Four Tammi jumped as the thunder boomed once more. Every time it cracked, she thought her house would fall apart. It was the worst storm their area had experienced in a very long time, and she had a pile of candles ready in case the power went off. Her phone rang just as the lights flickered and went out. She gratefully picked up the one phone in her house that wasn’t cordless. “Hello?” “Tam?” “Hello, Christopher,” she replied coldly. It had been three days since he had stormed out of her house, and they hadn’t spoken since. “How nice of your grown-upself to call me.” “Can you come over?” Tammi laughed. “You insult me, run out of my house like a spoiled child, and now you want me to come over. Have you looked outside recently? It’s POURING.” “Look, Tam, I’m sorry, okay?” “That’s nice to know.” “Tam…PLEASE. I need you.” The pride that fueled her cold words fought with the love she had secretly felt for him for almost a year. Chris sounded tired, and almost as if he were crying…but Chris NEVER cried. The love in her heart won. “Okay, Chris. I’ll get there as soon as I can.” “Oh, Tammi.” Chris was waiting by the door with a towel when she arrived a half-hour later. “Finally. I was worried.” “Roads are hell,” she replied. She took the towel and quickly dried her hair. She had gotten soaked simply running to and from the car. “I have some dry clothes for you in the bathroom,” Chris said almost shyly. “Thanks.” Tammi headed for the small powder room near the kitchen. When she came out into the living room a few moments later, Chris was on the sofa. He handed her a cup of coffee. “Thanks for coming over.” “Sure.” Tammi took the cup and studied Chris carefully. He looked tired and old and his eyes were red. “Are you okay?” “I’m sorry, you know, for what I said and how I acted.” “It’s okay.” Tammi squeezed Chris’ knee. “Over and done with.” Chris picked up the hand on his knee and held it. “You were right…I was trying to be someone else…fat load of good it did me.” “Chris, you’re wonderful just how you are!” Tammi exclaimed. “You’re sweet, intelligent, talented…” “The company folded,” Chris interrupted. “The investors are out.” “What?” “I bought them all out. The company’s all mine, but it’s not worth shit.” Chris’ eyes filled with tears. “It ended this morning.” “Chris, you’ve got all kinds of money. You can start over.” “It’s not about the money, and I don’t WANT to start over. I only wanted to show all those losers back home that I’m NOT a loser. I did everything I could to make it work, and now I have nothing.” “Oh, Chris.” Tammi pulled him into a hug. “You’re not a loser. And you have a lot of things going for you.” She tried not to enjoy the hug too much, but it was easy to lose herself in it. Tammi briefly closed her eyes before letting him go. “It’ll be okay,” she said lamely. “Thank you.” Chris kept his hand against the base of her neck. He looked into her eyes and she swallowed deeply. “For everything.” Tammi barely had time to say, “Sure,” before Chris was kissing her. She was so shocked that she could only allow it to happen. He pulled back just long enough to gauge her reaction. When she didn’t slap him, or run away screaming, he smiled and kissed her again. “Come upstairs?” Chris asked after he broke the kiss again. Tammi could only mutely nod, and Chris stood, taking her hand. Making love with Chris was the EXACT opposite of anything Tammi had ever imagined. Everything was slow and steady and evenly paced. Chris slowly undressed her, and Tammi was so distracted that she didn’t even notice him undressing himself until he was naked. He was unselfish and attentive, making her want to scream more than once. It was only when he was sleeping beside her hours later that Tammi was finally able to take a deep breath and think about what the hell had just happened. It was better than her best fantasy…but it was wrong at the same time. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to happen. She slowly got out of bed, got dressed, and snuck out of Chris’ house. Tammi knocked on the front door of JC and Lara’s house, and it swung open slightly as soon as her knuckles hit it. She heard the sound of glass hitting something solid, and she jumped at the shatter. “Why do I even waste my time?” JC yelled as he started down the hall. Tammi flattened herself against the wall. “Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall!” “Excuse me?” Lara came flying out behind him. “Like you’re so fucking intelligent! You don’t know a Monet from a Manet!” “Ooh…that hurts,” JC said, placing a hand over his heart. “That’s the best you could come up with?” “Fuck you,” Lara said, hurt filling her tone. “Why do I even try? You don’t give a shit about me or my feelings!” “You’re right.” JC gave her a cold stare and headed up the steps. Lara noticed Tammi for the first time and gave a weak smile. “Hi.” “Are you okay?” Tammi’s problems were quickly forgotten. “I can leave.” “No…I’m fine.” Lara sat down in the living room and Tammi sat beside her. “What’s up?” “Tell me what happened,” Tammi said. “Oh…I got upset because he’s leaving tomorrow to go to New York for some stuff, and he conveniently forgot to tell me. Sometimes it’s like he forgets I even LIVE in this house, if something comes up with his music,” Lara said sadly. “Anyway…why are you here?” “I…uh…me and Chris…” Tammi stammered. “What? Did you tell him?” Lara asked excitedly. “No,” Tammi said. “We were too busy having sex.” “What?” Lara’s jaw dropped. “One minute I was consoling him and the next we were naked and it was awesome and it was awful and fuck, I don’t know what to do.” Tammi buried her head in her hands. “You need to talk to him,” Lara said. “I know…but it’s just weird now. I can’t…I can’t talk to him. I feel strange.” “You need to tell him you love him. Maybe he feels the same way.” “Hardly. I’m just his friend, Tammi, who he runs to for advice, consolation, and an easy lay, apparently,” Tammi said, sighing. They looked up as JC slowly came down the steps, a look of apologetic horror on his face. Tammi stood. “Looks like someone is ready to grovel. I’ll call you later.” “He better do some bigass groveling,” Lara grumbled. “Lara…I cannot believe I said that I didn’t care about you. I do…so much. Can you forgive me and my dumbass temper?” JC asked before Tammi was even to the door. Something in his tone made her stop and lean against the wall again. “I just felt so stupid because I forgot to tell you about the trip…and I said what I did.” “You do this all the time, Josh. It’s like you forget I even live here…it’s like you’d rather I wasn’t a part of your life at all,” Lara said unhappily. “What? No, baby. I’m just an airhead most of the time.” JC walked over to Lara, holding out something that was in the palm of his hand. Tammi quietly gasped, and Lara stared at JC. “I should have done this a long time ago…but I want you to know that I ALWAYS know you’re here, and I ALWAYS want you here. Will you marry me?” “Oh…Josh…yes!” Lara cried, hugging him. Tammi slipped out of the house, a sad smile on her face.