A Reunion

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.

"You're an asshole, you really are. Did you think that you'd kiss me and then suddenly have me throwing myself at you? I despise you for everything you've done to me. You almost made me ruin my life!" She was practically yelling at him.

He didn't expect her to react like she did. He knew she felt what he felt, that there was something still there, but how was he going to convince her he wouldn't hurt her again? He decided to steer the subject away from them.

"How did you make it all the way here? I didn't see a car or a taxi driving away."

She told him how for most of the trip she took the bus, but they made her get off at the wrong stop, and then someone stole her tickets. She didn't have enough money to buy yet another ticket, or else she'd run out of money for food and the hotel she was planning on staying at for the night. She'd been on foot for a few days now, and she explained why he hadn't seen a car or anything - because of the two brothers.

He was amazed at all she went through just to see him again, even if it was for a negative reason. He looked at his watch and saw that it was almost noon.

"Are you hungry?" He asked softly.

"Actually, yeah," she replied.

He made something simple for them to eat, and they sat together in silence.

It had just hit her that they were alone together in the house.

"So what are you doing home on a Friday? Or did I keep you from going to work?" she asked.

"No, you didn't keep me. I actually took today off so I could have a three day weekend."

"Did you have something planned?" Her curiosity was peaked.

"No, I just wanted a mini-vacation."

A few minutes passed in silence again.

She cleared her throat, "So, when is everyone due back?"

"My sister's staying at the dorm, and my parents are away until next weekend." He began to wonder why she was asking.

"Oh," was her only reply.

Another few minutes passed, and then he got up and walked toward her. Pulling her out of the chair and into his arms, he kissed her again; lust and love were driving him. She pushed away from him.

"Jason, I can't do this. I don't want to do this." She was backing into a wall without realizing it, and he kept walking towards her. She knew from the look in his eyes what he wanted.

"You still have feelings for me. I can tell from the look in your eyes and from the way you kiss me."

She shook her head, denying it even though she knew he was right.

He could see that he was upsetting her again and decided to back off. He took her hand and lead her back to the couch, sitting her down.

"You win, okay? I give. I'm not going to force you into anything, but can you at least be civil to me?"

She shook her head - no. He let out a sigh and retreated to the kitchen. He made both of them a drink, but when he offered her one, she hesitated. He offered her the other one and got the same reaction.

"Kat, I'm not going to drink both of them. I didn't do anything to your drink. What can I do to prove it?" He was frustrated.

Her eyes grew wide as she heard the nickname fall from his lips like nothing. Anger was taking over her body again.

"First of all, asshole, don't you EVER call me that again. You lost that right a long time ago." She looked at the drinks in his hands. Damn, did those look good. "Take a good drink out of both, and then I'll know that you did nothing to them," she demanded. She watched as he did as she wanted and was pleased that he didn't hesitate. Taking one from him, she downed it in less than a minute and followed him as he went to make another.

Several drinks later, they were acting as if they were life-long friends. He was happy that the alcohol had mellowed her out, and now they were both at ease. The talked about everything, and even when the subject of their ex-relationship came up, things were still fine. She allowed him to explain his reasons and listened with an open mind. She actually understood why he did what he did. If she was him, it would have gotten to her too. The fear, jealousy, hurt, the fact that things were moving so fast. They would have eventually gotten to her also. It was getting close to 5pm, and they were both drunk, she worse off than he was. They both had admitted that those strong feelings still existed. She had forgotten everything, and it was as if they were the only two people who existed. They were both feeling the effects of the alcohol, and when he leaned and kissed her, she didn't object. The kiss began slow and soft, and then it turned more passionate. It was as if they were both starved and only the other could fulfill them. Her hands were tangled in his hair while his were wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer until she was on his lap. His hand began to wander all over her body, onto her breasts, rubbing her back, massaging her tights. His lips moved to her neck, and his hand cupped her breast beneath her shirt.

A soft sigh escaped her lips. She was enjoying every second of his touch upon her. Soon, her shirt was lying crumpled on the floor. His hands were working his magic all over her; it was almost as if she was trapped, but she didn't care. She was blissfully happy for the moment, not thinking about anything but this moment and her lust. Suddenly, she felt so empty, and only one thing, one person could make her whole again. The alcohol was slowly beginning to wear off, but both of them were too involved in what they were doing to care.

"Kat, I want you," he spoke softly. Her only reply was a moan.

Their kisses became more passionate, and his shirt joined hers on the floor. He stopped the kiss before she knew what was going on, and he gathered her into his arms and carried her to his bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and stripped down to his boxers. Jason sat down next to her, kissing her again, making his way down her body. When he reached her jeans and tried removing them, she stopped him. She was thinking semi-clear now.

"No, not like this," she pushed him away.

He looked at her, shock on his face.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

She sat up. "Look, I don't know who or what you've been with since me. If you want anything to happen, you need to use a condom."

His jaw was practically on the floor. "I have not been with anyone since you. I've had no desire to," he paused, looking at her. "Even if I had wanted to, I wouldn't have. I've had no interest in anyone. My heart," he held her hand to his chest, "my heart belongs to you. It has since the day we met, and it's been in your possession ever since."

She didn't know what to say because she didn't believe him. She knew him better than that, knew that he wouldn't do that because he never cared that much.

"Kat, baby, look at me," he didn't know what to say. How could he prove it to her? In reality, he couldn't. There was no way. "How can I prove it to you?"

There was only one thought in her mind and only one thing that was making the blood course through her veins: lust.

"Just, get dressed." She saw the look of rejection he had on his face, and she let out a sigh. "Well, unless you have any condoms around here, you'll need to be wearing something so we can go get some," she smiled.

"No, I don't have any. You know I hate those damn things." But yet, he began getting dressed anyway.

"Well, you're gonna have to deal with it if you want anything to happen." She was fully dressed now, and so was he.

They got into his car and went to the nearest convenient store.

From his driving, she knew the alcohol hadn't hit him like it hit her. She still had a full buzz going, and he seemed fine. She shrugged it off because it didn't really matter to her, but she was happy she had thought to use some sort of protection and not really having to force the issue. Either it had been a while since he last had sex, or he was just really horny. She didn't think that it had anything to do with her. She was just there and wasn't male, so he probably figured "why not?" She knew he still cared for her, but she wasn't sure how much. She had no reason to believe him even though the way he'd looked at her, and was still looking at her, told her different. He was great at playing head games; she had to keep reminding herself of that. After all, she still remembered how he had had Kelly wrapped around his little finger, believing he loved her, when they had fist met.