Saturday - March 21st, 2009
Who: Charlie and Riley When: Late Saturday Morning Where: The House What: Conversation
Riley wanted to talk to Charlie, now that he had talked to Remington he needed to talk to the girl. When his brother started telling him what Charlie said, it hadn’t surprised Riley but it had hurt; Charlie obviously wanted to cause problems in the brother’s fledgling relationship and that Remington would rather believe a stranger than Riley made him sad. Of course he wouldn’t deny that the whole thing with Fox was one of the dumbest things he had ever done and he deserved Charlie’s anger for that.
He looked around the bedroom he had put together for her and smiled to himself, the room was started long before h e was an ass to her but it seemed like a good apology. He was still terrified that she would smash the mirror on the vanity and hurt herself, or drown herself in the bathtub in her ensuite bathroom but he had to start trusting her. And a room with a lock on the inside like any normal bedroom was a start. ~~~ Riley walked upstairs to Charlie’s room now and knocked on the doorframe, sighing at the door hanging crookedly on it’s hinges. “Charlie? Can we talk? I have something I want to show you.” He leaned in the doorway not wanting to walk into her room until she spoke to him…and she better he thought to himself, that stunt with Remy was good enough payback for the fuck up with Fox. ~~~ Charlie hadn't told Remmy anything that she didn't feel was absolutely the truth. That was how she viewed things and she wouldn't sugar coat it for anyone. It wasn't about causing problems, though she knew that it would. That wasn't her concern. She was hurt. She expressed it. And if it fucked with his life, well... Riley should think twice before doing something to stupid again.
Still, since the whole fiasco with Fox, Charlie hadn't spoken a word to Riley. And when he came to her room and knocked on the door, she wasn't sure that tonight was going to be an exception to that. She hesitated for a long moment before she replied simply, "It's your house." That was as much of an invitation into her room as he was going to get. ~~~ Riley nodded when she spoke and stepped into her room a little ways before stopping. “I know you’re probably still mad at me, I deserve it what I did was probably one of the worst things I’ve done to you, because I’m a social moron but I wanted to show you something, please come with me?” He asked with a small smile on his face.
He didn’t seem it but Riley was mad at her, but screaming at Charlie straight out had never done him any good so maybe just talking would be a better way to handle it. “We have to go downstairs though.” He said as he started for the door. ~~~ "You're not a social moron, you're an asshole." Charlie retorted, glaring at him. "And it wasn't one of the worst things you've done to me." That almost sounded like she was forgiving him. But then she followed it up with, "It's one of the worst things anyone's ever done." But she still threw the book that she had been reading down on the bed and moved to her feet, stalking over to the door and crossing her arms over her chest. "Make it quick. I'm almost at the end of a very good chapter." ~~~ Riley frowned at her and then rolled his eyes, he seriously doubted with her father, JR. and Kayden in her past, it was one of the worst things anyone had ever done to her, but he wasn’t going to fight about it. “Fine Charlie I’m an asshole, whatever.” He was glad she got up and he headed downstairs, not expecting this to go well at all, fuck knows she probably wouldn’t be grateful, he could have put her in another fucking hospital after all and no would blink an eye at him.
When he thought that , Riley frowned at himself and bit the inside of his cheek hard; that was a horrible of him. He was pretty sure he only thought it because he was stressed out, hurt and didn’t know how to deal with Charlie anymore. She wasn’t like she used to be, of course and getting to know this one was hard, she wasn’t as soft and sweet with him anymore. ~~~ Riley stopped in front of a closed door and smiled at her. “This is your new room Charlie.” He said as he swung the door open to reveal the large room, decorated in colors he hoped she liked, the huge oversized bed, fireplace, tv, computer desk, with a computer, vanity, reading corner and the ensuite bathroom, all for this woman who Riley wished he could give so much more to but didn’t know how without getting his balls kicked in sometimes. ~~~ Charlie had a lot to say about that "whatever" statement, but for now, she kept it quiet and simply followed him down the steps so they could get whatever the hell this was over and done with. The smile on his face as he stopped in front of the door almost made her want to hit him but she didn't. Instead she just returned the smile with a sarcastic one of her own. Of course she wasn't at all expecting what came next.
As a clairvoyant, you kind of got used to the big surprises being spoiled. But this one hadn't been somehow or another and she was... completely in shock. It showed on her face. She seemed almost reluctant to step inside the room but she finally did and she stood there in silence for a long moment before she remarked, "So.. not keeping me locked in the attic like a dirty little secret anymore?" ~~~ Riley watched her face with a smile, happy that she had been surprised. But his smile left with her statement. “You do realize Charlie your floor, not your room was only locked at night, from eleven pm to seven am, that’s it. That was all that was supposed to be locked. And you were never a secret so please; let’s just focus on this room.”
Riley did not want to point it out again but he had to, the girl made it sound like she was a fucking chained up prisoner in his house and he was fucking tired of it. “I wasn’t sure what colours to put in here but I hope you like it.” ~~~ "It's not white," Charlie stated simply. She had had more than enough of white rooms in her lifetime. She moved to take a seat on the edge of the bed, as though she was afraid of getting too comfortable there for whatever reason. A small frown pursed her lips as she looked around the room and then toward the door, mentally recalling the trip down the stairs to this room. It was nowhere near his room. Not near Mara's either. That probably should have made her happy. He probably assumed that it would but it didn't. ~~~ Riley nodded at her statement and then sat in the chair at the computer desk. “I hope you like it more than upstairs. I’m going to get rid of that stuff, you don’t need it and I certainly don’t want it around.” He bit his lip and looked around the room. “I want to talk to you Charlie, we aren’t doctor/patient anymore, we are family, and I just…I want us to find a way not to have so many problems with each other.” ~~~ Charlie nodded her head. She'd rather forget about that room upstairs all together. She'd be perfectly content to drag everything outside in the back yard and just have a huge bonfire. Actually, that wasn't a bad idea. But instead of proposing that just yet, she said, "I'd like some new clothes. Everything I have now looks so...." Riley had picked it out, so maybe she was trying to be kind and not say what she really thought but then again, "Prudish." And then he had to go and bring up the idea of talking. She wasn't sure if she was ready for that.
Charlie pressed her hands to the bed and used them to push herself back on the bed, folding her legs indian style beneath her. She wrapped her arms around herself and then she set her gaze upon him, silent for a moment before she stated, "You made me feel like a whore, Riley." ~~~ Riley would be down with the bonfire idea if it helped Charlie, or just made her really happy. It wasn’t like it was a big deal anyways. When she asked for some new clothes Riley smiled, he had picked out her clothes but he hadn’t had a lot of time and she just needed something. “I will be more than happy to take you clothes shopping and get you what you want, make up and hair stuff too.” He said with a smile.
He watched as she changed position and then felt horrible when she spoke. “I figured that out later…I am so sorry for it, you have no idea. There’s no excuse for what I did, I didn’t meant to make you feel like that.” There wasn’t really anything he could say. “I want to make it up to you Charlie but I know that will take time.” ~~~ "And then you just went downstairs," Charlie interrupted him before he could even finish his apology. "You went downstairs, to him, and left me upstairs upset." Granted, she had told him to leave, but when he did he ever listen to her? He never had before. Before, he would have wrapped his arms around her, kicking and screaming, and forced her to calm down, to be okay, to talk to him, because he would have just known that that was exactly what she needed. ~~~ Riley frowned as she spoke and then pulled on a string from his shirt. “I…I really thought you wanted me to go Charlie, I should have stayed with you but I ran.” He knew part of why he didn’t stay was because he was scared to, again not an excuse just the truth. “I want us to be friends if nothing else Charlie, so trust me I will remember next time.” There were things he wanted to say to Charlie but they both needed her to get this out first. ~~~ Charlie shook her head softly. "But we're not friends, Riley. We're never going to be friends. We're too..." She exhaled a sigh, trying to think of the word for it. "Complicated." That fit. "We're too complicated for that." She stretched her legs out on the bed then and asked, "Are you that scared of me? That you have to sit all the way over there?" ~~~ Riley rubbed a hand over the back of his neck and nodded as she spoke. “You’re right, we are complicated…I guess I just want us to be close again.” He chuckled and then shook his head. “No Charlie, I’m not scared of you.” Riley got up out of the chair and walked over to the bed and sat on the other side, turning so he could look at her. “Better?” he asked quietly.
“I need to talk to you about something else Charlie.” He said as he pulled a pillow into his lap to rest his hands on. ~~~ "You sure?" She asked, a brow quirking slightly. "I could use my womanly wiles on you." She gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Might have to call your knight in worn denim again." That made her scowl, but at least she was kind of joking about it now. It had been horrible and she was still upset, mostly because he'd been a coward and hadn't just talked to her, but whatever. It wasn't the end of the world.
"Okay." There was a bit of reluctance on her part. If he wanted to talk about the stuff she'd said to Remmy, it'd probably end up with the two of them fighting. As for anything else, well, it was all sort of hit and miss. ~~~ “He’s…it’s not like that, he’s just Fox.” He said with a slight frown and then flipped the pillow behind him and lay down a bit, propped up on his elbows. He was well aware that talking about Remy could cause a fight and he did not want to do it but he had to. “I don’t want to fight with you but we have to talk about Remy. I’m glad that you obviously enjoyed dinner with him but as I’m sure you know it caused a huge fight between us. You made me sound way worse than I really am Charlie.” ~~~ "He's an asshole," Charlie replied simply. "And I don't like him." But maybe he didn't care. Maybe it didn't matter who she did or didn't like. It wasn't like she ever liked anyone he got involved with.
When Riley moved to lay back on the bed, Charlie shifted as well, curling up at the side of him, her hand moving to rest upon his stomach. A brow arched slightly as he brought up the situation with Remington and she pursed her lips as he spoke. "Did I? I didn't say anything that isn't true. You did call Fox and tell him that he could come over here and fuck me and you have had how many different guys in this house lately? Rez. Fox. And what was that other guy's name? The rugged older one?" ~~~ “I’m sorry you don’t like him Charlie, but he’s been there for me, listening to me whine about Rez...he’s helped me a lot. But he’s not now or ever will be my boyfriend so he’s only a friend.” He said as he rested a hand on top of hers when she curled into him.
“I fully admit to the Fox thing you know that, I was a douche but I’m not talking about that babe, I’m talking about you saying I make Mara go to bed early so I can have lots of different guys in the house.” He listed to her for a sec and then shook his head. “Rez has not been in this house since you’ve been here he dumped me when I called him when we got home, Fox is my friend so nothing shady is going on there and Wesley came over once for a non date…Mara’s bedtime is 7:30, she goes to bed at that time every day Charlie. You will convince Remington I’m a bad parent and he will try to take her from us.” Riley’s voice was calm, as he rubbed his fingers over the back of her hand. ~~~ "He's an asshole," Charlie repeated once more. "And I don't like him." If that wasn't made clear the first time around, it should be clear this time. And he could take that how he wanted. She couldn't tell him not to bring him to the house. It was his house, after all. But she wouldn't walk on pins and needles around him and he should know that. And if he rubbed her the wrong way, she would put him in his place. End of discussion.
"But he was around her. And now he's not. And the same thing will happen with Fox when the novelty of having a gay man fawn all over him wears off or when one of you crosses a line that you can't uncross." Wesley came after Mara had gone to bed already, so that one didn't count. But the other two did. "And that'll be another person in and then out again. If you count JR, that already makes three." Of course she really hoped that Mara had been too young to actually remember anything about her uncle. "My dad did the same thing after my mom left. One woman and then another and then another and eventually you just stop caring, you stop being receptive, you just expect everyone to come and go and come and go and you don't trust anyone or anything." ~~~ Riley didn’t say anything when Charlie called Fox and asshole, she was allowed her opinion of him whether he agreed or not. He wouldn’t be surprised if Charlie and fox fought, she didn’t like him and anytime she was around him she would make sure he knew.
“Yea Rez was around her, I told him he can stay in her life if he wants. I was actually going to call him soon and ask if he wants to see her…unless you have a big problem with it?” He asked as he turned on his side to face her, pulling her arm around his waist and resting his on hers. He listened as she talked, chewing on his lip and then spoke. “I’m not dragging men in and out of her life…I’m trying not to. I’ve told Mara that Fox is just my friend. They don’t really have contact cause Fox is awkward with children…I won’t do that to her Charlie I promise.” He said softly. ~~~ "You shouldn't do that," Charlie replied simply. "It's bad for you. And what's bad for you is bad for her. And it's bad for me too." She worried a lot more about Mara, about how she was doing, how she was adjusting, what her psyche was like, than she admitted. That was a big part of the reason why she stayed away. What if she felt something off? What if she saw something? What if she thought that it was all her fault? It wasn't all selfish, wasn't all just because she personally wasn't ready to handle it.
"He shouldn't have any." And she didn't say that just because she didn't like him. Maybe that was a part of it but... Children didn't really understand things the way that grown ups did. It was easy to just forget that when you'd had an untraditional childhood. ~~~ Riley lowered his eyes from Charlie when she told him Mara seeing Rez was a bad idea. “You’re…probably right I just…she wants to see him so bad and Adam his nephew but I will wait a little longer and maybe she won’t want to see them as badly.” He played with Charlie’s hair for a moment smiling at the feel of it around his fingers, the last time he touched it had been when he brushed it at the hospital, he had always loved her red hair.
If Charlie had wanted to see Mara, Riley would have helped her as much as he could, he would try to help her be more comfortable. But that was eventually Riley’s goal, he wanted Mara to have her mother as well as her father.
“He comes over and plays pool or we drink when Mara is asleep, she rarely sees him as it is. It’s mostly she sees his motorcycle in the morning when he’s slept here, in a guest room.” Riley wasn’t going to not let Fox ever come in contact with Mara, but it would be limited.
~~~ "But that's because she doesn't understand that that would hurt you. If she did, she wouldn't want it." Or maybe Charlie just didn't want it and she was using Mara as an excuse. It was possible, but she didn't think so. She thought it was really for the best based on her own experiences as a child.
"Well I don't like it," Charlie remarked simply. "And he shouldn't be spending the night," she concluded, and then shifted on the bed to lay in a way that he wouldn't be able to see her face just because she didn't want him to be able to read her like he did. ~~~ Riley sighed and hated that she was right. “Okay I will talk to Mara about Rez, explain that it would hurt me.” He ran his fingers up and down Charlie’s side smiling slightly, he liked this, he felt good laying here, things were not fixed but this moment was nice.
“I know you don’t and he’s not spending it with me. I’ve told Mara that Fox sleeps here because it’s too late to go home and that he sleeps in the spare room.” He frowned slightly when she turned so he couldn’t see her so he just moved closer and nuzzled her hair slightly. In a way Charlie was comfort for him, she was part of what he felt was home. ~~~ "Just.. tell her that it would make you sad right now and ask her if she would be okay to wait for a while before he comes to see her. Then it's her choice, not yours." Mara would probably make the right one. She wouldn't want to see her daddy sad. He was a good dad, afterall. And right now, in retrospect, she felt bad for possibly making Remington think otherwise. Charlie wished she'd had a father like Riley growing up, as imperfect as he sometimes was.
"He can have my old room," Charlie remarked with a smirk. She had to admit that the idea of that asshole locked in the attic was an amusing one. She shifted a bit closer to him, sliding one leg between his own to entangle it with his. ~~~ Riley nodded and smiled slightly at Charlie. “You’re better at this than you think you know.” He kissed her temple and then just cuddled into her. Riley fucked up, a lot but he always tried to really think it through when it came to Mara.
The man chuckled when Charlie told him fox could have her room and then tugged on a piece of her hair. “Brat.” He mumbled affectionately as he let her tangle their legs together with a happy sigh. ~~~ Charlie smiled a little, though it was an almost sad expression. "I just.. try and think what I would have wanted." It was the only real frame of reference she had.
"What? You don't like the idea of your own, personal beefcake locked away in your attic?" She grinned as she added, "Or is that reserved only for sexy redheads?" ~~~ Riley had a feeling that’s why she said some of the things she said but that didn’t change the fact it was good advice. “It’s a good way to think about it, for when you start interacting with her.” He said softly.
“Now now don’t tempt me, but then again what good are they if they don’t want to play?” He laughed at her next statement. “Sexy redheads are too damn good for the attic takes too long to get there, they get the main floor where it’s easier to get to them.” Riley tickled her slightly and then hugged her tightly. ~~~ The tickling was enough to get an actual giggle out of her before she scowled at him and said with her best pout, "No fair!" She didn't know it, but she looked so much like their daughter at that point that it was just uncanny. She wriggled against him and got all nice and comfy before exhaling a sigh and enjoying a moment of silence.
Of course when it came to Charlie Edwards, there was never any real such thing as silence. There was always something on her mind, his previous statement being the main thing right about now. "I'm scared that she'll see things," Charlie admitted after a moment. "About JR. Because I do. When I look at her, when I close my eyes, when I..." Her voice lowered to a whisper as she finished, "When I try and let someone touch me." ~~~ He grinned at the scowl and felt his heart swell when she pouted, Riley loved both his girls so much, he cuddled her and just held her in the silence, enjoying it as well.
"we don't know exactly what she can do Charlie, she hasn't really shown much other than she see what other peoples gifts are." He kissed her softly and hugged her tight. "I would kill him if I ever found him." ~~~ "But what if she can? What if she does and then she'd know that... that he used her against me. What if she sees that? Can you imagine how... how fucked up that would be?" Charlie lived in a near constant fear of that, of accidentally letting something slip and screwing Mara up that way somehow. She wanted Mara to be perfect and well and safe and if that meant that she had to just... figure out a way to always stay away then... She'd do it.
"He'd deserve it," Charlie concurred. Then she scoffed a bit as she added, "He'd deserve worse but...." She shook her head softly. "He ~~~ 's not coming back. He's.. gone away somewhere and I hope he's in Hell wherever he is because I am." ~~~ "What if she can? We will deal with it babe, we can't worry about what she might have or might not have, her powers are forming but it will take awhile. to see what will actually happen." He hugged her and kissed her forehead.
"He would deserve it, I should find him and squish him with my power." Riley held her tightly and sighed softly. "He is in hell Charlie, I know who he's with." He said quietly as he stroked her hair. ~~~ Charlie wasn't willing to take that risk. Maybe if she could learn how to repress things, could learn how to make sure that no one, not even Mara, or especially Mara perhaps, couldn't get into her head and see those things, then maybe she'd be able to be around her then. But for now... No, this was for the best. She needed to keep her distance and just... miss her. Because she did. All the time.
The idea of Riley murdering JR wasn't entirely unpleasant, but there was something else she'd rather have from him than that. "Can't you just... fix me instead?" Her voice was small as she asked the question, because she knew he wanted to, that he had tried to, that he had been trying, but he had to understand what all was broken if he was ever going to make her better at all. And he didn't. Not anymore. ~~~ Riley stroked Charlie's hair and kissed the top of her head. "You're a good mom even though you think you would be terrible. You're so worried about her right now I can sense it." He rubbed her back and looked into her eyes. "She loves you, she wants to see you when you can."
"I wish i could fix you Charlie, I really do." He sighed and then brushed hair out of her eyes. "and I will do my best to try as long as you help me to understand babe." ~~~ "Can we please not talk about her anymore right now?" Mara was a sore subject and Charlie just couldn't bring herself to think any more about it right now. It hurt too much. And it filled her with so much hate, so much anger. JR had wanted to break her and he had. She was still broken, still breaking, and there was nothing, absolutely nothing, that she wouldn't do or try to make it stop.
She tilted her head so that she was looking at him again when he brushed the hair out of her eyes. She wanted to tell him. The evidence of that was clear upon her face. But he'd freaked out before when she'd tried to and this was so nice right now that she was afraid he'd freak out again and run away again and everything would be ruined all over again. She bit her lower lip, clearly distraught. ~~~ He nodded and bit his lip. "We can drop it for now, sure." He said softly as he tried not to feel all the stuff that Charlie was feeling at that moment. At some point they would discuss her seeing mara but not now.
Riley knew there was something, she wanted to say something, it was upsetting her and he kind of felt like his behaviour as of late was keeping her from telling him what it was that she obviously needed to let him know. "Just tell me Charlie, I'm here I won't run I promise." He said softly. ~~~ "It's... about sex," Charlie warned him, waiting for him to get uncomfortable or say that he couldn't discuss that with her or excuse himself to the bathroom to call Fox to come to the rescue again. When he didn't, she continued. "I freak out. Ever since... I can't..." She exhaled a breath and then frowned. "It's like one fucking extreme to another and I don't... I want to be able to... to do things." ~~~ Riley nodded and smiled at her. "It's okay Charlie you can say it." He said as he continued to rub her side and waited for her to continue. "That's understandable charlie, it makes sense even." He said softly as he lifted her jaw so he could look into her eyes. "I know you do and I will help you okay, I'm technically not your doctor anymore but I can still help you with this. Are you scared of the thought of it with me, I mean if I touched you?" ~~~ When he lifted her chin, she tried to avert her gaze from him but couldn't. Instead, she met his and nodded her head at the question. "But not because I don't trust you," she added quickly. "Just... because... What if I can't?" She frowned. "What if I can't, even with you?" She glanced down as she added, "Then I'd know I wouldn't be able to with anybody else." ~~~ Riley kissed her lightly and then smiled at her. "Is this why you wanted to so badly the other day?" He asked as he ran his fingers over her jaw. "I wish I hadn't been so stupid, if you want to, maybe we can try it and see how you react okay? But it doesn't have to be now or next week, just when you think you're ready to try. And I can promise you I won't freak out this time because I'm suddenly scared of you or something else just as lame."
All of Riley's reasons from the other day about why he shouldnt have sex with Charlie were all kind of stupid reasons. Rez wouldn't like it if they slept together again but honestly what did it matter? He liked having sex with Charlie, it had always been good before and they had an emotional connection that he craved. ~~~ If Riley had stopped for five minutes the other day to talk to her, to ask her why, she would have told him. But he hadn't. He'd freaked out instead. And maybe she had gone about it the completely wrong way but that was Charlie. She didn't really know how to... do things the right way most of the time. "I just want... feel something again, Riley." Charlie exhaled in a huff. "Something other than just... fucking sad." That's why she cut half the time, not to really cause any serious damage, just to hurt, just to have a break from that dead and pathetic melancholia that had become her norm. ~~~ Riley knew if he had stopped the other day he might have found out, but it had been a way too frontal assault on Riley for him to sleep with her. What was happening now was a much better way to get into his pants if that was the goal. He nodded at what she said and frowned slightly. "I know that feeling too, hell why do you think I will sleep with almost any boy? I don't want to feel so damn lonely." He played with a strand of her hair and smiled at her. "I promise to listen better okay and be there for you when needed." He said quietly before he kissed her gently. ~~~ His frown was mirrored on her own features and she shook her head softly. "But you aren't alone, Riley. You have me." She paused, her frown deepening just a little. "I know I'm not a boy. And I'm crazy, high maintenance, unpredictable.." She exhaled a sigh. "A complete and total disaster, but.. I'm still here." And that had to count for something, right? The kiss was awkward. It was sweet and gentle and not... forced on her and that wasn't something she was sure she could even do anymore but she managed to relax into it after a moment, her hand moving up to touch his cheek after a moment. ~~~ He smiled at her and then looked away for a second. "You are here, and I love you even though you're not a boy and can be all those other things." Riley said with a slight chuckle. "You are the only girl I could ever love charlie." He said with a sigh.
Riley was glad that Charlie kissed him back and he leaned his face into the touch. "Recovery takes time babe, you will get there." He said as he hugged her gently. ~~~ "Sometimes I wish I was a boy," Charlie said softly. It would have made things easier in her life. JR and her dad would have just probably beat her instead of fuck her and she would have just been angry instead of really crazy and maybe she'd have met Riley anyway and they could have fallen madly in homo love with one another and lived happily ever after. There was just one problem though. "But then we wouldn't have Mara." And if she could live a normal life, a happy life, could grow up to be beautiful and well-adjusted and have all the things that Charlie never had, then it would make it all worth it. Everything she'd been through would have been for a reason.
"Do you think you could just... kiss me some more?" Charlie asked, catching her lower lip with her teeth for a moment before she added, "And maybe touch me little and... and sleep in here with me tonight?" ~~~ Charlie as a boy would have been interesting that's for sure, and he would have had a chip on his shoulder a mile wide, like Riley did in college. Then she said they wouldn't have Mara and he nodded. "Best thing we have ever done." He said simply.
At Charlie's request Riley nodded and held her in his arms. "That I can definitely do Charlie." He said with a gentle smile and then kissed her again. ~~~ That gave her an idea, but she wouldn't say it out loud. It was probably stupid and it might never happen, but the thought was there; They should make a boy someday. They'd succeeded in making a mini-version of Charlie so a mini-version of Riley seemed like a good idea if she ever thought she was ready to go through that a second time around.
Charlie smiled, for an instant recalling a bit of that same charm she had had when she was younger. "Maybe you can even read me a bedtime story," she suggested, and then nuzzled her nose against his before that second kiss came. This was nothing like JR. He was nothing like JR. And maybe, just maybe, if he'd stop behaving like an idiot and she'd put a little trust in him then she could figure out a way to be okay again.