"Hey Viera, come on in." JC said as he opened the door for her to enter his home.
"Thank you, JC. You look well rested. Did you sleep okay?" She said as she tried to stifle her laughter.
He wasn't doing as well and started chuckling under his breath. "Yeah, well I took a long nap from around 4:30 this morning until about ten minutes ago."
Viera giggled along with him but quickly stopped when Holly appeared behind her. "What's so funny?" She asked as she pushed Viera out of the way and entered the house.
JC groaned and frowned which did not go undetected by Viera. She merged her eyebrows together and gave him a strange look.
He merely shrugged his shoulders and reached out to hold onto Viera's arm and guide her through the door.
"So JC, what's for lunch?" Holly asked as the other two made their way into the kitchen. She was going through his cabinets which caused JC to roll his eyes, let go of Viera's hand and walk up to Holly.
"Um, excuse me." He started as he closed the cabinets and shooed her away. "I don't know what you guys want. Besides, I didn't think you'd be staying. You know, I would like to be alone with my GIRLFRIEND." He said, emphasizing the last word.
Holly patted him on the shoulder and gave him a sticky sweet smile. "I'm sure you would but I don't trust that you'll keep your mouth shut." She said almost in a whisper to him.
What?" Viera asked as she approached the pair.
They both looked at her and smiled equally innocent smiles. "Nothing. Look, stay if you want but I do want some time with Viera myself." JC said as he opened a drawer and grabbed the phonebook out.
He started flipping through it before lifting his head and asking Holly if that was okay.
"Yeah, I WOULD leave you two alone but you know the doctor said no hanky-panky for awhile." She answered, waving a finger in his face.
Viera turned four shades of red at that comment. "Holly!"
She turned around and merely shrugged her shoulders.
JC though did say something to Viera. "Look, don't worry. I wasn't thinking about THAT. I just wanted to spend some time with you since its been so long."
Holly eyed him closely. She had to make sure he wasn't going back on their deal. "Um, V, could you go get my purse out of the car. I forgot it."
"Yeah, sure." She said as she excused herself and went outside.
When Holly heard the front door close, she turned to face JC. "Okay, what's up? And don't give me that line about wanting to spend time with her. If you remember, she isn't your girlfriend, so why would you want to get to know her?"
JC had to think of something quick or Holly would see right through him. "Holly, I made an agreement with you and Brooke and I'm not backing down on it but since you told Viera that we were so close before the accident, don't you think I should actually spend time with her or she will start to wonder what's going on."
Holly thought about that for a second before coming up to him and getting right in his face. She smiled evilly at him and leaned closer so her lips were within inches of his. "I see what you're saying but if I hear anything about you telling her our little secret, I will make you pay."
She finished and slowly licked her lips, which from the distance of the two, her tongue grazed his as well.
He pushed her away with a swift shove and wiped his mouth clean of her. He wanted nothing to do with Holly Jenson or Brooke DeFoe but he was stuck.
"Hey, guys is everything alright?" Viera asked as she came back in the kitchen carrying Holly's purse. She handed the bag to her friend and walked up to the barstool to sit down.
Holly gave JC one last glare before answering her. "Yeah, everything's fine. Listen, I think I will let you two be alone for awhile. I'm gonna go see Brooke but I'll be back in a couple of hours, okay?"
Viera took in a deep breath, nervous about being alone with JC but also glad that Holly was leaving. "Yeah, that's fine. I'll see you later."
Holly smiled sweetly to her then turned to walk out and head over to Brooke's.
When the door closed behind her, JC looked over at Viera. She was obviously uptight about being with him but seemed to calm down a little with Holly's departure.
"So, what did you want to eat?" He asked as he opened the phonebook back up and began thumbing through it.
"I have no idea. What do you suggest?" She asked as she picked up a magazine that was laying on the bar. She flipped through several pages then closed it. "Um, can I ask why you have a magazine like this?" She held it up and at first sight of it, JC's face began to change color.
He nervously laughed at himself before speaking to Viera again. "Oh, um I like to read the articles in it." He said, looking back down into the phonebook for the name of the restaurant he was searching for.
Viera shook her head and picked the magazine back up. "You mean to tell me that you like reading stories about yourself, a group named Hanson and some girl called the next Madonna?" She again flipped through the pages and stopped midway through.
The smiling face on the page caught her attention. "Oh, I bet you read it for the intelligent questions like this one. 'Dear Bobbee, my crush just broke up with me and I think it was because he likes another girl. What should I do?' Is that the articles you like to read?" She said with a hint of sarcasm to her voice.
JC knew she was joking but did she have to turn the page to that exact one. He cringed when he thought about what would be said if Viera found out why he really had that magazine in his house. "Um, yeah I like to keep updated on the latest teen crazes so I don't feel so old." He stated then quickly changed the subject. "Okay, I can't find the place I was looking for so how about something small here?"
Viera put the magazine away for the second time and propped her elbows on the bar to ponder JC's request. "Yeah, that's fine, I guess but I don't know what I like."
JC felt a tug at his heart. She really didn't remember much at all. He closed the book and walked around the counter to sit beside her. "Viera, we'll get something to eat in a minute but can I ask you something first?"
"Yeah sure."
He looked down at the magazine in front of him and willed the images that came to his mind to disappear. 'She doesn't have to know' he said to himself.
"Um, have you remembered anything at all?"
Viera turned her head to the side and closed her eyes. She squeezed them shut and tried her hardest to think of something to tell him. "JC I really haven't." She started as she opened her eyes and looked at him. His sparkling blue eyes caught her attention and she found herself not being able to turn away.
"But out of everything I want to remember, I think the most important one is remembering…YOU." She said as she slid her hand over towards his.
JC turned away from her and quickly got out of his seat. 'I can't do this to her' he said to himself.
He walked around to the refrigerator and opened it. He began searching for nothing in particular. Anything would be better than to see the obvious hurt look in Viera's eyes.
"JC, did I do something wrong? I thought you would want me to remember you." Viera started as she stood and approached him from behind.
JC held tight onto the door of the refrigerator and quickly said a short prayer for the strength to go along with the plan. He turned around and did it so fast that he slammed into Viera.
Involuntarily, he reached out and grabbed her around the waist to balance themselves. He felt extremely awkward at that moment. He looked at Viera and could see the confusion in her eyes. She didn't know what to do and neither did he.
"JC, I'm sorry if I did or said anything to make you upset." Viera started as she slowly got out of his arms. "I just don't know what I'm doing or what I'm suppose to feel. I wish I could say I was losing my mind but that's already gone."
JC could see the pain in her eyes turn to a lost look that he had never seen before. His heart went out to Viera and he wished he didn't have to continue this charade with her. She was a good person who didn't deserve this, although Holly and Brooke felt otherwise.
"Viera, please don't apologize. If anything, this is my fault. I just don't want to push you into anything that you don't feel comfortable with. I want you to get your memory back before we see what kind of relationship we have." That wasn't a lie. He didn't want her to think he was in love with her and lead her on. When she did get her memory back, she would know the truth and for his sake, she might forgive him if he didn't let things get out of hand.
Viera nodded her head in agreement. "I see what you mean, JC. I guess everybody's waiting for my memory to come back before they treat me normal again." She said as she walked over to the glass door that led to the back yard. She ran her fingers over the cool glass and watch the water sparkle under the early afternoon sun. The pond that lie directly behind the house was breathtaking and she was able to easily get lost in it.
JC heard the sadness in her voice and wanted to comfort her if he could. "What do you mean, everyone's waiting?" He asked as he approached her but kept his distance.
He heard her sigh before she spoke again. "My parents don't even want to see me or talk until I get my memory back. They told Holly that it's too hard on them right now." She said as she kept her eyes glued to the water.
JC didn't know whether he wanted to rip Holly's head off for the blatant lie or hold Viera and make her feel better. He chose neither right now. "Viera, I'm sure your parents are just upset about the accident and don't want to cause you any more pain than you already have been through." He finished as he placed a hand gently on her shoulder.
She immediately turned around and made him look her in the eye. "What about the pain I'm going through without the people I'm suppose to love?"
JC saw the tears that were brimming in her eyes and without thinking about his promise that he had made to himself just a moment ago about staying back and not giving Viera any mixed signals, he found himself wrapping his arms around her waist.
She responded by slowly working her own hands up his chest and around his neck. She held him so close that he forgot for a moment that they weren't a couple. Her body fit almost perfect in the confines of his arms.
She placed her head in the crook of his neck and let the tears fall at will.
JC couldn't take much more of this. He knew the reason Viera's parents didn't want to see her and he knew he was to blame for it.
He held onto her with everything he had inside. He realized at that moment that she deserved to know the truth and he was the one who had to tell her – and tell her NOW!
He gently pulled her away and looked into her swollen red eyes and could only give her a small smile as he wiped the remainder of the tears away from her cheek. It was now or never. He took a deep breath, placed his hands on either side of her face and closed his eyes.
Now, Viera didn't realize that he was about to spill the beans and tell her everything she needed to know about her past but merely thought he was about to kiss her. The way his thumb caressed her cheek on one side and the fact that his eyes were closed, she figured that's what he wanted.
Although she was a little apprehensive about this, she felt that maybe by kissing him, something would come back to her.
She took the incentive, stepped an inch closer to him and leaned forward. Her lips grazed his and then without warning, his hands flew off her face and wrapped around her body again, bringing her as close to him as possible.
Their lips met in one powerful motion and Viera became completely lost to JC. She was able to slid her hands back up to their spot around his neck but stopped them at its base. Her fingers found the edge of his hairline and they began to play with the little strands that surrounded that area.
She let out a slight moan when she felt his tongue tickle her mouth and spread her lips a little further to allow it access inside.
This kiss was turning into something neither one had expected.
First off, JC didn't plan on doing this. He had only taken those brief few seconds to collect his thoughts before he was to tell her why she was being lied to but when he felt her lips on his, he lost all thought and became a victim to the woman in his arms.
For Viera, she thought she would merely give him a quick kiss, since that was what he seemed to want, them break it off but she was so drawn in by him that that wasn't an option any longer.
Although she didn't remember anything from the kiss itself, it did help heal some of the wounds that were still fresh inside. If her parents didn't want to be with her, then she would settle for JC. He seemed like the only one who cared right now.
Unfortunately for the both of them, this kiss would not bring them together but would only be a small stone in the avalanche that was to come very soon.