Chapter 20
Kris heard the door close and made her way downstairs, seeing AJ sitting on the couch. She took a deep breath and walked over to him.
“Alex?” He glanced up, frowning a little.
“What’s up? Do you like your room?”
“It’s huge, lovely though, thank you. Where did Resa go?”
“Shopping. Nick and D are coming over for dinner. We are gonna have a small BBQ.”
“Oh, that’s who called.” Kris sat down on the coffee table and ran her hands over her jeans. Within her heart, and her mind, she knew she had to ask the questions that she honestly didn’t want the answer too. “Alex?” He glanced at her again, saw the questions burning in her eyes and knew the time had come to finally get everything out in the open. He was wishing that it would take a bit longer but he was well aware that was a damn foolish wish.
“Yeah?”
“We need to talk.” He sat his book down beside him and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He ran his hand over his face before looking her dead on. “And you know damn good and well what the hell I’m talking about!” AJ wanted to really crawl into the darkest part of his house and hide.
“I do know. Just was hoping that it was coming a little later.”
“Well, Resa isn’t here, so there is no later. How the hell could you not tell me that you were engaged?” AJ winced a little under her anger. His Kris was a total sweetheart when she wanted to be, but when her anger came out, so did the claws.
“Kris…”
“No, Mclean, you can not sweet talk your way out of this one. I deserve an answer.”
“I didn’t think to tell you about Resa, because, I never thought things would go the way they did!”
“Bull shit!”
“Kris, I swear, I never thought I was going to be with you, even kiss you. But that night, those days, you blocked out everyone from my mind. Do you think I planned to hurt you? Do you think I wanted to lie?”
“No, what I think is that you wanted both your cake and your ice cream!” With that, she stood up. “Were you ever gonna tell me that you were engaged?” Inside, he cringed. He didn’t want to lie to her, but he also knew that he was in deep shit already.
“No, I had no plans to tell you anything.” With that, Kris’ eyes flashed and her hand snaked out and slapped him hard.
“That might meant something to me Alex. All of the things we have, meant something. I was the world’s biggest fool to believe that, that night meant anything to you!” Alex’s eyes lifted up to met hers.
“Kris, it did mean something!”
“I’m sorry, I don’t believe that shit!” Kris started walking up the stairs and than stopped to look at him. “You do realize just how badly you hurt me. Imagine if your fiancé happened to find out. How would you feel? How would she feel? After all, she is still my best friend!”
-----
She stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, her heart pounding loudly against her ribs. She finally added the last of her make up and curled her hair a bit. Right now, she was livid with Alex; for using her AND for betraying her best friend. And it was Kris’s curse that she didn’t have the strength to break her best friend’s heart by telling her the truth. So, instead, tonight, she was gonna lose herself to drinking and maybe a certain Latin man who seemed to be lookin’ mighty fine these days.
She sighed, knowing just how horrible she sounding, but she really wanted to make Alex jealous, if that was possible. Kris looked at herself again. No, she knew Alex felt something. She knew him well enough. But he wouldn’t act on anything, simply because he really did maintain one relationship at a time. Excuse me, one TRUE and LOVING relationship at a time. In all truth, and how she hated to admit this, cheating wasn’t what Alex did. It just wasn’t his thing. She wrinkled her nose and finally headed downstairs, smiling as she saw Howie.
“Hey there D. Are you cooking tonight?”
“Nah, not at a BBQ. That’s blondies job.”
“Does that mean we are going hungry since he’s gonna burn everything?”
“No. I promise, you’ll enjoy his BBQ. Want anything to drink?” Kris glanced down at his beer and wrinkled her nose a little.
“Do they have anything besides that?”
“I believe Resa got some wine coolers.”
“Oh, I’ll take that than.”
“Coming right up.” She watched Howie walk away and just about freaked as Resa came up behind her.
“He is one good looking man, huh?”
“Theresa! Are you trying to play match maker?”
“Not at all. Just saying that he’s single and you’re single and that he’s good looking. What you take from that is so up to you!” She winked as she took a drink from her own wine cooler.
“Does Howie know that you’re trying to set him up?”
“Nope. I just hate seeing him along and I think you two would look good together. Is that so bad? To want my friends happy?” Kris just looked at Resa, for Kris wasn’t so sure that Resa wanted a truthful answer to that. Because Kris knew that the only thing that would make her totally happy, would be if she was the one marrying Alex. And since that wasn’t going to happen, she was never gonna be totally happy. No matter how much Alex hurt her, she was gonna forever love that man.
“No girl, there is nothing wrong with that.”
-----
Alex stood back by the wall, watching his friend interact with Kris way to comfortably. He knew he shouldn’t be getting jealous but he couldn’t stop the strong emotion. He couldn’t stop thinking about the things that she said earlier, either. His eyes strayed to his fiancé who was currently joking around with Nick. He took a deep breath and stalked over to Resa, proving to himself, to her, to the whole world, that the only woman he wanted to marry was Theresa!
Author's Chapter Notes:
Because SOMEONE has been asking and asking...and because I love her...here ya go!
