FRIDAY

Eve woke up at seven in the morning and decided to take a shower while Chris was still sleeping opting not to bother him about getting up and moving until after she had finished with her shower. However when she came out of the bathroom, he was already gone. He left a note that saying that he was going out for doughnuts, so she continued to get packing to leave the hotel.

"How are you this morning?" Chris asked when he came back with his doughnuts.

"Pretty good. How are you?" Eve asked taking a glazed doughnut out of the box he had just brought in. It tasted sweeter than she expected.

"Other than the kink in my back I'm feeling from sleeping on the hard side of the bed not to mentioned being awakened at least half a dozen times after getting kicked in the shin by you, I'd say that I'm allright." Chris remarked sarcastically shedding his jacket as he watched her eating the pastry.

"I didn't kick you Ramsey." Eve shot back at him.

"The heck you didn't. I still have the marks to prove it." Chris insisted in disagreement tugging at his belt buckle. "Want to see?"

"No, no that's okay." Eve replied shaking her head in disbelief and reaching out to stop him. "I believe you Ramsey."

"I thought you'd see it my way." Chris smiled tightening his belt before taking a seat at the small table in the corner of the room. "You know while you were in the shower, I was running around scoping out the locals this morning." he said picking up a chocolate frosted doughnut.

"The locals? Wow, you must've been feeling friendly this morning." Eve remarked feigning shock as she took a seat next to him. "Tell me Ramsey, did you find out anything interesting like are there any hog races this afternoon or any square dances going on around this neck of the woods?"

"Hardly, I think their idea of fun around her is sitting around watching the chickens peck at one another." Chris chuckled in amusement at her dry attempt at humor. "I did, however come across some interesting information."

"Well, don't hold out on me." Eve replied tugging at his sleeve dramatically. "Enlighten me oh great one."

"Well, Bubba, who appeared to be the local sheriff I believe informed me of the story of the Highway Stalker." Chris explained taking another bite out of his doughnut finishing it off.

"The Highway Stalker?" Eve repeated raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, apparently there's a man roaming around these back woods just cruising the highways scoping out the beautiful women passing through the area until he strikes his move."

"And then what?" Eve questioned watching cross the room and pull out a couple of juices from the refrigerator.

"You don't want to know Lambert." He replied handing her an orange juice.

"Now come on Ramsey. You can't do that to me. You know how I hate to hear half of a story and then get shafted from the rest." Eve insisted urging him to go on.

"Well, since you've roped me into it, Bubba informed me that they found the last out of towner about fifty miles up the road dumped in one of the ditches along the roadside."

Chris finished watching her expression closely.

"Oh my God." Eve gasped shaking her head. "That's horrible Chris."

"Yeah, well it just reaffirms my belief that the two of us traveling together was a good idea." Chris informed her seriously. "I know that you thought I was just being overly paranoid by insisting on escorting you on the trip, but as you can see now, not all of my ideas are as hair brained as you assume them to be."

"All right, I'll admit it, yes, you were right Chris. Us traveling together was a good idea as opposed to me coming out here to the convention alone." Eve said getting up from her seat.

"Ah, she finally admits it." Chris sighed as a grin spread across his face. "Eve Lambert admits that I'm right about something and look no one else is here to witness it."

"Yeah, well don't let it get to your head Ramsey or else I'll have to hurt you." Eve replied getting up and moving across the room to finish packing her bag.

"Hmm....I like the sound of that." Chris beamed raising and eyebrow as he watched her pressing her weight down on the suitcase to securely clasp it shut. "Hurt me Eve."

"Oh please," Eve muttered rolling her eyes as she shot him a menacing glare.

"Hey you were the one who brought it up." Chris reminded her tossing their trash aside.

"I'm sorry that I did." Eve mumbled scanning the room one more time.

"Are you almost ready to go?" he asked her tapping his fingertips on one of the heart shaped chairs chuckling in amusement watching her fight with her things. "We don't have all day to just sit around here you know."

"I'm ready now if you want to leave." she said picking up her bags.

"Oh how I'm going to miss this place. The memories it holds for us....ah...." Chris sighed looking around the room for a moment before raising his eyebrow. "Kind of makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside with this atmosphere."

"More like crazed and gut wrenching," Eve muttered rolling her eyes disapprovingly. "It's sickening in here. You can't even joke about it."

"Okay. That was all that I needed to know. Let's return the key to this place and hit the road before you make yourself ill." he smiled eager to be on their way.

********

After leaving the hotel, Chris and Eve drove in silence for a while both fighting the bout of restlessness from being cooped up in the Jeep. The only noise that was heard was coming from the radio that was playing the song was When A Man Loves A Woman and as the final chords played, Eve found herself in deep thought about the events leading to her upcoming marriage to Kevin.

Chris looked at Eve appearing so enamored and instantly he realized that her thoughts were of Kevin as he sat wondering what would possess Eve to want to marry someone so straight and narrow. He thought about the idea for a long while and the more that he thought about it, the more that he didn't understand it. Eve was meant to be with him, not Kevin and it infuriated him to see that she wasn't ever going to be able to understand the love he felt for her. He looked at Eve and wondered what it was that could turn her into such an irrational person when the love of Dr. Kevin Collins was concerned. Finally he couldn't take it anymore so he broke down and asked her about it.

"Eve, can I ask you a question about Kevin?" he asked her seriously turning the radio down as he glanced over at her.

"If it has anything to do with any of my sexual habits then no." she joked with him.

"I'm serious Eve." he said looking at her briefly.

"Go ahead then." she said to him.

"What it is it about him that drives you crazy?" he asked her bluntly. "I just have to know what it is."

"What is it about who?" Eve questioned in confusion puzzled by his question.

"Kevin." Chris replied quickly. "What is it about Kevin Collins that causes you to get all quiet and have that goofy look on your face? I mean, if you take a good look at yourself you spend half your time walking around looking like a deer caught in the headlights and to be quite honest with you, I just don't get it."

"What do you mean?" she asked baffled by his question. "Just what is it you're trying to get at Ramsey?"

"Well, I guess that what I am trying to ask you is why would you still want to marry him knowing that you two are only together because your first choice shacked up with another woman?" Chris questioned bluntly casting a glance in her direction for a brief moment.

"Chris, it's not like that." Eve started to protest as he cut her off.

"Look Eve I understand that you were feeling weak at the moment in time when you shacked up with him," Chris started hesitantly debating whether or not to go on as he continued, "but after he and Lucy wound up together during that snow storm not so long ago, you'd think that most women would have forgotten a man like that by now seeing as he obviously still has a torch burning for her."

"He does not Chris." Eve insisted slightly offended by what he was saying. "Kevin hasn't had a thing for Lucy in years."

"Oh come on Eve. Don't tell me you're that naive." Chris muttered rolling his eyes. "I mean if you think about it, Kevin and Lucy were alone together for seventy two hours."

"So what?" Eve shrugged remembering back to when she'd begged Kevin to not go after Lucy and just let Scott find her after she'd been kidnapped by DV yet again. She closed her eyes and thought of how hurt she'd been when she'd come home to discover Kevin had left while she was at work determined to bring Lucy home again.

"So what." Chris repeated in disbelief interrupting her thoughts. "Eve, there's no telling what could've happened between them during that time. In fact, everything about the whole situation seemed suspicious, yet once he was out of danger, he went on as if nothing happened...as if the instance never took place."

"Chris, why would he want to dwell on it? He and Lucy were trapped in a cave together in the middle of winter fighting to survive." Eve replied looking out the window.

"I understand that Eve, but you have to ask yourself how in the world did he allow himself to get into that position in the first place?" Chris continued seeing that he was striking a chord in her, yet not quite ready to let up just yet. "Then to top things off, less than twenty four hours after being back in Port Charles he asks you to marry him. Now don't you find that a little bit odd Eve?"

"Why should I?" Eve insisted hating what Chris was trying to get at.

"For some reason, I just don't buy into the crap that his near death experience brought the realization to him that he couldn't live without you. It just doesn't add up."

"It's not supposed to add up Chris. It's just the way things were meant to be." Eve shot back in irritation trying not to let her feelings on the subject shine through.

"Eve, I was with you when Kevin was gone. Remember?" Chris piped up glancing over at her for a moment thinking back to when Eve had shown up at his apartment crying on his shoulder afraid she was going to lose Kevin after he'd ventured off to rescue Lucy. "I know what you went through and when you discovered he was with Lucy all that time, I would've thought you'd rid yourself of him for sure."

"Maybe most women might've given up considering the outlandish circumstances that took place, but as I told you before, I love Kevin and that is reason enough for me not to have doubts about that time he and Lucy spent together." Eve replied facing him once more raising her head confidently.

"Cheap words." Chris muttered under his breath as Eve continued to defend her position.

"Kevin swore to me that nothing happened when they were trapped together, and I have to believe that. Otherwise, why would've he asked me to marry him?" she questioned boldly.

"I don't know. You tell me Lambert." Chris replied switching lanes as he noticed some construction up ahead.

Eve glared at him for a moment trying not to let her doubts shine through as she remembered how distant Kevin appeared to be once he'd returned to Port Charles. While she'd hoped everything would go back to normal, she herself had seen the change in him, as her own doubts rang throughout her mind, yet admitting to that would prove that all her dreams of happiness would be nothing more than a mere illusion...one she wouldn't be able to face. He'd asked her to marry him....told her point blank in front of the warm glow of the fireplace that she was the only woman for him...the one he wanted to spend his life with....she had to believe that...if only for her sanity.

"Kevin loves me." Eve answered weakly staring back out the window.

"I know that you have said that, but how do you know? What if the only reason Kevin proposed to you is because he did in fact give into his lingering feelings for Lucy during those seventy two hours and seeing as how Kevin is such an upstanding moral guy," Chris started rolling his eyes, "he couldn't live with himself knowing that he'd been with Lucy knowing that her marriage to Baldwin was on the rocks. I mean if you think about it, what if he felt it necessary to commit himself to you out of guilt before he allowed things with them to get out of hand with Lucy once again?"

"Kevin wouldn't do something like that." Eve insisted shaking her head.

"I don't mean to bust your bubble here, but after everything that's been going on, how do you know that he is the one and only?" Chris questioned noticing the brake lights up ahead as he decided to take a detour onto one of the side roads. "Eve, to give up your life like that to someone who just doesn't seem to have that same intense emotional reaction when you walk into a room as you do for him, it just doesn't make sense."

"It doesn't have to Chris." she said thinking about her relationship with Kevin over the past couple of years. "You see the first time that he said he was falling in love with me, I just knew and when I looked into his eyes, he proved to me just how much I meant to him.

As time went on, I realized he was the one just by little things...by his actions I suppose.

He seemed to always know what I was feeling and he did everything in his power to make me happy."

"Like what?" Chris asked curiously.

"Huh?" Eve asked coming back from a trance.

"What did he do to make you so happy?" he asked inquisitively.

"He would bring me roses for no reason or we would just spend the night in front of the fireplace eating ice cream or just holding each other and talking about the future. It was something that just made me feel special." Eve smiled as she remembered the event back in the storm of 99 that had pulled her and Kevin together. "I still remember the first time that he told me that he loved me. I wasn't expecting it because I knew that he wasn't looking for a strong commitment. He said that he wasn't ready to fall in love quite yet after everything that had happened with Lucy and I wasn't in the mood for romance either, but it just happened and he has been in my heart ever since. I love him with all of my heart."

"So that's what did it for you?" Chris asked her noticing how swept away she looked as he wondered if he made a mistake mentioning Kevin Collins seeing as Eve was starting to get that misty eyed lost in love look on her face again. "A couple of flowers and saying that he loved you?"

"Well, it goes deeper than that, but I can't really explain it. You just have to feel it to know what it is like I guess. One day you will know what I mean." Eve said looking at him while he drove. "Love is one of the most powerful motivators and when it calls out to you, no matter how hard you try there is just no way to fight it."

"I suppose that is nice, but right now love is the last thing that I need in my life. It's too much of a hassle if you think about it...constantly trying to please someone else who never appreciates you...wearing your heart out on your sleeve and getting it broken into a million pieces. Having your world torn apart. No thank you. I am happy with having short, simple relationships ones that don't require any involvement down the road." Chris added forcing a grin as his mind ran wild with contradictory thoughts.

"Chris, you don't mean that." Eve replied turning to face him once again.

"Sure I do." He replied thinking of how much in love he was with her. He directed his attention to the road hoping she'd buy into what he was saying when in reality he'd give anything to have her feel the way about him that he felt for her. He wanted so desperately to inform her that knew what love was about and he was well aware of the heartache accompanying it as he glanced over at her once more. "The duration of my relationships suit me just fine for the time being. If I had anything longer than a couple of weeks, I might go out of my mind."

"One day all of that will change with you Ramsey." she assured him noticing the distance in his eyes as she continued. "You will meet a woman that totally blows your mind and you will be begging me to drive you cross country so that you can be with her."

"I highly doubt that when I find the girl of my dreams that it will be my mind that she's blowing." he informed her jokingly hoping to change the direction of the conversation before he ended up saying something he would regret.

"You're really sick. Do you know that?" she asked him as she rolled her eyes. "I can't be serious with you for one minute, can I? I start talking to you about deep, meaningful relationships and then you just had to throw that one in, didn't you?"

"Hey Lambert, you were the one that read between the lines on that one. What does that say about you?" he questioned raising an eyebrow at her. "Besides, what would the world be like without me to corrupt it?"

"Normal perhaps." she responded thinking it over for a moment.

"I doubt it." he said looking at her for a second before shifting his gaze back to the open road before him. "Every person in the world is perverted in some way, shape or form.

They just deal with it in different ways. Some people hide it better than others but I, unfortunately, am not one of those people...but hey, who knows? Maybe one day all of that will change."

"Well, since you put it that way, there may be hope for you yet." she said smiling as she leaned back into her chair looking out the window at the leafless trees passing by.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked her curiously noticing the crooked grin upon her face. "Just what are you trying to imply about me now Lambert?"

"Nothing." she said smiling letting out a soft chuckle. "Just drive."

It was about five in the afternoon when the two of them hit the state line. Eve was singing along to the song on the radio while Chris was laughing at her. He couldn't help but be amused as she had her window rolled down and was singing like a fool out to the world passing by. She seemed really happy and the closer that they got to their destination, the better her mood seemed to get. She was smiling more than Chris had ever seen in the past six months and he was struck with the old familiar feeling he'd had so many times in the past when the two of them were alone at the apartment spending quality time with one another laughing and joking around.

"We are really making progress today." Eve decided smiling brightly as she turned her head back inside the Jeep. "I have a feeling that this afternoon will be full of promise."

"We only have a little while longer ahead of us. Soon we will be there in the sunshine instead of this cold weather and I will be having the time of my life. There will be sun, women, beaches, and did I mention the women?" Chris smiled at the thought realizing that this trip would have it's perks even if things didn't work out with Eve as he hoped. "I might even find time to get a tan in between seminars."

"A tan would be nice." Eve agreed putting her hand out of the window to feel the breeze that the day had. "I would like a little color before the wedding. White is just not my color."

"Awe Eve, you'll look gorgeous in just about any color you wear." Chris replied without a second thought.

"You're just saying that because you're obligated since you're my friend." Eve laughed soaking up the feel of the wind passing through her finger tips when she felt the breeze picking up. "Oh my God."

"What?" Chris asked slightly startled by her response. "Don't tell me you're having wedding dress anxiety again?"

"No, it's not that. Is that rain that I felt?" she asked him as she leaned back into the Jeep.

"I don't know." he said looking at the road ahead of him. "It looks like nothing but blue skies ahead of us."

"I just don't like the looks of that sky Chris." Eve decided looking at the tiny droplets form on the windshield. "I checked the weather report this morning and it said that it wasn't going to rain."

"It isn't that bad. It is only sprinkling." Chris said ignoring the existence of the rain thinking that it was just a sprinkle that was going to pass.

"You don't understand Chris. The rain is a bad sign." she said panicking as the storm clouds rumbled above them.

"What are you talking about?" Chris asked puzzled. "It is only a little rain."

"No, it's bad. I can't explain it, but I get the feeling it means that the day is going to take a turn for the worse. Don't ask me why, but I'm just struck with this odd feeling right now Chris." Eve insisted leaning back in her seat as he flicked on the windshield wipers.

"I've driven in rain worse than this Eve and so have you. It is just a little sprinkling." Chris tried reassuring her noticing her squirm in her seat a bit.

"I just haven't liked the rain since....." Eve trailed off uneasily as Chris peered at her for a moment.

"Don't tell me you're still remembering the incident with Julie and Cooper." Chris spoke up taking note of her eerie silence.

"How could I forget?" Eve replied feeling chills run down her spine. "The wind had kicked up so badly as we stood there in front of them trying to reason with those idiots at the lighthouse."

"Yeah, but it all worked out for the best. You're still here and I'm still here." Chris added trying not to think back to the miserable time during his last days of marriage to Julie Devlin when she'd turned on him in a rage and tried to rid Eve from his life as an act of revenge for his defiance. He'd gone over to warn Eve of Julie's intentions when he was greeted by her and Cooper hoping to make their last attempt on Kevin's life, yet winding up with Chris and Eve as hostages.

"It's just so chilling to think that if Garcia hadn't shown up when he did, that bullet would've hit me and we wouldn't be here right now having this conversation." Eve sighed closing her eyes feeling herself absorbed in the horrible memory as she felt Chris' hand upon her knee.

"Eve, it's in the past and we need to move forward." Chris reminded her softening his tone sensing how wound up she still was about the encounter only months earlier.

"Cooper and Julie don't have a chance of ever breaking free again and even if they did, they wouldn't be crazy enough to try to cross our paths after the beating you gave Julie."

"She did kind of ask for it, didn't she?" Eve smiled remembering the fight that had taken place between them in the final seconds before Garcia had gunned down Julie. "I warned her not to point that gun at me, but she wouldn't listen."

"Eve, you were brutal. I'm surprised she was able to still walk once you were through with her." Chris added with a chuckle thinking back to how surprising Eve's rage towards Julie had been. "She didn't even see it coming."

"Well, it serves her right for trying to take down me and my best friend." Eve added hearing thunder crash in the distance. "I still don't understand how you got yourself wound up in that arrangement with her."

"Yeah well, my marriage wasn't one of the finger points in my life, and I'd feel much better just forgetting it all together." Chris instructed noticing her beautiful features tightening up at the sounds of the rolling boom above. "Hey Eve, try to relax. I don't think that anything bad is likely to happen to us today."

"I just don't feel right about this." she said as she felt her hands getting cold.

"Do you want me to stop and pull over on the side of the road?" he asked her noticing her personality change as he began to worry about her hoping she'd snap out of whatever was happening inside her head.

"No. I might just be acting paranoid." she said smiling at him trying to dismiss the thoughts running through her head. "You can keep driving."

"Are you sure?" Chris questioned gazing her over once more. "Because if you're not sure, I can...."

"Chris, I'll be fine. Really." Eve insisted nodding her head hoping to convince him to keep going.

"Okay." he said looking at the road ahead of him.

Within an hour the rain had picked up from a slight drizzle to a hard downpour. Eve could feel herself digging her finger nails into the seat of his Jeep. Chris seemed unaffected by the weather, but Eve couldn't help but feel a bit concerned as the roads grew slick.

"Perhaps we should've flown out there instead of opting for the scenic route." Eve spoke up nervously wondering why the weather was like this in the middle of February.

"Although I thought driving didn't seem like such a bad idea at the time."

"Hey, if we did that we'd be missing out on all the fun." Chris reminded her sensing her discomfort as he put his hand on her leg to reassure her that everything was going to be okay. Eve squeezed his hand back as a gesture to show that she was grateful to have him there desperately wanting to tell him to pull the Jeep off of the road and stop for the night, but she didn't want Chris to think that she was stranger than he must already think she was.

"Hey Lambert, did I tell you the one I heard the other day about the lawyer, the doctor, and the hypnotist?" Chris questioned trying to ease the tension in the air as he looked over at her.

"Oh geez." Eve replied rolling her eyes. "Go ahead lay it on me Ramsey."

Chris was about to respond when suddenly out of nowhere a cow appeared in front of them causing Chris to swerve the Jeep off the side of the road, hoping to avoid hitting it.

As he pulled off of the road, he heard his tire pop while fighting with the steering wheel to keep from flipping the Jeep over. He could hear Eve screaming from her seat going hysterical. He knew that he could safely pull the Jeep over, but her screaming didn't make the situation any better. Wishing that she didn't have to get so worked up about what was going on, he did finally get the van safely to a stop.

"Are you okay?" he asked Eve who looked at him and wrapped her arms tightly around him. He was beginning to worry that something was wrong with her when she didn't answer. "Eve? Eve, are you hurt?"

"I'm scared, but I think I'm okay." she said holding onto him even tighter trying not to think about what just happened.

"I think that I have to go outside and see what damage was done." Chris decided starting to open his door to take a look.

"No! Wait!" Eve began tugging on his arm and pulling him back into the Jeep. "Will you just sit here with me for a minute?"

"Okay." he replied giving her a hug to try and make her feel better. Holding her in his arms, he could smell the sweet fragrance of her and he found himself mindlessly rubbing his hands along her back hoping to soothe whatever tension she was feeling. Inching towards her, he whispered in her ear softly. "Eve, it's all over now. We can just walk to the service station I saw a few miles back and get the problem fixed once this rain clears up a bit. I promise you everything is going to be just fine if you'd stop worrying for a second."

"Okay," she nodded looking up at him with tears in her eyes. "For a moment there I thought that it was all over for us and I didn't want it to be."

"Awe Eve, you don't honestly think that we'd get it like this in a Jeep after a cow ran out in the middle of the road?" Chris questioned tilting her chin up to look into his eyes as he wiped away a stray tear. "Where's the justice in that?"

"Chris..." Eve started still looking shaken as he pulled her into another hug.

"Come on Lambert. Do I look like the kind of guy who's going to have a tombstone reading Chris Ramsey died after encountering the cow afraid to cross the cow road?"

Chris questioned holding her close to him. "You should know by now that I expect to die like a rock star in bed with two beautiful women half my age...not here on some back road."

"You're terrible." Eve smiled unable to suppress a laugh as she gazed into his shining eyes.

"Hey, it got you to laugh didn't it?" Chris replied with a goofy grin. "You have to look on the bright side. We are alive and so is that stupid cow."

"Thank goodness for that." Eve smirked watching the cow up ahead still in the middle of the road. "I don't think this accident even phased that cow."

"Probably not, but now that I think about it, I suppose that we should start trying to get ahold of someone that can fix the Jeep." Chris decided turning the emergency flashers on.

""I'll go take a look and see what is wrong with our ride. Stay here."

Chris stepped out of the van to check the damage that was done hoping to discover that it didn't look like anything too serious, but when he circled around to the rear of the vehicle, it did look worse than he was expecting . With a sigh, he walked around the Jeep to see if anything else was damaged besides the tire, but due to the severity of the rain, he couldn't see any other problems.

Chris turned back towards the driver's side door ready to get back into the Jeep when a police car pulled up next to him. The officer got out of his car and walked over to Chris.

The man looked like he was in his late sixties with light gray hair and a graying mustache.

He had on a brown hat that seemed to block out most of the rain from his face as he moved in towards Chris "Did you have an accident son?" the officer asked as he took a look at the van.

"I ran off the road because there was a cow there in the middle of it officer." Chris explained to the officer.

"That would be Bessy." the officer explained apologetically. "She tends to get out and escape from her farm when it rains. On the average, she is the cause of about five accidents in these parts each month. I tell her owners to get a new gate, but they don't seem to get around to it. I am grateful that this time it wasn't a fatal accident that Bessy caused. How much damage was done?"

"My back left tire is blown, but that is all that I can see in this rain." Chris explained to him.

"Are you hurt?" the officer asked concerned.

"I am okay and so is my friend that is with me. The only damage was done to the tire thanks to that cow." Chris informed the officer in irritation.

"Why don't you let me call Ed for a tow truck and I can find you and your friend a hotel to stay at for the evening? It's the least we can do for your inconvenience." the officer said to him apologetically extending out his hand. "I think that would be the best thing to do in this weather. By the way, I'm Officer Woods."

"Chris Ramsey." Chris replied extending his hand to shake the officer's hand as another raging storm cloud rumbled over head. He thought of Eve's previous reaction to the storm and decided to take the officer up on his offer. "That would be great sir if you could get us a place to stay just until the storm blows by."

*****

"I don't believe this town." Chris muttered making his way up the staircase in the pouring rain. "You'd think we'd just found ourselves in a very twisted episode of the twilight zone or something."

"Oh they were sweet." Eve insisted remembering their short run in at the mechanic's place. "It was nice of them to offer to pay for the parts needed on the Jeep."

"Nice, Eve, the mechanic owned the cow that jumped out in the road in front of us. He sure as hell had every obligation to pay for the damages to my Jeep from that beast.

Stupid cow should be sent off to the butcher that way it won't inflict and grievous bodily harm upon anyone..."

"Chris, would you just lighten up a bit?" Eve replied in amusement pulling the key out of her pocket that the officer had given her. "They've all been very considerate here with us.

In fact, complaining should be the last thing you should be doing considering that the Sheriff paid for this hotel suite you're going to be resting your head in tonight."

"And what a glamorous location it is." Chris muttered rolling his eyes as he followed Eve into the room and setting his bag down right smack in the center of the room. "Ah, love that fresh mildew smell. It just enhances the overall quality of what I'm feeling right now in these sobbing wet clothes."

"Oh Chris, you'll never quit whining will you?" Eve questioned moving towards the bathroom with a bag in hand eager to fix herself up. "And you say that I whine a lot."

"You're just irritated that I beat you to it Lambert." Chris shot back at her as she closed the door behind her. "I feel like I'm trapped in some House on the Prarie kind of hell."

"We're not in hell Chris, so just relax." Eve called out from inside the bathroom pulling her sweater off as she looked at her drenched reflection staring back at her in the mirror.

Noticing that her mascara had smeared across her face, she began wiping away at the dark streaks running down her face.

"It sure feels like it." Chris shot back in frustration.

"Chris, it's not that bad." Eve insisted with a chuckled pulling her stringy hair out of her face. "In fact to make prove it up to you, I'll take you out to dinner tonight and show you just how wrong you are."

"I'm telling you Eve in these kind of places people may seem all sweet and nice, but no one here isn't without an ulterior motive. In fact I'd bet it's safe to say that right now that mechanic is using junk parts on my car out of spite." Chris muttered feeling a chill coming on as he began peeling his shirt from his body before reaching out to unbutton his jeans.

"Ulterior motives huh?" Eve questioned with a laugh. "Gee, then you should fit in perfectly around here."

"Ha, very funny." Chris replied sitting down on the bed and tugging at the heavy material of his soaked jeans struggling to work them down his legs nearly falling off the bed in the process.

"Damn it!" Chris cursed pulling his left leg out taking his sock off in the process. Leaning over, he finished removing his jeans by kicking them off his right leg causing them to shoot off across the room with a resounding thud knocking over the trash can in the process. He watched the empty trash can hit the floor before moving across the room towards the small sink set up by the refrigerator and grabbing for a towel. Hearing the shower running in the bathroom, Chris pulled a change of clothes out of his bag and stripped out of his boxers eager to get dried off when he heard Eve call out to him.

"You know I was thinking Ramsey, at the rate our luck's going maybe we should just call for room servi....." Eve started emerging from the bathroom to find Chris towel drying himself before her.

"Eve," Chris gasped covering himself with the hand the towel he'd been using to dry off with in an attempt keep from exposing himself any further to her, "I thought that I heard the water running and..."

Feeling her jaw drop, Eve remained frozen taking in the rather unexpected view of Chris as she noticed the remnants of his clothing on the floor a few feet in front of him. Feeling her face grow flushed with embarrassment to see him standing there before her soaking wet with only a towel covering him minimally, she couldn't help but stare noticing things about him that had never caught her eyes before. Taking in every curve of his well sculpted body, she couldn't help but show her amazement in finding Chris like this.

Making eye contact with him for a brief moment, she managed to mutter the words "I'm sorry" before turning around and rushing back into the bathroom.

Closing the door behind her, Eve pressed her body up against the door thinking about what she'd just walked in on unintentionally. Closing her eyes and letting out a breath, she tried to dismiss the thought of seeing Chris in such a revealing position.

"I should've waited to go out there." Eve whispered trying to talk herself down as she heard a soft tapping on the door a few seconds later.

"Eve. I'm finished out here." Chris called out to her knocking on the bathroom door once more.

"I'm really sorry about that Chris." she started feeling as if she owed him some type of explanation coming out of the bathroom. "I didn't even realize that you might be in here changing out of your wet things. I should have figured that you would do that seeing as I was hogging the bathroom and you must've been eager to change. I didn't mean to..."

"It's allright." he replied trying to suppress the amusement he was receiving from her embarrassment. "I didn't think to tell you that I was changing out here. I should've realized that you could walk out here at any minute and see me, but hey, don't worry about it. Let's just forget that it ever happened."

"Sure, it's out of mind already." Eve smiled weakly at him moving across the room and looking out at the sky through the window for a moment before turning around to face him. "So what is going to happen with the Jeep again?"

"Well," Chris started as he watched her stare intently at his chest, "the guy at the service station assured me that he would get to it the first thing in the morning, so we won't be stuck here for long."

"That's good. It's very good seeing as we have to get to that convention coming up." she paying much attention to what he was saying as she kept replaying the scene of walking in upon him over and over in her head and though she hated to admit it, each time she could found herself liking it even more.

Eve glanced up at Chris for a moment unable to meet his eyes for more than a brief second as her thoughts drifted back to him. She wanted to slap herself for having those thoughts considering that she was in love with Kevin and what made it even worse was the fact that she was looking at Chris that way. Chris, who had always been like an annoying brother to her most of the time, yet here she was drawn in by just how incredibly sexy he appeared to be standing before her in the dim hotel room lighting drying himself off.

"Maybe you should call Kevin to tell him that you're all right." he suggested as he wondered what she was thinking about as he noticed the uneasiness in her stance.

"Huh?" she asked him as she realized that he had noticed that she had been staring so intensely at him. "I didn't hear you. What did you say?"

"I said that I think that you should call Kevin just to let him know that you're okay. You should tell him about the detour that we had so that he doesn't worry about you when he calls the hotel in L.A. and discovers we're not there yet." he suggested with a smile on his face.

"I suppose that you are right." she agreed walking over to the phone and nearly tripped over her own two feet. "I should do that right now."

"Good idea." he smiled back at her drying his hair with the towel as she picked up the phone. "I'll go into the bathroom and finish getting cleaned up. After you get off the phone, we can go out to dinner at the restaurant."

"That sounds like a good plan. I'd like that." Eve agreed smiling as he went into the bathroom.

Once Chris disappeared into the bathroom, Eve dialed the number to the lighthouse only to be greeted by the answering machine. She checked the time realizing Kevin should've been home by now seeing as he'd taken some time off to work on his latest novel, but after the message finished, she heard the beep and spoke into the phone.

"Kevin, hey it's me. I was just calling to check in and let you know that I'm all right, but it looks like I missed you." Eve started hesitantly struck with an eerie feeling as she grew silent. "I suppose I'll just try back later. I...I love you."

"Did you get ahold of him?" Chris asked coming out of the bathroom wearing a red sweater.

"No, I just got the machine." she smiled at him. "Are you ready for dinner?"

"Sure," Chris smiled as he picked up the room key. "I'm starving."

Chris and Eve left their hotel room walking noticing that the rain had eased up a bit as they went next door to the restaurant. Eve discovered that for being in such a small town, the place they were at was really congested with people all over the place talking to each other and laughing. There were people sitting at the bar trying to get the attention of other customers and the more Eve scanned the place, the more it appeared to look like a singles bar rather than a restaurant.

"Wow!" Eve gasped looking at the crowd. "This place looks like a real pick up joint."

"My kind of place." Chris chuckled scanning the room noticing the beautiful women.

"Desperate, lonely women looking for a guy like me."

"You are their worst nightmare Ramsey." Eve replied hitting him on the arm. "I guess that some boys will never grow up."

"May I help you?" A short dark haired waitress said after she'd seated them at the table.

"Can I get you anything?"

"I need a few minutes to decide." Eve responded looking at the menu.

"What about you sir?" the waitress asked as she looked over Chris smiling brightly.

"I think that I need a few more minutes too, " he said as he looked at the waitress' name tag. "Becky. Wow, that is such a beautiful name"

"Why thank you." the waitress said blushing.

"You know," he said smiling at the girl, "I girlfriend named Becky once, but that was a long time ago. Oh how I do miss her."

"What happened to her?" Becky questioned curiously.

"Poor Becky had just turned seventeen when she grew very ill and shortly after that I lost her forever." Chris sighed lowering his head a bit before meeting the girl's stare once more.

"That is terrible. I'm sorry." the girl said sympathetically. "What was it?"

"Cancer." he said looking at the table and shaking his head. "Very painful. I don't know how I still keep going without having my Becky. My poor, dear, sweet, wonderful Becky."

"That is so sad. You poor man. My heart truly goes out to you." the waitress said as Eve looked up at Chris in disbelief.

"Thank you." Chris replied solemnly taking note of the look of sympathy the waitress was giving him.

"I'll be back here in a few minutes to get your order." she decided casting a glance at Eve for a moment before heading off to another table across the room.

"That was a lie!" Eve blurted out as soon as the waitress left the table.

"Yes it was and a good one too I might add. I just can't help myself sometimes." he said smiling in delight.

"Chris!" Eve snapped at him.

"Hey, there could've been a Becky along the way and who knows maybe there will be one in the near future?" Chris shrugged with a laugh. "I know what you're thinking, but I can't help myself. It's this terrible habit that just seems to get the best of me every now and then."

"That is awful Chris." Eve replied in disgust amazed that he would sink so low to capture attention. "So tell me, if this how you've been getting all of your dates these days?"

"No. Come on Eve. Give me a little credit here." Chris began defensively seeing how upset she was with what he'd said to the waitress. "This is just my way of seeing to it that we got good service here tonight. I mean if you think about it, she's not going to have the cook spit anything in our food now since she thinks I'm dealing with a terrible loss in my life."

"That's sick! You know that don't you?" Eve shot back in irritation unable to believe what she'd just witnessed taking place before her.

"Hey, you won't be complaining when your food comes out here." Chris remarked with a laugh. "Besides, you can tell a lot about a person by their responses to things like that."

"Like?" Eve questioned raising an eyebrow.

"Like the fact that if I wanted to I could get a date with that girl before we left tonight."

he smiled confidently at Eve toying around with her for a bit just to see what kind of reaction he could spark in her.

"You are with me, so she wouldn't try anything Ramsey. More than likely she thinks that you are crazy and she is just trying to be nice to you. No one in their right mind would hit on a guy that is sitting with a woman." Eve informed him quickly shaking her head in disapproval.

"Is that so?" Chris questioned raising an eyebrow introspectively.

"Of course it is Chris." Eve nodded in agreement. "I, for one, wouldn't ask a guy out if he was with someone else. I think that you underestimate women Ramsey."

"Do you want to bet on it?" he asked her.

"No," Eve informed him bluntly.

"It's because you know that I'm right." he said smiling.

"You are the reason that most women hate men. Do you know that? You are exactly what we're taught to stay away from." Eve shot out at him rolling her eyes at his arrogance still amazed with his cool demeanor on the subject.

"That may be true," he replied grabbing her hand and swiping a finger across the center of her palm as he spoke, "but I'm exactly what women want when they go to sleep at night."

"Whatever Chris." Eve replied feeling chills run down her spine at the feel of his touch as she noticed the waitress staring at them. Deciding she would prove her theory to be correct, she leaned in closer to him tilting her head slightly to give off the feeling of intimacy between them in an attempt to show the waitress that they were 'together'. "You give yourself too much credit Ramsey."

"Do I?" Chris questioned trailing his finger up along the exposed skin of her forearm noticing the goosebumps on her flesh and a bit surprised that she hadn't pulled away like he'd been expecting her to.

"Yes you do." Eve nodded feeling chills run up and down her spine as he glided his finger back down to her palm.

"Oh Eve, I'm every woman's fantasy. It just takes a while for some of them to realize it."

Chris blurted out half serious as he laced his fingers into hers taking in the sight of the green flecks in her eyes from across the table. Stroking her palm for a moment longer, Chris released her and stood up from his seat. "Do me a favor. When I leave and the waitress comes back, will you order something for me?"

"Why don't you stay here and order it for yourself?" Eve questioned not really wanting him to leave feeling herself struck with a strange feeling after the way he'd made contact with her.

"Because I have to use the restroom." he explained matter of fact stepping away from the table.

"How am I supposed to know what you want?" she questioned as he walked away.

"I'll get what you are having." he replied disappearing around the corner of the restaurant and out of sight.

"Fine." Eve reluctantly agreed slumping down in her seat and looking over the menu thinking about Chris' arrogance. She let out a sigh thinking to herself how lucky she was to have ended up with a guy like Kevin as opposed to someone like Chris who was so arrogant, self-centered, vindictive, compassionate, sexy.....

"No, he couldn't be all those things." Eve thought to herself glancing down at her hand remembering the feel of his fingers pressed up against her skin. The way his soft touch had sent electrical sparks throughout her body...the sight of him before her....it was too much to think about. She had to find something else to focus on before it drove her insane.

"Are you ready for me to take your order?" the waitress questioned returning to the table and interrupting Eve's jumbled thoughts.

"Sure," Eve nodded scanning over the menu quickly, "the two of us would like the specials."

"Good choice." looking up from her notepad, the waitress smiled at Eve. "You know that your brother is a really handsome guy."

"Excuse me?" Eve questioned not sure that she heard the waitress right.

"Your brother. The guy that you are with. He's cute and his eyes, they're so incredible, but I'm sure that people tell you that all of the time." the waitress giggled as she handed Eve a piece of paper. "Could you give him my phone number and tell him that I get off work at eleven?"

"Oh sure." Eve replied trying to suppress her amazement as the waitress left. Staring down at the phone number in hand, Eve tossed it into the ashtray deciding that she wanted to get rid of it before Chris came back.

"Did you order our food yet?" Chris questioned making himself comfortable as he returned back to the table.

"Oh yeah, I ordered two of the specials." Eve responded looking into his eyes trying to see what Becky was talking about wondering what it was about Chris that made him so damn irresistible to some women. She knew that it couldn't be his romantic charm because as long as she'd known him, he didn't appear possess such a quality. Granted, he had good looks, but then again that didn't make much for a lasting relationship. Then again, he prided himself on short lasting romance.

"So, where is it?" he asked her curiously after a moment of silence.

"Where is what?" Eve questioned in confusion.

"Where is Becky's phone number?" he inquired raising an eyebrow and holding out his hand. "Fork it on over Lambert."

"What on earth are you talking about?" she asked him pretending not to know what he was talking about.

"I know that she gave it to you." he said looking at her. "If you don't want to give me it that's fine, but at least tell me that she gave it to me."

"She'll be off work at eleven." Eve muttered in disgust throwing the paper at him from out of the ashtray. "How did you know?"

"I have this sixth sense." He smiled as he put the paper into his pocket. "Also, on my way to the restroom I met another waitress named Ginger and she gave me her phone number in less than two minutes of talking to her. That was a record time for me. Am I good or what?"

"You're pathetic!" Eve laughed at him. "You wouldn't know love if it bit you in the face."

"On the contrary, I avoid love for that very reason alone." Chris countered with a hint of cynicism. "The last thing I want is something to come and bite me in the face."

"Chris, seriously though. Why do you want to play around with these dead end relationships when Ms. Right could be waiting around the corner waiting for you to come to your senses and find her." Eve continued seriously reaching out across the table to take his hand in hers wondering if she'd have the same reaction to him this time around.

"Just because I don't think that I am ready to fall in love yet and become sickly sweet like you and Doctor Psychobabble doesn't make me pathetic." he informed her abruptly pulling away from her touch finding this conversation hitting too close to home. "It just makes me free to do what I want. At least I don't claim to be the perfect man."

"I never said you had to be Chris. I'm just saying that I'd like to see you happy. That's all." Eve explained sensing the detachment in his tone as he looked around the room avoiding eye contact with her. "Chris..."

"Look Eve. You just worry about your life with Dr. Collins and let me do whatever it is I want to do with mine." Chris snapped at her as their food arrived. "Is that too much to ask for?"

"No, not at all." Eve responded quietly wondering what she'd said to set Chris off as he tore into his burger wildly. "I'm sorry."

~~~~~~~~

"I think that I am going to go downstairs for a while." Chris announced as soon as he and Eve had approached their hotel room after they'd finished their very tense dinner together.

"You are?" she questioned slightly disappointed that he was leaving.

"If that is okay with you..." he replied trying to read her facial expression silently hoping she'd ask him to stay with her.

"That's fine. Have fun." she shrugged opening the door to the hotel room and stepping inside.

"Are you sure that you don't mind if I go back to the restaurant to see Ginger?" Chris questioned watching her go through her things as she started to get ready for bed.

"Go ahead. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." Eve replied looking at him through the mirror. "After all who am I to tell you what to do or what not to do. As you said yourself. You're a big boy and you can make your own decisions."

"That's right." He nodded in agreement watching her for a moment as he picked up his keys moving towards the door. He cast a glance over his shoulder wondering what was running through her mind as she kept her back to him. "Don't wait up for me!"

"Fine. I won't." she replied as he closed the door behind him on the way out. Scanning the room, Eve reached for the television remote suddenly too wound up to sleep now that Chris was gone. After a while Eve decided that she should try to call Kevin again.

Leaning across the bed and reaching for the phone, she dialed the number listening to the sound of the phone ringing four times. She was about to give up when she heard Kevin's voice on the other end of the line.

"Hello," Kevin answered sleepily.

"Hi Kevin." Eve spoke softly into the phone. "Did I wake you?"

"Nah, I was just going over a few case studies here." Kevin answered with a yawn. "How is the trip going?"

"It is okay for the most part. Chris and I were making a lot of progress until we got into a little accident along the way." Eve explained sinking back into her pillow closing her eyes.

"What kind of accident? Are you hurt Eve?" Kevin questioned in concern.

"I'm fine Kevin. Really, it's nothing to worry about." Eve assured him quickly. "Chris maneuvered the Jeep so that there wasn't much damage done to anything. A cow ran out into the middle of the road."

"A cow?" Kevin repeated with a chuckle. "Now that's original."

"Tell me about it." Eve laughed softly twisting the phone cord through her fingers.

"So how long is it going to take you to get back on the road again?" Kevin questioned after a moment's silence.

"The Jeep is being repaired and we have to delay for a day or so, but we will get there as soon as we can. We are stuck in this little town in the middle of nowhere for the night."

Eve explained with a soft yawn further reclining into her pillow. "So how are the wedding plans going without me?"

"Well, other than the fact that the caterer called and said he is having problems with the menu, everything is just fine." Kevin informed her brightly.

"What do you mean the caterer is having problems?" Eve questioned concerned by his response.

"He wasn't able work together the menu you and I'd agreed upon, but never fear I had her improvise." Kevin explained with a yawn.

"Please don't tell me we're having hot dogs and wing dings now Kevin." Eve replied sitting upright in bed.

"Well, it came close cocktail weenies and beer nuts, but luckily Lucy was there to talk me back to my senses at the very last moment." Kevin explained with a soft laugh.

"Lucy?" Eve repeated feeling her eyes widen at the very mention of Lucy. "What was Lucy doing meeting with you and the caterer?"

"Oh well, she stopped by to drop off Sigmund while she and Scott went out of town for a couple days and she kind of got caught up in the craziness around this place." Kevin explained taking note of Eve's silence. "Eve, hey, is something wrong?"

"Huh.....oh no.....no, not at all." Eve replied snapping out of her daze. "I'm just surprised that Lucy brought Sigmund over for you to duck sit. I mean, the two of you haven't really done that in quite some time considering that she's with Scott now and Serena's kind of adopted Sigmund."

"Well, it was kind of a last minute thing." Kevin continued after a moment's hesitation.

"She had to get a few things taken care of so I thought that rather than shipping Sigmund off to Lee and Gail, he may as well stay here and keep me company while you're gone. I didn't think it was a big deal."

"Well, just as long as he doesn't find a permanent spot on my side of the bed, then I suppose it's okay." Eve decided still struck with a strange feeling by the tone in Kevin's voice. "Kevin, are you sure that there's not something else bothering you? Is something wrong?"

"Eve, look it's late and we both are a bit tired." Kevin replied with a yawn. "Why don't you just relax and take it easy? We can continue this conversation in the morning."

"Okay," Eve nodded holding the phone closer to her ear, "Kevin! I love you ."

"Oh yeah, I love you too Eve." Kevin replied after a moment. "Good-night Eve."

"Good-night." Eve replied listening to the phone click as he hung up.

After Eve got off of the phone, she changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed not bothering to put up a sheet seeing as Chris would probably be gone for the night out with his lasted fling. Rolling over onto her side, she thought of how things weren't going exactly as she had planned especially after her conversation with Kevin. All that she had really wanted was to get married to Kevin as soon as possible, but now with the day dawning around the corner, things weren't working out that way she'd anticipated and she feared that something was suddenly missing between them...something she just couldn't quite put her finger on.

Eve glanced over at the clock realizing that it was getting late and as time passed on, she was actually starting to get bothered by the idea that Chris was downstairs with some sleazy waitress. While Chris had given her the whole happy being single and detached routine, she knew that he could actually be a great guy who deserved more out of life than an endless string of one night stands and even though he acted like falling in love wasn't something he wanted, she felt that he really did. She thought about what he'd said earlier and how in her heart, she just couldn't see him being happy just moving from one girl to the next as the months changed. Suddenly finding herself wrapped up in thoughts of Chris, she decided to dismiss her concerns for him and just go to sleep pushing the day behind her as she drifted off into a dream.

*******************************************

Finding herself snuggling in front of the enormous fireplace with Kevin on their honeymoon, Eve let out a sigh.

"I am so glad that you finally came back to me again." Kevin whispered in her ear as the sounds of the wind crackling in the distance played in her mind.

"I'm so happy to be here. There's no place on Earth that I'd rather be than with you."

she whispered kissing him.

"You don't know how bad I want to be with you." he said as she snuggled into his chest.

"I think that I do." She said looking up and kissing him. When she pulled away to look at his face she realized that she was no longer with Kevin. It was Chris she'd been kissing and now looking up at him, she was shocked.

"That was what I wanted to hear." Chris whispered leaning in to give her a kiss. "You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say that?"

"What is going on here Chris?" Eve questioned in confusion.

"It's your dream." Chris smiled at her playfully. "You tell me."

Waking up abruptly at about three thirty, Eve noticed that Chris wasn't back yet and she was starting to worry about him. She knew that it was foolish to worry because he told her not to wait up, but she still concerned none the less. Somehow as time went on, she realized that she didn't like the feeling of not knowing where he was at. It bothered her more than she would be willing to admit had he asked, and no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, her feeling just wouldn't go away. Crawling out of bed and putting on her robe, Eve was about to go downstairs to look for him when she say him sitting outside of their door by himself. She was going to come out and talk to him, but he appeared to be in deep thought, so she opted to go back to bed now feeling more at ease since she knew where he was.

Now having sat on the balcony outside of the hotel room for quite some time, Chris thought back to how he'd walked into the room to go to bed about an hour earlier, but he decided to stay outside needing some time to think. He watched the tiny rain droplets fall down around him seeming to have a life of their own as each one followed a direction different to the one that fell before it. Much like his life, they seemed to have no apparent direction just kind of free falling wherever the wind took them. He closed his eyes letting out a sigh thinking of how much harder this trip was on him than he'd anticipated.

When he'd initially thought about accompanying Eve to the convention, he'd plotted out detail for detail how he'd attempt to sweep her off her feet or at least find the courage to let her go, but now sitting alone at the break of dawn, he feared that he'd never be able to forget the way he felt about her. She held his heart, body, and soul unwillingly completely oblivious to what he felt for her as she basked in the glow of her engagement to Kevin.

He so desperately wanted to confess all to her earlier over dinner when she tore into him about falling in love. If only she knew what true love felt like. She had no idea how he felt holding her after their accident or about the strange effect she had on him by allowing him to be that close to her. His heart was burning with desire aching to be free to love her...free to show her what true love was meant to be like...to show her all the sacrifices he'd made for the sake of her happiness and how he'd do it all over again just to have her.

Chris had been trying to read her emotions this whole time during the trip starting with his line of questioning towards Kevin up until their strained dinner and while his thoughts were running wild, he wasn't going to try to rationalize what he was feeling because he honestly didn't have a clue what was going through her mind. As time dragged on, he couldn't help but recall the look on her face when she'd walked in on him earlier unexpectedly, but the real shock he'd been given was the way that she looked at him.

There was just something about the look that she gave him the rest of the day that made him wonder if perhaps she had felt it too...as if Eve could feel the same force he'd been struck with pulling him to her.

When Chris was in the restaurant, he didn't have to try hard to get a reaction out of Eve as she watched him hitting on those waitresses. He had fun playing with them at the time, and was ready to push his feelings for Eve aside in a step to move forward with his life finally accepting that she had moved onto Kevin whole-heartedly, but then he had noticed the look her face when they'd returned to the hotel room and he'd informed her that he was taking off. She'd looked almost hurt and he almost turned around walking back into the room, but he couldn't let himself to do it. He'd managed to push himself into going back to the restaurant to see Ginger, but once he was alone with her all he could think about was Eve...about what she might be doing alone in the hotel room, what she might be feeling without him there with her and about how he missed their feisty conversations.

After a few more minutes of thinking Chris decided that he needed some sleep, but as soon as he returned to the room ready to crash onto the bed and fall into a deep slumber, he saw Eve. Remaining frozen in the doorway for a while, he noticed how the moonlight cast upon her angelic face accentuating her beauty only making her more irresistible in his eyes as she slept. In that instant of watching Eve, Chris realized he'd never feel that way about another woman again and his heart broke in two knowing that love had passed him by yet again and there was nothing he could do about it.

Looking at his watch, he realized it was approaching three in the morning. Deciding that they would have a long day ahead of them, Chris closed the door behind him careful not to awaken Eve as he slipped out of his clothes and into bed next to Eve closing his eyes tightly trying to ignore the closeness between them when he felt Eve roll over draping her arm around him. Opening his eyes, he brought his arm in around her as she nestled into him placing her head on his chest making herself comfortable.

"Oh Eve, why do you have to make this so difficult for me? Why can't you just see how much I love you? Is that too much to ask Lambert? " Chris questioned in a whisper running his fingers through her hair savoring the feel of holding her in his arms. "I just wish I had the right words to say it to you once and for all. If I could just prove to you that we belong together. If only you could see....."

Chris was about to speak up again as he noticed Eve stir a bit in his arms. Holding her closer to him he closed his eyes feeling sleepiness taking over feeling the warmth of her pressed up against him.

"I love you Eve...." Chris mumbled drifting off to sleep.