonderful man.”
“But…” she tried but again he interrupted her.
“I’m serious. I know at first I was dead set against you dating a driver, but I’ve changed my mind. I mean, after all you’re twenty four years old, and you can make your own decision, and I think Jamie is a very wise decision.”
“Jamie?” she asked in full confusion.
“Yeah, that’s who we’re talking about isn’t it? Jamie McMurry? I think he’s a great guy. Ha, you didn’t think I’d noticed did you?” he asked smugly.
Kiara jumped to her feet. “Notice what?”
“The looks he’s been giving you, how much time you’ve been spending together lately.” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.
She threw her hands up. “Kevin, there is absolutely nothing going on between me and Jamie. Besides, he has a girlfriend, and you know this. The only reason he and I have been spending any kind of time together is because he’s looking for a new PR agent, and I’ve been helping him sort through resumes.”
It was Kevin’s turn to look at her questionably. “Then if there isn’t anything going on with you and Jamie, then who is this ‘guy’?” he asked.
She took a deep breath and looked down as she answered. “Junior.” She lifted her head when she didn’t get any kind of reaction, and immediately wondered what was going through his mind, because his face gave away nothing.
“What?” he asked softly, almost gently and she knew then and there this wasn’t going to be easy.
“It’s Junior.” She said again with false bravery. “I don’t know what to do, Kevin. Lately…he’s all I think about, and when he and Sydney acted like a couple, it tore me up. That’s why I’ve been so, well, moody lately. I’m so confused right now, and I have no idea what to do! I don’t even really know where these feelings have come from! I keep telling myself to keep quiet and they will pass, but then I see him and I’m at a loss.” She rushed to get everything out, suddenly feeling a lot better now that she had it out in the open.
“I don’t know, maybe I should just come out and tell him…talk to him about it.” She had barely gotten the words out when Kevin surged to his feet, startling her.
Kevin lurched off the couch and stood over her. “Over my dead body.” He growled, his eyes flashing dangerously, his entire body tight with anger.
She blinked up at him in shock. “Huh?”
“You will not say a word about this to Dale, and you will get over these feelings…immediately!” he snapped.
She took a step back from him. “Now wait a minute.” She said shakily, trying like hell to keep a firm grip on her own temper, knowing that if she lost hers as well they wouldn’t get anything accomplished.
“No, you listen to me, and you listen well. You are not start anything with Dale, do you hear me? I don’t care if you have to walk away from him and never speak to him again, but I’ll be damned if you’re going to become a pawn in his game!”
“Pawn?” she yelled, giving up on containing herself. “What the hell are you talking about? Dale isn’t like that anymore and you know it!”
“I know perfectly well how Dale is.” Kevin snapped. “I love him like a brother and would most likely lay down my life for him, but I would cut all ties with him before I ever allowed you to date him.”
Her eyes wide with fury, she took a step towards him. “Allow?” she echoed in disbelief. “ALLOW?” she shrieked. “No one ‘allows’ me to do a damn thing, Kevin!” she spat at him, poking her finger in his chest, backing him up a few paces.
“And you yourself just said I was old enough to make my own damn decisions,” she fumed, cutting him off when he shook his head. “Don’t you dare try to take that back now, damn it!”
Kevin closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down, but instantly realized that wasn’t going to work. “Listen to me. Dale uses women right and left. He’s a player…he always has been and he always will be. Yes, I love him to death, but I will not sit back and watch him break your heart like he’s done to a million other women.” He snapped.
Kiara shook her head. “Alright, now you listen. I know full well what Dale USED to be like, and you know damn well that he’s a different person than he was back then.”
Kevin spun away from her, only to be stopped when she grabbed his arm. “People change!” she cried. She had never in a million years though her brother would be so completely unreasonable. Oh yeah, coming to talk to him had just been a brilliant move on her part.
“Not people like him.” Kevin said through clenched teeth. Kiara narrowed her eyes at him.
“Then I guess that means you haven’t either.” She said defiantly. Kevin instantly stilled.
“What?”
“I remember a time when you were exactly like Dale used to be. Hell you two ran wild together. I used to wonder who was wilder, you or Dale.” She said. “Now, you just said that people like that don’t change, so I guess that means you haven’t really changed either.”
Kevin’s eyes narrowed as he stepped closer to her, their faces inches apart. “How dare you.” He hissed.
“What in the hell is going on in here?” Delana demanded to know, seeing her husband and sister in law in what obviously was a heated argument, but the looks on both their faces had her a little worried.
Kevin crossed his arms as he backed down a little, taking a step back. “Oh nothing much, Honey.” He said sarcastically, never taking his eyes from his sister. “Just my little sister wanting to whore herself out to my best friend.”
Delana gasped and was ready to lash out at her husband for his cruel words, but she wasn’t quick enough. She watched as Kiara’s slapped him across the face with a resounding smack, the impact jerking Kevin’s head to the side.
“Fuck you.” Kiara snapped, refusing to let the tears fall. She wasn’t about to let him have the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Without another word, she spun on her heel and walked out, shaking Delana off when she tried to grab her arm to stop her.
She ran out of the house to her car, pulling away, not once looking back as she finally let the tears fall. By the time she reached the main road, she was shaking so badly, she was sure she was going to have an accident. She turned down the familiar road that lead to DEI, deciding the best thing was to go there, since she knew no one was there at that late hour.
After parking, she laid her head down on her steering wheel and cried, allowing the tears to flow freely. She ignored her cell phone when it started ringing, knowing full well it was Delana on the other end.
Hugging herself tightly, she laid her head back, squeezing her eyes shut as she remembered what her brother had said. A fresh new wave of tears started to flow. Sure, what she’s said to him hadn’t exactly been nice, but for him to call her a whore?
She buried her face in her hands as she cried harder. After a few minutes the tears slowed and eventually stopped. She lifted her head and looked around, her eyes almost immediately landing on the light across the field. She bit her lip wondering if she should go over there, thinking it wouldn’t exactly be the wisest move she’d ever made, but at the moment she really didn’t care.
She needed a shoulder, someone to talk too, and not just anyone. She needed Dale. With a sniffle she opened her car door, and started down the long drive that would take her away from DEI, and to Dale’s house.
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Chapter Twenty Four
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After Kiara had stormed out of the house, Delana slowly turned to face her husband, who looked angrier than she had ever seen him. But then again, she wasn’t real happy about what she had just witnessed either.
“What the hell was that all about? And how dare you talk to her that way!” Delana hissed, her hands on her hips as she glared at Kevin. He returned her glare then started out of the room.
“Now is not the time, Delana.” He told her gruffly, and although his tone warned her to listen to him, she did the exact opposite. She quickly followed him, determined to get to the bottom of this and have her say.
“I don’t really care if you don’t want to talk about this, we’re gonna discuss this right now damn it!” she yelled, hot on his heels. He spun around so fast, she nearly collided into him.
“You want to know? Fine. Kiara has decided that she has feelings for Junior.” He sneered. Delana took a step back looking up at him to see if he was telling the truth.
“That’s it?” she asked, confused.
“That’s it?!?” he roared, throwing his hands up in the air.
“I don’t see what the big deal is. I’ve thought they would make the perfect couple for years now.” She told him, still not understanding why he would have reacted the way he did.
“Have you lost your mind?” He asked incredulously. “You were trying to get her and me to hook up Sydney and Junior just this weekend!”
Delana rolled her eyes, unable to believe how dense her husband could be at times. “I was only doing that to make Kiara jealous.”
“Why in the hell would you do that?” Kevin demanded.
“Because I think—“ she bit off her words, thinking it wasn’t the best to tell him she believed that Kiara wasn’t the only one with feelings. With the state of mind Kevin was in at the moment, it was probably best to keep that bit of information to herself.
“Uh, like I said I thought they would make a good couple.” She answered feebly. When she saw he was about to say something she interrupted him. “You had no right to talk to your sister the way she did. Hell, if she hadn’t of slapped you, I probably would have!”
“Dale is your best friend, Kevin. He and Kiara would be lucky to have each other!” she tried reasoning with him, but the look in his eyes told her that wasn’t going to happen.
“It’s not happening, do you hear me?” he told her.
“Why? What on earth could you possibly have against Kiara and Dale being together?” she asked.
“I have my reasons, we’ll leave it at that.” He snapped. Delana shook her head, realizing there was no arguing with him when he was in this frame of mind.
“You’re impossible, you know that?” she said angrily. “I’ll tell you one thing though, you better be ready to get down on you’re knees and apologize to your sister, after what you said to her.”
Kevin shook his head. “I was angry.” He mumbled, feeling horrible, knowing he didn’t mean the things he had said, but he hadn’t thought before he spoke.
“I know you were, but that in no way excuses you for calling her a whore!” Delana flared, her own anger back and rising.
“Technically I didn’t call her a whore.” Kevin attempted to get out of it. “I said…” The look on Delana’s face stopped him.
“I know full well what you said, and fuck ‘technically’. I can guarantee that Kiara isn’t worried about ‘technically.”
Kevin hung his head. “I really should call her shouldn’t I?” he asked softly.
Delana nodded. “Yes, you should. But don’t be surprised if she doesn’t want to talk to you, or be around you right now. Hell, I don’t even want to be around you at the moment.” She said, then turned on her heel and walked out of the room.
***
“Hello?” Sydney answered breathlessly, after jumping out of the shower to get the phone. She was hoping it was Kiara, she’d been trying to get a hold of her friend all evening, but to no avail. She was really starting to wonder what was going on with her friend.
“Sydney, its Delana.”
“Oh, hey De. What’s going on?” Sydney asked.
“Well, I was hoping that maybe you’ve heard from Kiara. Something, uh, happened earlier this evening, and we haven’t been able to get in touch with her.” Delana admitted, chewing nervously on her fingernails. She glanced at Kevin who was pacing furiously around her.
She had known Kiara would stay away and not answer Kevin’s calls at first, but that had been a few hours ago, and now they were beginning to worry. They’d called everyone they could think of, to see if they had seen or heard from her, but so far no luck.
They’d even tried Dale, but there had been no answer at his house, and when they had tried his cell phone, his voice mail had picked up. Sydney was now their last hope.
“Um, no, I haven’t heard from her. I’ve been trying to get in touch with her myself. What’s going on?” Sydney asked, her grip tightening on the phone.
“Well, she and Kevin had a huge argument earlier, and she stormed out of here, and we haven’t seen her since. That was a few hours ago.”
“Wow, it must have been a bad one.” Sydney sighed, knowing full well that Kiara and Kevin could get into some rather heated arguments, but after a few minutes, everything would be fine. This one had to be something serious.
“You have no idea.” Delana breathed. “Listen, if you hear from her, can you please tell her to call me?”
“Of course.” Sydney agreed. She hated that she was so far away, and unable to do anything but sit and wait. That was another reason she was contemplating a move. She wanted to be closer to her friends.
“So, how are you doing?” Delana asked.
“I’m good. I just got back from my parent's house a little while ago, hellish party.” Sydney groaned. “But then Kevin called and he’s coming home this weekend, and invited me over to his parent’s house.”
“Oh that’s wonderful!” Delana said, excited for her. “I didn’t say anything over the weekend, but that man sure has a body on him!”
Sydney laughed. “Don’t I know it!” The more she thought about it, the more and more she was looking forward to spending some quality time with Kevin. For now, she chose to ignore the little butterflies in her stomach, and what they meant.
“Well have fun, you’ll have to call me and tell me how it goes.” Delana said, knowing it was time to end the conversation by the way Kevin was signaling to her.
“I will. Oh, and if you guys hear from Kiara first, please have her call me.” Sydney asked.
“I will. Take care, bye.”
After hanging up, Sydney just stared at the phone for a moment, biting her lips, her concern growing for her friend. It had been obvious over the weekend that something wasn’t quite right with Kiara, and this just had her more worried.
But until she heard something, all she could do was sit, wonder and worry.
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Chapter Twenty Five
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Dale was just walking into his bedroom after a nice hot shower when he heard the knock on his front door. He glanced at the clock seeing it was well after ten, he threw his towel he’d been using to dry his hair on the bed as he grabbed a T-shirt as he made his way to the front of the house.
He opened the door, and his expression went from curious to concerned in half a heart beat. “Holy shit!” he exclaimed as he grabbed Kiara arms and pulled her inside the house, shutting and locking the door behind her.
“Jesus, what the hell happened?” he demanded, running his hands up and down her arms trying to warm her up. How long had she been outside when it was near freezing? He took in her pale face, and saw traces of tears. She continued to look at the floor, her only reaction was to shiver from the cold.
“Kiara?” he said her name, not even getting so much as a bat of the lashes. He pulled her closer, tilting her head back. “Baby, you’re scaring the shit out of me!”
That one word of endearment was what did her in. She crumpled right before his eyes, her own eyes filling with tears which streamed down her face as a harsh sob caught in her throat.
More confused than ever, he simply pulled her against him, holding her close as she cried, each sob tearing at his heart. He gently rubbed her back as she cried, and after a few moments her tears stopped and she pulled away, looking down, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed for making such a fuss.
“Sorry.” She mumbled, wincing when she looked up and saw the wet spot on her shirt where she’d cried all over him. “I got your shirt wet.”
Dale rolled his eyes as he took her arm and lead her over to the couch, sitting down next to her. “The last thing I’m worried about is my damn shirt.” He grumbled. “Now, what’s going on?”
Kiara sat back and rubbing her eyes which were really starting to hurt from all the crying she’d done. “I’ve had a really bad day.” She sighed, then laughed shakily. “Actually that’s a huge understatement.”
She opened her eyes and looked at Dale. “I talked to Kevin.” She saw his confused expression and scrambled to make more sense. When she had decided to come here, she hadn’t been thinking about what she would say, she just really needed his presence.
“I talked to him about what’s been going on with me…about the feelings I’ve been having.” She tried to explain.
“Feelings?” he asked. Kiara nodded.
“That’s why I’ve been acting so bitchy lately.” She admitted. She got up and walked over towards the fire place, looking at a picture on the mantel of him and his father at one of his Bush wins.
“Lately, I’ve found myself having feelings for someone, and its thrown me for a loop.” She told him, not turning around, knowing she would never be able to get through this if she had to look at him when she told him.
“I see.” His voice sounded strange, but she didn’t have the courage to face him just yet.
“Well, needless to say, Kevin didn’t react like I was hoping. I must have been crazy to think I could talk to him about this.” She muttered, closing her eyes.
Dale stood up, stuffing his hands in his pockets, his head down. He could honestly feel his heart tearing in two. He didn’t want to hear anymore of what she had to say, but he knew he’d never turn his back on her, now or ever. Damn it, why hadn’t he listened to his uncle and told her how he felt about her sooner?
“What did Kevin do?” he asked, pushing aside his own pain, seeing she was in obvious need of a friend.
She gave a shaky laugh as she turned around to face him. “Oh it just went beautifully. He told me to get over these feelings immediately, and that he wouldn’t allow me to date him.” She muttered, her anger resurfacing.
Dale was completely confused. This didn’t sound like Kevin at all, to react to negatively, and so controlling. There had to be more to this story.
“Why? Why would he say that?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I really don’t know. I mean, I thought Kevin and him were…good friends. I was completely unprepared for his reactions.” She answered truthfully.
Dale was wracking his brain, trying to figure out who she was talking about. One name popped in his head. “Is it Jeff?” he asked, not really wanting to hear the answer.
“Jeff?”
“Jeff Gordon.” He clarified, his hands clenched at his sides. She wrinkled up her nose.
“Ugh, not even close!” she exclaimed, shaking her head. “I mean, Jeff’s a great guy, don’t get me wrong, but him and me? I don’t think so.” If her heart hadn’t been pounding so hard for the next question she knew was coming, she would have laughed. She braced herself when she saw him open his mouth.
“Well, who then?” he asked, relief flooding through him for an instant when she had denied it being Jeff, but those jealous feelings were back full force when he saw her take a deep breath.
Kiara looked down at her hands, biting her lower lip, trying to figure out how to say this. Unable to think of a good speech, and soften the blow, she just went ahead, raising her head to meet his eyes, unable to look away.
“You.”
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Chapter Twenty Six
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Dale stared at Kiara after hearing her confession, shock flooding his entire being. He opened his mouth to respond, but closed it again when he realized that no words were going to come out.
Kiara felt her heart drop at Dale’s lack of response. She wasn’t exactly sure of what she was hoping for, but it wasn’t this silence from him. And as he continued to keep quiet, she knew that he did not share the same feelings as she did.
“I should leave.” Kiara mumbled as she turned and began walking away. She wanted nothing more than to be alone so that she could attempt to soothe her broken heart.
Dale watched her retreating form for a moment before he finally snapped out of the daze that he was in. “Kiara, wait!” He called, his heart thudding frantically against his chest as he waited, praying that she would stop.
Kiara was unable to stop her heart from soaring when she heard him calling her back. She knew that she shouldn’t get her hopes up, but she couldn’t help herself from feeling hopeful. She turned around, her knees weakening when she saw the expression on his face as he began making his way toward her.
“I feel the same way.” Dale admitted, his voice gruff as he gazed into her eyes, letting everything that he felt for her show through.
Kiara was stunned to hear those words out of Dale’s mouth, but she smiled radiantly as it quickly began to sink in. Then her smile abruptly faded as something hit her.
“But what about Sydney?” She questioned, having to know exactly where he stood when it came to her best friend.
Dale looked at her dumbfounded. “Huh?” Confusion clouded his normally bright blue eyes.
“What are your feelings for Sydney?” Kiara asked once more, her voice wavering slightly. She held her breath as she waited for his answer.
“What? Feelings for Sydney?” Dale questioned again, having absolutely no clue what she was talking about.
Kiara saw the genuine confusion in his eyes and began to realize that maybe she had been wrong in assuming what she had about him and Sydney. “Earlier you said that you needed advice about Sydney…” Dale’s laugh as he finally began to understand what she was getting at cut her off before she could finish.
“I wanted to get advice on her for Brett.” Dale told her. “I talked to him for a while Sunday before the race and he is so crazy in love with her still. I wanted to find out what I could do to help.” He explained.
“So you weren’t going to ask her out?” Kiara asked, still not quite convinced.
“No.” Dale answered as he looked directly into her eyes, allowing her to see the truth there.
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Chapter Twenty Seven
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Suddenly Kiara was feeling a little embarrassed about, well the entire situation. She was thrilled beyond belief that her feelings for Dale weren’t one sided, but now she didn’t know what to do. And she was feeling a little foolish for acting like such a bitch the past couple days when he didn’t even have feelings for Sydney.
As if reading her mind, Dale asked, “Is that why you’ve been so, uh, unapproachable lately?” he asked softly as he started towards her slowly, his heart racing in his chest.
She flushed guiltily and nodded, looking sheepish. “I was jealous.” She mumbled, looking at the floor. Her head came up when she heard him chuckling softly. “It’s not funny.” She tried to say sternly, but her own lips were fighting the smile that was threatening.
“But it is. Do you know why Brett started in on me that night at the bar?” Dale asked, stopping just a short distance away from her. He knew they had to talk, and the instant he touched her, all talk would cease for a very long time, if he had anything to say about it.
She shook her head. “No, not really. I just figured he was jealous over you and Sydney, but in all honesty I wasn’t paying much attention. I was kinda blinded by my own jealousy.” She admitted shyly. Dale smile and started to reach for her, but stopped himself.
“He noticed that my attention was elsewhere, and he was afraid I was about to break Sydney’s heart.”
“Elsewhere?” she whispered.
“Honey, all my attention has been on you lately, haven’t you noticed?” he grinned crookedly. She shook her head.
“No, I really haven’t. I was too consumed with my own thoughts and feelings to really notice anyone else’s.” she said. She was about ready to close the distance between them when, when a cold wave washed over her. She shook her head and back away from him, breaking both their hearts.
“We can’t.” she whispered sadly, not bothering to even try and fight against the tears she felt threatening.
“Why?” he demanded. He wouldn’t accept that damn it. He was this close, he wasn’t about to just let her turn and walk away. It was hard enough being around her before with the way he felt about her, but now knowing she felt the same way, there was no way he could hide any longer.
She bit her lip. “Kevin.”
Cursing, Dale turned away for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. Kevin was his best friend, and he would do anything for him…well almost anything. He doubted he’d be able to give up Kiara.
He turned back to face her, his eyes pleading. “Kiara, listen to me. We can make this work.”
“How? You didn’t see Kevin’s reaction today. It was…” she trailed off, unable to really tell him everything that happened. That was between her and her brother.
She took a deep breath. “Kevin is your best friend, and you’ve known him a hell of a lot longer than you’ve known me. You two have shared so much, and I won’t come in between that.” She told him, knowing that she meant it. As strong as her feelings were for him, she would not ruin his friendship with her brother.
“Kevin will get over it.” Dale said, his voice determined. Kiara shot him a doubtful look. “He will. We just need to give him time to get used to the idea.”
Kiara was about to protest, but stopped herself. She knew she didn’t want to come between the two best friends, but could she really sacrifice her own happiness as well.
“I guess we could keep it quiet.” She offered, not knowing how she felt about that. She wanted the world to know how she felt about Dale, but if she had to give that up for awhile to be with him, so be it.
Dale nodded. “That will keep the press out of it, for awhile.” He told her, and she nodded again, beginning to like the idea more and more. She knew the press could easily be a killer in any relationship, so keeping them out for even a little while was a plus.
“And when the time comes, we tell Kevin.” She said. She hoped by then he would have time to calm down and accept the idea. She looked closely at Dale. “Will you really be able to hide this from Kevin?” As much as she wanted this, she didn’t want him being in a situation where he was uncomfortable.
Dale grinned as he started towards her once more. “Absolutely.” The look in his eyes had the breath catching in her throat. They’d made their decision, and the time for talking about it had come to an end.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Twenty Eight
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Kiara nervously licked her dry lips as she watched him move closer to her, her eyes following his every movement. This was the night she’d been waiting for all her life and just hadn’t realized it. Her heart was pounding so hard that she was sure he could hear it. She tried to take a deep breath, but she was finding she was having a difficult time breathing.
Dale stopped just short of their bodies touching, smiling softly at her, wanting to calm the nerves he saw in her eyes. He was also trying to hide his own nervousness. He reached out and gently caressed her cheek, loving the way she unconsciously leaned into his touch.
“Are you okay?” he asked gently. He nearly groaned out loud when she licked her lips once more and nodded.
“Yeah,” she whispered, her voice quivering just a little. “Just a little nervous.”
“Me too.” He told her honestly.
“Really?” she asked, enjoying the fact that she was having the same affect on him as he was on her. He reached down and captured one of her hands in his and lifted it, placing it over his heart. She could feel how his heart was racing and it made her feel a little better.
She lifted her eyes to meet his and smiled, taking the final step towards him, closing the distance between them. Their lips met in a kiss that had both of their worlds spinning dangerously. She trembled slightly when she felt his tongue tracing her bottom lip, and immediately opened in a silent invitation, in which he wasted no time accepting.
She arched her body into his when she felt his hand gliding down her back, sending sparks tingling through her entire being. She had honestly never felt like this before, like she couldn’t get enough. She tried moving closer, yearning for more, and before she even really knew what she was doing, she had his black T-shirt over his head. Her hands immediately found his chest, loving the feeling of his warm skin beneath her palms. The shudder that went through him inflamed her even more.
She felt his hands playing with the bottom of her own shirt, as if asking for permission to take it off her. Giving him a smile of encouragement, she lifted her arms. After tossing her shirt across the room, he gazed down at her with eyes burning with passion and need. She felt like she was on fire and he hadn’t even touched her yet.
“My god,” he whispered hoarsely, swallowing hard past the lump that had formed in his throat. “You are so damn beautiful”
The awe in his voice and the look in his eyes gave her no choice but to believe him. And for the first time she felt beautiful and sexy. She closed her eyes when she felt his hands running slowly up her arms. When she felt his lips on her shoulder, gently caressing, she was unable to stop the moan from escaping.
Dale’s hands tightened slightly on her arms as he trailed his lips along her collar bone and up the side of her neck, loving the soft whimpers coming from her. He smiled when she tilted her head to give him better access and he found the spot behind her earn that nearly drover her to her knees.
He scooped her up in his arms effortlessly when he felt her knees buckle and carried her quickly into his bedroom and over to the bed, laying her down gently, and following her body down with his own, careful to keep his full weight off of her. He pulled back and gazed deep into her eyes, trying to convince himself that she was really there with him, and it wasn’t just the same dream he’d had for what seemed like forever.
Before he could say anything, she lifted her head, her mouth finding his in a kiss that left him completely breathless. After that kiss, he knew he couldn’t wait much longer, the need and urgency too great on both their parts.
Yet at the same time, as much as he wanted to hurry, he held himself in check a little longer as he slowly freed her of her clothes, taking his precious to time to lovingly worship every part of her body. By the time her last article of clothing hit the floor, he had her writhing beneath him, begging him to hurry as her own hands worked feverishly to rid him of his clothes.
“Dale please!” she groaned, reaching for him after he discarded his jeans, the last thing separating their bodies. Unable to deny her or himself any longer, he kissed her deeply as he shifted his hips so the most intimate parts of their bodies were touching.
With a deep groan he slowly pushed into her, wanting to give her time to adjust. Kiara’s eyes widened as she felt him, having never felt anything so right in her entire life. She felt whole and complete as her body stretched to its limit to take him. She tilted her hips to meet his movements, both moaning at the sensations that shot through them, and both hanging precariously on the edge.
Dale grit his teeth as he stilled, taking a couple deep breaths, wanting it to last a little longer. Before she could protest he dipped his head and caught her lips with his, and after a moment, slowly began to thrust once more, each movement of his body quickly carrying them both to the peak of heaven.
*** Kiara slowly opened her eyes, blinking a couple times to wake herself up. She started to stretch but instantly stilled when an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her more fully against the body behind her. Her eyes widened, but once she fully realized where she was, she relaxed and smiled to herself as she turned over to face Dale.
Any of the embarrassment or anxiety that she was sure she would have was no where in sight. All she felt was content, along with the renewed feelings of passion when he gave her his sexy Earnhardt grin.
“Good morning.” He whispered, his voice husky from sleep.
“Good morning to you.” She replied before giving him a light kiss then snuggling back down in his arms, her head on his chest.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked, his voice rumbling in his chest beneath her ear. She smirked as she lifted her head to look at him.
“You mean the little sleep I did get?” She squealed when his fingers started tickling her sides playfully for a moment before they settled back down, just enjoying being in each others arms.
“I slept better than I have in a long time.” She answered truthfully.
“Mmm, me too.” He replied, as he placed a kiss on her forehead then leaned back against his pillow, closing his eyes allow himself to drift back off to sleep, perfectly content with where he was. He knew immediately that this was the way he could wake up for the rest of his life. He didn’t even want to think about tomorrow…when he’d wake up alone, since later that morning he was headed to the next racetrack with the team, and although Kiara would be there as well with Michael, he knew from past experience that they would both be too busy to spend any kind of time together, especially when it was time no one else was to find out about.
Kiara too had just started to doze off when Dale’s door bell echoed through the house. They both stirred, Dale tightening his arms around her when she moved to get up.
“Ignore it,” he said as he nuzzled her neck. “They’ll go away.”
Just like he said the ringing stopped, but only to be followed seconds later by pounding on the door. He sat up muttering under his breath. Kiara couldn’t help but laugh.
“Yeah, they’re going away alright.” She teased, watching him climb out of the bed, angrily yanking sweats out of the drawer and pulling them on. Before leaving the room, he leaned over her, stopping her laughter with his lips. He pulled back and grinned at her, the look in his eyes having just as much to do with her breathlessness as the kiss.
“We’ll continue this when I get back.” He promised with a wink, then straightened and walked out of the room.
Kiara watched him go, and then flopped back on the bed after he closed his bedroom door behind him, frantically fanning herself, happier than she could ever remember being. “Whew!” she exclaimed to herself, giggling softly. “The things he does to me!” she blushed slightly as she though of all that had happened the night before and just a few hours earlier.
She suddenly bolted upright in the bed, her eyes wide and her heart pounding when she heard the person talking to Dale. “Oh god!” she whispered as she scrambled out of the bed, picked up all the clothes she could find and hiding in the bathroom. She quickly took inventory of the clothes she had in her arms, her heart dropping to her stomach when she realized some pieces were missing. She only hoped and prayed that the missing pieces were somewhere in the bedroom, and not out in the living room…for anyone to see.
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Chapter Twenty Nine
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“What the fuck to you want?” Dale growled as he yanked open the door, the next words dying in his throat when he saw who was standing there.
“We’ve got a problem.” Kevin said as he pushed his way in the house, not waiting to be invited in.
“Uh…” Dale turned around to face Kevin, grateful that he’d closed the bedroom door. He tried his best to act casual, suddenly wishing he’d opted to grab a shirt as well. Standing there in front of Kevin with just sweats, he was feeling rather exposed, like Kevin would take one look at him and know what he had been doing. “What’s the problem?”
“Kiara didn’t come home last night. I’ve tried and tried to get a hold of her, but she’s not answering her cell phone, and none of her friends have seen her.” Kevin ground out, clearly distressed as he ran his fingers through his hair.
Dale bit his lip, not really knowing what to say. He hated to see his friend so obviously upset, yet at the same time he couldn’t very well tell him where Kiara was.
“Listen, man, I’m sure she’s fine. She probably just crashed at a friends place.” He offered. Kevin shook his head.
“I’ve checked with everyone! I’m really worried, Dale, this isn’t like her. We got into a huge argument yesterday over…well, something, and she stormed off and I’m afraid she wasn’t thinking too clearly. If anything happens to her, I’ll never forgive myself.” He whispered, sinking down on the couch, his head in his hands.
Unable to see his friend like this any longer, Dale was just about ready to confess. “Kevin there’s something I think you should know.” He started, but was interrupted by Kevin’s cell phone ringing. Kevin looked at the number then surged to his feet as he brought the phone to his ear.
“Where the fuck have you been?” he roared, nearly shaking the house. Dale winced at Kevin’s tone but he also knew if there was anyone who could handle Kevin’s temper, it was the woman on the other end of the phone.
“I didn’t feel much like talking to you last night, so I stayed at DEI.” Kiara told him, silently praising herself for parking her car over at the office. She knew that if Kevin really wanted to check out her story, he would have to believe her when he saw her vehicle there.
“You scared the shit out of me.” Kevin growled, his grip on the phone loosening just a little now that he knew his little sister was safe. DEI was the one place he hadn’t thought to check and could kick himself.
“I’m a big girl Kevin, I can take care of myself.” She told him stiffly, their argument the night before still fresh on her mind. She knew that she had upset her brother, could tell by the sound of his voice when he was talking to Dale, and she honestly felt bad about it, but was still stinging from some of the things he’d said the night before.
Kevin took a deep breath as he began to pace, Dale watching him apprehensively every time he walked in front of the bedroom door. Kevin took a couple more deep breaths to calm himself, and spoke again a moment later when he felt he had himself more under control.
“We need to talk, I’m coming over to DEI.” He told her.
“NO! Uh, I mean, I don’t think that’s such a good idea Kevin. Yes, we do need to talk, but where I work isn’t exactly the right place. I’ll be home later today, we can talk then.” She told him, making sure her voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.
Kevin sighed, realizing it was no use arguing, and besides she was right. He would simply have to wait until she got home. “Alright, what time are you coming home?” he asked.
“I don’t know, Kevin. I’ll be there when I get there.” She told him, her temper flaring once again.
“Fine, I didn’t mean it like that.” Kevin snapped.
Kiara rubbed her eyes, sighing with frustration, knowing that her bother was trying to smooth things over a little and that she was being completely unreasonable. She just wasn’t happy about the fact that her time with Dale had been interrupted.
“Look, Kevin, I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be such a bitch. I guess I’m just crabby because I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.” She bit back her grin, knowing that was more than the truth, but that wasn’t what she was upset about. “I’ll be home in an hour or so, okay?”
“Alright, I’ll meet you there.” Kevin told her then hung up, turning to look at Dale, giving him a sheepish grin. “That was Kiara.”
Dale shook his head. “I gathered as much. She’s okay?” he asked, keeping up the pretense.
“Yeah, I guess I just overreacted. She’s fine, she stayed at DEI last night. I was just so worried. The argument we had last night was unlike anything we’ve ever had before.” Kevin said regretfully, feeling horrible for the things he’d said to her.
“Yeah, I know.” Dale muttered, remembering all too well the state she had been in when he’d opened the door and found her on the door step.
“Huh?”
“Nothing, nothing.” Dale quickly covered. Kevin nodded and moved towards the door.
“Sorry I woke you up and worried you for nothing. I’m going to head home, she’s going to meet me there. Hopefully we can work through this without starting another war.” He muttered. Dale nodded as he followed him to the door.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll see you at the track later in the week.” He told his friend. Kevin nodded as he walked out. Dale watched him for a moment before closing the door, and let out the breath he’d been unaware he was holding. They would be sitting down and having a very serious conversation in the near future.
He looked up when his bedroom door opened and Kiara came out fully dressed. He was disappointed at the sight, but also knew it was for the best. She came around the couch and found her shoes, silently thanking her lucky stars that Kevin hadn’t noticed them.
She sat down and started putting them on, not once meeting Dale’s eyes. “I’m so sorry,” she said softly, knowing how hard that had been for her, and could only imagine how it must have been for him.
Dale moved forward. “What are you sorry for?” he asked, she glanced up him only to look away just as quickly.
“You had to lie to your best friend,” she muttered as she stood up. “This is exactly what I didn’t want happening, Dale.”
She turned and grabbed her jacket, pulling it on. “I was crazy to think this could work.” She mumbled to herself, blinking against the sudden sting of tears. She jumped as Dale suddenly stepped in front of her, his hands coming up to frame her face, making her look at him.
“No, it would be crazy to deny what is happening between us.” He told her sternly, daring her to argue with him. His heart nearly broke when a lone tear slipped down her cheek as she shook her head.
“I won’t cost you your best friend.” She whispered. “I can’t do that!”
Dale smiled down at her. “Honey you couldn’t. Kevin and I have been through hell and back together, and this will not come between us, I promise.”
“But—“ she started but he silenced her protest with a kiss.
“What ever goes down between Kevin and myself has nothing to do with you, okay?”
She snorted as she gave him a disbelieving look, but he once again stopped her protest with his lips, and it took no time for the kiss to grow in intensity. She pulled back before she got completely swept away by him…again.
“I have to go.” She said regretfully, reaching up to race his lips, wanting nothing more than to stay tucked away with him, hiding from the rest of the world.
Dale nodded but didn’t release her as he leaned his forehead against hers. “We can make this work.” He told her. He didn’t know about her, but he was just about willing to give up everything and anything to be with her. Now that he had her, he wasn’t about to let her just slip through his fingers.
She dropped her eyes, studying his chest, then having to look away from there when she started to get distracted and her heart rate sped up. “I don’t know.” She said hesitantly. He hooked his fingers under her chin and made her look at him.
“We can.” He reemphasized strongly. “If we want it to work, it will. I know damn well I’m ready for fight for this. The question is, are you?”
Looking into his eyes, she knew she wouldn’t be able to lie to him, or herself any longer. “Yes,” she said confidently as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Definitely ready to fight.” She whispered as their lips met, sealing their promise to one another.
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Chapter Thirty
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“It’s about damn time I hear your voice!” Sydney told Kiara when she finally called later the next day. “I’ve been worried! You’ve been acting so off lately and then when Delana called yesterday…I’ve been beside myself with worry.”
Kiara sighed as she sat back in her chair and looked out the window. She could hear the genuine concern in her friend’s voice. “Yeah…look, I’m sorry about all that. I’ve been a little…preoccupied lately.” She felt bad for not telling Sydney what was going on right away, but soon she would be able to tell her.
“Yeah, I kinda gathered when I talked to you the other night.” Sydney replied and then fell silent, not wanting to push the subject. She knew that Kiara would talk about whatever was up when she was ready. Turning her head, Sydney glanced at the clock on the wall behind her, butterflies filling her stomach when she saw that it was almost the time when Kevin said that he would call.
“Hate to cut this short, Ki, but I’m expecting a call. Can I call you back later?”
“Ohhh, who?” Kiara asked, her mood since being away from Dale finally lifting. She knew that Sydney was hoping to get on with her life now that she’d finally gotten closure on her and Brett’s relationship. She sincerely hoped that good things were happening for her friend.
“Kevin.” Sydney told her and then added an instant later, “The sexy one.” Just so that there would be no confusion on Kiara’s part. She held the phone away from her ear when Kiara let out a yell.
“How did that happen?” Kiara asked, realizing that she maybe should have been paying more attention to what was going on the past weekend. “Oh. My. God! Do you know what a lucky bitch you are!” Kiara paused for a moment as something suddenly hit her. “Does Brett know?”
“It’s not how you’re thinking.” Sydney told Kiara, ignoring the sudden disappointment that she felt knowing that it really wasn’t how Kiara was thinking. “He’s just coming home for the weekend because it’s his parents’ anniversary. He and his siblings are having a party for them and he asked me to go with him. Nothing more than friends.”
“Sure.” Kiara managed to get in before Sydney spoke again. She wasn’t at all convinced that Sydney and Kevin were just friends. Maybe right then they were, but she highly doubted that it would stay that way long.
“As far as Brett knowing,” Sydney continued. “I don’t know if he knows or not. Honestly I don’t care. He no longer controls my life like he has the past seven years.”
“Good for you, Syd!” Kiara was so happy to know that her friend was finally moving on. “Alright, I better let you go so you don’t miss that call. I’ll talk to you later.” After saying their good-byes, they ended the call.
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Chapter Thirty One
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Sydney paced her living room, glancing at the clock every so often, willing the phone to ring. She didn’t stop to think that maybe she was a little too anxious for Kevin to call. With a sigh she sat down on the couch, only to get up a moment later when the doorbell rang.
She groaned out loud, assuming it was her mother, and if there was one person she didn’t feel like dealing with, it was her. Her mother would pick this very moment to barge in. Muttering under her breath, she stalked over to the door, ready to just get rid of her mother before Kevin called.
“Mother I—“ she cut herself off in mid sentence as she yanked open the door and found it most definitely was not her mother standing on her door step. “Oh my god!” she exclaimed happily as she just about threw herself into Kevin’s arms, shocked and ecstatic to see him
“Surprise.” Kevin smiled down at her when she pulled back. She grinned up at him, then took his hand and pulled him in the door, closing it behind her.
“I’d say this is a surprise! Not that I’m complaining by any means, but what are you doing here? I didn’t think you were going to be here until this weekend?” she exclaimed, her eyes shining brightly. Again, she chose to ignore the butterflies that were flying around her insides, but she was unable to stop from noticing the way her heart was pounding and how her mouth was suddenly dry.
Kevin shrugged out of his jacket. “Well, we didn’t have anything going on for the rest of the week, so I decided to come in early and surprise you. I’ve really missed you over the years, and I decided that this weekend just wouldn’t be enough time to spend with you. So if you’re free, I’d like you to spend the next couple days with me so we can catch up on old times.” He smiled.
Her heart fluttered at his words as she nodded. “I’d love to spend time with you.” She said sincerely.
“Wonderful, because I wasn’t going to take no for an answer.” He teased, reaching out and pulling her into another tight hug, this one lasting longer than the first, because neither one was ready to let go.
***
“The car sucks! It fucking sucks. It won’t turn in the corners, I’m loose in turns one and two and tight in three and four. The car is a piece of shit!”
Kiara put a hand over her mouth to suppress the giggle, then quickly wiped her face of any expression when Michael glared at her.
“I see nothing funny about this!” he snapped, his patience tested to the end. From the moment they had unloaded the car from the trailer, it hadn’t done anything they wanted it too. This weekend was not looking promising for the #15 NAPA team.
“Sorry, Mikey, but I think you’ve been hanging around Junior too long.” She smiled. “You sound just like him!”
Michael didn’t say anything for a moment, then broke out into a grin. “You know what, you’re right. I did sound like him didn’t I?” He laughed, the tension in his garage area lifting. He smiled down at her.
“Thanks.”
She nodded. “Anytime.”
“Now, if you can just tell me what to do with my car, I’ll be forever grateful.” Michael sighed, glaring over at his car where the NAPA crew was working on it.
Kiara shook her head. “Sorry, can’t help ya with that one. But I’ll tell you what, since you’re in such a ‘fine’ mood right now, I’ll make excuses for your interviews, that way you can stay in here and sulk.” Michael shot her a grateful look.
“You’re the best.”
“I know, it’s a gift.” She sighed dramatically as she grinned and walked out of the garage. She turned when she heard her name being called and smile when she saw Delana coming towards her.
“I’m glad I found you. I wanted to see how you’re doing.” Delana gave her a brief hug, then stood back studying her. After Kiara had come home the day before, Kevin had apologized for the things he’d said, and although she’d accepted his apology, things were very cold between the siblings.
“I’m okay.” Kiara answered truthfully. She knew she’d be a hell of a lot better once she saw Dale. She’d been hoping to see him all morning, but he was off doing something for Budweiser and wouldn’t be back until practice later that afternoon.
“Um, have you talked to Kevin?” Delana asked hesitantly.
“Nope. I’ll talk to him when I see him, but for now I’m not going out of my way to find him.”
“Still pissed huh?” Delana asked.
Kiara shrugged. “Not really, but I know that once we do talk it will most likely turn into another argument, and I’m not in the mood for it right now.”
“Oh hey!” her eyes suddenly lit up. “I just talked to Syd a little while ago, and guess who she’s going out with this weekend!”
“Who?”
“Kevin!” Kiara squealed, nearly jumping up and down. “Guess that closure thing really worked, huh?”
“Wow…what a lucky girl!” Delana grinned, happy for Sydney as well.
“That’s what I told her! Although she swears they are just friends.” Kiara rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, right.” Delana laughed. “And speaking of just friends, are you going to tell Dale what’s going on with you?” she asked.
Kiara couldn’t help but flush as she looked away, hating lying to her sister-in-law, but knew that for right now there was no way around it. She couldn’t tell Delana and expect her to keep it from her husband. That just wouldn’t be fair.
“Uh, I haven’t really decided yet.” Kiara mumbled. “For now, I’ll just leave things the way they are.” She said, knowing at least that last part was true.
Delana nodded. “Well, I wish you luck with that.” She glanced down at her watch. “Oooh, I gotta get back. You stopping by later?” she asked.
Kiara nodded. “Yup, tradition you know.” She answered. No matter how much she was avoiding her brother, there was no way she would let him go out on that track without telling him to be careful.
“Okay, if you talk to Syd, giver my love and tell her I said to go for it!” Delana called as she walked away.
Kiara smirked as she said out loud. “Oh she better go for it! Or I just might have to kick her in her ass!”
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Chapter Thirty Two
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“Can I get you something to drink?” Sydney asked after they moved apart, ending the hug. To distract herself from the tingling sensations running through her body after being pressed against his, she glanced up at the clock, noting the time. “Have you had dinner yet?”
“Sure, water please.” He answered as she turned and he followed her into the kitchen. “I came right here from the airport. I thought that we could go out for dinner.”
“Or I can cook dinner if you don’t feel like going out.” Sydney suggested, not really feeling much like going out herself. It would be nearly impossible to talk in a crowded, noisy restaurant.
"Here's your water." She said as she closed the refrigerator door and turned away from it. Her breath caught sharply in her throat when she handed him the bottle and her fingers brushed his, sending another jolt of electricity through her. She quickly pulled her hand back and turned away, her face flushing when she felt his eyes on her.
"That would be nice." Kevin replied after a few moments, his voice soft and husky. He really didn't feel much like going out himself after the long flight, and honestly he wanted Sydney all to himself, but he hadn't wanted to impose so he suggested going out.
Sydney took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself down. She had no idea why she was feeling the things that she was, but it was getting increasingly impossible to ignore. Taking another deep breath, she turned back, hoping that her voice would work when she spoke.
"What sounds good? I have some steaks that I can make...I have a grill out on the balcony. Chicken? Pork chops?... What?" Sydney questioned when she found Kevin smiling at her as he leaned against the doorframe.
"Nothing." Kevin said as he met her bright blue eyes. He felt his heart speed up, just as it had every time he saw, talked, or even thought about her since he saw her in the crowd at the concert the past weekend. "It's just really good to see you again." He paused for a moment, admiring the way the blush that rose into her cheeks made her even more breathtaking.
"And to answer your question; do you still make that good chicken stir fry? That would really hit the spot right now."
Sydney smiled as she nodded her head. "That does sound good." She agreed. "I'll run out and start the grill." Sydney said before disappearing out the French doors that led to the balcony off her apartment. She returned a few moments later.
"So tell me what you've been up to all these years." Kevin asked, stepping forward to help as she began getting out the ingredients that she would need.
"Not much really." Sydney replied as she handed him an onion and a cutting board to cut it up on while she started slicing the green and red peppers.
"I went to U of M after high school." Sydney paused for a moment, thinking how odd it was that last time she'd seen him...any of the guys, Brett included, she'd still been in high school...it was like a whole lifetime ago.
"U of M was, of course, not up to my parents' standards, but I refused to go else where. When I graduated from there, they refused to come." She looked up at Kevin, seeing him shake his head in disbelief. Yet, it didn't surprise him. Her parents were your typical high society snobs and he felt bad that she had to grow up around that. He knew first hand how much trouble they had caused when she and Brett had been together. Thankfully, she and her parents were as different as night and day.
"What did you study?" Kevin asked, taking the subject away from her parents.
"I majored in media arts. I work at Vincent Advertising." Sydney smiled when she heard Kevin whistle in awe. Vincent Advertising was the most prestigious advertising firm in the state. At least if her parents hadn't been happy with her choice of schools, the job that she landed afterwards made up for it.
"That's pretty much it." Sydney told him as she got the chicken out of the refrigerator and began cutting it into strips before putting it on the grill to cook along with the vegetables. "I've been working there for the past four years since college. Told ya it was boring."
"Not at all." Kevin told her as he looked over, meeting her eyes.
"So tell me about you. What have you been up to all these years besides being a glamorous rock star?" Sydney asked as they gathered up the food to take outside to the grill. She couldn't wait to hear everything about him.