Tiffani knew he was hurting. She felt his gaze and leaned in to kiss him. His lips failed to push back. 'Come on Flynn she's just a nobody'. She was crestfallen. He wasn't in the mood when she leaned into him, she felt his shirt was soaked.
“Tiff, it's sweet of you to ask, but I'm not going to be good company for you tonight. Want me to take you home?”
'It's not going to end like this. Come on Tiffani, you're smarter than this'.
At this rate, he wanted to bury his head and never come out.
“I have a better idea.” She added with a grin. Getting to her feet. Offering a hand to help him up.
He watched her open the driver's seat of his car. “What do you think you're doing?” She knew nobody drives his car but him.
“I'm not going to do anything tragic. Get in, you need this.” Tiffani had an idea in mind. She knew the perfect spot to go where they won't be distracted, and it was private for no interruptions. After what feels like an hour or two, she stopped the car at a private beach area.
“You own this place?” Flynn asked looking around at how stunning it looked. In other words, too expensive and fancy for his taste.
Tiffani had to make a pit stop before arriving at the private beach. “Rarely anybody comes out here since mostly, everybody hangs out at the country club. Only the rich kids know about this place. Minus a few locals.” She explained it to him. Taking her heels off taking and grabs the beer, blanket they have in the back seat, once finding a spot to relax. Tiffani placed the blanket on the sand.
Flynn built a small fire next to them. She takes off her jacket laying it down on the blanket.
He returns moments later as she hands him a beer. He groans sitting down next to her. “Thanks, sorry for snapping at you earlier,” he took a sip of his beer. 'Oh, that hit the spot'. Thinking to himself.
Tiffani understood his frustration. “No need everybody has an off day. I'm just happy to see you feeling better.” She took a swig herself as she coughs.
He couldn't help but laugh. “First time?” Flynn teased her a bit.
She grins. “With beer yes not alcohol.” It wasn't like she never drank before now. She replied in a snobbish tone. Chugging another sip. “See I can hold my own.” She hiccups laughing as he snatched it from her hand.
“You're cut off.”
She wanted her beer back. She felt herself climbing on Flynn's lap holding both beer bottles.
He ended up finishing one bottle. “Tif,” he hoarsely breathed out.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. Ruffling his hair. He didn't want to regret anything.
“Stop fighting me, you want this just as much as I do. I miss you Flynn,” her eyes filled with lust. His heartbeat rose rapidly. She moved inches closer to his lips.
His moist mouth became dry. Roller coaster emotions were running in Flynn's mind. He barely focused on which one. By the time he knew what he wanted, her lips were already planted on his. It didn't take long for him to sink the flavor of her lips on his.
Tiffani's eyes beamed with excitement. She achieved her goal. Round one went to her. Holding him tightly listening to the waves crash in the distance. She ended up taking his shirt off in the heat of their passion.
《***》
The next morning Flynn who felt better after his disaster weekend. He walked in the hall to reach his locker, as he noticed Kate’s glare in his direction. Flynn knew he messed up.
Caden whistles as he sauntered back over towards his brother.
“She hates me, doesn't she?”
Caden didn't have to respond.
Flynn saw her eyes and said everything he needed to know. A loud bang shook the lockers. “All I tried was to give her a fun day.”
Caden can hear the regret in his voice explaining the catastrophe. “Hey, look I know but it does sound to me like Tiffani and her minions were behind this.”
Of course, you'd take Kate's side over mine. Flynn knew why Caden would accuse Tiffani. “Actually, Tiffani helped me out of my funk last night. We bumped into each other after I couldn't find Kate.”
Caden raised his brow he knew Flynn couldn’t be this naive.
“What?” Flynn noticed a sad look on his face.
Caden promised himself not to get involved in his brother's affairs. He shook his head and remained mum on the situation. “Nothing, nothing man.” Caden walked away towards his next class.
Flynn follows behind him. “Come on man, you know I screwed up. All I want is to apologize and make up for it. Can you fix things on my behalf at least?” Flynn pleaded with him.
Caden sighed and caved after he saw the despair in his eyes. “I'll see what I can do. Not going to make any promises.”
Flynn knew right off the bat; it'll be a long time before that happened.
《***》
“So, how'd it go last night?” Morgan asked as she never heard back after the diner.
Tiffani giggled as the grin that never left her face since last night. “Let's say I'm getting everything I want.” As they head towards their next class.
Chapter 18
Tonight was the night. Katrina was going to meet Torrie for the first time. Kasper came over early to ask her some questions about what her mother will ask.
“Why do you care about how I look?” Torrie asked.
“I don't, but if you look like a hooker my mother won't approve.”
Torrie gasped faking a gawking expression. Kasper rolled his eyes hiding a smirk on his face.
“Why would you think I would dress like a slut?”
Kasper turned to stare at her dumbfounded, recalling their first encounter in a club.
“Really?” She giggles loving to make him squirm. “That was one time okay. I can wear nice clothes.” She made up a lie.
Kasper noticed another closet tilting his head.
Torrie's eyes follow groaning. “You expect me to wear something from my sisters?” Torrie tried not to gag at her choice of wardrobe suggestions.
“Yes.” He gave her no real choice here to debate. Watching him walk over.
Torrie whines.
“Are you two the same size?” He started to open the closet.
“For clothes yes, shoes no.” She whimpered as she flips through dresses. Each brand is more boring than the other. “Okay, I can't do this. I can be classy and not trashy but forcing me to wear one of these dresses.” She looked back at him to complain
Girls. He rolled his eyes. “If you don't pick something and soon I—” He stopped himself.
“What? Are you going to dress me yourself?” Torrie laughed as she teased him. “If you wanted to get in my pants all you had to do was ask.”
Kasper blushed right there.
Torrie finally spotted something that wasn't too terrible to wear out in public. The things she does for romance. “You could watch or not up to you perv,” she grins tossing her shirt in his direction. Her shirt hit his face startling him. She bends down to pick it up. He caught a small glimpse of her back as she was half-naked.
He swallowed hard as he tried not to drool at her. He wasn't going to lie. She was one of the most attractive women he ever saw. Her curves in all the right places, if the fake kissing wasn't driving him crazy now that image in his head was. He wasn't going to rest until he got her alone.
Torrie stumbled into her dress as she bumped into him and distracted him. “S—sorry, you, uh, mind?” She wondered if he could zip it up. She moved her hair towards her side, she noticed he got a good look at what he could have.
Kasper tried not to smile as she felt his shaky breath on her neck. His hand guided upwards as she didn't want his touch to end. He kissed her on the side of her neck and she shivers. She turns around moments later their eyes locked in on one another. Moments later in a blink of an eye their lips touched.
“Kas?” Torrie snapped him out of his dream fantasy.
Kasper blinked a bit trying to regroup himself. He
rubbed the back of his neck. Daydreaming was not a good idea. Especially with tonight of all nights. He needed to be on guard. Anything could ruin this double date. He cleared his throat as he watched Torrie spin for him.
“So? Presentable enough for mommy dearest taste?” She wanted to know where his head was.
“Y—yeah, you look uh—”
Torrie laughed as he wasn't back yet. “I know, not how I look, but we gotta pull it off though right?”
He realized how much time they wasted before the big get together.
She grabbed her jacket and stared at him. “You're comin' right?” She grabbed his hand as they left her house.
Focus, you can take a cold shower later. You're going to need one after that. Kasper reminded himself and said a little prayer before following her.
《***》
Outside the Lockhart household, we see Kasper who blocked her path. “You ready?”
Torrie shook her head. Her past encounter came flooding back. Her eyes narrowed the ground and took a deep breath. He can tell she was on edge about something. Torrie wondered exactly how bad this could go. Torrie stepped inside the Lockhart's home and froze as she remembered her last encounter after she entered into a friend's home. Her heart sank in her stomach and felt optimistic she wouldn't lose Kasper the same way. Since they met he's been nothing but a good friend to her these past few months.
“Anyone home!” Kas called out scrutinized around before a voice shouted back. His house was bigger than hers.
She noticed the railing towards the stairs, a fireplace in the living room. Beautiful see-through windows that peer outside to a big beautiful pool outside. No wonder why it is in a private location on the outskirts of town.
“We're in the kitchen!” Kandace yelled.
Kasper tugged on her arm lightly. With each step Torrie took she exhaled a nervous breath.
“Travis and Wyatt take the plates into the dining room please?” Katrina asked politely to her daughter's boyfriend.
They nod and obey orders.
“Ah, thought I heard you, big brother. So did Torrie have the guts to show up?”
Kasper moved aside and cleared his throat. Kelli's eyes were like her boyfriend’s wide bug-eyed in shock. Kandace smiled and hugged Torrie to welcome her to the family.
“I'm glad you could make it,” Kandace said unlike Kelli, Kandace does want to see him happy.
“Cat got your tongue Kel?” Torrie who released the hold and finally spoke after an edgy silence.
Footsteps approached Katrina who returned from the dining room. “Our guest of honor has arrived. Hi, sweetheart,” Katrina kissed her son after she gave him a hug.
“Ma, this is Torrie Rubey, Tor my mother Katrina.” Her last name surprised Katrina a bit.
“Is your father Richard?”
Torrie remained speechless for a few minutes. Kandace and Kasper were as shocked as she was.
“Y—yeah, how did you—”
Katrina smiles. “I work with him at the agency. He talked about your kids every chance he gets.”
Torrie blushed even though Katrina was partly lying on how well they know each other.
“Hope spaghetti is okay for tonight? Not sure if you're allergic to anything.”
Torrie laughs nodding.
“Well, why don't you guys go sit in the living room. Dinner should be ready shortly.” As takeout should be here momentarily.
Torrie looked back into the kitchen. She rather takes her chances with mom than Kelli. “You sure you don't need any help?” Torrie offered to everybody's surprise including Kasper.
“It's fine sweetheart you go ahead.” Katrina watched her wander around.
《***》
Torrie sighed in defeat and roamed out of the kitchen. Torrie spotted a family photo in the living room. One thing her family rarely does anymore. Have a family vacation.
Kasper came from behind her as he tried to see what she was gazing at. “The last mini-vacation we had.” Kasper crept up behind her which made her jump. “Sorry,” he chuckled.
Torrie smiled and shook her head as she placed the photo down. “It's fine. Who's the younger two?” She spotted Kelli and Kandace right away but didn't know the youngest two.
“Lexi and Vance my younger siblings,”
She nodded again and listened to him. “They live with Katrina's ex-husband Hudson. They pop in on the weekends or on school vacations.” Kasper didn't want to get into details.
《***》
“So, Torrie tell us about yourself,” Kelli blurted out and spotted her into the living room.
She figured she might as well need to get this show and tell over with. “What do you want to know that you don't already?” Torrie wasn't shy unlike her sister to tell anybody about herself.
“What does your mother do? You mentioned your father is a workaholic.”
Kandace gave her sister a nudge in the ribs to shut her up. Torrie cleared her throat. Kasper knew she didn't want to talk about it and didn’t want to make eye contact with any of them.
She finally caved. “She passed away after she had my sister.”
Kelli felt sheepish as Kandace glowered at her sister's behavior.
An eavesdropped Katrina felt bad for her too. Despite the fact that she knew about this information already. Like Kelli, she too was curious about this mystery girl. She had doubts when the twins started dating too.
“Where'd you get the bracelet?” Kandace noticed she was playing with it a bit.
“Oh, my sister gave it to me. She has one too. Kind of like a friendship necklace.” Torrie explained how it's important to her. “Actually, that's how Kas and I met.”
A skeptical, quiet Kasper raised his brow in her direction. They never discussed their first date encounter before coming here.
“I lost my bracelet one day when we collided, and Kasper has luckily retrieved it for me. Guess you could say we clicked since.”
Travis snorted as he cleared his throat. “How an unlikely preposterous story.”
Kelli knew what he was implying as she rubbed his knee.
Torrie smirked and took the spotlight off her. “Something you like to share with us Travie?” Travis jolted as he heard the extra confidence in her voice.
Torrie ignored Kelli's suspicion as she waved her hand.
His narrowed eyes gave her a tempted glare. Even Wyatt who watched his brother's body language knew something was wrong. He gawked as the girl had the guts to stand up to his brother.
“Like the story of how you receive your black eye?”
Torrie waved her faded bruised knuckles that matched the same color of his eye.
Wyatt puts two and two together. “Wait a minute, you told me you got hit at practice.”
Travis clenched his jaw at his brother, he noticed his brother who tried not to laugh. “Shut It, Wyatt,” Travis growled not letting her win.
Wyatt agreed to drop it, he can bust his balls anytime.
“Dinner's ready everybody if you want to head into the dining room now?” Katrina said causing the get-together to break up. Katrina smiled to herself as Torrie passed by.
《***》
Per usual all the couples sat side by side next to one another.
Kasper was proud Torrie held her own thus far.
“So, Torrie are you into any extracurricular activities at school?” Katrina started to meddle.
Torrie shook her head. “No … I was tempted to join the cheerleading squad again ...”
Kelli choked on her water after that.
Torrie smirked and gave her a wink. “But I decided against it.”
“Dating my brother gotta be a full-time job, right? To keep an eye on him 24/7 can be a challenging role for you.”
Kasper stared at her and muttered under his breath.
“Kelli that's enough,” Katrina demanded in a stern voice.
“I'm only pointing out the fact's mom. To
rrie needs to acknowledge what kind of man she's dating right?!” Kelli wanted her to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
“Kelli Alexandra,” Katrina had enough with her smart-ass attitude.
Torrie was aware her banter was to scare her. Sucks for her it didn't work. She shook her head. “It's okay Ms. Lockhart I got this.” Torrie turned her attention to Kelli who couldn't wait to hear this. “Yes: I do know Kas had issues with the law before he met me. The reason why deserves to stay buried in the past. What I care about is the present. Newsflash Kelli, I'm with Kas because I love him. It's a pretty simple complex don't you think?”
True Love:Follow Your Heart Page 12