93: The Truth Revealed

A/N: This chapter takes place in the week between Christmas and New Year's, in the middle of the last chapter.

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Lynne

     "Holy shit! What?" I yell into my phone. Troy had just finished telling me that Pam has been in the hospital, that she'd lost the baby while I'd been off on my little trip.

      I was stupid. I did what shouldn't have been done. I over-punished that man. He never actually raped Erin, he just thought about it as a possibility. I had to go and correct the wrong I'd made against him…without him knowing anything about anything.

     I'd disguised myself with bluish contacts and red hair. Sean couldn't be able to recognize me during my trip to Riverview. He didn't remember anything about the night I cursed him, but I didn't want to take that risk.

     Even with the curse removed, he still doesn't remember that night. The real bad thing in this is that I also took off the part of the curse that encouraged him not to contact Erin. I couldn't remove one part without removing the other part. The second I removed it, I saw him get out his phone. I can only guess he sent her a message in some way.

     If he comes after her again, we'll have to deal with it however we can. Until then, I'll have to hope for the best.

    Troy tells me that Pam's at home, resting. I let him go with the promise that I'll call him later or at least see him at Hurricane for the New Year's party, and I get in my car to rush over to her house. When I get there, I find her resting in her bed, and Simon leaves the two of us so we can talk.
     She's hiding something; I notice that immediately. I walk over and give her a hug. The woman hugging me back isn't the same Pamela. She's unconsciously placed a shield around herself that normally isn't there. When we release the hug, I take a step back to get a better look at my old friend.

     "Tell me what really happened," I demand from her with a look that tries to penetrate the emotional shield she's placed around herself.

     Her lip trembles, and she wipes a tear from her eye. "I failed, and she punished me."

     "Who 'she'?"

     "Ashley," she whispers.

     "What happened?" I ask. "You failed?"

     "To save her new husband from a horrible brain tumor. How could I not help? And don't tell anyone."

     I sit down on the bed as the information swirls around in my head. Ashley's husband has a brain tumor and called to ask for Pam's help. Pam failed.

     "She did this?" My blood boils.

     Pam glares at the wall in front of her. "Whether directly or not, yes. She was furious when I failed. I'd started coming up to her to comfort the bitch, and she shoved me away. Then, the way she expelled me from the room was like she was having something jerk me backwards from my navel, and I've realized that that was what damaged me and made me eventually lose the baby."

     The look on her face reminds me of a younger Pamela, one that would rather fight than find another alternative to finding peace in a situation. She and Ashley, though best friends, could get into violent fights when we were teens. It was my 'job' as the red witch in the middle to do what I could to stop the fighting. With those two, I learned early what it was to maintain balance. Pam would constantly be summoning different things to block and throw at Ashley who'd only turn around and blast it away, also trying to get at Pam. I did what I could to intersect everything before it could find its mark. They didn't fight all the time, but when they did, it was always a show.

      "What are you doing?" I ask as I watch her hands glow different colors, reflecting her thoughts I'm sure. She doesn't answer me, so I get more specific. "What are you planning?"
      "Who says I'm planning anything? I'm just angry. Isn't that understandable?" she asks with only a trace of innocence.

     "You can't fool me, remember?"

     "I'm not planning anything; I'm only wishing I could. Right now, I'm too angry to think straight. But it'll come to me."

     "So…What? Are you going to go after her?"

     "I probably won't have to," she responds. "I'm betting anything she'll come here. After all, he's dying soon if he hasn't already. When that happens, she'll want to see her daughter in some pathetic attempt to find a family connection again. When she gets here, she won't be expecting whatever it is that I'm going to do, so I'll at least have the element of surprise."

     "And you think I'm going to allow that?"

     " 'Allow'?! I'm not asking your permission. She took something from me; I'll find something to take from her. That should make you happy, right? Balance?"

     This will piss her off, I think but say what needs saying anyway. "In her mind, you have taken something from her."

     "She should've known better than to think I could heal him! I even told her before I left that I didn't think I could. I only offered to try! I've not taken anything from her except the hope that I could fix it."

     Another thought occurs to me. "Did she know about your pregnancy?" I hate playing the Devil's advocate, but I have to make Pam see reason and get that look off her face.

     "No. I was worried she wouldn't let me try if she knew," she sheepishly admits. She obviously has a hard time admitting that Ashley has a heart in her somewhere. I don't blame her, really. Ashley leaving Bryce and Adele was awful at best.

     I start to say something else, but Pamela interrupts me before I can, "I don't want to listen to your reasons why I shouldn't blame her. If it weren't for her, her hopeless request, and her ferociously angry action, I'd still be happily looking forward to another baby!" She starts crying.

     I lean down and hug her again, and she cries hard into my shoulder. "Lynne, please, don't get in the middle of this," she says through her tears.
     I say nothing. She knows that in the middle is where I'll end up. Part of me wants to stand right next to her and help her crush Ashley, but my parents drilled into me my purpose. Under normal circumstances, what Ashley did to Pam wouldn't have really hurt her. Ashley didn't know she was pregnant or she probably wouldn't have asked for Pam to try to heal in the first place. I can't let Pam attack in anger, and I don't look forward to playing magical referee.
     "She deserves it. She deserves more for everything she's done to my family," Pam insists.
     "This isn't like you."
     "What? You think I can't feel justified fury?"
     "Don't act out of anger. You'll end up doing something you regret," I say, knowing it falls on deaf ears. She gets quiet, so I add, "Just promise me you'll think through every consequence before you do anything."
     "Get over it, Lynne. A fight is on its way. I won't try to stop you from interfering if all you're doing is keeping everyone else safe from the two of us, but don't get in my way." She leans back against the headboard and wipes her eyes.
     I sigh. "Don't worry about that right now. Rest. Get better. I'm sorry for what's happened to you; it's terrible. Don't let it cause permanent damage to who you are." I hold her face in my hands. "We all love you, and we want you to recover safely, okay?"
    "I'll rest and get better," she promises, but I notice she doesn't promise to stop scheming.
  

      After I speak with Simon for a few minutes, I tell him I'll see him later and leave. I let out a heavy breath and drive home. After parking my car in the driveway, I walk up my sidewalk to find Troy sitting and waiting for me. I say his name in surprise.

      "I didn't want to wait around forever for you to call me back," he says in explanation. "I was out anyway, so I thought we could talk face-to-face." He takes a breath. "I've missed you, especially on Christmas. Where did you go?" I see a mistrusting light in his eyes like he thinks I went to be with some other man.

      "I can't tell you," I answer and hate myself for keeping it from him.

      He nods and looks at the ground before rubbing the back of his neck. "You can't tell me a lot of things, can't you? The only reason I can see is that you don't trust me. I don't know what I did to make you not trust me. I wish I could figure it out. I haven't dated anyone else, for starters."

     "I haven't dated anyone since before Adele's birthday." Instead, I've been slowly teaching Adele how to control her raw power. Pam was pregnant and didn't want to overexert herself, so I happily signed up for the job of apprenticing her. That has kept us busy.

     "Then what, Lynne? I love you! Why can't you trust me with whatever has been bothering you?" he shouts.

     My lower lip trembles. "You hardly know me, Troy. Very few people know what I'm really like."

     His face screws up in pain. "So, what you're telling me is that you've decided not to show the real you to me, meaning I've fallen in love with a persona, a mask you show the world." He puts his forehead in his hand and then runs his hand over the top of his head. "Why?" he whispers.

     "Because you won't like the real me."

     "Try me. At least give me a chance." His eyes sadly glare at me.

     I nod my head, realizing that it's come to that point where I have to tell him. I'd dreaded this, knowing it would have to happen eventually if we were going to progress as a couple. "Come inside," I tell him softly. On the way inside, I pick up a stick off the ground.

     After I close the door, he looks at the stick strangely and asks, "What's that for?"

     I hold it up. "This." The end of the stick catches fire. It's a simple thing, really, and what I've been working on with Adele.

     His eyes widen in shock, and he backs away a few paces. I reach over and douse the flames by smothering them with my palm.

    "How did you do that?" he asks in a gasp, taking another step back. I make no move to follow him, not wanting to spook him.

     I look at the floor as I say, "I'm a witch, Troy." I feel my face wrinkle in worry as I look at him again. "And, I'm not always the most behaved. I did something to Sean that I had to go and undo over Christmas." For a moment, I'm reminded of why I gave Pam my warning. It's awful to feel that regret. At least I found a way to undo it.

     He swallows. "That's what you meant when you said that you and him had a little 'chat'…Something that got him to leave the island, to leave Erin alone."

     "Yes. I overdid it. Thankfully, I found a way to undo it. However, the part of the curse I placed upon him that told him to leave her alone forever went away too."

     "You're a witch," he says dully like it's finally sinking in. "You've always been one, for as long as I've known you. The whole time."

     "I don't openly tell people, but it's come to a point to where I think you should know," I respond quietly. Then I look up at his dazed expression, and a nightmare of mine starts coming true. Troy isn't taking this well.

      I say his name and take a step towards him. He immediately holds up his hands and backs away again. I stop, unable to hide the hurt look on my face.

     "So…You hurt him because it suited your purpose," he says, his eyes wide.

     "He needed to be stopped before he hurt Erin," I say, defending myself.

     "That's the same kind of reasoning gangsters use."

     "I didn't kill him! And what I did, I was able to undo."

     "And that makes it better?!"

     "Yes!"

     He holds his head in his hands. I'm losing him. He's going to see me as a freak. What would he do if he found out that Pam is one too? And little Adele?

     I back away and walk into my living room. "It's okay if you want to leave," I throw over my shoulder quietly.

     Several minutes of tense silence go by before he finally speaks. "This is all you've been hiding from me," he states in a questioning way. "That you're a witch. That's it? There's nothing else?"

     "What else could there be?" I ask before my breath gets caught in my throat when I see him slowly walking towards me.

     "I have no idea. Another man, perhaps? I'm only asking," he says before I see a hint of a smile. Almost to himself, he says, "There isn't someone else." His steps get quicker as he approaches me in the living room. "I always knew there was something special about you." He wraps an arm around my waist and kisses me.

      Tears escape my eyes, and I shake from trying to come to terms with his wonderful one-eighty. "I'm still me. This 'persona' you spoke of is still part of me, but I want you to know about all of me. You deserve to."

      "I love all of you, everything about you, even the parts I may not know yet. Forgive me if I was a little surprised."

      "I love you, Troy," I tell him and throw my arms around his neck. He crushes me to him with strength I didn't know he had. This was the first time I've told him how I felt. It was when I worried I'd lose him after he came by to visit the day before Adele's birthday party that I finally realized it. "I won't keep anything from you ever again."

73: Be Serious

Troy

     My workday ends, and I decide to drive over to Lynne's place unannounced. This worries me a small amount because I realize there's a possibility that she already has someone over.

     Lynne and I are dating and have been for a while ever since that day she kissed me in her bathroom. I finally got the guts to ask her out that night when she came over to use my stove. But we're not exclusive, and that was just fine with me in the beginning. Now, it drives me crazy. I'm sick of it. Every time I've mentioned wanting to take things to the next step, she very successfully distracted me from talking about it. Every time.

     There's no other car in her driveway. I hope that she's home. It's hard to tell since she parks in her garage.

    "Troy!" she smiles as she greets me, but she looks like she also might not want me here. I should've called.

     I take a step towards her and hold her to me. "Did I come at a bad time?" I ask, watching her closely.

     "No, no. It's fine. Come in," she says quickly, and we go stand in her great room for a few seconds before she wordlessly walks into the living area to close up a book and put it away. I quietly follow her.

     She stops and stares at the spine of the book she put on the shelf, and I startle her when I wrap my arms around her from behind.

     She pushes my hands off her and takes a step away from me, and I get worried. Sometimes, I feel like I'll never be able to really understand her, and lately, she's acted distracted all the time.
     "Lynne, talk to me. What's wrong?"

     She spins around and asks innocently, "Why do you say something's wrong?"

     I give her a knowing look. "Because I know you. I think." I look at her for a few seconds, trying yet again to figure out what's bothering her. "Are you going to tell me?"

     "I don't know what you mean," she answers and suddenly stands on her toes to kiss me.

    Every time. Every. Time. This woman always tries to distract me with her luscious body when I want to discuss something. She's too good at it, and she knows it works.

     She groans when her hands play with the muscles under my shirt. I'd better stop her quick before I fall into her trap again.

     "No," I say and gently push her away from me a small amount. I don't completely let go, however.

     "This isn't what you came over here for?" she asks playfully while running a single nail over my chest.

     The many faces of Lynne: It looks like I have playful Lynne at the moment.

     "Sort of," I answer and hold the hand with the distracting fingernail.

     "What else did you come over for?" she purrs as her free hand journeys south to too-lightly rub the growing bulge in my jeans.

      I work at keeping my mind on the task at hand when I ask the question that really brought me over here, "Why won't you be exclusive with me?" I hope a more direct question gets me the answer I want.

     She stops toying with me and drops her hand before she says, "So that's it. That's what's on your mind that made you come over." Angry Lynne boils to the surface, and to be honest, she scares the shit out of me. I don't want that.

     I put on an apologetic expression when I say, "I care about you, baby, and I can't stand the thought that you still might want to mess around with other guys."

     Her expression burns me as she asks, "You'd rather own me instead? Is that it?"

    "Not like that! I just can't do it anymore is all. I don't want to own you; I just don't want you dating and sleeping with other men! Is that too much to ask? I can't live like this. I've tried, and I just can't."
     Maybe that was too much, but knowing that on those nights when I have to work late that she's out clubbing -- it drives me crazy.

     "I'm sorry, Troy," she says calmly, and I relax a tiny bit. "That's perfectly reasonable, and I didn't mean what I said. I don't know what's wrong with me other than stress over doing something rash and having to deal with it."

     "What happened that has you stressed?" I ask, and my mind reels with all the possibilities. Is she pregnant? What if it isn't mine?

     "I did... something too cruel, and I want to undo part of it. But I can't figure out how."

     "Could I help?" She's not pregnant. Phew.

     "I wish you could, but no. I did it, and I have to be the one to undo it."

     What does that mean? Wait a minute...
     Again, she distracted me.

     "So that's why you won't be exclusive?" I ask once more, stubbornly wanting to stick to my original question.

     "No, Troy. It's not that. I'm just not... good enough for you," she tells me sadly.

     "That's a load of crap," I snap. "Tell me the real reason."

     "No! I'm not a good person."

     "Yeah," I say sarcastically. "And I'm so good that you don't want anything serious. Sure, sure, I get it. You think you're not good enough for me." I'm more upset than I thought I'd be. That's not the answer I expected. This is not how I wanted this to go. "By the way, I disagree." I let out a huff. Not good enough for me? Really? I think, not believing that's what she's really thinking. Why can't she just tell me the real reason, whatever it is?
     I watch her try to come up with something else to say, and a lump of lead forms in the pit of my stomach. I don't want to listen to another excuse, another lie. Either she wants me or she doesn't.
     "You know what? I... I give up." I guess I'll NEVER understand her.

      "You what?" she asks, her eyes widening before I let her go, turn, and walk towards the door.

     Then I think of a way I can answer her. "I give up. When you're ready to be serious and not coming up with lame excuses, you let me know. In the meantime, I'm out." She doesn't move to stop me from leaving.

     I could've had a more productive evening visiting my mother, I think angrily. My mom lives in an assisted living facility ever since her stroke about four years ago. I hate thinking that visiting her ranks lower than spending time with Lynne, but I can't help it. I'm all Mom has, and now I wonder if I've wasted my time.

     I shake my head and rub the back of my neck before I get into my truck. As I drive down the road, my phone rings in my pocket. Pulling it out, I check it quickly and see it's Lynne.

     "Hi," I say and wonder why I even answered my phone.

     "Please come back," she requests quietly.

     I adjust myself in my seat before I answer her, getting more comfortable.

     "No. Not tonight. I've decided to go visit my mom," I answer her in a flat voice.

     "I want to apologize.”

     I scowl as I listen to her and think, An apology isn't what I want to hear. Not really.

     "I'll come by tomorrow," I say.

     "Tomorrow is Adele's birthday party."

     "Then I'll see you there. Okay?"

     "Okay," she says, sounding hurt, and it tears at my heart. I wish she'd tell me what's bothering her.

     "Baby, do you at least understand what I'm trying to say?" I ask as I switch my phone to the other ear.

     "Yes. I'll see you tomorrow," she answers. She sounds a little melancholy, and I almost turn around to drive back to her place. However, I don't.


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So, Troy and Lynne have been dating. (sorry it's taken me so long to get back to them!) Lynne has been out mildly flirting with a few tourists... nothing serious, but Troy worries that she's slept around. He hasn't been dating anyone else; he hasn't wanted to. As most of you could probably guess by now, she's feeling remorse for what she did to Sean. It's been eating at her and making her feel like a terrible person, and it's carried over into her relationship with Troy. He has no idea, obviously, what she's feeling. (He doesn't even know she's a witch.) She sees him as a saint for caring for his mother the way he does, almost always putting everyone else before himself, and she sees herself as a monster not worthy of him.

Next up: Jesse and Marie :)

50: Revelations

This chapter is a monster. I guessed that you all would rather I not break up the party chapters, so I kept most of it together.

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Erin

     I feel like I'm a chaperone for Marie as the two of us are at Jesse's house early. We decided to just come over and help him set up since Bryce had to go to work early.

     I think if someone walked up behind Marie right now and said 'boo!', she'd die of heart failure. She's so nervous! Back home, we'd say she's 'as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.' 

     Marie decided to make an apple cobbler when she found a dutch oven and some apples. I guess she wanted something to do. Jesse told her to go right ahead. He looks a little lost in his own kitchen with the two of us in here doing stuff.

     I look over at him and say, "Jesse, why don't you go find something to do outside. You're making me nervous just standing there with nothing to do."

     "Isn't there something I could do in here?" he asks pathetically but cutely.

      I look at Marie. She looks around the kitchen and dining table where we have set up everything but food and shrugs. "We've got everything covered in here," she answers.

      He looks like he's trying not to pout as he shuffles out of the kitchen and back door. I get the strong suspicion that he'd hoped to get Marie alone. I feel like a third wheel, but I also feel like she silently begs me to stick around.

      I decide to make a little small talk. "So, you're from Champs les Sims?" I ask.

     "Oui," she answers with a small grin before turning back around to do something or other with the stovetop.

     "I have a cousin that grew up there. I wonder if you knew her."

     "The town isn't terribly big, maybe I do. What's her name?"

     "Cristina," I answer.

     Marie freezes, facing away from me still. Then she turns around and looks at me very critically.

     "Did you know her?" I ask again.

     "Cristina Haynes?"

     I smile. "Yes! That's her! So you did know her!" I'm happy. My cousin is a little spoiled, but she's also a lot of fun to be around. I think she's Marie's age too.

     "You're her cousin?!" Her voice raises. Then her hand covers her face as she mumbles, "The one who's fiance cheated on her. Why didn't I put this together?"

      "I guess it makes sense that you know her since you're-"

      "I hate her," Marie says icily and leaves the kitchen after turning off the burner on the stove.

       I stand here with my mouth agape, not understanding. She hates her? ... Is Marie the 'bully' that Cristina talked about?

       I can't imagine Marie being a bully, but then again, I don't know her that well.

Marie

      No! No! No! How can it be that I'm making a friend and she has to be HER cousin? I think angrily as I storm out of the house.

      Jesse stands at his mailbox and looks up, surprised to see me.

      I've had it! Coming here has done nothing to help me! My problems followed me!

      I try desperately to keep the tears from falling as I storm off towards the road. I don't mind walking back to my apartment.

      "Whoa! Where are you going? What's wrong?" I hear Jesse say as he trots up behind me.

      "I want to go home," I say, and some tears escape. "Back to Champs les Sims! Everywhere I go, my problems show up!"

       "What?! No!" he cries out and his arms wrap tightly around me like he thinks that simply holding on to me will keep me from leaving.

      I easily break his hold, but he obstinately keeps getting a hold of me in one way or another, preventing me from getting any farther no matter how many times I physically hurt him.

       "Stop. Please! Tell me what happened!" he begs.

       "Erin is Cristina's cousin!"

       "Who?"

       "Dawson's ex that he cheated on me with." I let out a hiccuping cry.

       I hear the cousin of that evil witch say, "Marie, wait!"

       "Why should I?" I snap. "Who's to say you're not exactly the same!" I momentarily give up on getting Jesse to stop trying to hold onto me.

       "I'm not!"

       "I don't know why I didn't see it before! You look just like her!" I snap. In the very back of my mind, I realize I'm losing it and not making much sense, but I don't care. All I see is Cristina in glasses in front of me.

       "Marie, at least explain to me why you're so mad," she asks of me.
       "Do you know what your cousin did to me?"
       "Not really."
       "When she was done visiting you in Riverview, she came back to steal my boyfriend!" I pant. "I moved here to get away from the mess SHE caused!" I take a breath, and my anger takes control. "And I arrive to only find her in another form!"
       "Wait... you're that girl that was always hanging around Dawson?" she asks, and I'm seething.
       "Only because he was my best friend!" I answer, feeling a little defensive as well. "When we were teens, she kept trying to say I wanted to steal him, but I had a boyfriend already!" I yell into her crumpling face. Yeah, Armand, who turned out to be an abusive jerk.
        "Whatever happened, it's not my fault!" she cries.

    The red in my vision slowly clears as I stand here and Erin cries. She's not Cristina. It's just she looks so much like her that the second Erin mentioned her, Cristina was all I could see. I feel like such a bitch.
     "I'm sorry, Erin," I say lamely as I stand here, numb, not moving. I have no idea what Jesse is thinking of the scene in front of him. I think that it's possible he hasn't gotten past me saying I was leaving. I can feel him watching me like a hawk.

     Erin dries her eyes and looks at me like she's trying to understand.
     I decide to continue with my apology. "I don't know what came over me."
     "What did she do?" Erin asks.
     I take a deep breath and prepare to tell her. I fully expect her to try and contradict me. "When she got back to Champs les Sims, she got overly friendly with him. He assured me nothing was happening, but then his brother brought me out to the ruins, and I saw with my own eyes he was lying." I do my best to avoid saying Dawson's name because I hate doing it.
     Erin wipes a shaking hand across her forehead and says, "She said she wanted to get him back when I left Riverview, and that she was going back home to do just that."
      "Well, it worked," I snap.
      "If he'd moved on so easily, then she shouldn't have gone after him again. I'd wondered before, but this Dawson sounds like a real piece of work," she says in a steady voice. "I knew what she was going to do, and I told her it was a bad idea, but she can be pretty stubborn."
      "You're not going to stand here and try to defend your cousin?" I ask, surprised.
      She shrugs. "No. I believe you. She's spoiled. And it matches up with what I know of her and what you've told me," she answers.
       I need to go sit down. I'd expected a fight. I was prepared for a fight, and now that the adrenaline rush is over, I'm exhausted.
      "You're not still leaving, are you?" she asks earnestly.
       "No. I don't know what I was thinking."
       She nods and says, "Well, there's an apple cobbler that needs finishing."
       I look at the ground and say, "It doesn't need anything. Just turn the burner on. I need to sit down for a while."
       "Okay," she says, turns around, and heads up the stairs to enter the house.
       Apple cobbler now feels like a strange thing to fix for a pool party, but I needed a distraction while in Jesse's kitchen.

     I flop down on what Jesse says is a new couch and stare at my flip-flops. Jesse follows me in and sits down next to me. I really wish he wouldn't. I just want to think, and I can't think with him sitting next to me.
     I'm going to have to talk to Erin some more later about this, obviously, but I can't right now. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that she didn't try to defend her cousin at all costs.
     "Are you all right?" Jesse asks me quietly after about a minute of silence goes by.
     I sigh exasperatedly. "Jesse, do I look all right?"
     "Just asking," he says defensively.
     "I'm sorry. I just had everything hit me in the face like it just happened again. I guess the shock that I didn't actually run away from it."

    "That's really annoying how crap will up and 'hit you in the face,' like you said, without warning," he says, I guess trying to be helpful.
      I sit up and close my eyes as I ask, "Jesse, can I simply be alone right now?"
      "Please don't ask me to leave," he begs quietly.
      That does it. The raw emotion in his voice breaks through, and I start crying. I double over from the pain around my heart.
       Jesse makes attempts to grab my shoulders to, I guess, pull me up to him. I fight him off several times.
       "Dammit, Marie. Would you just let me help?" he finally asks.
       I let out a pathetic whining sound and stop fighting him off. I'm as floppy as a rag doll as he pulls me up.

     "My best friend," I say simply in between little cries.
     "I know," he says like he finally understands.
     He thankfully doesn't try anything, although by the time I've calmed down, I can tell he doesn't really want to let go. I can't decide if that's sweet or annoying. For something neutral to do I guess, he switches on the TV, and Erin comes in and sits on the other side of me. We sit and watch some cheesy romantic comedy. My why-did-I-fix-this apple cobbler finishes, and Erin asks me to go over to Bryce's with her for a second so she can change into her swimsuit.
     On the short walk over there, I ask her, "We're wearing swimsuits? I don't have mine."
     She bites her lip for a second before she answers. "You could borrow one from me, or if you want, I'll loan you my scooter so you can go get yours."
     I opt for the scooter plan. I'm glad Jesse wasn't around us when Erin offered the options. I can just see him jumping at the chance to drive me over to my apartment and back.

Jesse

     Erin and Marie go over to Bryce's for a minute so they can change since it's about five now. I wonder where Marie is when I see only Erin walk out of the house and down the stairs to my backyard.

     "Where's Marie?" I ask her, hoping I'm not too obvious.
     She picks up a glass of the drinks I made and answers, "I let her borrow my scooter so she could go and get her swimsuit."
      "Oh," I say. "I could've driven her over there if she needed a ride."
      Erin smiles a knowing, little smile at me and says, "She was also curious about driving my scooter since she's thinking about getting one herself."

    People start trickling in, and I honestly forget whatever it was Erin and I were talking about when Marie shows back up.
    Oh holy shit, she's wearing a bikini! I instantly become irritated that I have to calm down the wild animal in my trunks as she walks down the stairs. What am I? Fifteen?

    She stops at the bottom of them and stares at the ocean. I can't help but wonder if she's thinking about that other guy, what's-his-name.
    Erin watches me and starts acting weird. She's trying not to laugh when I look back over at her.
    "Are you going to stand there drooling, or are you gonna go talk to her?" she asks me very quietly.
     I scowl at her. She thinks she needs to tell me what to do? She's got another thing coming if she does. "She probably doesn't want me to run over to her... yet."
     "Yes she does," Erin answers unexpectedly, and I look at her suspiciously.
     I hadn't realized I said the last bit aloud. I know if I go over there now I will probably make a fool of myself because I feel like some kid who doesn't know what he's doing... almost.
     Grinning, Erin walks over to the hot tub. I hadn't even noticed that Lynne and Troy had arrived.
      Tonight. PLEASE tonight before I go mad.
      Marie turns her head and looks at me, I guess because she can feel me staring at her. Her eyes narrow, and she cocks her hip. I grin. Game on.

    She eyes me suspiciously as I walk over to her.
    "Nice suit," I say.
    She shrugs and says, "It was the first one I could find that matched."
     Translation: All or mostly all of her suits are bikinis.
     Down boy!
      "Well, it looks good on you," I say. "Want a drink?" I ask, and the irony hits me that I'm asking her what she pretty much asks everyone at the bar all the time.
     She nods. "Yeah okay. One."
      One. I've heard that before. Hm, really don't want her drunk though. I smile, turn and take her hand at the same time before putting it behind me and holding her little fingers up to my back as I pull her along. There's a slight tug to get her hand back like there was this afternoon, but I tighten my grip just a second before letting go on my own once we reach the bar.
     I'm going to make you beg.
      I take a drink myself, and we stand here as I try to convince her to teach me simfu. That whole 'don't date the teacher' thing is a load of bull. It has to be; it's completely crazy.
      That's a square knot around her neck.

     "I thought you were going to introduce me to your friends," she points out, irritated from our discussion/argument.
       "Oh yeah, sure." I smile in an attempt to keep the peace.
       She already knows Desmond. Apparently, he knows her dad too. I get a little annoyed at the way he looks at her, although I can't say I blame him.
     I remember that she'd already met a few of my friends, sort of, as their waitress, but never in a situation like this one where she could actually talk. We stand around and mingle, and I honestly try not to hover.

Erin

   Jesse's hot tub calls to me, and I decide to go over and soak with Lynne, Troy, and Belinda. I put down my Coke next to where I decide to sit while the three of them greet me.

     Once I'm seated, Belinda turns to look at me and say, "You'll never guess who I ran into the other day."
      "You're right. I'll never guess," I agree. "Who?"
      "Your ex-fiance, Sean."
      I go instantly on alert.
      "Calm down," she says quickly. "He's left."
      "Huh?" I ask, surprised.
      "He left the island and went back home," she clarifies, still not really helping me.

     Lynne speaks up, "He won't be bothering you anymore."
     "How did this happen?" I ask, my shock still in control.
     "We had a little... talk, and I convinced him to leave," she answers with a smug expression on her face.
      "You just talked to him?!" I ask, incredulous.
      "Lynne can be... a little intense sometimes," Bryce's voice echoes in my head from the other day.
      "Yes. Don't worry anymore about it," she states and leans back with her hands behind her head.
      Troy sits quietly and listens to the three of us. I realize I've never even said a word to him ever. Not that I know what to say now.

     I make the decision to just go with it.
     Sean is gone. He left the island. He gave up. Thank God. I take a deep breath and relax back against the edge of the hot tub. I'm free.

    I spend some time getting to know Belinda. I like her. She's got a quirky sense of humor.
     Troy and Lynne start getting a little more friendly. It gets harder and harder to ignore them.

     Belinda pipes up when she can't take it anymore. "Would you two get a room?!"
     The two of them laugh a little before going right back to what they were doing before.
      A little breeze blows Marie's conversation with Jesse over to me.

    "I keep forgetting to ask you. I left some clothes in your car the other day, and I was wondering -"
    He interrupts her. "Oh, yeah. I found them and washed them. They're upstairs."

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Yes, I'm leaving you with that cliffhanger. Sorry, but if I included the next bit this may as well become a novella instead of a chapter.

Wow, fifty chapters! It doesn't feel like fifty chapters! And to think... this was just going to be a short nothing so that I could play around with Sunlit Tides, hehe. Thank you all so much for your support and encouragement because you are the reason that it's still going and will hopefully continue on for at least another fifty chapters!

I'll probably be writing a 1-50 summary soon and include extra info, Easter egg like, throughout the thing.