Ryan looked at the clock on his microwave, and then walked into his living room and looked out over the balcony.
So many headlights and taillights illuminated that evening, it was hard to tell if any single one of those cars were Frankie's.
He picked up his cell phone and tried to call her again. "Still off," he muttered in anger. "Where the hell are you, Frankie? I can't believe you forgot our date."
Just as he was about to head out the door to look for her, the sound of a knock interrupted him from doing that. "Finally, Frankie," he muttered, walking over to the door and opening it. His jaw dropped when he saw who was standing on the other side.
"Ryan, Ryan, Ryan," the person said, shaking their head.
"Heather, Heather, Heather," Ryan retorted, simply walking back into his living room, leaving Heather standing by herself in the doorway.
Heather shut the door behind her as she walked into the living room. "Do you know how worried you made Aunt Nora by not telling her where you were going?"
"You seemed to be keeping her pretty busy," Ryan replied with a sarcastic tone. "It's strange how she noticed I was gone."
"You left town because you were fueled with jealousy?" Heather wanted to know, folding her arms.
"I wouldn't be jealous of something like that," Ryan defended himself.
"I only moved to Florida because some woman here ruined my reputation!" Heather exclaimed with an explanation.
"What are you doing here now?" Ryan asked her in a serious tone.
"I came back for an event that I wanted to go to," Heather told him.
"Why didn't you go straight to Aunt Carole's?" Ryan asked another question.
"I would have but it's too late now," Heather replied as she went back into the hall and wheeled her suitcase into Ryan's apartment.
Ryan stood up and laughed in disbelief as he looked at her suitcase. "You've got to be kidding."
"Actually, no, I'm not," Heather replied, as she looked at the couch. "Does that couch open up?" she asked him. "I really need my rest."
The next morning, a pink sunrise perfected the sky, as tiny dewdrops rested on the tips of the pointy needles of grass.
Kevin woke up and opened his eyes. It took him a couple of moments to realize his whereabouts. It was definitely not his apartment.
As he lay facing the window, he felt someone's warm arms wrap themselves around his body.
Kevin turned around and looked at the person lying next to him. "Frankie," he muttered.
"That's all you have to say?" Frankie asked him, taking his hand and kissing it ever so gently. "Well, I guess, after last night, I'd be pretty speechless, too."
"After last night?" Kevin asked her in a confused tone. "What are you talking about?"
"Look at us," Frankie told him. "Was it not great?"
"I don't remember one thing that transpired after I had that champagne," Kevin explained. "I had that champagne, and the rest is a blur," he said, as he looked at the sun shining through the window. "And it's morning. I have so much unaccounted time."
"Wow, a couple sips of that champagne and this is what happens?" Frankie asked him. "I'm sorry you don't remember because it's something I will never forget."
"You mean... we?" Kevin slowly began and then stopped.
Frankie simply nodded to him in reply. "It was the right thing."
"I shouldn't have had that champagne," Kevin began, rubbing his eyes. "Look at what I did."
"You didn't do anything wrong!" Frankie exclaimed.
"Yes I did!" Kevin shouted. "I betrayed…let me just get out of here!" he shouted, jumping out of the bed and putting on the disheveled clothes that were on the floor.
Frankie sat up in the bed. "What about my tire?" she asked him, as she also got up and got dressed.
Frankie watched as Kevin quickly combed his hair and adjusted his clothing before heading out of the cabin. "Kevin!" she shouted, as she ran outside after him, her hair still a mess. "At least give me some time to fix my hair!"
Kevin knelt down next to the tire and looked it over. "Do you have the donut tire in the trunk?"
"I think so," Frankie replied as she reached into her pocket and took out her keys.
"Look at the size of the hole in this tire," Kevin noticed as he surveyed the large gap.
"It must have been a pretty big bolt," Frankie nervously said, as she looked down at the ground and saw the pair of scissors resting next to Kevin's hand. Frankie walked over and tried to subtly move the scissors out of his view.
"What are you doing?" Kevin asked as he turned around, his eyes looking down at the ground and seeing the pair of scissors. He immediately grabbed them and stood up.
Frankie's eyes widened as she saw him holding up the pair of scissors. "Did they fall out of your pocket?"
"No," Kevin replied. "Whose are these?"
"I don't know," Frankie nervously replied. "Let me take a look at them," she requested, as she tried to grab them out of his hands.
"Stone," Kevin read the word that was written in black marker on the metal blade.
'Damn my mother for being part of the craft club,' Frankie muttered to herself in anger. "Small world," Frankie said with a nervous laugh.
"It is, isn't it?" Kevin asked her, as he looked back down at the tire and put two and two together. "How could you do something like this?"
"Like what?!" Frankie demanded to know.
"You punctured your own tire," Kevin accused. "You sent me up here on a wild goose chase so you could lure me into the cabin!"
"That couldn't be any farther from the truth!" Frankie exclaimed.
"Admit it, Frankie!" Kevin yelled.
"Well, it worked," Frankie muttered, finally reaching an admission. "You came to my rescue and that means so much to me. It proves that you can start a relationship with me."
"No, it doesn't!" Kevin shouted. "I came up here because I thought I was a helping a friend in need, but you just wanted me in that cabin!" he accused her. "I thought you were different, I guess I was wrong about you. You are working for my mother."
"Do you want to search my address book?" Frankie questioned him. "I'm not in contact with your mother! Lalie's paranoia must be contagious!"
"Keep Lalie out of this," Kevin warned. "I'm leaving."
"Wait!" Frankie yelled, as Kevin walked over to his car and got in. "What about my tire?"
"You punctured it," Kevin said as he started the engine, and rolled down the window. "You figure out how to fix it."
"So, you're going to leave me here by myself?" Frankie demanded to know in a frantic tone.
"You won't be by yourself, Frankie," Kevin began. "You have your reliable scissors with you," he hissed. "Besides, I'm sure there's a towing company that you can call," Kevin told her. "Or, you can kneel down just like you did when you punctured it, and try putting the donut on!"
"Kevin!" Frankie shouted, but her shouts went unheard as he rolled up his window and sped off. "Stupid thing!" Frankie shouted out loud, as she kicked her tire before heading back inside to find a towing service.
Heather pushed the pull out bed back into the couch, and walked into the kitchen and searched the cabinets for something to eat.
"Heather, what are you doing?" a voice came up from behind her.
"Ryan, don't you have anything nutritious in these cabinets?" Heather asked him in a disgusted tone.
Ryan walked over to the cabinet and pulled something out. "Here," he said, handing something to Heather.
"A Kit-Kat bar?" Heather asked him in disbelief. "Please, I'll go to my parents to eat!"
"Oh, you're moving out so soon?" Ryan asked her in a teasing tone. "Just when I was getting used to having a roommate again."
"Again?!" Heather asked him in shock. "You've had one before?"
Ryan was silent for a moment before answering. "I meant, in college."
"Oh," Heather simply said. "And yes, I'll be spending the rest of my time with my parents and Lalie."
"Leave your key on the counter at checkout," Ryan said in a deadpan tone.
"That's real nice!" Heather sarcastically said, as Ryan headed into the bathroom. Heather was just about to ransack his refrigerator when the phone rang. "Well, I guess I should get that," Heather said, as she walked over to the phone and clicked it on. "Hello?" she asked only to hear air. "Hello, speak now!"
Frankie immediately clicked off her phone, and slammed it down on the receiver. "What the hell is Heather doing there?"
A while later, Lalie walked down the stairs and headed into the kitchen when the doorbell rang.
"Can you get that?" Carole asked in a polite tone, as she mixed cupcake batter. "My hands are a little tied."
"Of course," Lalie replied, as she walked over to the door and opened it. "Heather!"
"Hi!" Heather exclaimed. "I'm back!"
"Come in and put those bags down," Lalie told her, as Heather complied. "I didn't know you were coming back today."
"Actually, I came back last night," Heather began to explain. "I stayed the night with Ryan since it was so late when I got into town. I know how early everyone goes to bed here!"
"Mom's in the kitchen," Lalie mentioned.
"I know she'll be so happy to see me," Heather smiled, as she began to walk into the kitchen, and noticed Carole almost knock over the bowl she was mixing the batter in. "I didn't mean to startle you like that!"
Carole put down the mixer and walked over to Heather and gave her a hug. "Lalie had told me you were coming back but I didn't know it was today."
"I wanted to come back a little early," Heather explained. "So, where's Dad?"
"He's at the Home Depot," Carole replied. "I'm sure he'll be back soon."
"I can't wait to see him," Heather declared.
"Lalie, can you hold these cups still while I pour the mix into them?" Carole asked, as the doorbell rang. "Never mind."
"Go ahead, Lalie," Heather urged. "I'll answer the door."
Kevin waited outside the Mills' family home for someone to answer the door. He knew seeing Lalie after what he did with Frankie would be hard, but there was something he needed to tell her.
Kevin stood frozen when he saw the person who answered the door.
"Kevin," Heather muttered, having just stared at him for a few seconds.
"I didn't know you were coming back to town," Kevin began. "Is Lalie here?" he asked, as he felt Heather push him outside, closing the door behind her. "What are you doing, Heather?" he asked, as they were both now outside in the warm air.
"I know I'm not your favorite person," Heather began. "You have to understand that I'm sorry for doing what I did."
"Oh, are you?" Kevin wanted to know. "Ten years after you said I tried to rape you?"
"I had my reasons," Heather replied.
"There ARE no excuses," Kevin told her in a serious tone, trying to push his way around her.
"If you just listen to me, you'll understand," Heather begged him.
"What the hell is going on here?" a voice chimed in from behind them.
Kevin turned around to find Lalie standing there. "I was here to see you but your SISTER wouldn't let me in."
"That's not true!" Heather exclaimed. "I simply wanted him alone for a minute. Looks like there's no talking sense into people who hold grudges."
"I'm not going through this again," Lalie declared in utter disgust. "If you two can't get along, then don't cross paths with each other!" she logically told them, as she turned her attention to Kevin. "So, did you fix Frankie's flat tire?"
"Do you think we can talk about this in private?" Kevin asked Lalie, not wanting to discuss this topic in front of Heather.
"I know all about how you dumped Lalie and then moved on with Frankie," Heather cut in. "Feel free to discuss. I know it all, anyway."
Kevin looked shocked as those words came out of Heather's mouth. "That's not what happened, Heather," he began, as he turned to Lalie. "You discussed our problems with her?"
"Yes, I did," Lalie bluntly replied. "I think Heather should stay right where she is while we discuss this."
"I think there's a good chance that Frankie could be working for my mother," Kevin told Lalie in a serious tone.
"That's no surprise," Heather chimed in.
"What makes you think that?" Lalie asked.
"Let's just say, that tire didn't get flat on it's own," Kevin vaguely said. "Look, I have to prove that Frankie isn't as innocent as she's trying to be."
"She punctured her own tire?" Lalie asked in disbelief. "Did she do anything else?"
Kevin thought back to when he found himself in bed with Frankie. "No," Kevin lied.
"How do you plan to prove that she's working with Vivian?" Lalie wanted to know.
"I have an idea," Heather cut in, as all eyes traveled to look at Heather with concern. "Don't worry, this is good!"
"I'm almost afraid to ask," Kevin said. "What's your idea?"
"Take Frankie to the reunion," Heather advised him.
"No way!" Kevin immediately said. "I planned to take Lalie."
"Let her finish," Lalie said, looking at Heather with encouragement to continue.
"Take Frankie to the reunion," Heather repeated. "Once there, we can get her to admit that she's working with Vivian."
"What's this about, 'We'?" Kevin asked her.
"I can help you, Kevin," Heather tried to make him understand. "Can you think of anyone better to help you? Think about it: I've had first hand experience with Vivian's mind control!"
"Heather's right," Lalie chimed in, as she looked at Kevin. "I bet Heather could spot Frankie's lies a mile away."
"But I wanted to take you!" Kevin once again exclaimed to Lalie.
"There will be other reunions," Lalie told him. "Then, we can walk in as husband and wife as soon as Frankie is out of the way."
"I don't know if I want to take Frankie," Kevin sighed.
"It's not like we're asking you to marry her," Lalie told him with a slight laugh.
"Please, don't mention the 'M' word," Heather told Lalie, as she turned her attention back to Kevin. "Kevin, we can get Frankie to admit everything. Let's just try this."
"How will this work?" Kevin wanted to know.
"It's not that complicated," Heather replied. "Just follow my lead. I'll bring up Vivian in some context, and we'll how she reacts."
"I'll work with you just this once," Kevin told Heather in a very serious tone. "Don't think that all's forgiven between us. I'm only doing this so I can finally learn the truth about Frankie and… my mother."
"I understand," Heather told him as she walked over to Lalie and tapped her on the shoulder. "Come on, Lalie, let's go pick out a dress for that reunion."
"Okay," Lalie replied, as she watched Heather walk back into the house. She turned her attention back to Kevin. "Ask Frankie to the reunion. I'll have Heather on guard to make sure Frankie doesn't try anything with you!" Lalie exclaimed with a laugh. "I trust you, completely," she finished, as she, too, headed inside.
Kevin stood on the front lawn by himself and sighed. "If you only knew the other half of what happened last night," Kevin muttered, as he heard the sound of the lawn sprinklers turning on. "Your entire trust in me could be destroyed."
Chapter 16
Non-Nsync Fiction
I'll Never Stop {Fiction}
Email Tracia