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Chapter 34
*3d POV*
Kris was having an awesome time getting to know the guy's parents and families,
and loved Mrs. Littrell. All the parents were getting along well with hers,
which left the guys and girls some time to chat. *
Kris wrinkled her nose as a burnt smell drifted past her.
"Cora, did someone let Kev cook the food?" she asked the thin woman
cutting up food, who was clad in a green tank top and khaki shorts. Cora frowned
and tucked a golden strand behind her ear.
"Yeah, I did. Why?" Kris shook her head and yelled out the door, "Bone!"
"Wassup?" he answered, popping his head, unexpectedly, into the kitchen
from one of its many entrances.
He looked awesome, wearing a gray wife beater over indigo shorts, a red baseball
cap over his recently dyed, green, hair.
"Cora let Kevin cook the food!"
"Oh G*d, I wondered what that smell was! Thanks, Krissy," AJ called
over his shoulder as he ran towards the backyard, yelling, "Kevin, man,
what possessed you that made you decide that you can actually cook?"
Cora looked a little bewildered, while Kris was laughing.
"What's so funny?" Howie asked, peering in the fridge for a Sprite.
"Cora let Kev take over the grill," Kris said, a grin on her face.
"Oh L*rd, burnt offerings for lunch! Wonderful!" Howie declared, looking
up and smacking his head on the fridge door.
"Ouch!" Both girls giggled as he turned and glared, then asked, "Is
my hair okay?" *
By the time Howie fixed his hair and the cooking was handed over to AJ, Brian
came back. Kris heard the car and met him at the door leading to the garage,
his arms full of clothing.
"Thank you so much baby, you don't know how much I appreciate this. . What's
the matter, Rok?" The look on his face was a mix of anger and fear.
"Kris, we need to talk." That simple sentence was enough to send her
heart racing with alarm.
"Um, all right. Let's go upstairs, no one can bother us there," Kris
suggested, hesitantly taking his cold hand in hers. *
Brian observed Kris as he hadn't for a long time, objectively, since he first
saw her. Her long black hair flowed midway down her back and her tan face was
thinner and more angular. In fact, so was the rest of her body. She reminded
him of a model, which wasn't bad but it wasn't the Kris he knew. She still had
her full lips and her high cheekbones were more pronounced. It was probably
her big, expressive eyes that had changed the most. They were no longer lit
with that certain sparkle and fire that made Kris so special. In fact, when
he thought about it, Brian realized it hadn't been there for a long, long time.
*
Kris sat on his bed, her short shorts showing off her long, tan legs.
"So, what's up?" she asked, slowly looking him up and down with her
eyes, and liking what she saw. Brian chuckled and sat down next to her, giving
her a sweet kiss on the lips.
"How am I supposed to be able to concentrate on anything when you look
at me like that?" he asked, running his fingers through her soft hair.
He paused, the looked deep in Kris' eyes.
"Kris, I'll get straight to the point. When I was getting stuff from your
closet, I found the box with those letters." At first, Kris did nothing,
but her eyes took on a look that he hated to see in her eyes. It was fear. Her
body started to shake lightly, but other than that all she did was look at him
with that frightened look in her eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me? How long has this been going on?"
"Brian, you have to believe me when I say that I wanted to tell someone!
I started getting the letters.. before the tour, before Josh was let out of
jail. It didn't really scare me until the letters got more descriptive and threatening.
If I had told you, he would've known, and probably tried to kill you."
Brian shook his head, disbelief in his eyes. Kris was having a hard time controlling
her pent up emotions, knowing this was not going to end well.
"So why didn't you go to the police or someone who could help?" Kris'
eyes blazed and she looked at him with hurt and anger in her expression.
"Do you think I'm an idiot? I did! They are having trouble finding him,
let alone arrest him! I'm the only one who can catch him." Brian felt a
bolt of terror go through his body when he saw the completely serious look in
her eyes and took her shoulders in his hands and said roughly, "Promise
me you won't try. Don't do anything stupid, Kris." She shook her head,
sadness in her deep blue eyes.
"I can't. I want that man dead! He has made the past three years h*ll for
me and I want to kill him." Brian looked at her, sounding desperate as
he said loudly,
"Kris, d*mnit, listen to yourself! By trying to get him, you'll only end
up killing yourself!"
"Brian, that will be a risk I have to take. I can't let him go around killing
my friends! I have to end it, and soon." "Kris, don't you get it?
I can't live without you! Do you hear me? I need you in my life! I love you,
d*mnit!" Kris was close to crying, and captured his piercing gaze as he
uttered the last sentence.
"Brian, I have no doubt you love me, but if you love me that much, you
know I haven't been the same and I won't be until he's out of my life, for good."
Brian stood up, anger caused by his love for her and the fear that she was going
to kill herself in his eyes.
"Fine Kris. Go get yourself killed! Just don't expect me to be there to
save your *ss!" Kris jumped off the bed and leaned close to his face, her
tan one dark with anger as she hissed back,
"Fine with me, I never asked for your help in the first place!" Turning
on one heel, she turned and stomped out the door. *
A slender, medium height woman pulled into their driveway, checking the address
on a piece of paper she was holding one last time. Running a hand through her
long, streaked blond hair, she straightened her red tank top and walked up to
the door and knocked loudly. *
Nina was running around the kitchen, getting plates and silverware and such
out when the doorbell rang.
"D*mn, who could that be?" she muttered, glancing out at the backyard.
Everyone was lounging in chairs in the shade or swimming in the huge pool. The
gray tile felt cool under Na's feet as she walked as fast as she could, her
aching muscles protesting, to the door. Practically dragging the big door open
with her one good arm, she stared at the woman on the other side of the door,
who looked enough like her to be her twin, except that she was a few years older.
A wide grin crossed the woman's face, then a gasp escaped her lips as Nina stepped
into the light and her bruises and stitches showed.
"Nina? Oh my gosh, what happened?"
"Danni! I didn't know you were coming-!" Nina stared for a few more
seconds, then finally grasped her in a tight hug. *
AJ caught a glimpse of Na and ran after her into the family room.
"Na, have you seen-?" He stopped when he caught sight of the woman
next to her on the couch. She not only was an exact copy of Na, she was drop
dead gorgeous. Nina saw the flash in his eyes, his sunglasses on the tops of
his nose as he stared, and started laughing.
"Bone, don't get any ideas, she's a lot older than you!"
"Thanks, Nina," Danni muttered. AJ blushed, then walked over to the
woman, holding out his hand.
"Hi, I'm AJ and you have to be the most gorgeous woman I have ever laid
eyes on. What is your name?" The woman smiled, a faint blush from his compliment
flushing her cheeks as she stood up, firmly shaking his hand.
"Danni-and I'm afraid Nina is right, I'm probably too old for you!"
The girls laughed as he turned a brighter shade of red and mumbled something
under his breath.
"Bone, this is my older sister. She came from New York, which is why she's
a little late." AJ looked her up and down. She definitely looked like a
New Yorker, but he decided she could be a Paris runway model with her looks
and presence.
"Well, that's okay, Danni. It's nice to meet you, though! How long are
you staying?"
"Well, I'm on vacation for a couple weeks, I was really busy the past couple
weeks modeling in Europe and they practically ordered me to take a break. I
have an apartment near Nina's, so I'll stay there." AJ's face split into
a grin and he laughed to himself on his excellent guess.
"What are you smirking about Bone?" Nina asked, catching the look.
"Oh nothing. Nothing at all!" *
Howie was lounging in a chair by the pool, not really tanning since he didn't
need it, and just watching everyone mix and talk. The scent of hot dogs from
the grill, followed by a distant rumble from his stomach, told him it was time
for some food. He soon found out he was right, because AJ, in his kiss the cook
apron, was yelling, "Lunch time, come and get it! Cooked, not crispy,"
he glanced in Kevin's general direction, who cringed and glared back at AJ,
"hot dogs and burgers ready!" Howie saw Nick and the rest run up with
plates in their hands. Howie followed, then stopped dead in his tracks. The
most gorgeous woman he had ever seen stepped out of the house, her hair golden
in the Florida sun. He saw her glance his way, then freeze as their eyes locked.
*
"Brian, you up there, man? Chow time!" AJ yelled.
"Okay, I'm coming!" Brian called back from his room. He hadn't moved
from the bed since Kris had stormed out and was more confused than ever.
"Is Krissy up there with you?" AJ yelled again. Brian appeared at
the top of the steps, a blank expression on his pale face.
"No, I was hoping you could tell me where she is." AJ recognized the
look on Brian's face and cringed. After everything that could've possibly gone
wrong on Howie's birthday did, it was getting worse.
"D*mn, Rok! When did you see her last? I've been looking for her for the
past 10 minutes!"
"About 45 minutes or so. I don't have a clue where she went," Brian
said glumly, slowly walking down the stairs.
"Man, go get some food, I'll go find her," AJ said, having a pretty
good idea where she was. *
"Danni, you're staring," Na whispered. Danni jumped, then smiled brightly
at her younger sister.
"Was I that obvious?" Nina giggled and pushed her out the door.
"Let's just say you were standing in the door for a full minute."
Nina followed her gaze and saw her still glancing at Howie.
"Ya know, I can introduce you to him! He doesn't have a girlfriend, either,"
Na hinted, handing her a bottled water. Danni hesitated, then looked back at
her sister helplessly.
"He's really hot! How old is he?" Na grinned, she knew Danni was hooked.
"He's your age. This is his 26th birthday party-" her smile faltered
for a sec as her body started to ache deep inside, "-though it hasn't been
a very happy one. I think he's trying to get everyone's mind off of what happened."
Danni could tell she was hurting, one of those sister bond things.
"Are you all right? Do you want to sit down? I can introduce myself,"
Danni said, seeing the grimace on Na's face.
"No, I wouldn't miss this for the world! C'mon, it's time for you to meet
Sweet D." *
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