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Chapter 27
Grace traced an invisible line on AJ's chest, making him shudder. The two were lying on the couch in his condo, safely hidden from the soap opera taking place in their best friends' lives.
"Wanna play a game?" Grace invited.
"What kinda game?" AJ asked drowsily.
"Sit up," she ordered and prodded him to sit. He did so slowly, then looked at her like she had three eyes.
"I was comfortable," he muttered.
"Oh, poor baby," she murmured. She picked up his hand and kissed his knuckles, then dropped it. "Here's what you do. Hold out your hands, palm up."
AJ obliged, closing his eyes and leaning his head back on the couch. Grace frowned and leaned over, pressing her lips to his neck. AJ jerked up straight, and she laughed. "Now pay attention."
"Yes, ma'am," he growled playfully, suddenly attacking her sides and tickling her.
Grace screamed. "AJ! Stop…I'm serious! I'm so ticklish…really…ahhh! C'mon I wanna play a gammeeee!"
AJ burst out laughing and collapsed next to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck. "You crack me up, Grace."
She was trying to catch her breath. "I thought you were tired," she accused.
He laughed again. "Not tired enough to tickle you."
"But too tired to play my game?" she pouted.
"Okay, let's play your game," he relented, wanting to please her.
"Okay, hold your hands palm up, like this." She demonstrated. He copied her movements, and she placed her hands palm down just barely touching his palms. "Okay, when I say go, try to slap the back of my hands."
"When you say what?"
"Go," she repeated. He slapped her hands quickly.
"AJ!" she cried. "You moron. You tricked me."
"Haha," he said. She scowled.
"Fine, wait until I'm ready, okay?" He nodded innocently.
"Okay, go."
He didn't move. She watched his hands carefully, and when she saw his finger flinch, she quickly moved her hands away. He laughed. "Someone's paranoid," he sang. She just smiled. She put her hands back under his, and waited.
AJ waited for her to get bored, then he quickly pulled his hands away and slapped the back of hers gently. She jumped. "I guess I shouldn't slack," she admitted. "I almost fell asleep."
"I know," he said, grinning wickedly.
"Okay, let's go again."
They fixed their hands, and AJ decided to trick her again. In a more pleasing way this time.
"Hey," he said softly. She looked up-directly into his eyes, and her heart raced. He leaned forward slightly and kissed her, and she didn't move, just kissed him back. Then she felt him slap the back of her hands gently. She pulled back and looked into his brown eyes reproachfully, then leaned back in and kissed him. Only this time, she bit down gently on his bottom lip-payback. He let out a little whine and pulled away.
"You little…" He grabbed her arms and pinned them to her side.
"AJ, what are you…ahhhh!! I thought we said no ticklinnnngggg!"
"We never said thaaaattttt!"
"Help! AJJJJJJJ….I hate you…"
"No, you don't."
"I really do, if you don't stop tickling me…thank you."
She settled down into his arms and closed her eyes. She felt him plant a kiss on her temple, then settle back. The room was silent.
"I don't want to go back to Tallahassee," she murmured.
"I don't want you to either," he whispered. She smiled.
"I'll miss you so much."
"I know," he groaned, burying his face in her hair.
"J…do you think this is going to go anywhere?"
He sat up. "What on earth do you mean?"
"Do you think…this," she motioned with her hands to herself and him, "will last?"
"I hope it does," he said.
"Me, too," she sighed. "Oh, me too."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After three days, Faith left her room.
She ended up on the couch watching daytime talk shows.
Then, slowly but surely, she began laying outside and relaxing in the hammock.
Every once and a while she got up and took walks. It didn't mean she was
recovering, or over Brian, but she wasn't crying any longer and she could
stand to think about him without doing so.
One day she walked somewhere to get all her film developed, and once she
got them back, she found that they were mostly Brian. Then she broke down
and cried her eyes out. So much film…wasted.
"Hi, Faith," Kevin said. Faith looked up and smiled at him.
"How are you Kevin?"
"Great, actually." He studied her face carefully.
"What?" she asked.
"How are you?" he asked quietly. She grew solemn immediately.
"I'm fine," she lied.
"Oh…that's good," he replied.
She smiled and looked down at the picture on top. It was Brian, of course,
and he looked…perfect. He was smiling into the camera, even though he
looked like he could have leaned over and fallen asleep any minute, since,
she remembered, it was before five in the morning when the picture was taken.
Tiny tears pooled in her eyes, but she blinked them away and looked back
up at Kevin.
"How is Brian, Kevin?" she asked. "And Leighanne?"
Kevin was surprised at her forwardness. "Faith, we don't have to-"
"I just want to know how he is," she said sharply.
He nodded. "He's okay, I guess. Nick was over there, giving him advice, I
heard. It was good advice, because I think he's been a little bit
more…hopeful."
"Hopeful of what?" she asked.
"Hopeful that he'll get you back," he said, smiling. She froze.
"He doesn't want me back," she whispered.
"Oh, okay," he said sarcastically. "Geez, Faith, he was only in love with
you! Woman, what is wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with me, Kevin?" she repeated in a low voice. "Picture this:
you someday find Hope with her arms around some guy. Does she still want
you?"
Shot down. His face plummeted, and he looked at the ground.
"You never even gave him a chance to explain himself," he argued.
She laughed bitterly. "What's there to explain?"
"I think you should let him explain what really happened," he said softly,
in the stern voice that made you shut up and listen.
"He won't want to now," she said sorrowfully.
"I have an idea," he said suddenly. "Howie and Destiny were walking earlier
this morning and they saw this guy who recognized Howie. He was holding some
kind of concert for the last night we're here. Yeah, this was supposed to
be a relaxing break, but you know Howie, he agreed to be nice. The guy wanted
us to perform. And you're coming."
"When is it?" she asked warily.
"Day after tomorrow." He patted her shoulder. "Come with Hope, k?"
She didn't say anything. "What exactly are you trying to do?"
"Just come. It'll be fun for you."
"Don't flatter yourself," she retorted. "Sorry, just not feeling that happy
today. Or the last four days for that matter."
Kevin wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. She buried her face
in his chest, the chest that was so familiar to Brian's. Tears burned her
eyelids and she pulled away before she soaked Kevin's shirt.
"You can cry, Faith," he soothed. "I don't mind." And he pulled her close
again. Faith gave in to the brotherly act and the familiarity and cried like
she hadn't cried before.
"I miss him so much," she sobbed. "He's so perfect, and I…I love him,
Kevin. I can't let this ruin my life. I love him too much. What am
I going to do?"
"He misses you too, Faith," Kevin said softly into her hair. "He needs you
as much as you need him, and he loves you possibly more than you love him."
She cried some more, then her sobs eventually died down into random whimpers
and finally small moans now and then.
"You have to make things right for you two. Things are meant to be nothing
short of perfect for you guys."
"How?" she whispered. "There's always Leighanne hanging around."
"Brian will do anything to talk to you alone. Leave it up to him and he'll
find something."
"Will you tell him, Kevin?" she asked, looking up at him. "Oh, I'm so afraid
he won't want anything to do with me!"
"Don't be worried, Faith. He wants everything to do with you, I promise."
'*'*'*'*'*'
"Brian? Can I talk to you for a minute?" Kevin said. "Alone?"
Brian stood up and opened the door. "Be right back Leighanne," he said over
his shoulder. He shut the door behind him and looked at his cousin. "What's
up?"
"I talked to Faith," he began. Brian grabbed the collar of Kevin's shirt.
"What did she say?" he demanded. "Does she want to see me?"
Kevin chuckled. "Settle down, Rok," he said. "Yeah, she wants to see you."
Brian sighed from relief. "Thank you, God," he breathed and leaned his head
against the wall. Kevin smiled watching him. Brian was such a sucker for
love.
"Did she look okay?" Brian asked suddenly, lifting his head from the wall.
"I mean, how was she?"
Kevin grinned. "She always looks great, Brian, you know that. But she did
use my shirt as a tissue for a good ten minutes."
Brian pushed his palms over his eyes to stop the burning sensation. "I have
to talk to her."
"At the concert Friday, dude. That's when I told her you'd talk."
"That's two days! I can't wait that long!" Brian groaned. Kevin just laughed.
"You have to."
"Why?" Brian shouted to the ceiling.
Kevin burst out laughing. His cousin was in love, and had it bad.
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