It was starting to grow dark, and she would need a place to sleep soon. She'd been walking for a few hours already, and she felt she had wasted enough time as it was. Seeing a garage still open, she wondered if the owner would let her stay the night. She was growing more tired by the minute, and the snow-covered ground was finally starting to chill her warm body. She adjusted the bag on her shoulders and re-adjusted her hand on the bag she was pulling behind her. Taking a deep breath, and hoping for some kindness in this dreadful town, she opened the door. The two men inside were dressed in navy blue mechanics outfits and seemed to be really nice guys. They greeted her with smiles on their faces. Her voice was very soft, shy, when she spoke to them.
"I'm sorry to bother the two of you and for putting you in this situation," she paused, and they offered her a seat. The life seemed to be taken out of her; her normally vibrant blue-green eyes were just a dull flat color. She looked up at the two men, no emotion on her face, and she saw them completely for the first time. They were squatted down in front of her, looking up at her so that she wouldn't feel threatened by them. They were brothers, that much she could tell by their similar features. The one to her right was a little taller than his brother. He had wavy, sandy blonde hair and emerald green eyes. She had never seen eyes naturally that color. He had an average build with some muscle, and his name tag read Josh. The one to her left was a bit heavier and a few inches shorter. His hair was a light brown and wavy also. There was sincerity in his hazel eyes, and she was sure he had a smile that could brighten up even the darkest room. His name tag read David. Both men were concentrated on her; they almost seemed worried.
"I really do hate to impose," she began again, this time a little braver, "but I was wondering if there was any way the two of you could let me stay the night here." The young woman felt horrible as soon as the words left her mouth.
The two brothers looked at each other almost in disbelief. They hesitated, not sure what to do. The woman looked tired, and they could tell by her accent that she wasn't from this place. If she had somewhere to go, she wouldn't have approached them, or could it just be that she didn't want to spend her money? There was doubt in both their eyes as to what her true intentions were.
She could see the doubt and decided to tell them what had brought her to this place, hoping that her story would bring understanding or sympathy or both. She was alone in a place where she knew no one. She was still far from her destination.
They listened intently, absorbing every word. Not knowing she was leaving just a few details out, her story got to them, and they decided to let her stay. They even offered to take her to her destination since she was still at least twenty miles away and on foot. They had a cot in the back where she would stay, and they would be staying in their apartment, just upstairs.
She thanked both of them and offered to repay them somehow. She did have money with her, but she knew the closest hotel was at least an hour or two away if she were to walk. They declined her offer and told her to get some rest. She was passed out as soon as she laid down.
Morning came, and they awoke her. She was allowed to clean herself up and shower in their apartment. Feeling very fortunate and grateful, she offered to make them breakfast. Once they were done, she gathered her things and off they went.
The three of them reached the house sooner than she had hoped. Nervousness coursed through her body as they drove down the street. She was terrified but wasn't sure why. She got out of the car and saw that his was parked in the driveway. She gave each brother a kiss on the cheek and thanked them again. As they drove off, she approached the house.
"This is it," she thought and gathered up the courage to knock on the door.
He opened the door and recognized her immediately, his eyes growing wide with shock. Both had yet to speak; he was in shock, she was afraid he'd slam the door in her face.
She had come here to prove something to herself. She not only needed closure, but she had to be sure that her feeling of hate towards him was just that. She needed to make sure there was nothing else there. Seeing him now, she wasn't sure what to say or what to do. She hadn't thought this part out yet, but now it was too late. She was stuck where she was.
Finally snapping out of it, he spoke. "What are you doing here?" he asked. There was no anger, no disgust or anything negative in his voice. He almost seemed happy to see her.
"I had to make sure of something," she said softly.
He stepped aside. "Why don't you come in?"
The cold getting to her, she accepted his offer. He took her bags from her and placed them by the door, and he led her to the couch.
Stepping aside, he invited her in, and since the cold was getting to her, she accepted. He took her bags from her and led her to the couch. Neither knew what to do as it was an uncomfortable situation. He wondered what she meant when she said that she had to make sure of something. Did she come all this way to make sure that he was alive, that he was okay? No, it had to have been something else, right? Just because she hadn't heard from him in almost three years didn't mean that she would come here just to check up on him. He needed to know, and since she wasn't offering anymore information, he figured he'd ask. But first, he would make sure she was comfortable.
As he looked at her sitting on the couch, he had noticed how much she had changed, and yet she hadn't. She had lost weight since he last saw her. Her figure now looked much more fit than when they had first met face to face. She had been taking very good care of herself, and it really showed. He was admiring her. Her full lips had a small pout to them as if she was deep in thought. They had a red tinge to them as if she had been chewing on them - probably from trying to decide if coming to see him was a good idea. Her eyes didn't seem to have any life in them, and he remembered them always sparkling, whether from mischief or love or something else. Her dark blonde hair was still layered, and he was a bit surprised it wasn't up in a ponytail like it usually was when she traveled long distances. She was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a gray flannel-type jacket with wolves on it. Even though she was wearing normal clothes, she looked great.
He shook himself out of the daze he had put himself in and finally managed to ask her what had brought her here.
"I told you already," she replied softly.
"That's not what I meant. What exactly did you need to make sure of?"
Anger flashed through her eyes. The asshole is really full of himself. I bet he thinks that I came here to make sure he was okay, she thought to herself.
"Well, after everything that has happened between us, a lot of emotions went through me. I went from loving you to hurting because I loved you from hoping to hear from you to hurting because of you and then finally to utterly despising you." She watched as he flinched when he heard the last few words. "So, I came here to make sure there was nothing left but the hate I feel towards you."
He almost choked at her words. "And is there anything besides that?" he asked hopefully.
She answered quickly, "Nope." A wicked smile slowly appeared on her face. This was going much better than she had planned for he didn't hate her as she thought he did.
"Do I at least get a chance to explain my actions?"
"Explain them? You asshole! I fucking waited almost three fucking years for some kind of closure! I called and I wrote letters. I left you numbers where you could reach me, and you never fucking bothered. You never even gave a shit. All that shit I said to you when we broke up was right. I never meant anything to you. You never cared for me. All I fucking was to you was a fucking challenge." She kept her voice soft, but the anger and betrayal were still there.
"You're wrong," he spoke up. "I had my reasons for not contacting you. You had him to fall back on." There was sadness in his eyes, and she could see jealousy in them also. "You were more than any of those things to me," he continued. "I loved you," he paused and looked her in the eyes, "and I still do."
It was her turn to be shocked. That was one thing she definitely wasn't expecting, and she had a feeling it wasn't true. If he really had loved her, why would he have treated her like shit? And he did. Even though while they were together she convinced herself she was happy, she wasn't fully happy. She didn't realize how often he had lied to her until after they broke up. She wouldn't let him wrap her around his finger again; she knew better.
He pulled her up. "You can't tell me you don't feel anything between us."
"No, I don't. I lost every feeling I felt for you other than hate and disgust." She tried to pull away, but he kept her near him.
"Then prove it. Prove there's no spark left."
"And how am I supposed to do that, asshole?" She watched him flinch. Why did her words hurt him so? He doesn't care for her, so why would her feelings about him affect him?
"Kiss me," he said softly.
"What?!" She tried to pull away again but failed.
"Kiss me, and if you don't feel anything, I'll accept that you hate me, but right now, I don't believe that's how you really feel. Kiss me and prove me wrong."
She couldn't believe how arrogant he was, but something inside her told her he was right. If she kissed him and felt nothing, then there were no other feelings but her hate left towards him. If she kissed him, she would know for sure, but that's what she was terrified of. What if there was something else there?
He watched her in anticipation. Hoping she would give in, he didn't press her. If she really did hate him now, at least he would get one last kiss, and he really wanted to feel her lips upon his once again. He wasn't lying to her when he told her that he still loved her. One of the reasons he broke it off was because of her ex. the fact that she was living with him while they were dating ate away at him. He was always wondering what they were doing and if she was being faithful, but he never questioned her about it. He was too proud.
Leaning towards her, he hoped she wouldn't reject him. He craved that one kiss more than anything.
She watched as he made his move. She didn't resist or back away because she knew this would be the true test. Their lips touched, and it was like electricity surged through both their bodies. He wrapped his arms around her and they ended up on the couch with him on top. The simple kissed turned passionate so quickly, she didn't realize it. After a few minutes, she finally pushed him off, and they were both breathless. He seemed dazed and had a big grin on his face.
"What the fuck are you smiling for?" she asked upset, confused, and annoyed. She was pissed because those feelings were still there. The fact that this little trip of hers was a bad idea was becoming clearer every minute.
"Don't tell me you didn't feel that. Both you and I felt it; there's no point in denying it." He watched her, wondering what her next move would be. He was addicted to her. He wanted to kiss her again but first, he needed a sign that she wanted this as much as he did. He knew she was probably wet from the kiss, and he also knew his arousal was apparent.
She looked at him, noticing that their kiss had the same effect on him as it did her. Anger and desire were coursing through her veins. Before seeing him, she was sure of the fact that she hated him. Now, sitting here so close to him and still being able to taste his lips made her realize she was just pissed because of the way things ended. But she wasn't about to throw herself into his arms and ask for him back. She didn't want him back. She was finally happy with herself and with who she was with. She didn't want to throw everything away for someone who was going to treat her like nothing. But damn it all, he looked so hot and tempting and she was so turned on. No, she couldn't do it. She loved Jack way too much. She tried willing the hate to come back, but it wasn't working. The anger did come back and at full force.
