The silence left in the wake of the ringing phone stretched between them. She had agreed that anything more than friendship would be out of the question right now, until David had straightened out his personal life. But what just happened went beyond friendship.
And as Kristin’s heart rate refused to normalize, the realization that maybe she wasn’t actually prepared for more than friendship clouded her mind with doubt.
Finally, not being able to stand the silence any longer, she spoke. “David?” Her breathy voice was more tentative than she intended.
David raised his head, his dark eyes raw with pain. “I’m sorry. That really shouldn’t have happened.”
All of Kristin’s insecurities rushed to the surface. Was he sorry because he enjoyed what happened, or because he didn’t? Now, everything between them would become that much more complicated.
And complicated was an understatement for what was going on inside Kristin right now. Excitement, guilt, fear, all these emotions battled for dominance. Those few stolen moments with David had been glorious, but at what price had they come?
She wasn’t ready. Friendship was one thing, as was fantasy. But Kristin wasn’t prepared for all of the baggage that came with a realistic physical relationship, or all of the memories and emotions that would be dredged up for her to deal with. Not yet. And especially not with Sophie Miller waiting in the shadows of David’s life.
Kristin took a deep breath and stood, straightening her blouse. “I think what happened here is that two friends indulged in a little too much wine with their dinner, clouding their sense of better judgment.”
Not waiting for David’s reaction, she grabbed their glasses from the coffee table and took them to the kitchen sink. After rinsing them, Kristin leaned over the sink, bracing herself on the edge with her hands.
It could be worse. David could actually be engaged to someone else, instead of pretending to be. The public lie was only a small part of what was truly keeping them apart. Her reluctance to jump headlong into this next step of their relationship also played a role, no matter how much her body obviously wanted her to plunge right in.
Hearing David move behind her, she turned around to find him regarding her cautiously. She flashed the best smile she could muster and walked toward him.
He grasped her hand, remorse evident in his gaze. “Kristin—”
The cell phone still in his other hand began ringing again. David glanced at the display once more, then pressed a button to reduce it to silence. Someone was being very insistent.
“I—” Kristin placed a finger against his lips, silencing him.
“Two good friends had too much wine. That’s all.” She knew she was giving him an easy out, but she needed one, too.
He grasped her hand and removed it from his lips. “Don’t do that.”
She withdrew her hand from his. “Do what?”
“Belittle this by blaming it on the wine.” His fingers gripped the phone in his hand tighter, his knuckles turning white.
Kristin expelled a long breath, releasing some of the tension that had built up in her body as she faced him. “What would you have me do, David?”
David’s eyes glimmered black as his mouth spread into a thin line. “Talk to me, damn it. Don’t shut me out like you do everyone else!” His words cut sharply through the air between them as he stared her down, his shoulders rigid from his own tension.
Kristin winced at the harsh tone of his voice. “What good would that do? We agreed there could be nothing more than friendship between us right now. You just said yourself you were sorry about it.”
David shook his head no and turned away. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“What did you mean?” Her heart raced as she waited for his response, but his phone rang again.
He glanced briefly at the phone again, but didn’t attempt to answer it. This was getting ridiculous. Irritation prickled along Kristin’s spine. “Just answer the damn thing. Someone obviously needs to get in touch with you desperately. Probably Sophie.”
David spun back to face her, sighing deeply. “It’s Bernard. I’ll be quick. You and I have business to finish here.” He flipped open the phone and stepped out of the kitchen, his voice reduced to a murmur.
Kristin turned away from him and rubbed her temples. Bolts of pain twisted inside her head. This had been a hell of a day. The problems at the gallery, paired with her wonky personal life had taken its toll. Tired, her head hurt and now David was being pulled away. Correction. He was letting himself be pulled away. Did she really need all this commotion in her life?
“Probably not,” Kristin muttered, walking over to her bag and grabbing it from the floor. Certainly she had a bottle of Ibuprofen in there somewhere. She strode back into the kitchen, setting the bag on the counter as she rummaged around and came across the papers she had stuffed inside the bag before she and David had left the gallery earlier. The day’s mail was mixed in with the sheets of paper.
Kristin glanced briefly over at David, who was still talking on his phone and pacing back and forth across the room. So much for quick. To keep her mind off of her out of control libido, she might as well go through the mail. Probably mostly bills anyway.
She sighed as she shuffled through the envelopes. Bill. Bill. Junk mail. Dismissed, each one landed on the counter.
A large brown envelope protruded from the stack. No return address. Kristin opened the envelope and slid out a large sheet of paper. Upon inspection, it appeared to be a copy of a page of The Sun, dated tomorrow. Normally, Kristin never read these trashy tabloids. But obviously, someone wanted to tell her something. A small paragraph was marked with a yellow highlighter, and it circled a photo of Sophie Miller. Curiosity at this unexpected piece of mail got the better of her, so Kristin took a deep breath and started to read.
In the background, she heard David’s phone click shut. His steps grew closer as he walked back into the kitchen with her.
“Now, where were we?” David’s voice registered vaguely in the distance.
Absorbed in the words on the page, Kristin didn’t acknowledge him.
…Miss Miller confirmed that wedding plans are underway with the nuptials scheduled to take place sometime soon after she completes the filming of her movie. When asked if the couple had any plans to start a family any time soon after the wedding, the actress replied…
Kristin ceased reading as anger rolled in the pit of her stomach, waiting for the opportunity to rise. “What the hell is this?” She held the page out to David.
David blinked several times, appearing confused. He grabbed the paper from her. His face grew wan as he read the article. “Where did you get this? It wasn’t supposed to be out until tomorrow.”
Kristin couldn’t believe her ears. “You knew about this? You knew, and didn’t tell me?” The anger that had been waiting rose into her chest, tightening it. Her fingers closed around the brown envelope like a vise.
His gaze dropped back to the page. “I only just found out this morning. That’s why Bernard was so keen to talk to me just then.” David’s gaze returned to hers. “Where did it come from?”
“Someone sent it to me.” Kristin held up the brown envelope, then tossed it on the counter. “No return address, but I can guess who it might have been.”
David raised his eyebrows. “As devious as I know Sophie to be, her actions always reflect a personal agenda. So what would be the purpose of her sending this article to you?”
Kristin let out a harsh laugh and grabbed the page from his hands. “Didn’t you read it? Because you two are planning your wedding, and contemplating children. Why wouldn’t she want me to know that?” The sarcasm she was going for oozed from her words.
David’s shoulders slumped. “You know that’s just for show. None of what she said there is true.”
Kristin shook her head in disbelief. “Really? Because it appears like I’m the one who is being lied to here, not the public.” Had she been played for a fool? B
ut then again, they were only friends. She had no right to him. Slowly, she leaned against the counter as the fantasy she’d had about their future crumbled.
David stepped forward and gently clutched her shoulders. “I am not lying to you about my relationship with Sophie. It really is finished between us. She is just attempting to wind you up, scare you off. I’ve told you how controlling and manipulative she has become.”
“David, Sophie is not acting like she is pretending.” She raised the paper between them with a snap. “Sending this to me is the action of a jealous woman. There’d be no other reason for her to try to chase me off this way.”
David gently took the paper from Kristin’s hand. He crumpled it into a ball and tossed it across the room. “That is my opinion of what the tabloids print.”
She gently rubbed her brow with her index finger as some of her anger evaporated. The confusion did nothing but add a vise around her head. “That won’t make it go away, David.”
She flexed the muscles in her shoulders in an attempt to ease the tension that threatened to turn into knots. “This is why what happened earlier can’t happen again. You were right to be sorry.”
A sigh of defeat left David’s lips. “When I said I was sorry earlier, it wasn’t for what happened, just how it happened.”
Kristin gaped at him, her mouth slack. Some of her earlier insecurities dwindled. It sounded like he wanted what happened earlier. This was a bit unexpected. How was that admission supposed to play out with this whole mess he had with Sophie?
“So,” she began slowly, choosing her words carefully. “Are you saying that you want our relationship to be more than friends?”
David stepped forward and tilted her chin so he could look into her eyes. “Isn’t that what you want?” His gentle voice was like a caress.
Is that what she wanted? It had been glorious, being in his arms, but was she truly ready for everything else that came along with a relationship? Was she ready to trust him with her heart and her soul?
“I don’t know, David. There’s still Sophie to deal with, and I’m not sure I’m ready to start that kind of an intimate relationship. And definitely not in the shadow of a lie. This is hard enough for me, and I deserve more than a relationship in the shadows.” She couldn’t do it, not unless he had a clean start to give her.
His hands fell to his side. “You’re right. It’s not fair of me to ask that of you right now. And I don’t want to ruin the relationship we already have.”
As Kristin stared deep into David’s eyes, her mind danced around that last statement. The relationship they already had. And how exactly would she define that? Friends? Would-be lovers? Unrequited love interests? All of the above?
David ran his hand through his hair. “I guess I should be going. I think we both have a lot to think about.”
Her heart skipped a beat. That damn thing with the hair thrilled her even now. “Do you want me to drive you?”
“No, I’ll grab a taxi.” He walked to the door, and she followed a short distance behind. David paused with his hand on the doorknob and turned back to face her. “Do you want to try the movie thing again tomorrow?”
His expression was so full of hope that a movie would somehow set their friendship back to where it was before. But Kristin needed some time alone to think. Maybe a few David-free days would give her some perspective. “I think I need some time to sort things through in my head. I promise I’ll call you soon.”
David leaned over and brushed her forehead with his lips. Opening the door, he bounded down the stairs and she watched him disappear from view. Closing the door, she leaned back against it with a thud.
Every ounce of strength left her body as she slowly slid down the door, ending in a heap on the floor. She gathered her knees to her chest and laid her head on them. Weariness made her limbs heavy as she continued to sit on the floor.
Almost everything she had dreamt about for weeks had just happened. So why had it left her so hollow and scared?
Sighing, she hugged her knees tighter. In some ways, it was more horrible experiencing those minutes instead of imagining them. In her fantasy, the guilt and fear that had skulked up on her earlier never made an appearance.
Reality sucked sometimes.
Kristin straightened and leaned her head against the door. She pushed up from the floor with her hands and forced her legs to bear her weight, standing slowly.
The room blurred for an instant as the pain in Kristin’s head kicked into high gear. Stress and sleep deprivation always did this to her—made her head feel like it was going to explode. The throbbing inside her brain thumped in time with her pulse, like something was trying to escape her skull. The room finally righted itself, and she was able to take a deep breath.
Kristin’s life had been a whirlwind since that night at the National Gallery, and now it caught up with her. She’d let herself get too involved in everything with David, losing sleep, indulging in fantasies.
And then there was Sophie Miller. Sophie would have no reason to be in Kristin’s life if it weren’t for David. He might have his doubts about her desperation, but Kristin was certain Sophie was far from irreproachable.
Kristin steeled her shoulders and hobbled over to the kitchen counter. Yes, some time away from David could be good. The normalcy of her mundane life before she met him sounded like a vacation.
She took a deep breath and smiled through her pain. Making a decision, even a small one, flooded relief over her and eased some of the weary tension in her body. Kristin leaned over her bag and rummaged through it again. Now, if she could only find that damn Ibuprofen.
~~~
David hurried down the stairs of Kristin’s townhouse and started down the street. The cool night air ruffling his hair calmed him. The smell of chips wafted over from some diner open late. If he hadn’t still been full from Kristin’s fine meal, he may have tried to find out where the place was.
He decided to walk for a bit to clear his head before catching a taxi. The evening had given him a load of things to process. But mostly, what he thought about was Kristin’s soft body underneath him, as he tasted her lips and inhaled her flowery scent. What he wouldn’t give to experience those moments again.
But then his damn phone had to ring incessantly. Bernard had gotten hold of a copy of the article from The Sun as well, and had wanted to go over any kind of a response with David before it hit the stands. Of course, Bernard was full of congratulations and best wishes, thinking all of it was true. But David’s only thoughts were of returning to the discussion that had been interrupted.
Kristin’s moans of pleasure echoed in his head. She had responded so openly to his touch. Her total change of heart after the cell phone interruption was unexpected. Fear and guilt clouded her lovely eyes, just as it had that first night they met. He craved to see her smile and the desire in her almond shaped eyes instead.
For the first time, she wanted to be left alone. Instead of moving forward, it was like their relationship had taken a step backward. But hadn’t he told her friends only?
And the article Sophie mailed didn’t help matters. All because Sophie—
David’s phone chirped. He glanced at the display. Sophie’s name blazed across the lights, he grimaced and opened the phone with a clack.
“Sophie.” His voice was flat, but the anger was there, just at a simmer.
“David, love, how are you? I’m sorry I wasn’t available when you called earlier. Today was a very busy day on set. What is it that you needed?”
David heard voices and music in the background. Sophie was more than likely out somewhere, living it up. She’d probably been able to talk to him the entire time, she just wanted to let him stew. “I think you know what I want to talk about. How could you have told that reporter all of those lies?”
“I panicked, darling. I just said what came off of the top of my head. So sorry if it upset you.”
David clenched and unclenched his free hand at his side. “Yo
u never panic, Sophie. You are always over prepared for everything. Pretending to be together for a while is one thing. Spreading lies about wedding plans and children is another thing entirely.”
The background noise from Sophie’s end died down considerably. “There was a time, love, when we did talk about those things.” Her voice had grown hushed, but David remained unaffected by her change in tone, his hot anger seethed under his skin.
“Why did you send a copy of the article to Kristin?”
The silence on the other end stretched out for a few long seconds. If it weren’t for the sound of Sophie’s breathing, David would have thought the call had been dropped.
“I just wanted to give your friend a reality check. I wanted to make sure she was aware that you are off limits.” Her voice had resumed its normal edge.
David shook his head back and forth. He couldn’t scream at her like he wanted or she would just hang up on him. “This has got to stop, Sophie. I know how to be discreet, and I am losing patience with your antics. I’m desperately close to calling off your whole charade, damn the consequences.”
Sophie’s shrill laugh pierced through him. “It’s so cute when you try to stand up to me like that. Really it is. But you shouldn’t make threats you aren’t prepared to follow through with. And you just admitted to how prepared I always am for anything.”
David swallowed the anger that threatened to erupt. Now wasn’t the time for this. He wanted to deal with this situation rationally, not in a fit of fury. That reaction would only feed into Sophie’s unstable wrath.
He heard her sigh softly. “I must go now, David. I have to be on set fairly early. Do take care, love.”
Click.
David stared at the silent phone for an instant before he shut it. He gripped it so tightly, he was certain the casing would crack wide open. What part of him had loved this woman? Had she always been so unfeeling and controlling?
Second Chances Page 9