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Chapter Four-Hundred-Eight



“So…what does this mean?” Scott asked softly long after their love making and lying there in complete silence just enjoying each other’s company. He leaned down and kissed her stomach softly before looking up at her to meet her eyes. “Where do we go from here?”


“I…I don’t know…” Kori confessed and she looked away from him not being able to meet his eyes. She doesn’t want him to see regret in them and automatically get the wrong idea. She doesn’t regret making love to him – not in the least bit. It is everything that she’s been wanting from him and more – definitely not what she remembers from five years ago. Either he’s gotten a hell of a lot better over the years, or it was just a lot of pent up lust. Either way it was amazing and if she could do it over again…she probably would. Okay yeah she totally would and if she even tried to deny it, it would only be a downright lie. The only thing she regrets though, is the fact that she just cheated on Wiley.


“What do you mean you don’t know? Kori you can’t just make love to me like this, tell me that you love me and then go back to him in that diner and pretend it never happened! That’s not fair!”


“I know Scott…god, don’t you think I know that?” Kori snapped somewhat and she looked at him with eyes full of tears.


“Do you regret what we just did?”


“No…” She insisted and she shook her head for emphasis before gently cradling his face in her hands before bringing him closer and planting a soft kiss on his forehead. “I don’t regret making love to you and it would be a downright lie if I told you I wouldn’t do it again. But…but there’s still Wiley, I just cheated on Wiley! And h-he’s a really wonderful person who doesn’t deserve this in the least bit! Can you see how I could feel a little conflicted here?”


“Fine…” Scott replied while calming down some. He can understand that. “So then go back to the diner and talk to him. Give him the respectful goodbye that he deserves before he gets hurt anymore.” Kori looked away again as a lone tear slid from her eyes.


“Its only the right thing to do after what just happened Kor…you can’t seriously tell me that you love him after what we just experienced…”


“But I do Scott…” She whispered softly.


“How do you figure?” He asked incredulously. “You just had sex with me for crying out loud! If you really love him you wouldn’t have!”


“I don’t know!” Kori insisted while breaking down into sobs. “This is exactly what I didn’t want! I didn’t want to be pressured into making a decision; I wanted to make it in my own time and way! And then you…I…then we did this and it’s screwed everything up and…and I’m an emotional wreck!”


“I didn’t pressure you into making love to me Kori, you begged me to. You wanted it so don’t try and blame me.”


“I know I did…I’m not blaming you, I’m just trying to tell you that everything is messed up.”


“It doesn’t have to be,” Scott insisted gently and he placed his forefinger and thumb to her chin and tilted it up so that she is gazing into his sincere eyes. “It’s obvious what your answer is. It became obvious the moment you decided to have sex with me. Let Wiley go baby…just let him go. You’re right he doesn’t deserve to be hurt like this.” Kori brought her hands up to her face and covered her eyes stressfully for a long moment.


“I just…I can’t do this Scott. I can’t be pressured!” She told him when she finally looked up at him again. “Do you understand that? Would I be asking too much of you if I wanted you to not push this?”


“Let me just get this straight here…you want me to agree to going back to the way things were? You want me to let you go back to that diner after you made love to me and told me that you love me so that you can continue being with Wiley and pretend it all didn’t happen? I am just supposed to keep watching you with him?”


“Just until the day we go back to Florida,” Kori answered and she looked up at him with desperate pleading eyes. “This whole trip was supposed to be all about Ashley and I spending much needed time together in my world and me figuring out what I truly want…I told Ash I would tell everyone what that is on the day we go home I –“


“And what am I supposed to do then?” Scott demanded. “If you pick Wiley over me am I supposed to just stand by and let that happen? You know damn well that I won’t do that Kori. I won’t. I’m not losing you again especially now that I know where your heart truly lies!”


“Please Scott…I’m begging you. Just let me figure this out on my own.”


“There’s nothing to figure out!”


“Scott…”


“I refuse to pretend that this never happened,” Scott insisted stubbornly, and he enveloped her protectively in his arms before leaning down and kissing her forehead softly. She closed her eyes comfortably and he kissed those, before lightly grazing her lips with his own. “I’ve been waiting for this for so long…you can’t make me do it baby.” Kori looked away from him once more as she rubbed at her watery eyes. “What I really don’t think is fair, is that while you’re asking me to give you space so you can figure things out, he gets to lie in that cozy bed with you in that diner. He gets to hold you, and love on you and I get to do nothing but watch! What about him? If you need to figure things out so bad…why don’t you tell him to give you space too?”


“Fine,” Kori told him tearfully. “I’ll ask him to go stay in his old room back at the house he and Chris used to share. Will that satisfy you?”


“Yes, it would. But how are you going to do that? What are you going to tell him if your not going to tell him what just happened between us?”


“He knows I’ve been emotional and needing space lately…especially after tonight when I told him I wasn’t going upstairs to bed with him. He’s a smart guy…he’s not that far out of the loop. I’ll just tell him I need some space and if he’s the sweet guy that I know he is…he’ll understand. He’ll feel hurt and put off…but he’ll understand.”


“And what…tonight just didn’t happen?”


“Of course it did,” Kori insisted. “It happened, and I loved every minute of it and believe me I’m not going to be forgetting about it – ever. But Wiley just can’t know about it, he can’t. It would just destroy him.”


“I’m not letting you go,” Scott informed firmly. “I’ll let you have the space to figure out what I’ve already learned, but in the mean time…you thought I was being sweet before with the ice cream and all of the other little things I’ve done…but you haven’t seen nothing yet.”


“I dated you for practically my entire childhood. How could I have possibly not seen everything?” Kori asked and she was slightly amused despite how awful she feels inside.


“I’ve changed and grown a lot since then.”


“So I keep hearing…and have experienced.”


“Yeah?” Scott asked becoming highly curious now.


“How many women have you been with since me Scott?” She asked softly, voicing a question that’s been eating her up inside since the night he first unknowingly seduced her.


“Nada.” Kori arched her eyebrow.


“Don’t lie to me…”


“I’m not, I’m being downright serious with you. I’ve never been with another woman since you.”


“But that’s…”


“Impossible? Why is it impossible to believe that I had a hard time moving on?”


“If you had a hard time moving on…that’s understandable…but you couldn’t have not had sex since then…you are a guy.”


“What, just because I’m a guy you think I can’t survive without sex? How very sexist of you” Scott replied with a smirk. Kori shrugged.


“I don’t know, I just thought…”


“For the record I never slept with anyone other then you. Yeah, I flirted with a few at bars and clubs since then, but they all looked very much like you in some shape or form. But they never made it out of the club with me because they just weren’t you.” Kori felt her heart flutter at his very sincere words and she fought back more tears. If she cries anymore her eyes will be all dried out by morning.


“Really?” She whispered and he simply nodded as he lightly tickled her cheek with the pad of his finger.


“Does that ease your mind a little bit?” he asked as he noticed she seemed to relax some.


“Maybe…”


“Why did you ask? I mean, other then the obvious fact that its been upsetting you? I know there was some other purpose.”


“I hate how you know me so well,” Kori insisted. “Hate it.”


“Well, I like it” Scott told her while chuckling softly. “It comes in handy.”


“It was just really different this time,” She confessed quietly.


“What was?”


“Making love to you. Either you had a lot of pent up lust, or something…” Scott chuckled.


“Definitely a lot of pent up lust. Like I said it’s only been you.” Kori gazed up at him in silence for a long while as she lightly combed her fingers through his hair and just as she was about to speak up again, his cell phone rang interrupting her. He sat up some and reached back and grabbed his pants that were just outside the tunnel, and he pulled it out and placed it to his ear.


“What?” he asked knowing who it is and Detective Stabler laughed, as did Kori.


“I just thought Id warn you that Wiley is getting very worried about Kori.”


“How worried?” Scott asked cautiously, causing Kori to sit up some and look at him with concern.


“About to send search parties out if she doesn’t get home soon kind of worried. He demanded me to check where you guys are at by the bracelets and I told him I would. He’s waiting on my call back.”


“But you saw me go in the direction of the park, you don’t have to check” Scott told him amusedly.


“Yeah and that’s not all I saw either,” Detective Stabler warned though Scott could hear the slight amusement in his voice. Scott raised his eyebrow suspiciously.


“Where are you Detective?” He asked while looking around cautiously.


“Oh no worries, I left when things went too far over PG for my eyes. But do you really want me to tell him where you are at?” Detective Stabler challenged.


“Call him back and tell him she’s fine. Tell him you found her at the park alone and you are sending her back now. I’ll have her back shortly.”


“Will do,” Detective Stabler snickered and he hung up. Scott shook his head and looked at Kori.


“Wi is freaking out we’ve gotta get going or he’s going to come looking for you,” he explained before grabbing his boxers and proceeding to put them on and then his pants. When he was decent he crawled out of the tunnel and left her alone to get dressed as well while he searched for his shirt.


“If my memory serves me correct I believe I tossed it over the tic-tac-toe board and into the sand,” Kori informed him when she saw him searching for something and knew right off what it was. “But I was pretty busy so don’t shoot me if I’m wrong.” Scott chuckled amusedly.


“Nah, I remember you doing that now too” he told her while getting down from the Jungle Gym and walking around so he could look behind the tic-tac-toe board. Sure enough, there it was lying in the sand. He grabbed it up and by the time he had it on, Kori crawled down from the Jungle Gym fully dressed. He walked over to her, gently cradled her face in his hands and as she gazed up at him he could see the mistrust in her eyes. He knows she doesn’t fully trust him with her heart just yet and he has a feeling that’s the real reason why she’s hesitating and insisting that he give her space to figure things out. He leaned forward and planted a kiss on her forehead and then he pulled back and took her hand into his own while gently squeezing it and he began to walk with her back to the diner. When they got there, they stopped just before they reached the windows so that no one inside would be able to see them together. She looked up at him and he gently tucked a strand of her hair back behind her ear.


“I love you,” He reminded her gently, not expecting her to say it back and she didn’t. But she doesn’t have to. She already said everything he needed to know back at the park. He lightly caressed her cheek with the pad of his thumb for a few moments as he just looked at her and then he leaned down and kissed her cheek before pulling back. She looked at him for a few seconds, and then headed into the diner leaving him standing there by himself.


“Where have you been?” Wiley demanded when she finally walked in the diner and she found him, Nick, and Ashley all sitting there. She can see that she’s really worried them all.


“I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to scare you guys. I just needed some fresh air…so I went for a walk.”


“Alone? At night?” Ashley asked incredulously.


“Sean doesn’t know we’re here sweetie.”


“But still…”


“I’m fine, I promise” Kori reassured while kissing her cheek. “I’m sorry I frightened you.” Wiley walked over to her and slid his arms around her and pulled her near.


“Are you ready to talk to me about things now that you’ve had time alone to think about them all?” Wiley wanted to know and Kori looked up at him in silence for a long moment and nodded.


“Yeah…we really do need to have a talk,” She told him softly. He gazed into her eyes for a couple of moments, and then leaned down to kiss her and she turned her head slightly giving him her cheek. Ashley raised her eyebrow slightly in curiosity at that, and then looked at Nick. She took his hand into hers and turned around then and began tugging him toward the stairs deciding they ought to leave them alone now. As soon as they were in their room with the door shut, Kori motioned toward the booth.


“Come sit down Wi,” She told him softly. “I’ll make some coffee,” she added and while he went to sit in the nearest booth she went into the kitchen to make them both some coffee.



~The Next Day~



“So you really believe Kayline is watching over her huh?” Brandon asked Doctor Johnson as the two of them stood at the window watching the little girl conduct a tea party for her animal friends and dolls in the backyard.


“Of course I do,” Doctor Johnson insisted firmly. “And I know you are starting to be open to the idea too, so don’t pretend you aren’t.”


“I’m really just trying to wrap my head around it still.” Doctor Johnson reached out and gently squeezed his shoulder. “I haven’t even seen any signs…if she’s here she cant be too interested in me.”


“Come on now Bran, of course she is.”


“How do you know?”


“How many times has Julie crawled up into your lap and simply just loved on you for no apparent reason at all huh?”


“Julie is just a really sweet kid that’s all.”


“Yes, but crawling into your lap and cuddling with you for no apparent reason was Kayline’s thing remember?”


“No it was—“


“—Yes it was. That was her absolute favorite thing ever to do, crawl into your lap and cuddle with you. She never did it with me.” Doctor Johnson looked at Brandon then who was standing there quietly leaning against the window watching Julie. “If you looked past your guilt you would remember that. I know you feel like she didn’t love you very much but you are wrong.”


“Well, you would know better then I would.”


“Stop that,” Doctor Johnson insisted and Brandon sighed. “Just relax and be open about it and maybe you wouldn’t miss stuff.” The two of them were silent for a couple of moments, and then Brandon glanced at his brother to see him completely focused on Julie.


“So…Kayline aside, what are your feelings for Julie?”


“What kind of question is that? I adore her.”


“Do you?” Brandon asked while eyeing his brother. “If Kayline wasn’t her guardian angel would you still care about her as much as you do?”


“Of course I would. She means the world to me Brandon. I treasure her…where are you getting at with this?”


“I was just curious that’s all. I’m not trying to be judgmental or anything.”


“Well I mean it. I love Kayline very much and I’m happy to know that she’s watching out for us through Julie. But if she wasn’t I would still adore Julie very much.”


“And you don’t sometimes forget that she is infact Julie, and not Kayline?”


“No, I don’t.”


“Okay.”


Julie is the best thing that’s ever happened to me Bran.”


“I know she is Steve,” Brandon replied and he couldn’t help but smile some. “So is Anna. You hold onto them okay? They’re special.”


“You don’t need to tell me that twice, believe me.” Brandon stood there silently watching as his brother stood there staring out at Julie, now with a small smile on his face. “Infact, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something…I’ve just been waiting until we were alone to do so.”


“What’s up?” Brandon asked curiously. He waited for him to answer, and when he didn’t get one he arched his eyebrow.


“Steve?”


“I want to marry Anna.”


“…In maybe a few months or so down the road right?”


“Like in a month or so down the road,” Doctor Johnson answered softly. “But, I want to propose now.”


“You two just started dating though.”


“Yes…I know that.”


“And you think you’re ready to be engaged already? Steve I know you love her…but shouldn’t you give it some time?”


“Some time for what? To see that she’s the one I want to spend the rest of my life with? I already know that Brandon. I know it with my whole heart. I couldn’t tell you how I do…but I do. It just feels…right.” Brandon eyed him for a long moment before replying.


“So what’s your question then?”


“I wanted to know what you thought about it…I was kind of hoping to get your blessing. You are my only family member left I thought I should probably ask you what you thought.”


“You know I already love Annabelle very much Steve and I’m more then thrilled to know that she could be my sister in law some day. But it’s a matter of whether or not you really truly believe you are ready for it.”


“I am,” Doctor Johnson answered sincerely. “I really want to make My Annabelle and that beautiful little girl out there part of my family. I want to marry Anna and then I want to adopt Julie and create a loving family for her – she deserves nothing less than that after her father bailed out on her.” Just then, Julie came in the house and both men turned their attention entirely on her.


“Stevie,” Julie spoke up in a slight whiney tone.


“What’s the matter angel?”


“I hurt my knee,” she pouted. Doctor Johnson frowned slightly.


“How did you do that sweetheart? Let me see,” he asked gently and he crouched down in front of her.


“No, it hurts” she insisted stubbornly as her eyes began to water up.


“I’ll fix it for you if you just let me take a look,” he promised. “Which knee is it?” Julie held her right knee out to him and whimpered slightly as she did. He pulled the hem of her dress up far enough just to see her knee and sure enough it was bleeding slightly.


“Oh dear…” he told her sympathetically.


“Can you fix it?” she asked hopefully and he gave her a sincere smile.


“Yeah I think that’s a definite possibility,” he reassured her while getting up and gently gathering her in his arms before carrying her over to the counter and setting her down.


“How did this happen kiddo?” Brandon spoke up. “We were watching you the whole time, we didn’t see you fall down.”


“I scraped my knee when I was trying to climb the tree.”


“You should wear jeans when you’re climbing trees honey” Doctor Johnson suggested as he began to treat her cut with water and hydrogen peroxide. Julie winced at the slight sting but otherwise did her best to tough it out. When he finished he placed he placed a light bandage over it.


“There, there…just a minor scrape. It will heal up before you know it,” he promised as she looked up at him with watery eyes and she slid her arms around his neck bringing him closer before resting her head on his shoulder. Doctor Johnson rubbed his hand over her back soothingly as he hugged her close to him protectively and he kissed the top of her head.


“I love you Stevie,” She told him softly.


“I love you too Julie.” Brandon stood there quietly watching them together and then finally nodded his head.


“All right,” he spoke up again and Doctor Johnson looked over at him curiously. “You have my blessing…but I’m going with you to pick the you know what out – right now while Peyton has Anna out for the day. It is my duty to go with you.” Doctor Johnson grinned happily and he gathered Julie up into his arms.


“Come on angel, we’re going to make a trip to the mall,” he told her while he and Brandon prepared to head out.